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[1.21Gigawatts]

Its always sad to see people facing backlash over stating the truth.
I don't know why Nintendo wouldn't want people to know that whether or not games get localized is ultimately determined by demand. Nintendo is a business afterall.
And a vocal minority on gaming forums doesn't mean that demand is big enough.

I'm also not sure why people were offended by his remarks. Was it the nasal voice he used to mimic Nintendo fans?

 

[Ridley327]

It sucks for the guy to lose out on a job like this, but it stands to reason that he had no business commenting on a localization he had no part of on any level, especially with the tone he took and such a particular talking point for the company's apparent failures in the US.

 

[Shining Sunshine]

At first, I was thinking why hockey threads were in gaming lol.

 

[Kandrick]

Nintendo was never going to tolerate a low level employee both insulting their customers and discussing controversial internal decisions.

Pretty much. Never speak publicly about your company unless it's your job to do so, both in good or bad it doesn't matter. If enough people complain for whatever reason, you'll be in deep shit regardless.

 

[JordanN]

When I first saw the thread, Chris did not come off as a nice guy at all. I was more so shocked at this part.

They’ll bring that up like “Look how many people want this. Don’t you want money?”(repeats "dumb guy" nasally voice) And we’ll be like “Yeah, we do want money, which is why we know it’s a colossal waste if we ever try to localize that in this current market, because look at you people. You don’t make up a big enough group.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1092471

 

[vainglorious]

Hopefully he can make a clay figurine of Bowser smoking a cigar and get hired back.

LOL

Oh I feel terrible for laughing at that.

Nintendo's PR department is cut throat so I'm not surprised. It's a shame that the Treehouse will always be an obscure ivory tower in the distance. It's refreshing to hear some honest straight talk from someone at Nintendo. But Nintendo doesn't want it's people talking the numbers game, they want them talking about "innovation" and "player experience" blahblah.

The nasally voice thing wasn't super smart but I hope the guy lands on his feet.

 

[JMDSO]

If the policy has changed, he basically just displayed what not to do on any future podcasts.

Revealing the inner workings and decision making processes isn't usually a good thing unless you're someone high up.

Reggie wouldn't have been fired for this, obviously.

 

[Zalman]

If the policy has changed, he basically just displayed what not to do on any future podcasts.

Bill Trinen was on IGN's podcast recently and displayed exactly what to do.

 

[diablos991]

The people here blaming GAF is pretty damned funny.

He violated a policy and made fun of decisions people way above him made. GAF didn't force him to appear on the podcast and definitely didn't force him to say what he said.

I agree it seems harsh and it sucks for him. But he is right when he says he did this to himself.

 

[Apdiddy]

After reading his Facebook posting, Fuck Nintendo.

That's almost to a level of Disney like control over their employees and what they say and can't say in a public space. I never once thought Chris Pranger was speaking for Nintendo; I only thought he was offering his opinion on their practices. Was his judgment correct in doing the podcast? No, far from it.

Yet he gets fired? Did he once break NDA and talk about games/projects that aren't even out?

If this is the case, Nintendo really is no different than Konami (except with deeper pockets).

 

[TheBaldEmperor]

His FB posts pretty much outlines it was that.

I suppose my point was that if Nintendo didn't have a problem with what he said, he would still have a job. So no. Not because the Internet got mad. The Internet is always mad at Reggie and NoA in general.

 

[Neff]

If you work for a big corporation like Nintendo and do a public interview about your job, it goes without saying that you should at the very least tell your boss, and if need be ask what's ok and not ok to say. This guy apparently didn't do that.

 

[Nyoro SF]

It was an unprofessional moment indeed, but firing over one mistake seems very harsh. I've been given second chances before at work places and I'm the much better employee for it.

 

[Meier]

That Facebook post.. yikes. Painful stuff. I feel bad for the guy but I can't say I'm surprised by the end result of his actions.

 

[Ivan Amiibo]

Uh, no? But your posts suggest that you don't know how to attempt educating people without being flippant and dismissive, so I'm not surprised you see no issue with his statements.

I do, but there are people who are receptive to learning, then there are people who are so resistant to learning a damn thing that they arent worth treating with respect. He reached his breaking point with the latter.

There is a big difference between giving straight, harsh answers and doing dorky voices to represent your fan's opinions. His argument wouldn't have changed in the slightest without basically calling your fans nerds.

He wasnt calling them nerds, he was calling them idiots who don't (and will never) understand that the thing they like isn't the thing that sells well on its own merits. Nintendo had to go through serious gymnastics to get Xenoblade to sell.

 

[Archaix]

He works for Nintendo and he spoke on the internet. Acknowledging you've heard of the internet is practically grounds for getting fired from Nintendo. Then he went and acted like an ass while insulting dedicated (though misguided and often ignorant) customers. This is what you get. It wasn't a private conversation, it wasn't even a message on social media meant for friends. This was a podcast where he was aware he was being recorded and chose to act the way he did.

