A Formal Thread about Activision/Blizzard

CriticalGaming

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I hope this leads to substantive change. I suspect it's a fool's hope.

The article talks about when Riot Games had a similar walkout. What ever came of that?
Not sure, but i think Riot paid out a shitload to people and as far as i can tell their culture has been cleansed.
 

SilentPony

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This screams of bullshit and misdirection.
I mean its a carefully worded legal document meant specifically to not assume any blame. They call the allegations merely the "experiences" of brave women, because experiences are open to personal interpretation, allegations need legal oversight. But hey, at least they're still playing World of Warcraft.
and nice touch at the end suggesting true loyal employees should view Blizzard as their home, rather than a workplace. The implication being employees who like go home at the end of the day aren't as loyal and deserving as those who view the office as their home.
Also nice that they're openly saying they're going to censor WoW chat for any references to the allegations, because they don't want people remembering it while raiding the Barrens.

This letter is basically just them saying they're sorry some women have interpreted their experiences as negative and they're dedicated to making sure other women don't interpret those experiences as negative anymore, while carefully avoiding mentioning if anything negative ever actually happened. Puts the blame on the women for having vivid imaginations and thinking the worst of people, rather than acknowledging anything bad actually happened.
 

Agema

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nice touch at the end suggesting true loyal employees should view Blizzard as their home, rather than a workplace.
There are few things I hate more than the corporate appropriation of such terms: your workplace as "home", or a group of companies or colleagues as a "family".

Pretty much every employee on the planet knows (or should know) their employer will cut them loose at the drop of a hat if it suits the company.
 

CriticalGaming

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There are few things I hate more than the corporate appropriation of such terms: your workplace as "home", or a group of companies or colleagues as a "family".

Pretty much every employee on the planet knows (or should know) their employer will cut them loose at the drop of a hat if it suits the company.
I agree, every place i ever worked at that tried to play that "family" bullshit just made me roll my eyes. Like, "Fuck you dude, I flip burgers we aint family."
 
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SilentPony

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I agree, every place i ever worked at that tried to play that "family" bullshit just made me roll my eyes. Like, "Fuck you dude, I flip burgers we aint family."
Well remember family doesn't charge family for work, they're happy to do it for free. You don't pay your grandma for making cookies, cousins don't get paid for helping cousins move. Its a slow move towards employees moving to volunteers, and therefore more money for the executives.
 
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Gordon_4

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There are few things I hate more than the corporate appropriation of such terms: your workplace as "home", or a group of companies or colleagues as a "family".

Pretty much every employee on the planet knows (or should know) their employer will cut them loose at the drop of a hat if it suits the company.
Although considering how much sexual assault happens in the home, perhaps Blizzard aren’t far off the mark. You know, in all the wrong and worse ways.
 
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Nick Calandra

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Looks like I was right about expecting an actual response from Bobby Pockets.
 
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Gergar12

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I don't like either of the parties involved, but I hope the employees get some justice.

Also, California is neoliberal hell, and Activision is corporate hell, they should get married.
 

Gordon_4

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Looks like I was right about expecting an actual response from Bobby Pockets.
Shit. Must be worse than I thought if the lawyers are actually letting him weigh in - with them as proof readers I imagine - on this whole thing. Bells be tolling.
 
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Trunkage

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Letting employees play dare games where you had to grab unsuspecting colleagues genitrals for... laughs I suppose... is fucked up. Hundreds of men have been harrassed like this
 

SilentPony

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Letting employees play dare games where you had to grab unsuspecting colleagues genitrals for... laughs I suppose... is fucked up. Hundreds of men have been harrassed like this
As a guy who went to an all boys high school, 7-12th grade, and is straight, I will NEVER understand the frat boy mentality that's obsessed with dicks. Kids drew dicks on everything at my school. Everything! And "sac taps" were very common and were meant to show how gay the other boy was, by running up and slapping his nuts and duh that means he's gay. Snapping towels on asses and dicks, taking dude's underwear or cups from their lockers. Like its so fucking weird how adolescent boys and jocks are obsessed with both proving they're hyper masculine and straight, and with touching the dicks of everyone they can.
Without meaning to rationalize abusive behavior, when a bunch of straight dudes are getting into a "straight-off" the name of the game shouldn't be grab a bunch of dicks. This whole touch the dicks of every guy on the floor just sounds like...predatory gay behavior.
 
