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[DICKS AHOY]

Not that this person didn't likely breach NDA but I don't think a thread complaining about an employee more casually defending an unpopular company decision (in this case initially not translating Xenoblade) has to get made everytime. I feel different when it's something more news-worthy like that Microsoft employee unintentionally hinted at a shitty online DRM system through twitter shit talk.

GAF is a big forum and it did magnify what was probably just meant to ve be a more laidback explanation that didn't differ much from Reggie's original response on the matter.

 

[Kama_1082]

I struggle with this too on my Facebook. Part of me really wants to vent at times, but I'm friends with my co-workers and clients, so it would just end up biting me in the ass.

Sucks when work/personal life start to become intertwined.

I never friend coworkers on Facebook. Just asking for trouble.

 

[E92 M3]

That's BRUTAL. The worst part I think is that he's saddled with what amounts to a large mortgage for a liberal arts degree of (by his account) questionable utility.

If anybody knows him ask him to PM me and I will see if we have anything available somewhere.

Good man.

 

[Justified]

I agree with this list, even the obviously, but Nintendo is now getting bad PR (at least the Kotaku story) from the firing, which I think is fair too. Nintendo could have smacked his hand hard and got the compliance they want. Being draconian is within their rights, but so is being called out for being draconian.

Enforcing Company policy is draconian now?

 

[soundscream]

That's if you're taking out loans for all other expenses, which is beyond stupid. You can work part time, damn probably even full time, if you're getting a fucking English degree.

And he should have paid off a significant chunk of that by now if he's been out of college for 3-4 years. I smell bs.

What?

 

[Shaanyboi]

If you work for a major company, and you:

• Go on a public interview without permission.
• Air some of your company's less popular decisions and dirty laundry.
• Discuss internal decisions made at your company at length.
• Criticize some of your company's decisions and say that some aspects of a current product were a mistake.
• Mock some of your company's most enthusiastic customers in a stereotypical dumb-guy voice.

Obviously, obviously, you're going to get fired.

I like this guy, and I really hope he finds a nice new job quickly. But the idea that Nintendo acted like some sort of draconian monster here is crazy. A major, entertainment-oriented corporation in a very opinionated industry is not going to let every low-level employee run around discussing and critiquing all the company's decisions publicly without permission. That's just not going to happen.

Nail, meet Hammer.

 

[52club]

To all those inexperienced enough to think about speaking honestly about your employer in a public forum, please think about lighting any possible future paychecks on fire from that employer before speaking.

I know this is a cynical view, but in most cases the more honest your employer wants you to be, the less you should be when it comes to opinions about your employer.

 

[joedick]

If you work for a major company, and you:

• Go on a public interview without permission.
• Air some of your company's less popular decisions and dirty laundry.
• Discuss internal decisions made at your company at length.
• Criticize some of your company's decisions and say that some aspects of a current product were a mistake.
• Mock some of your company's most enthusiastic customers in a stereotypical dumb-guy voice.

Obviously, obviously, you're going to get fired.

I like this guy, and I really hope he finds a nice new job quickly. But the idea that Nintendo acted like some sort of draconian monster here is crazy. A major, entertainment-oriented corporation in a very opinionated industry is not going to let every low-level employee run around discussing and critiquing all the company's decisions publicly without permission. That's just not going to happen.

Not just that, you can get fired for things you do outside of work that reflect poorly on the company. People are looking for specific things he said that got him fired. It's more that he gave the company bad PR than anything. People blaming GAF are missing the point. If it blew up here it may not have been a big deal, having so many sites cover it, getting mentioned on Twitter, FB, etc. is what got him fired. I agree it's harsh but you always represent your company.

 

[darkazcura]

Enforcing Company policy is draconian now?

Not that I agree or anything, but if the company policy in itself is draconian, then yes, enforcing that policy is draconian. Again, not that I agree in this particular situation, but simply enforcing company policy shouldn't excuse any company from backlash if the punishment seems too severe.

 

[papercan55]

Nintendo could have smacked his hand hard and got the compliance they want.

Are you crazy?, do you know what this would do to the company in the future, they have spent years making sure internal stuff remains internal.
If they let one idiot off the hook for publicly speaking his mind then they are screwed in the future int terms of legal battles.
Nintendo has every right to do what they did, and any company with even the slightest amount of sense would do the same.

getting mentioned on Twitter, FB, etc. is what got him fired.

And what does any genius do after getting fired? put a long sob story on Facebook to make the company look even worse.
Guy is an idiot who is only digging a deeper grave for himself. Even after termination there are legal company rules to follow yet he continues to break them.

