Activision Publishing CEO Decries Death Threats Against Devs

[Andy Chalk]

Activision Publishing CEO Decries Death Threats Against Devs

[tweet t=https://twitter.com/DavidVonderhaar/statuses/359662272500609026]​

Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg says threats of physical violence against game developers are "absurd" but admits that he doesn't know how the industry could go about making them stop.

Treyarch Design Director David Vonderhaar probably had no idea what was in store when he announced that the fire time of one of the Black Ops 2 weapons had been changed from 0.2 seconds to 0.4 seconds, and in his defense it hardly seems like the sort of thing that would fire threats of violence and death against him and his family. And yet editorial [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/126301-Call-of-Duty-Developer-Gets-Death-Threats-After-New-Patch] entitled simply, "Stop Threatening Game Developers."

But actually convincing people to stop behaving badly is a hard thing to do, especially when your audience is as big as that of the Call of Duty franchise. "Call of Duty is a game that 40 million people will play this month. First off, anything that 40 million people will do is going to result in maybe a few behaving in way that you wish they wouldn't," Hirshberg told OXM. "I love that we have a passionate audience, people who are engaged and opinionated, that's a gift for people being creative. But some people took things way too far, and threats of physical violence is absurd and I obviously do not accept it."

Hirshberg said game developers actually appreciate hearing negative feedback about their games because it helps them make better games in the future, but the interconnectivity that allows gamers and game makers such unprecedented access to one another also makes it almost impossible to stop the abuse. And aside from asking gamers to maintain some sense of perspective when they criticize, he really doesn't know what else can be done.

"I don't know how the industry could, as you say, 'make a stand'," he said. "I don't know what that looks like, or how it could even be done, when you have this mass of ways to connect and huge communities attached to digital ecosystems."

Source: OXM [http://www.oxm.co.uk/61805/activisions-publishing-ceo-eric-hirshberg-speaks-out-against-david-vonderhaar-death-threats/]


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[Raziel]

I don't know what could be done to address it. But I wonder why they don't press charges against some of these people. With as many death threats and things they were getting surely some of them could be traced back to specific person. Maybe if people started facing fines and things they would get there act together. I can understand if them tweaking your favorite gun made you swear at the tv. But there is no excuse to make death threats and doing so against their kids, yeah that should get you some personal time with the police.

Perhaps the companies could do more to distance these announcements from specific people. Maybe having the announcements just sourced as coming from "Treyarch" rather than "Design Director David Vonderhaar".

The problem is a lack of parenting. Parents just don't seem to give a shit what their kids do or say any more. I see it every day in my classroom.

I'm personally betting a large number of the threats are coming from adults. Personally, I think anyone that threatens the guys family rather then him seems more likely to be an adult rather than a kid.

 

[Agayek]

The problem is a lack of parenting. Parents just don't seem to give a shit what their kids do or say any more. I see it every day in my classroom.

Ergo, the obvious solution is to be the parent yourself, in lieu of the parent's refusal to do so.

"Oh, you threatened our devs with murder? You're grounded, mister. That's a two week account ban from our servers. Now you can't play CoD via online multiplayer, since you're so intent on murdering our devs. Hopefully next time you'll express your disagreement in more constructive ways."

Normally I'm not okay with people getting banned from access to the games they bought, but when you start bringing death threats into the equation, I'm sorry, but that should be taken seriously and dealt with in a serious fashion. Kids need to learn how to express their displeasure in ways that don't involve graphic descriptions of how they'd like to hurt, maim, or murder someone they don't like.

Something to keep in mind is that it may well be an expression of the Online Disinhibition Effect [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_disinhibition_effect], otherwise known as the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory [http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/325/699/4fc.jpg].

Generally reasonable people can turn into psychopaths when under the veil of anonymity and without a tangible risk of consequence. It's a sad fact of the internet and human nature. I'm not sure there's really a way to put a stop to it without destroying the basis of the internet.

 

[Atmos Duality]

It's sad that something as simple as "Stop being a hateful whiny fuckhead over the littlest shit" eludes these people so much that it's newsworthy.