Sucks for him, but entirely deserved.

 

[RK128]

Wow....that is horrible .

Hope he finds another job soon, as its hard trying to fine work.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

I suppose my point was that if Nintendo didn't have a problem with what he said, he would still have a job. So no. Not because the Internet got mad. The Internet is always mad at Reggie and NoA in general.

Gotcha, right, I agree. He fucked up at a level that the internet wasn't even touching.

 

[Spukc]

Fun fact, I used to run Part Time Gamers and own parttimegamers.com Guess these are the guys I sold it too...

absolutely disgusting. Nice to hear that the original owner even understands how disgusting it is.

btw they didn't even take the podcast down...

 

[Conan-san]

Sucks he lost his job but this is textbook "talk shit, get hit".

 

[careksims]

The exact type of words, like Adam Orth, that will lead to losing your job.

I don't like that he was fired, but I can't exactly deny that his firing was deserved. You can't just go out and do that type of thing while representing a company (especially one as prudent as nintendo).

I totally agree with this. You can't just go spouting stuff like that. You gotta chose your words wisely. It's the reality and business of it all.

 

[cw_sasuke]

Kind of hard for me to hate on the guy after that FB post. Jesus.

Even without that fb post... Why or how could you hate the guy? No one here knows him. People throw the word hate around way too easy... Especially online.

 

[Zia]

What did he think was going to happen? And no, you are not going to find another job as good as working at fucking Treehouse.

What a stupid, senseless situation.

 

[RomanceDawn]

Dang man, I thought I was going through some stuff. Hope he makes it through.

Wish we as fans could do something but I guess rules are rules.

 

[Verger]

Its always sad to see people facing backlash over stating the truth.
I don't know why Nintendo wouldn't want people to know that whether or not games get localized is ultimately determined by demand. Nintendo is a business afterall.
And a vocal minority on gaming forums doesn't mean that demand is big enough.

I'm also not sure why people were offended by his remarks. Was it the nasal voice he used to mimic Nintendo fans?

I guess so. But then I didn't get offended by that because I wasn't one of those kind of fans, because let us be honest, he was absolutely right about them.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

absolutely disgusting. Nice to hear that the original owner even understands how disgusting it is.

btw they didn't even take the podcast down...

I wouldn't if I was in charge. This is another wave of hits for our ads!

 

[Golgo 13]

Good ole Social Media. Glad I stay away.

Sucks for this guys dreams to be shattered though, man.

 

[Wereroku]

100k in student loan debt for a fucking English degree? What the fuck was he thinking? A fucking English degree.

The University of Oregon cost 25k a year and at 18 you don't really put that together with eventually owing 100k and having to make that work.

 

[jholmes]

Sad to see, but I don't know what he was thinking. Hopefully he learns and finds a way to move on.

I'm not sure if people criticizing Nintendo here are clueless or looking to wage console war. You go online, tell people exactly who you are, talk at length about your company's internal decisions, criticize your customer base and see how long you last. This stuff has nothing to do with video games.

 

[Dreamwriter]

He shouldn't have spoken so bluntly about business decisions that are most likely above his pay grade , but firing seems harsh, unless there were other problems with him we aren't privy to. That seems more like a stern-talking-to-and-keep-away-from-public-appearances-from-now-on sort of offense.

He said things that cast Nintendo in a negative light to some outspoken people, that's never a good thing. Also, Nintendo is extremely secretive, and assuming he didn't get permission to do the podcast beforehand, that would brand him as someone who might spill secrets in the future.

And I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo internally made an announcement after his firing explaining that somebody did something they shouldn't have, and was fired for it. Classic case of making an example.

 

[Cosmo Clock 21]

Yeah, his behaviour is not GAF's fault. He basically insulted Nintendo's customers.

And people wonder why devs and other employees don't give them real talk any more.

Next time somebody complains about the lack of transparency and candidness from game companies, just hold up a mirror and point them to this thread.

 

[Ghost Slayer]

After reading his Facebook posting, Fuck Nintendo.

That's almost to a level of Disney like control over their employees and what they say and can't say in a public space. I never once thought Chris Pranger was speaking for Nintendo; I only thought he was offering his opinion on their practices. Was his judgment correct in doing the podcast? No, far from it.

Yet he gets fired? Did he once break NDA and talk about games/projects that aren't even out?

If this is the case, Nintendo really is no different than Konami (except with deeper pockets).

Err? I am pretty sure every single company in the world would do the same. That's why NDA exist :|

 

[GG-Duo]

That thread about his podcast appearance was pretty unfair and so is this thread. Thanks GAF.

Poor guy. He's just passionate and got too out of line. Some of you mentioned Bill Trinen's podcast appearance - but that was very restrained. It was limited to splatoon, evo, and a tiny bit about his background. Not much about decisions and day to day.