 

[MushroomSamba]

Besides having an English degree, he has also worked as a SEO specialist. Seems like a pretty talented guy, he should be able to right back on track.

https://twitter.com/TheChrisPranger/status/629057456857952256

Finding a job in the SEO/digital marketing field should be pretty manageable, even with an English degree. I feel bad he lost his dream job though...that's something not many people get to have. Must be crushing to lose it once you actually get it.

However, making yet another poor professional judgement in posting that on Facebook is not going to help...especially when your field is basically centered around internet marketing. :\

 

[Brazil]

Well good thing he got fired, we can't just simply let these people go around with their problematic "tones" unchecked do we? No we can't, these people need to stay in line, and the line is wherever the fuck we want it to be at any given moment!

High-Five GAF!

Spoiler

/s

People acting like this is somehow GAF's fault really need to go out and finally get to know the real world one of these days.

 

[Producer]

Wow speak your mind and youre fired. Now I get how the Wii U name became the official name.

Nintendo: Hey guys were thinking were just going focus advertising on the controller and the system will be called Wii U! What do you guys think?
random employee: I dunno, won't it cause confusion? Won't people think its just an attachment?
Nintendo: You're fired. Anyone else?
other employees: Oh its great!

Not sure if this is sarcasm or not, but its funny regardless lol

 

[RiccochetJ]

Sad news, but not entirely unexpected though.

 

[JMDSO]

Isn't this same type of thing why Aquamarine had to leave here?

 

[Calamari41]

Isn't this same type of thing why Aquamarine had to leave here?

I believe that what Aquamarine did was a larger breach

 

[Justified]

Not that I agree or anything, but if the company policy in itself is draconian, then yes, enforcing that policy is draconian. Again, not that I agree in this particular situation, but simply enforcing company policy shouldn't excuse any company from backlash if the punishment seems too severe.

Fair enough.

So a policy limiting a employee from speaking in a official capacity without proper clearance is draconian?

Isn't this same type of thing why Aquamarine had to leave here?

Her's was more over the line. She was leaking confidential information

 

[Gleethor]

I believe that what Aquamarine did was a larger breach

did she even get fired?

 

[Kriken]

Isn't this same type of thing why Aquamarine had to leave here?

Aquamarine was leaking NPD data and was given an ultimatum: leave GAF/Twitter/forms of social media or be fired

 

[thefro]

It's been a couple weeks since I listened to the podcast, but from what I can remember (after thinking about it), all the controversial stuff Pranger brought up himself.

The hosts didn't ask specifically about Xenoblade, they asked how they made localization decisions. They brought up the Wii U but didn't ask about the name. I think I remember them asking "What's it like working with Sakurai?", when Pranger mentioned he had done some stuff with Smash but they didn't prompt for him to dish the dirt out.

Like I said, it didn't offend me in-context, but I certainly understand why Nintendo would can him, especially if word reached Japan of the stories about the interview.

 

[Tom Nook Sawyer]

Isn't this same type of thing why Aquamarine had to leave here?

Who's Aquamarine? And what did they do?

 

[Kodaman]

Wow speak your mind and youre fired. Now I get how the Wii U name became the official name.

Nintendo: Hey guys were thinking were just going focus advertising on the controller and the system will be called Wii U! What do you guys think?
random employee: I dunno, won't it cause confusion? Won't people think its just an attachment?
Nintendo: You're fired. Anyone else?
other employees: Oh its great!

lol.. amazing

 

[Weebos]

I feel bad for the guy, that was a rough mistake.

On the upside, as another person with an English degree, it is comforting to know that I have a minuscule chance to work at Nintendo if I worked for it like he did.

 

[$h@d0w]

Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

 

[Dremark]

I'm pretty sure being insulting to the fanbase is not the big issue here.

And his comments weren't insulting.

When I read about this it was on the NeoGAF post linked in the OP and the quotes he was responding to from the fans were listed as "(said in droning, "dumb guy" nasally voice)" and such. I didn't get a chance to listen to it until now and to be honest it doesn't really sound that way to me listening to it now.

I no longer agree with my previous statement and am retracting it. My mistake.

 

[Verger]

I'm certainly not going to blame Nintendo here. they had to do what they had to do when it became especially clear that this had generated bad press.


Of course I'll wonder had the interview been received with universal acclaim would he have still been fired.

When I read about this it was on the NeoGAF post linked in the OP and the quotes he was responding to from the fans were listed as "(said in droning, "dumb guy" nasally voice)" and such. I didn't get a chance to listen to it until now and to be honest it doesn't really sound that way to me listening to it now.

