Activision-Blizzard Sued By California

[Forogil]

Realistically, it's much easier to prove systemic pay discrimination than systemic sexual harassment. A company has to document how employees are compensated. People that sexually harass other people may do it with coded language or in forms of communication that are temporary.

Possibly, it may also be easier to prove retaliation for reporting sexual harassment than proving the harassment itself.

[Yuujin]

They are two issues, but they are related in terms of sexism, which is why they are part of the same law-suit.
Technically there are even more issues as the sexual misconduct, and the retaliation for reporting sexual misconduct are listed separately.

In the quote below can you identify what is sexual misconduct and what is gender discrimination, and do you see a strict line between those two clearly different issues, or do you see that those issues are part of a bigger issue?

100% related in terms of sexism with maybe just a side of toxic masculinity. I mean, how insecure do you have to be to talk about sexual encounters openly at work. Pretty cringe.

[Specialka]

The statement they made was that the few women who do make it to executive level earn less than their male peers. That's a fact, they don't have to prove it. So they made their point.

The only thing they have to prove is women of specific job titles across the company were not paid as much as their male counterparts. That will be real easy to prove or disprove when records are requested, assuming they don't already have them.

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The existence of gays, people with autism, and transgender people in a video game is pushing 'woke shit' on people?
Or is it changing their games to be more inclusive?

Why do they feel the need to specify the sexuality of a character in a shooter game ? Not even a shooter centered around its story ?

[Yuujin]

Selective layoffs in retaliation to complaints will probably be the easiest to prove. If they can show women who reported harassment being laid off at a rate higher than men or female counterparts who didn't report harassment, then they might have something beyond 'oh, it is just a coincidence.'

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Why do they feel the need to specify the sexuality of a character in a shooter game ? Not even a shooter centered around its story ?

Overwatch has a ton of story. The same way you found out about Tracer's sexuality, outside the game, is the same way we found out about Widowmaker's husband, also outside the game. I'm sure you didn't like all that 'hetero shit' being forced on you, amirite?

[Magnagarde]

"Dominate" can mean different things.

One of the problems is that many of the women weren't hard-core gamers (or drinkers), and there seems to be some idea that playing video game at work (even outside of dedicated testing) was desirable in the employee. Part of that may also be a problem with the fan-base - look at the vitriol towards Bobby Kotick when he allegedly said he didn't play games (due to lack of time).

Oh, and it happened to at least one man at Blizzard as well.

Most women still aren't into videogames and men definitely run the metrics there. It therefor makes sense that most of the people that work in the industry are also male and I see no problem there. However, the problem that this lawsuit lays is one that transcends gaming and even the US; it is worldwide and it also transcends sexual identity.

Equal opportunity in a merit-based environment is the thing that we need more of in the world in general.

[unfilteredJW]

No one has a problem with white male heterosexuality because that's the default state. People have a problem differentiating from that because, in their mind, you're removing the status quo they had.

Mask off now I see.

[uuuhname]

Mask off now I see.

waking up to steaming hot plate of YIKES.

[Specialka]

Selective layoffs in retaliation to complaints will probably be the easiest to prove. If they can show women who reported harassment being laid off at a rate higher than men or female counterparts who didn't report harassment, then they might have something beyond 'oh, it is just a coincidence.'

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Overwatch has a ton of story. The same way you found out about Tracer's sexuality, outside the game, is the same way we found out about Widowmaker's husband, also outside the game. I'm sure you didn't like all that 'hetero shit' being forced on you, amirite?

I really do not care about character sexuality in a shooter game to be frank. I like when diversity is included in a game and when it is done right, and I can't say it is done right in some case about Blizzard's game.

[uuuhname]

What do those people consider gaming? White or political, male or political, heterosexual or political. That's a fairly common critique.

dude, this is what people who whine about a character being changed to a another race always do, and you're saying it here unironically.. incredible.

[Doctor Amadeus]

This seems like a lot of nothing. I imagine a settlement.

[Shadowferal]

This seems like a lot of nothing. I imagine a settlement.

