Activision-Blizzard Sued By California

[Edge-]

The suit includes someone playing CoD at work, which usually would be very bad, but when you work for Activision it might actually be seen as useful work.

This is trying a bit too hard, honestly. Yes, playtesting on the job is a thing, but it's usually a scheduled/coordinated thing, not as we're seeing reports of employees spending extensive time during the day playing the game. Riot had a similar problem with employees just playing League of Legends during the day and had to build in hard-limitations (I think it was like 6 hours) to limit how much employees played the game at work instead of working.

This kind of thing is depressingly common, and a small handful of employees "benefit" from this while a great majority of them aren't afforded the same opportunity and are instead the ones actually doing the work/getting dinged for not doing "enough".

[TEHPALLYTANK]

I've only asked, thorough this entire conversation to be presented evidence or tried to present evidence.

https://aboutblaw.com/YJw

I believe what you're specifically asking for starts on page 7, and is primarily covered on pages 7-9. Though if I misinterpreted what you're asking for, I suggest reading the full filing to see if it has any of the answers you were asking for.

[Evilfish]

And there it is.

Wow, it's almost as if the culture on this website is the direct result of Blizzard's history of encouraging toxicity too. Who would have thought, lol.

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They had two years to demonstrate compliance while they were being investigated. That's plenty of due process, dude.

Toxicity means having a different opinion than yours. Being skeptical is toxic is it?

[Forogil]

Blizzard has only acknowledged that they've worked with DFEH and complied. Blizzard has not acknowledged that their work environment was or was not toxic.

Somewhat true, but they specifically don't deny that it was toxic.

Blizzard write (emphasis mine)

The DFEH includes distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzard’s past.
...
The picture the DFEH paints is not the Blizzard workplace of today. Over the past several years and continuing since the initial investigation started, we’ve made significant changes to address company culture and reflect more diversity within our leadership teams.

Reading between the line the obvious conclusion is that it was somewhat toxic back then, but they have competent lawyers who don't admit that.

[Poppen]

I get such joy hearing that Blizz is taking another big fat L.

Too bad the 'terminally online' that plague this website still will support such a company. If this doesn't make you quit WoW then basically nothing will.

[Belize]

Whew lads, this many pages of sexual harassment apologists.

[Lochton]

As said in other threads. Sad events, bullshit behavior.

Another reason unions are needed is to give employees a set of tools needed, advice, and support when things like this shit go on..

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I get such joy hearing that Blizz is taking another big fat L.

Too bad the 'terminally online' that plague this website still will support such a company. If this doesn't make you quit WoW then basically nothing will.

Yeah... except.. This should make you quit gaming then, as we don't really have many places to go else. Of course, quit if you believe that is your tool, or stay and file complaints about such behavior or help support the victims of such behavior.

[Hollycakes]

I saw your "point". I reject it for being insufferably silly.

This is the best thing I've ever read on mmo champ. <3

Also, lol at the examples I'm seeing.

[Rozz]

As said in other threads. Sad events, bullshit behavior.

Another reason unions are needed is to give employees a set of tools needed, advice, and support when things like this shit go on..

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Yeah... except.. This should make you quit gaming then, as we don't really have many places to go else. Of course, quit if you believe that is your tool, or stay and file complaints about such behavior or help support the victims of such behavior.

A lot of the employees coming out are still with this company too or are reminding people on Twitter that the issues are systemic. I'm debating if I want to play warcraft anymore, but I'm also reminded that the progress made in the system is thanks to those still there and fighting against the toxicity. I'd like to believe they're responsible for the content I love and I want to support them.

[Forogil]

This is trying a bit too hard, honestly. Yes, playtesting on the job is a thing, but it's usually a scheduled/coordinated thing, not as we're seeing reports of employees spending extensive time during the day playing the game.

I'm not saying that it makes sense, but if Blizzard didn't have any rules limiting it and the management actively encouraged it, then I don't see that there's something unfair about it.
For games (and programs in particular) there's both the testing of features and testing of the general feel - and the latter is hard to schedule and coordinate.

However, if some employees had the same job descriptions and some were encouraged to play CoD and others not then there would be a clear case. If only certain games, or activities, were allowed then there might be a case.

This kind of thing is depressingly common, and a small handful of employees "benefit" from this while a great majority of them aren't afforded the same opportunity and are instead the ones actually doing the work/getting dinged for not doing "enough".

Somewhat true, but you also the usual effect that most employees think they are doing far more than the average share; like most drivers thinking they are better than average.

[Lochton]

A lot of the employees coming out are still with this company too or are reminding people on Twitter that the issues are systemic. I'm debating if I want to play warcraft anymore, but I'm also reminded that the progress made in the system is thanks to those still there and fighting against the toxicity. I'd like to believe they're responsible for the content I love and I want to support them.

That is what I believe too. Of course, one could just up and quit but then it feels like you're just quitting on the problem because it is just easier to do that. People need support, and they need to know their fans are on their side. I've played this game since its making, and I've been through shit, heck, I'm even an investor now and this bullshit is not on, but nor do I believe I can help by just washing my hands and move away.