I no longer agree with my previous statement and am retracting it. My mistake.

Yeah I listened to it and I totally didn't get those quotes in the threads OP of "dumb guy" or "nasally" whatever.

 

[ShinMaruku]

Fucking hell, that's a bit harsh.

Nintendo, they are up there with Disney with their protection of the brand.

Puts Shane Bettenheusen's absence from podcasts into perspective.

Well he's in PR and other things so it's a brilliant move on his part to be only lightly involved and where most of his gigs are with fellow industry people.

How the hell do you rack up $100,000 in student debt?

Private Education in the US has gone to hell

Going to college

Depends where you are. My loads would cap out a 20k for 4 years.

But my state is hella old and has the largest and third largest public college system in the country so costs are down. I live in 3 states and by looking at all 3 I found that doing the NY one was best. Costs can go WAY down. But most states are not like mine so yeah US education has gone to shit and I can't really say the American people have the system they don't deserve.

 

[Calamari41]

did she even get fired?

Aquamarine was leaking NPD data and was given an ultimatum: leave GAF/Twitter/forms of social media or be fired

This is how in understand it too. I'm pretty sure the NPD threatened her and her company with legal action, and her cutting it out and leaving gaf was kind of a "plea deal" for lack of a better term.

 

[ZOONAMI]

What?

What what? It seems unlikely that he has that much student loan debt this far out from graduating, and if he does it's because of his own decisions, so he shouldn't be complaining about it on facebook. It's ridiculuous to take out 100k in loans for an undergraduate degree at an in state public university.

 

[UberTag]

Unfortunate set of circumstances given how passionate Chris clearly was for the company but this firing is entirely justified given his actions.
Hope things work out for him.

 

[entremet]

did she even get fired?

She said it was a strong warning. Who knows honestly.

 

[Bubba_Sparks]

I thought you you had to get permission to be on a podcast? Did he really just say 'sure bro' to some guys request to be on his podscast.

 

[Kevtones]

I worked with Chris at Game Crazy during College. Guy was very passionate but also difficult to be around sometimes. He wasn't a bad guy just a smart ass in a not totally self-aware type of way.


Also, my assumption is that he went to the University of Oregon like I did. Struggling to understand how he racked up $100k in debt at that school. It's pretty damn cheap for in-state (I was there for 6 years, partly on scholarship and I walked away with $31k in debt).

 

[pixel monkey]

Enforcing Company policy is draconian now?

Pranger acknowledges that he made a mistake. He has a small child, a wife... a family to provide for. I hope when at some point in your career when you lose a job that you're shown more sympathy than you (and others in this thread) are showing this young man.

 

[soundscream]

What what? It seems unlikely that he has that much student loan debt this far out from graduating, and if he does it's because of his own decisions, so he shouldn't be complaining about it on facebook. It's ridiculuous to take out 100k in loans for an undergraduate degree at an in state public university.

A) that he would be working a full time job
B) that he should have paid off a solid chunk of $100k after 4 years

 

[ZOONAMI]

I worked with Chris at Game Crazy during College. Guy was very passionate but also difficult to be around sometimes. He wasn't a bad guy just a smart ass in a not totally self-aware type of way.


Also, my assumption is that he went to the University of Oregon like I did. Struggling to understand how he racked up $100k in debt at that school. It's pretty damn cheap for in-state (I was there for 6 years, partly on scholarship and I walked away with $31k in debt).

Exactly.

 

[ClayKavalier]

I didn't actually listen to the podcast, but from what I understand he basically mocked Nintendo customers. Whatever else he did, that's obviously not going to go over well with management. If anyone had listened to the interview he likely would have gotten fired whether it was posted on GAF or not.

I worked with Chris at Game Crazy during College. Guy was very passionate but also difficult to be around sometimes. He wasn't a bad guy just a smart ass in a not totally self-aware type of way.


Also, my assumption is that he went to the University of Oregon like I did. Struggling to understand how he racked up $100k in debt at that school. It's pretty damn cheap for in-state (I was there for 6 years, partly on scholarship and I walked away with $31k in debt).

Yeah, unless you're paying out-of-state tuition or going to a private school (many of which do not have great reputations where I'm at), I really don't get the "That's education in America for you" replies. I'm almost through a Masters program and have used loans to pay tuition throughout my academic career and used them for living expenses occasionally too and I'm going to end up with less than $30k. Granted that's pretty crazy anyway, but I don't think $100k+ is typical at all unless something has gone wrong.