I hope he is able to find another localization contract jobs in the mean time. Or we are able to toss him some money. The Facebook post is utterly depressing.

EDIT: I personally found his podcast appearance to be insightful and not overly critical of fans.

 

[Wyndstryker]

People need to realize any nda breach is usually instant termination regardless of circumstances.

he probably broke many contractual agreements

 

[BTA]

I don't want to go too far off topic, but I'm really confused by the several people who are acting like 20k per year tuition is (relatively) significant.

 

[Stone Ocean]

He wasnt calling them nerds, he was calling them idiots who don't (and will never) understand that the thing they like isn't the thing that sells well on its own merits. Nintendo had to go through serious gymnastics to get Xenoblade to sell.

And how is this not offending fans? You don't tell your customers they are idiots no matter how daft they can be, doesn't matter what kind of words and tone you use to do so.

 

[Gleethor]

I can't believe that some in this thread are acting like the Adam Orth situation is even on the same planet as this one.

 

[Spukc]

I wouldn't if I was in charge. This is another wave of hits for our ads!

i know you are kidding
but this is the sad truth of the current state of media we are in.

People really need some morals.. these days

 

[Shiggy]

Cannot really blame anyone but himself for that. I'm personally very surprised by this as I didn't realise that the backlash was that big.

 

[Kandrick]

After reading his Facebook posting, Fuck Nintendo.

That's almost to a level of Disney like control over their employees and what they say and can't say in a public space. I never once thought Chris Pranger was speaking for Nintendo; I only thought he was offering his opinion on their practices. Was his judgment correct in doing the podcast? No, far from it.

Yet he gets fired? Did he once break NDA and talk about games/projects that aren't even out?

If this is the case, Nintendo really is no different than Konami (except with deeper pockets).

What are you talking about ? Did you ever work for a (big) company ? You don't do what he did unless you don't care about your job.

 

[Vincent Grayson]

Revealing the inner workings and decision making processes isn't usually a good thing unless you're someone high up.

Reggie wouldn't have been fired for this, obviously.

Reggie also wouldn't do it in the first place.

 

[Pizza]

The issue is probably that Nintendo seems to really like to control who acts as their "face" of their and this guy went onto a podcast and explained NoA's policies in a not-entirely-flattering light.


If he hadn't been sanctioned to go on the podcast, then I can see why it blowing up would cause him issues in the workplace. It's really unfortunate, but you have to assume that when you act as the face of a company that your boss will find out, and even if your boss would giggle you don't know how *his* boss will like it, or the pr department.

 

[Tarsul]

well, he defended Nintendo when no-one else would've. And for that they fire him. Makes you think.

(actually, his arguments were weak. His dream-job was not more than an illusion and I hope that everyone comes out better because of his termination.)

 

[Ooccoo]

The secrecy around Nintendo is toxic, here's another proof.

It's why seeing Capcom talk about REmake 2 as a prototype feels refreshing. The videogaming industry needs to stop being so secret, Kickstarter development and other projets (like Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth) show that the community can (and should) be involved.

Hopefully this guy finds work soon. I'd hate to have $100k (I'm at around $35k) in student loans without a job (and he has a son, a house, etc.).

 

[Dremark]

I'll be totally honest, I 100% feel his termination was justified assuming it's for that interview, but I do honestly feel bad for him reading that post.

Hopefully he lands back on his feet. It was a stupid way to represent the company and I do feel he deserves to take the fall for it but I don't think he deserves to have his life destroyed over it.

 

[Troy]

I feel bad for the guy, but hopefully it doesn't silent anyone else from mocking irrational gamers.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

i know you are kidding
but this is the sad truth of the current state of media we are in.

People really need some morals.. these days

Well a lot of this boils down to people that want to drop information like Chris did need to do so with actual journalists - ones that will honor anonymity, and place value on what they say, and have that moral code that real journalists do - not enthusiast press. Yet we have VERY few of these who are interested in integrity of what journalism actually is.

 

[Chibo]

While this is terrible and I wish the guy the best

Does this mean we're finally getting Captain Rainbow?

 

[diablos991]

The University of Oregon cost 25k a year and at 18 you don't really put that together with eventually owing 100k and having to make that work.

But who in their right mind finances their education 100%? It generally isn't wise to finance any asset at 100% (especially education since that shit doesn't go away until you pay it off or die).

Some questionable decisions went into that $100k non-STEM degree.

 

[BiggNife]

In all seriousness my real feelings are what a lot of people have already said - I feel sorry for him losing his dream job, which must be devastating, but the fact is that NDAs are serious business and he should have been more careful. It's a harsh lesson to learn, and I question that he deserved to be fired over it, but the fact is he broke the rules. It's a big reason why I almost never talk about job stuff publicly online.