This isn't a civil suit.
They can possibly hash out a plea agreement where the company pleads guilty to lesser charges.

After that, well that's when the civil lawsuits kick in.

[Schmeebs]

I don’t think he’s saying that the women’s accounts are nothing, just that this will end in settlements and nothing big happening. We’ve seen it happen to other major gaming companies that have faced similar lawsuits. The perpetrators get fired, victims get a settlement, company vows to change and move forward.

This exactly. Almost the exact same lawsuit happened to Riot basically a year and a half ago.

[chazus]

Good, good, I hope they don't fuck it up and that no one can just weasel themselves out with enough money.

That is exactly what will happen, if anything. A song about 'we'll enact some company policies and hire some people' and that'll be it.

I see lots of people quitting WoW or streaming other games over this and... Honestly it probably doesn't matter. ATVI (Blizzard Activision) stock didn't even blink at the news release. It really isn't hurting the company, which.. is ultimately sad.

[unfilteredJW]

Ah, if that's what he meant I took it the wrong way, apologies.

They are giving Mall a lot of undeserved credit.

[Edge-]

Brak right now, just name dropping Gloria Steinem - "How do you do, fellow feminists."

This reads like it was designed for public consumption, knowing full well it would immediately leak.

Glad that the senior leadership team and HR are there to talk to, as if the fact that those people haven't been addressing these issues isn't the source of the lawsuit to begin with.

[Ursus]

They are giving Mall a lot of undeserved credit.

Yeah, it's pretty clear he did not mean it was going to result in a lot of nothing, but rather that he himself thinks it's a lot of nothing. Not sure why anyone would give him the benefit of the doubt given all of his other hot takes he's posted.

[Levelfive]

Brak right now, just name dropping Gloria Steinem - "How do you do, fellow feminists."

This reads like it was designed for public consumption, knowing full well it would immediately leak.

Glad that the senior leadership team and HR are there to talk to, as if the fact that those people haven't been addressing these issues isn't the source of the lawsuit to begin with.

Ugh it just reads so hollow after that dumpster fire of a public statement, not to mention the sudden grief and remorse when they wouldn't sufficiently address it under the eye of, and in consultation with, the refs for more than *2 years.*

[Endus]

Brak right now, just name dropping Gloria Steinem - "How do you do, fellow feminists."

This reads like it was designed for public consumption, knowing full well it would immediately leak.

Glad that the senior leadership team and HR are there to talk to, as if the fact that those people haven't been addressing these issues isn't the source of the lawsuit to begin with.

Also, the "if you want to talk to someone external, use the company we contract with directly for such services" bullshit. The Way2Play Integrity line is a service Activision-Blizzard contracts and pays for. It's technically run by a third party, but Activision-Blizzard are the clients of that company. It's like Activision-Blizzard telling employees they can talk to Blizzard's lawyers if they have any concerns about the process, because Blizzard's lawyers are a third party as they're a separate firm. Except worse, because the lawyers at least have ethical codes they're beholden to.

I don't know that Activision-Blizzard IS abusing the Integrity Line this way. I'm just saying it would be absolutely trivial for them to be able to, and that this is the only external option recommended by leadership is really fucking hinky.

[Edge-]

Oh hey, didn't know Brak was also personally named in the lawsuit for taking "no effective remedial measures", and having direct knowledge of what was going on with Afrasiabi and only "ha[ving] multiple conversations with Afrasiabi about his drinking and [the fact that Afrasiabi] had been ‘too friendly’ towards female employees at company events but gave Afrasiabi a slab on the wrist (i.e. verbal counseling) in response to these incidents."

Big ooph. And he thinks dropping Steinem's name is gonna make all the feminists go wild or something. Seems like he's much more of a fan of bro-culture than he claims.

[Doctor Amadeus]

I don’t think he’s saying that the women’s accounts are nothing, just that this will end in settlements and nothing big happening. We’ve seen it happen to other major gaming companies that have faced similar lawsuits. The perpetrators get fired, victims get a settlement, company vows to change and move forward.

You Nailed it.