[uuuhname]

Being skeptical is toxic is it?

being skeptical of the victim's motivations is kind of toxic, yes.

[Forogil]

It really depends on if it was systemic or if it was isolated incidents. The filed lawsuit argues it's systemic, DFEH involvement implies it was at least isolated incidents. I don't really consider that close to an admission of guilt. I'm especially curious about the collaborating evidence against Afrasiabi.

I see the statements about "not the Blizzard workplace of today", and "made significant changes to company culture" as indications that it was at least somewhat toxic back then (without admitting guilt or the level of toxicity).

[BronzeCondor]

Sure but again, the investigation happened over two years and no evidence of extensive sexual harassment against men was found, while copious sexual harassment of their female employees was.

This smacks of, "but what about uuuussssss" when "you" (the royal you of dudes) aren't the victims here. The women are.

Are you really de-emphasizing the importance of men being harassed?

Do you feel the harassment of women is more important than the harassment of men? Both should be equally important.

[Endus]

Are you really de-emphasizing the importance of men being harassed?

Do you feel the harassment of women is more important than the harassment of men? Both should be equally important.

There's no indication they're treated differently.

The investigation wasn't targeted to only look at women's victimization. It just uncovered little to no evidence of such harassment against men. Not the same thing, and pretending otherwise is fuckin' silly.

[Rozz]

Outside of the external sources (I didn't know about the EEOC complaint), on page 9, it starts listing allegations. That's what they are, they're allegations. I'm looking for the evidence supporting those allegations.

I'll admit I definitely didn't know about Blizzard's EEOC complaint until today, though.

What's damning is that the company has worked with the department for years knowing the investigation was happening. They were expected to make changes (this is possibly shown when they let go of Afrasiabi, replacing Kael'Thas' VA, and maybe even Garrosh's bitch line to a lesser extent) but did not do it to whatever level the department found acceptable.

You aren't going to find "evidence" like you would in a normal case. The state is claiming years' worth of evidence they're withholding and only mentioned some in limited terms. It's on Acti-Blizzard at this point to refute it, but that's what they're up against. It doesn't help that there are no employees currently denying what was documented, the company had big names leaving without much being said, and the last 2-3yrs had employees of various posts leaving and saying they were mistreated (sometimes bc of gender/race/or something else). There is a lot that would leave onlookers to believe the state has a legitimate claim, besides whatever they're sitting on when they did investigations.

The evidence exists, Acti-Blizzard has either prove it was misinterpreted (which is their claim atm) or give up and pay money.

[Endus]

Don't mix politics and gaming. What those people did is inexcusable, but they aren't the only ones in Blizzard. It is a huge company, there are plenty of good people working in it, so why punish those good people because of actions of few? Product is not a result of behaviour of few developers.

The people working on the game don't get any benefit from the game's sales. The game not selling does not in any way hurt them. It hurts shareholders, not employees.

[Edge-]

Are you really de-emphasizing the importance of men being harassed?

No, I'm calling out the, "But what about US MENS!" bullshit in a topic where the overwhelming and primary conclusions of a multi-year investigation were that there was a culture of harassment against female employees and that they found no such evidence of something similar existing for male employees.

Do you feel the harassment of women is more important than the harassment of men? Both should be equally important.

You feel the need to make this some kinda zero-sum game which is like, weird as fuck. Harassment is bad. This story is almost exclusively about the women who were the victims of extensive, prolonged harassment. This story isn't about men being harassed, as there appears to be little evidence of such systemic and extensive harassment.

Why you're still trying to make men the victim here when the lawsuit clearly shows that the culture victimized female employees is beyond me. When we have a story about extensive sexual harassment against male employees at a company, I'll be right there calling it absolute horse shit and unacceptable, bro.

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Computer you are typing this on has parts made with cheap slave-like labor in south-east asian countries, so you should not own any computers. Same with your phone.

Did you really just Mr. Gotcha the fuckin thread?

[Belize]

Are you really de-emphasizing the importance of men being harassed?

Do you feel the harassment of women is more important than the harassment of men? Both should be equally important.

You must be an All Lives Matter person, correct?

[BronzeCondor]

You must be an All Lives Matter person, correct?

No, I believe Black Lives matter more than anyone's because of their historically unethical treatment by whites.

You feel the need to make this some kinda zero-sum game which is like, weird as fuck. Harassment is bad. This story is almost exclusively about the women who were the victims of extensive, prolonged harassment. This story isn't about men being harassed, as there appears to be little evidence of such systemic and extensive harassment.

Why you're still trying to make men the victim here when the lawsuit clearly shows that the culture victimized female employees is beyond me. When we have a story about extensive sexual harassment against male employees at a company, I'll be right there calling it absolute horse shit and unacceptable, bro.

It's not a zero sum-game, that's how you want to pigeonhole your understanding of what I am trying to say to make it easier for you to argue with but it's anything but. It's important to understand that sexual harassment, as a whole, is important and that cases against both sexes deserve just as much attention. I clearly outlined that in my previous post - emphasis on BOTH.