...Or maybe that's the problem. They do it because it gets attention.

 

[Dr.Awkward]

You know how we are increasing in the ownership of digital copies of games? I think it would be fair to make or amend EULAs to where if a person decides to attack a developer with acts of violence or death threats, then their rights of usage and ownership of that game (or to go further, any of the games from that publisher or developer) are forfeit. Can't take change or developer's opinions about things, and you can't be civil about it? Well then, you'll become a non-customer that can no longer buy anything from them anymore - And before you think you can hide behind anonymity and continue your rampage, they have your CC number, DOB and maybe even SS on record, so creating an alt account to get around your ban would likely put you on the grounds of identity theft and/or fraud.

 

[Genocidicles]

Kind of off topic, but this guy is the CEO of Activision? What happened to Kotick? Is that greedy bastard out of the business?

 

[TiberiusEsuriens]

To those trying to find the single reason that turds exist on the internet, I'd like to add a new option: ANY OR ALL OF THE ABOVE.

Any one of those reasons is enough to destroy a mortal soul, so think about what happens when multiple reasons collide. No individual can fix it, and even groups will fail. The internet will be a cesspool for millennia longer than any of us will be on this planet, as will bad parents, or the existence of pure stupidity.

 

[Dr.Awkward]

Kind of off topic, but this guy is the CEO of Activision? What happened to Kotick? Is that greedy bastard out of the business?

Huh, now that I read that, it makes me wonder too. Maybe Kotick was put in by Vivendi, and then when Activision bought itself from Vivendi, he lost his position and Hirshberg came in?

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

"I don't know how the industry could, as you say, 'make a stand'," he said. "I don't know what that looks like, or how it could even be done, when you have this mass of ways to connect and huge communities attached to digital ecosystems."

The problem is a lack of parenting. Parents just don't seem to give a shit what their kids do or say any more. I see it every day in my classroom.

Ergo, the obvious solution is to be the parent yourself, in lieu of the parent's refusal to do so.

"Oh, you threatened our devs with murder? You're grounded, mister. That's a two week account ban from our servers. Now you can't play CoD via online multiplayer, since you're so intent on murdering our devs. Hopefully next time you'll express your disagreement in more constructive ways."

Normally I'm not okay with people getting banned from access to the games they bought, but when you start bringing death threats into the equation, I'm sorry, but that should be taken seriously and dealt with in a serious fashion. Kids need to learn how to express their displeasure in ways that don't involve graphic descriptions of how they'd like to hurt, maim, or murder someone they don't like.

i'm going to agree with raziel, i can't tell you how many man-children i've played with online and know in person, that are immature fuckwads, and because they are old/live on their own now, they have just become worse because "we're adults now, we can do what we want."

granted that does come back to parenting, but that's obviously long past overdue for them, and i'm just pointing out that children aren't the only ones who make threats and such without realizing the gravity of it.

 

[Seydaman]

...Wasn't this already posted? A month or more ago?

Uhm. This is rather late to the party.

OT: I concur.

 

[Church185]

Honestly, when game devs receive threats for minor balance tweaks to a game, I think they should nerf that aspect of the game into oblivion for awhile. People getting riled up because their weapon fires .02 seconds slower? Make it the slowest firing weapon in the game for a couple months to throw off their play-style. Hurray for being spiteful!

 

[Gearhead mk2]

I don't know what could be done to address it. But I wonder why they don't press charges against some of these people.

Hey, remember that LoL player that got jailed for six months despite no evidence at all during which he had to be moved to solitary confinement for his own safety and was only let out after someone paid half a million in bail? Because he put a message on Facebook? I'd like that to NOT happen again. I agree, these guys need to be punished, but jailing them seems a bit much.