 

[ZOONAMI]

A) that he would be working a full time job
B) that he should have paid off a solid chunk of $100k after 4 years

I worked with Chris at Game Crazy during College. Guy was very passionate but also difficult to be around sometimes. He wasn't a bad guy just a smart ass in a not totally self-aware type of way.


Also, my assumption is that he went to the University of Oregon like I did. Struggling to understand how he racked up $100k in debt at that school. It's pretty damn cheap for in-state (I was there for 6 years, partly on scholarship and I walked away with $31k in debt).

This.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

Jesus Christ, he didn't even do anything that bad.

He simply displayed some of the rationale behind NOA's decision making, albeit unpopular ones for a vocal niche of fans.

 

[Weebos]

I worked with Chris at Game Crazy during College. Guy was very passionate but also difficult to be around sometimes. He wasn't a bad guy just a smart ass in a not totally self-aware type of way.


Also, my assumption is that he went to the University of Oregon like I did. Struggling to understand how he racked up $100k in debt at that school. It's pretty damn cheap for in-state (I was there for 6 years, partly on scholarship and I walked away with $31k in debt).

If he was out of state it could have been much higher.

 

[Soroc]

Agreed - except for the ultimate price part. Hopefully Nintendo didn't kill him.

lol agreed, I might have been a little too overzealous in my wording.

 

[Zoloft Sonic]

That really sucks. But Nintendo isn't known for being lighthearted with its corporate image or IP. It's a deeply committed and equally paranoid internal culture.

This is why having your family's health coverage tied to keeping a boss happy, is terrifyingly medieval.

 

[Vena]

Nintendo, they are up there with Disney with their protection of the brand.

Nintendo took their time firing him, which makes me think there was a bit of a scuffle over what course of action to take with this.

 

[B.O.O.M]

what the actual fuck..talk about overkill. Hope he lands on his feet soon. This is absurd to be to be perfectly honest.

 

[Memory]

If you work for a major company, and you:

• Go on a public interview without permission.
• Air some of your company's less popular decisions and dirty laundry.
• Discuss internal decisions made at your company at length.
• Criticize some of your company's decisions and say that some aspects of a current product were a mistake.
• Mock some of your company's most enthusiastic customers in a stereotypical dumb-guy voice.

Obviously, obviously, you're going to get fired.

I like this guy, and I really hope he finds a nice new job quickly. But the idea that Nintendo acted like some sort of draconian monster here is crazy. A major, entertainment-oriented corporation in a very opinionated industry is not going to let every low-level employee run around discussing and critiquing all the company's decisions publicly without permission. That's just not going to happen.

Pretty much this, also if he took payment or benefits/favors to appear that is also a breach of contract. I hope he lands on his feet but like he said, it was a foolish on the spot decision that he knew was wrong.

 

[ZOONAMI]

If he was out of state it could have been much higher.

It seems pretty clear he's from Oregon.

 

[Alrus]

Aquamarine was leaking NPD data and was given an ultimatum: leave GAF/Twitter/forms of social media or be fired

The difference being that she was a relatively high ranking employee at (forgot the name of the investment bank she worked at) and she was probably of high value to them. I don't think this guy had such luck (which makes his decision even more baffling to me).

 

[Kevtones]

If he was out of state it could have been much higher.

That's the thing - he's from Oregon I believe.

 

[Cels]

That's BRUTAL. The worst part I think is that he's saddled with what amounts to a large mortgage for a liberal arts degree of (by his account) questionable utility.

If anybody knows him ask him to PM me and I will see if we have anything available somewhere.

you are very kind.

 

[Pagusas]

If you work for a major company, and you:

• Go on a public interview without permission.
• Air some of your company's less popular decisions and dirty laundry.
• Discuss internal decisions made at your company at length.
• Criticize some of your company's decisions and say that some aspects of a current product were a mistake.
• Mock some of your company's most enthusiastic customers in a stereotypical dumb-guy voice.

Obviously, obviously, you're going to get fired.

I like this guy, and I really hope he finds a nice new job quickly. But the idea that Nintendo acted like some sort of draconian monster here is crazy. A major, entertainment-oriented corporation in a very opinionated industry is not going to let every low-level employee run around discussing and critiquing all the company's decisions publicly without permission. That's just not going to happen.

I feel like this should be required reading for anyone leaving High school, far too many people in here seem to think what he did was ok or "not worth firing". I usually hate the word "real world", but it applies here, this is the real world where things you say can damage the company you work for or represent it wrong. If you are not authorized to speak for the company, you better not do it, or the likely hood is you will be fired.