Activision Responds To Criticism From Sony And Microsoft
Published
| Last updated
Featured Image Credit: Activision Blizzard
Resulting from the allegations published in a recent report on Activision, Sony and Microsoft have issued statements of concern over whether or not the publisher is combating the source of the “frat boy culture” in its offices effectively. Activision has now responded to the two companies, though it’s not an illuminating impression.
So that everyone is up to speed, in the summer, the state of California initiated a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard for the unfairness that women suffered in the company, from lower starting pay, restricted professional opportunities, sexual harassment to racist comments. The Call Of Duty publisher rebuked the stories in the suit, yet this was only the start of the legal conflict and controversies that would occur.
The United States government has issued a subpoena against CEO Bobby Kotick, meaning that he has to provide evidence of communications between himself and employees, the board of directors and investors on the claims in the lawsuit. An article from the Wall Street Journal says that Kotick was aware of the events in Activision’s offices and that he even threatened to have one of his assistants killed.
Jim Ryan and Phil Spencer, the leaders of PlayStation and Xbox respectively, have sent emails to their employees acknowledging the controversy surrounding one of their partners. After contacting Activision to ask it for its next steps in this crisis, Ryan stated that its response "has not done enough to address a deep-seated culture of discrimination and harassment."
On the other hand, Spencer said that he and the rest of the Xbox executives are “disturbed and deeply troubled” by the stories and the team are "evaluating all aspects of our relationship with Activision Blizzard and making ongoing proactive adjustments."
UPDATE: Activision has responded to Sony and Microsoft's comments, saying "We respect all feedback from our valued partners and are engaging with them further" https://t.co/7KbQRvtQWj
— GamesIndustry (@GIBiz) November 18, 2021
Activision has now acknowledged the comments from the two companies, however, it’s not an epic saga of a response. “We respect all feedback from our valued partners and are engaging with them further,” it told GamesIndustry.biz. That doesn't give a lot away about what is happening behind the scenes at Activision, however, over 1,300 employees from Sledgehammer Games, Treyarch, Blizzard, Infinity Ward, and other studios have called for Kotick's resignation in a petition.
Topics: Activision, Call Of Duty, PlayStation, Xbox