 

[MCerberus]

This doesn't surprise me: just look at this picture of a senior Activision exec:

Spoiler

[http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/149666-slowpoke]

In any case, we have this week's contender for most obvious statement. Also Lyte from Riot really needs to publish a book

 

[RicoADF]

Honestly, when game devs receive threats for minor balance tweaks to a game, I think they should nerf that aspect of the game into oblivion for awhile. People getting riled up because their weapon fires .02 seconds slower? Make it the slowest firing weapon in the game for a couple months to throw off their play-style. Hurray for being spiteful!

You know that's the best solution I've heard off. Since the game is what matters so much to these idiots that's where you can hit them where it hurts. Problem is that could easily be exploited by people who want weapons nerfed.

 

[Moth_Monk]

Activision trying to cash-in on the trendy victimhood thing.

 

[captainballsack]

Solution: Satire.

Satire forges fashion and social standards where nothing else can.

 

[Grabehn]

I just wonder what would happen if all those people that make death threats over the internet would do if they got put in jail for them (at least here, making a death threat with given proof is jail-worthy) Since things like this, or the Bioware writer thing are directed towards a specific person.

 

[Adraeus]

Kind of off topic, but this guy is the CEO of Activision? What happened to Kotick? Is that greedy bastard out of the business?

Huh, now that I read that, it makes me wonder too. Maybe Kotick was put in by Vivendi, and then when Activision bought itself from Vivendi, he lost his position and Hirshberg came in?

Kotick served as CEO of Activision from 1991 until 2008 when he became CEO of Activision Blizzard, the holding company that was created when Activison and Vivendi Games merged.

Activision Blizzard has two principal operating units: Activision Publishing and Blizzard Entertainment.

Hirshberg has been President and CEO of Activision Publishing since 2010.

Morhaime has been CEO of Blizzard Entertainment since he cofounded that company in 1991.

 

[Antari]

Honestly, when game devs receive threats for minor balance tweaks to a game, I think they should nerf that aspect of the game into oblivion for awhile. People getting riled up because their weapon fires .02 seconds slower? Make it the slowest firing weapon in the game for a couple months to throw off their play-style. Hurray for being spiteful!

What they need to do is throw in a Pink texture patch for that gun for a while. Have it shooting bubbles or rainbows, and have it scream like a baby when it fires. Completely drive the idiot out of the game.

 

[beez]

The problem is a lack of parenting. Parents just don't seem to give a shit what their kids do or say any more. I see it every day in my classroom.

Ergo, the obvious solution is to be the parent yourself, in lieu of the parent's refusal to do so.

I completely agree with you. I've raised myself amidst a lot of difficulties and I always thought of myself as somebody not too bright, but I mean, I always could make the distinction between video game violence and real life violence (so maybe I'm smart after all? In comparison to the average, that is), and I always wanted to think that children are smart enough to recognize it too. Pardon my french, but screw me, I was so, so wrong.

Okay, I've seen a lot of bad during my childhood in my real life, maybe that helped separate stuff, but damn.. I never thought there are actually people who can afford to grow up so detached from reality that they are unable to grasp that words (and especially words that are stored forever in databases on the internet) have dire consequences, even on the internet. If somebody decides to take legal action against you in retaliation, or you actually kill somebody (there are actual people who can't separate video games from reality and they commit actual aggression because of it - yes, most of the bull you see on TV is media fabrication so the real cases are seldom public knowledge), well, that's a stigma that you won't ever wash off and just 'cause you weren't a whole enough human to live in a society, doesn't deem you above its rules.

I still say, the most effective action you can do if you are really that pissed off at a company is to boycott them, don't buy their next product. That at least can't possibly have legal implications, but if enough of the people, who make death threats realize this (and the silent majority too, of course), then it might actually have an effect.

Honestly, when game devs receive threats for minor balance tweaks to a game, I think they should nerf that aspect of the game into oblivion for awhile. People getting riled up because their weapon fires .02 seconds slower? Make it the slowest firing weapon in the game for a couple months to throw off their play-style. Hurray for being spiteful!

What they need to do is throw in a Pink texture patch for that gun for a while. Have it shooting bubbles or rainbows, and have it scream like a baby when it fires. Completely drive the idiot out of the game.

Dude, that's so Borderlands.