Activision-Blizzard Sued By California

[muto]

Dunno why, he's always been as much of a bro as Afrasiabi.



Gloria Steinem's #1 fan, y'all. If any of you thought this was funny at the time, congratulations on being complicit too.

Man Afrasiabi is a smug dick. I get what the girl was saying though about making female characters less attractive so guys like Afrasiabi don’t get off to them. And they just all sat up there and bullied her for it. Can’t imagine the harassment a lot of female employees got behind the scenes when the cameras weren’t on them.

[Elegiac]

Man Afrasiabi is a smug dick. I get what the girl was saying though about making female characters less attractive so guys like Afrasiabi don’t get off to them. And they just all sat up there and bullied her for it. Can’t imagine the harassment a lot of female employees got behind the scenes when the cameras weren’t on them.

As said the bigger takeaway from this is that giving Brack the benefit of the doubt when he claims to have tried to address the issue is questionable.

A bro being in favor of cracking down on sexual harassment is like a turkey being in favor of Thanksgiving.

[Edge-]

Media products, particularly video games, are filled with unrealistic depictions.

Yes, and not all stereotypes are equal. Some are worse than others, like this.

[Ursus]

I paint him as promoting a toxic environment.

Can you quote the post where you did this? Because I looked through your latest posts in this thread and I don't see anything remotely resembling that.

[Grimbold21]

Again, fairly telling that your specific reason for entering this thread isn't to discuss the problem but to bitch about other people who are.

Well then, Elegiac, I suppose you have more in common with your opponents than you thought, given that my interest in coming here - again - was to experience once more how you instrumentalize an awful situation to prance about your false sense of moral superiority

What's next? Want to go back to the crypto thread and logical fallacy me to numbness on how crypto is anti semitic?

[Elegiac]

Well then, Elegiac, I suppose you have more in common with your opponents than you thought, given that my interest in coming here - again - was to experience once more how you instrumentalize an awful situation to prance about your false sense of moral superiority

Openly admitting to entering a thread specifically to derail it is a bold move, but you do you.

Once again: very telling how your issue is not actually the harassment and toxicity within Blizzard, it's that people are talking about it in a tone you don't care for.

[Grimbold21]

Can you quote the post where you did this? Because I looked through your latest posts in this thread and I don't see anything remotely resembling that.

Sure thing.

Page 28, post #547

My perception of Elegiac is that he's representative of this now very tiresome, twitter like, trope, of a person that claims to be concerned with social matters and believes this entitles them to condescendingly, smugly dismiss, undermine or ostracize mockery, making fun or criticism of such questions. Quite woke.

Ups, I said the "W" word, I guess that means I fall into a certain group that's complicit with the system. *scary jazz hands*

It's quite amusing really. Here we are, in a thread about a company which has been a clear case of performative activism, rightfully criticizing it, yet one can't help but notice that has already generated the same effect that always does. Rampant claims of allyship or whatever throughout the social media sphere, claims that, well, are mostly hollow.

- - - Updated - - -

Openly admitting to entering a thread specifically to derail it is a bold move, but you do you.

Once again: very telling how your issue is not actually the harassment and toxicity within Blizzard, it's that people are talking about it in a tone you don't care for.

Is that a "tone policing" accusation I see creeping up?

- - - Updated - - -

Openly admitting to entering a thread specifically to derail it is a bold move, but you do you.

Once again: very telling how your issue is not actually the harassment and toxicity within Blizzard, it's that people are talking about it in a tone you don't care for.

So you're saying that people's conduct and principles in respect to the discussion of an issue is irrelevant to its resolution. Alright.

[Elegiac]

-snip-

No, I'm saying that this is a discussion about Blizzard and its conduct and that you having a chip on your shoulder over me isn't relevant to said discussion, bro - especially when you aren't actually disputing anything people have said.

[Grimbold21]

No, I'm saying that this is a discussion about Blizzard and its conduct and that you having a chip on your shoulder over me isn't relevant to said discussion, bro - especially when you aren't actually disputing anything people have said.

My dear Elegiac you insinuate that I was tone policing, yet there can be no discussion with you if I'm not in total agreement with your perception. I disagree with the logic underpinning the question in that video, ergo, per your reasoning, I am part of the system and at fault for its perpetuation.

I must agree that the Blizzard staff openly mocked one of their fans - as opposed to making light fun of it - otherwise I'm complicit.

A hundred logic fallacies and intentional misrepresentations later, the conclusion is that I took part and supported a toxic environment.

Hence, stay classy.

[Elegiac]

I must agree that the Blizzard staff openly mocked one of their fans - as opposed to making light fun of it

So, you don't actually see a problem with Brack and Afrasiabi behaving like bros. Good to know - you could have just led with this rather than whining about other posters.

[Ursus]

Sure thing.

Page 28, post #547

My perception of Elegiac is that he's representative of this now very tiresome, twitter like, trope, of a person that claims to be concerned with social matters and believes this entitles them to condescendingly, smugly dismiss, undermine or ostracize mockery, making fun or criticism of such questions. Quite woke.

So you weren't saying that anyone from Blizzard was promoting a toxic environment? Ok then, thanks for clearing that up.

[MoanaLisa]

Dunno why, he's always been as much of a bro as Afrasiabi.
Gloria Steinem's #1 fan, y'all. If any of you thought this was funny at the time, congratulations on being complicit too.

I have really mixed thoughts about this so read if you will. If not, fine:

What you posted is penny-ante stuff from a decade ago that isn't even in the same ball park as his inability or refusal to fix what has to be Mike Morhaim's corporate culture of retaliation, unequal pay and the rest. He's been there long enough to have done something about it and didn't. In addition to that, he handwaved Afrasiabi's Blizzcon sins with a 'serious conversation'. For that there's a justifiable case that he resign. That's just true. What you posted is petty BS in comparison to his current sins and hypocrisy in that e-mail.

