Yeah I meant it in the sense of a company reviewing an employee because he broke a NDA isn't going to say "oh it was just a dumb mistake, let's not fire him". He obviously learned his lesson.
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Chris Pranger, Out-Spoken Nintendo Treehouse Localizer, was Fired
- Thread starter Tom Nook Sawyer
- Start date
Yeah I meant it in the sense of a company reviewing an employee because he broke a NDA isn't going to say "oh it was just a dumb mistake, let's not fire him". He obviously learned his lesson.
pixel monkey
Banned
Really? Have you never made a mistake? I would think we all have. All we can do is pick up the pieces and learn from them.
In the meantime, I hope your next mistake isn't met with that same reaction from those around you.
Or maybe he already made a mistake before.. we know nothing. If anything, the company has a better prospect in that regard.
APZonerunner
Member
To people saying the response seems overly harsh: The thing is, NDAs are unflinching and categoric; they have to be, legally. If they let somebody go for one offence, if later on there's a bigger one they do want to act more harshly on, they've potentially set a precedent which could give that person legal cause to fight back and claim unfair dismissal or something, because another person got away with breaking the same NDA in a similar way. The NDAs obviously exist to protect the big things; trade secrets, unannounced projects, etc - but if somebody breaks it in a small way they likely have to be punished the same way. It's sad, but true.
Septimus Prime
Member
I don't disagree. I would also let go of anyone immediately for an NDA breach, as well as be hesitant to bring on anyone where I know there was an NDA breach in his or her past.
But, it really comes down to the person. Some people simply refuse to take responsibility for their actions, while others learn from their mistakes.
NintendoGal
Member
Thought I'd chime in a little here.
When I was running NintendoGal.com, I NEVER asked my husband to come onto the podcast or write an article for me and we're married! They're under NDA to never talk to anyone (unless authorized obviously) because it's considered representing the company. We enjoy the roof over our heads and breaking an NDA of any sort is a good way to jeopardize that.
It frustrates me though that some can't see that he made a bad choice and feel Nintendo is evil in this situation. No, they're following the agreement he entered into with them, in which he has violated the terms.
Can I sympathize? Absolutely! I couldn't imagine losing my job, let alone a dream job.
When I was running NintendoGal.com, I NEVER asked my husband to come onto the podcast or write an article for me and we're married! They're under NDA to never talk to anyone (unless authorized obviously) because it's considered representing the company. We enjoy the roof over our heads and breaking an NDA of any sort is a good way to jeopardize that.
It frustrates me though that some can't see that he made a bad choice and feel Nintendo is evil in this situation. No, they're following the agreement he entered into with them, in which he has violated the terms.
Can I sympathize? Absolutely! I couldn't imagine losing my job, let alone a dream job.
kitchenmotors
Banned
I can vouch for NintendoGal. And she speaks the truth about the situation.
Preach.
All he really did was show that the negativity and pessimism regarding Nintendo and their regard for the Rainfall games was completely justified?
I feel bad for the guy, Nintendo always struck me a such a friendly company like the Disney of videogames and for them to do this to the guy is like Konami alleged levels of nasty. Really shakes your feelings about such a respected company. Hope he lands on his feet and can put this behind him as for me personally I'll think twice when its time to hand money over to Nintendo for their next game.
TheGreatMightyPoo
Banned
I feel badly for you condoning breaking rules and betraying contracts.
papercan55
Member
you might want to re-listen to the whole podcast, that was only a small fraction of the conversation.
Listen to it again and realise this was currently employed team from nintendo under strict rules never to discuss what happens at the company.
He not only makes rude remarks about nintendo customers but he also makes personal comments about Sakurai, that's alongside xenoblade dealings within the company branches.
Realise that he was employed by nintendo, and that those fans he his making comments about were helping to pay his wages.
He went on a podcast as a representative of nintendo and did nothing but harm the company and it's relations to both internal staff and third party relations.
He's lucky if he doesn't get sued
I feel bad for you.
QuixoticNeutral
Member
I missed the whole business with Chris Pranger's podcast interview apart from a few flashing headlines, and I want to emphasize that I liked what we in the public saw of his work with Treehouse when NOA started to get its localizers to double up on audience-facing promotion. He pretty much sold me on Hyrule Warriors in 2014 and assuaged my doubts about Star Fox Zero with his expert demo in E3 2015, perhaps the best showing the game received. I'll also add that, looking up what he said, as the kind of Nintendo player who's in the tent for Xenoblade and Mother 3 I think he talked a lot of sense.
I say all this as a qualification because I cannot, cannot believe someone who valued his infamously tight-lipped place of employ as much as he did would exercise such poor judgement as to go on a podcast at all without first clearing it with Bill Trinen or whomever. Even if it's something as simple as "Hey, friends want me on a podcast, yes or no? Anything not contractually under NDA I should avoid?" How did he or anyone imagine it would go any other way?
My utmost sympathies for the fellow, and I'm reluctant to think of management as putting down a no-fun boot when they doubtless find it difficult and disappointing to let go of a colleague who might even be a good friend. But really, if you love your job that much, have a lick of sense.
I say all this as a qualification because I cannot, cannot believe someone who valued his infamously tight-lipped place of employ as much as he did would exercise such poor judgement as to go on a podcast at all without first clearing it with Bill Trinen or whomever. Even if it's something as simple as "Hey, friends want me on a podcast, yes or no? Anything not contractually under NDA I should avoid?" How did he or anyone imagine it would go any other way?
My utmost sympathies for the fellow, and I'm reluctant to think of management as putting down a no-fun boot when they doubtless find it difficult and disappointing to let go of a colleague who might even be a good friend. But really, if you love your job that much, have a lick of sense.