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Dalisclock

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I don't have much to add to this other this how fucking shitty this seems to be getting by the hour. I hope Activision/Blizzard either A.) Learn a Lesson and fix themselves or B.) get burned to the ground(legally/financially/metaphorically) but I doubt it will change anything.
 

Trunkage

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As a guy who went to an all boys high school, 7-12th grade, and is straight, I will NEVER understand the frat boy mentality that's obsessed with dicks. Kids drew dicks on everything at my school. Everything! And "sac taps" were very common and were meant to show how gay the other boy was, by running up and slapping his nuts and duh that means he's gay. Snapping towels on asses and dicks, taking dude's underwear or cups from their lockers. Like its so fucking weird how adolescent boys and jocks are obsessed with both proving they're hyper masculine and straight, and with touching the dicks of everyone they can.
Without meaning to rationalize abusive behavior, when a bunch of straight dudes are getting into a "straight-off" the name of the game shouldn't be grab a bunch of dicks. This whole touch the dicks of every guy on the floor just sounds like...predatory gay behavior.
Just predatory behavior thanks. No need to bring gay into it. Most gay people would be offended by this type of behavior too
 

SilentPony

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Just predatory behavior thanks. No need to bring gay into it. Most gay people would be offended by this type of behavior too
Well I mean its sexual predatory behavior, and if its man on man that's by definition gay. Same if it was women preying on other women its lesbian predatory behavior, because women on women sexuality, predatory or not, is known as lesbianism. So to with men and gay. I guess we can call it homosexual predatory behavior? But like dude on dude sexual violence does have a different designation. I dont think it has a different legal definition, but if the lawsuit differentiates between male on female sexual harassments, and male on male, so should we.
 

Trunkage

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Well I mean its sexual predatory behavior, and if its man on man that's by definition gay. Same if it was women preying on other women its lesbian predatory behavior, because women on women sexuality, predatory or not, is known as lesbianism. So to with men and gay. I guess we can call it homosexual predatory behavior? But like dude on dude sexual violence does have a different designation. I dont think it has a different legal definition, but if the lawsuit differentiates between male on female sexual harassments, and male on male, so should we.
Yeah.... I'm pretty sure it's straight guys doing it against each other. If you want to call it gay/homosexual, I can't stop you. But it's not gay/homosexual people doing it to each other
 

SilentPony

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Yeah.... I'm pretty sure it's straight guys doing it against each other. If you want to call it gay/homosexual, I can't stop you. But it's not gay/homosexual people doing it to each other
Well I mean that's my point. I dont understand how a man or woman can claim to be straight, and then go around sexually preying on the same sex, while also proudly proclaiming their straightness. If a dude makes it his mission to grab the dicks of every guy in the office, my first thought isn't "Oh how straight of you."
Activision-Blizzard has allegedly a thing where the "straight" men of the company dared each other to grab the dicks of as many men as possible. And that's just not an overly straight thing to do, predatory nature aside.
 

Trunkage

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Well I mean that's my point. I dont understand how a man or woman can claim to be straight, and then go around sexually preying on the same sex, while also proudly proclaiming their straightness. If a dude makes it his mission to grab the dicks of every guy in the office, my first thought isn't "Oh how straight of you."
Activision-Blizzard has allegedly a thing where the "straight" men of the company dared each other to grab the dicks of as many men as possible. And that's just not an overly straight thing to do, predatory nature aside.
I'd say because they can pretend that this action is clearly not what they normally do. The bad homosexual (maybe even in me) made me do it
 

Agema

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I'd say because they can pretend that this action is clearly not what they normally do. The bad homosexual (maybe even in me) made me do it
Yes, but there's often a sense of weird homoeroticism about sorts of locker-room, male bonding, fratboy hijinx. Perhaps at some level it's an attempt to display swaggering confidence - "Hey man, I'm so secure in my manly, straight masculinity that this totally isn't at all kinky."