On the other side: Fine. Brack is gone. Who replaces him? Who there can handle the CEO job that's ever produced a game or interacted at length with the customers? Is it likely that there is someone. There might be but that in a moment. What is more likely is that Kotick will install some empty suit that says nice things, has never worked on a game in their life, and has no understanding of Blizzard's customers. If that's the alternative I'll be happy to take a reform-minded, repentant J. Allen Brack who vows to clean house on Blizzard's culture and does something about it. Everyone else from the older management group has to be considered part of the problem. So the idea of anyone coming back from the Morhaime era seems far-fetched.

One alternative (TRIGGER WARNING): Hazzikostas has the legal background to understand that part of the job, has the verbal skills and smarts to do it, and has spent a very long time producing game content. Whether or not he has the range to manage other products or bring along new products is a question. I don't consider this to be likely but again, I'd prefer Hazzikostas or Brack to some empty gray suit that's recently unemployed by the government. Forums would genuinely lament not having him to insult since he would no longer be really working on WoW so there's that.

Last thing before I shut up: This is going to boil all weekend. The list of former Blizzard managers who haven't said anything will be a lot more interesting to me than the list of ex- and current employees who have. The point is there's a case for every famous Blizzard name you know either actively being a part of this or complicit through silence. If the point is to close Blizzard down then you've lost me. Someone needs to be in charge of reform.

[Grimbold21]

So you weren't saying that anyone from Blizzard was promoting a toxic environment? Ok then, thanks for clearing that up.

My remarks regarding the promotion of a toxic environment were about Elegiac.

- - - Updated - - -

So, you don't actually see a problem with Brack and Afrasiabi behaving like bros. Good to know - you could have just led with this rather than whining about other posters.

Case.in.point.

[Elegiac]

I have really mixed thoughts about this so read if you will. If not, fine:

What you posted is penny-ante stuff from a decade ago that isn't even in the same ball park as his inability or refusal to fix what has to be Mike Morhaim's corporate culture of retaliation, unequal pay and the rest. He's been there long enough to have done something about it and didn't. In addition to that, he handwaved Afrasiabi's Blizzcon sins with a 'serious conversation'. For that there's a justifiable case that he resign. That's just true. What you posted is petty BS in comparison to his current sins and hypocrisy in that e-mail.

This is a commentary on how bad his current conduct is, not that his prior conduct wasn't a) inexcusable, and b) an example of the bro culture he claims to have been fighting against his entire career.

On the other side: Fine. Brack is gone. Who replaces him? Who there can handle the CEO job that's ever produced a game or interacted at length with the customers? Is it likely that there is someone. There might be but that in a moment. What is more likely is that Kotick will install some empty suit that says nice things, has never worked on a game in their life, and has no understanding of Blizzard's customers. If that's the alternative I'll be happy to take a repentant J. Allen Brack who vows to clean house on Blizzard's culture and does something about it. Everyone else from the older management group has to be considered part of the problem. So the idea of anyone coming back from the Morhaime era seems far-fetched.

Short answer: I don't care.

Long answer: I don't care. Giving people a pass because of sentimental attachment is precisely what allows these sorts of company cultures to persist. Zero tolerance means zero tolerance - if the company and games suffer as a result then it's on the company for not being able to reconcile its goals with a civilized working environment.

[Edge-]

On the other side: Fine. Brack is gone. Who replaces him?

They can promote people who didn't harass or cover up the harassment of others. They can hire a CEO from outside the company. But at the end of the day, that's a decidedly "Blizzard" problem, and one of their own making. I don't give a shit if they promote one of the janitors or cooks, just promote someone that will take this shit seriously and help create an environment where harassment isn't a feature of employment.

[beanman12345]

No, I'm saying that this is a discussion about Blizzard and its conduct and that you having a chip on your shoulder over me isn't relevant to said discussion, bro - especially when you aren't actually disputing anything people have said.

Saw this earlier, in this thread too. Im gonna coin the term E-bomb for anyone who comes at you or Edge or Endus, with the intent of ya'll humiliating them. I can only empathize though, since my username starts with a b...

[Sunseeker]

Apparently the report left out that she also was in a relationship with her supervisor. Personally I don't trust state agencies to be honest about anything. The USA is particularly obsessed with hunting down social witches right now.

Yes you're banned but this is sort of a general response.

Given the information we've gotten, I can't say with certainty that this relationship was consensual. I can't know it wasn't either of course, but my point remains: if the men in power are abusing the women who aren't, then this "relationship" could simply be an extension of that.

The fact that two people are in a relationship, even a consensual one, does not mean one party cannot be abusive of the other, nor does it resolve them of their abuse.

[Yadryonych]

Dunno why, he's always been as much of a bro as Afrasiabi.



Gloria Steinem's #1 fan, y'all. If any of you thought this was funny at the time, congratulations on being complicit too.

That was funny and still is. And they even catered to a "concerned public" by adding Pandaren soon after. That's pretty much a win-win

[Elegiac]

That was funny and still is.

Grats on being part of the problem, I guess? "I find it funny so how can it be sexist?" has a very logical conclusion that you're deliberately ignoring, lol.

It was gross in 2010 and it's gross today.

[beanman12345]

Yes you're banned but this is sort of a general response.

Given the information we've gotten, I can't say with certainty that this relationship was consensual. I can't know it wasn't either of course, but my point remains: if the men in power are abusing the women who aren't, then this "relationship" could simply be an extension of that.

The fact that two people are in a relationship, even a consensual one, does not mean one party cannot be abusive of the other, nor does it resolve them of their abuse.

To further add to your point, the most dangerous call a cop can get, is a domestic violence call.