SolidChamp
Banned
Jesus, the dude made a "mistake". Reading through the OP in that thread, it doesn't sound like what he was saying was all that offensive. Like many here have said, we all make mistakes. A lot of us make them and get away scot-free, without judgement or consequences.
Like, sure, rein the guy in with a warning or something...but fuck, don't fire the guy over it.
Reading his Facebook post was crushing; sort of strikes a chord with me in some respects.
If you're reading this Mr. Pranger, keep your chin up and don't give up the fight. You know you have some very important reasons to reinvent yourself. I'm sure that, in the end, you'll be better for it.
EDIT: I don't have time to listen to the podcast at the moment, but I recognize my ignorance as a result of not having listened to it. So, Mr. Pranger, all I can say is...go find your way and put this behind you. Sounds like you fucked up pretty badly.
Like, sure, rein the guy in with a warning or something...but fuck, don't fire the guy over it.
Reading his Facebook post was crushing; sort of strikes a chord with me in some respects.
If you're reading this Mr. Pranger, keep your chin up and don't give up the fight. You know you have some very important reasons to reinvent yourself. I'm sure that, in the end, you'll be better for it.
EDIT: I don't have time to listen to the podcast at the moment, but I recognize my ignorance as a result of not having listened to it. So, Mr. Pranger, all I can say is...go find your way and put this behind you. Sounds like you fucked up pretty badly.
I think that's the idea.
KingHenrik30
Member
Guy made his own bed. Don't feel sorry for him at all.
kitchenmotors
Banned
Why don't you listen to the podcast before making judgements, because I did and he clearly was breaking NDA and deserves the consequences of his mistake. Actions like this have consequences, that's life. Do you not understand this?
Mess.
You have a warped ideal of corporations.
Even Disney, Red Cross, etc would do this.
You are a harsh one, aren't you. People make mistakes and it is fine to sympathize but according to you, if you make a mistake then fuck em, right?
Well, they actually are a friendly company internally (go watch Jim's recent episode on Jimquisition), but when you break NDAs (in particular Treehouse's NDAs) and badmouth Sakurai (a premiere developer... even if his ties with Nintendo are probably at their end anyway) and make him out to be a control-freak overseer (also badmouthing SE is probably not a good idea when Nintendo wants their games on the NX)... you've done a bit too much damage to be slapped on the wrist.
Fact of the matter is, also, it took them a good while (over a week) to let him go so this wasn't a quick or easy decision. There was probably a long deliberation which is probably more than you'd expect in this scenario.
Zambayoshi
Member
Really sad that he should make such a grave error in judgment. In hindsight, I'm sure he sees why what he did was something that Nintendo couldn't tolerate. If Nintendo didn't make an example of him, many other potential podcast guests who work for Nintendo would have been encouraged to think that they could get away with it.
What Chris spoke about on the podcast wasn't that controversial, but what about the next Nintendo employee? They might have dropped something a lot more damaging to Nintendo.
So yeah, it sucks, but I don't see how Nintendo could have reacted in any other way.
As a kind of silver lining, hopefully Chris's old position will be offered to another young guy or girl like him who lives/breathes Nintendo and has been waiting their whole life for this opportunity.
What Chris spoke about on the podcast wasn't that controversial, but what about the next Nintendo employee? They might have dropped something a lot more damaging to Nintendo.
So yeah, it sucks, but I don't see how Nintendo could have reacted in any other way.
As a kind of silver lining, hopefully Chris's old position will be offered to another young guy or girl like him who lives/breathes Nintendo and has been waiting their whole life for this opportunity.
Either you're not up on what happened with this guy, or you're not up on what is going on at konami.
This guy knowingly broke a NDA he agreed to and was terminated gracefully even after he badmouthed partners and executives at nintendo. He then chose to draw additional attention to himself on social media. He damaged his own employment prospects twice.
Konami is transferring productive game developers to work as janitors at health clubs, mass punishing employees for 'liking' social media comments, generally being crazy, and scuttling their own gaming division.
P.S. Disney aren't a friendly company, they're extremely litigious and aggressive in protecting their secrets. He wouldn't have fared any better there making the decisions he did.
I feel for the guy, it must suck to be fired from your dream job, but even he admits it was to be expected.
SolidChamp
Banned
I understand that everyone makes mistakes, and that companies and workplaces have a system in place to discourage this kind of behavior, some more lenient than others. I don't need to listen to the podcast to understand that he broke the rules; that's a given with the outcome, but there is such a thing as "probationary warnings" and what not.
If you were in his shoes, with everything sacred in your life depending on it, I'm fucking SURE you'd be doing whatever it takes to get off with a warning, instead of being blindsided by a pink slip.
papercan55
Member
don't just read the OP in that thread, i ignored that thread until today thinking it was nothing but i listened to the podcast today and my feelings couldn't have been any different.
He basically goes on a rant about lots of nintendo related policies and inside information,
makes bad comments about first and third party developers alongside personal attacks on Sakurai and customers of nintendo.
I was gobsmacked listening to it, it sounds like a random fanboy trash talking but he was on the podcast as a current employer of nintendo, not only did he completely break NDA but he trash talked the company and it's customers.
Nothing hugely offensive maybe but it was unbelievable to think that this was an actual nintendo treehouse member saying these things in public.
If you had an employee that went online and trash talked your company, how it is run, it's customers and it's business partners you would be pissed as well.
You know who says things like that, idiots in crappy dead-end jobs they hate, not a member of treehouse representing nintendo.
pixel monkey
Banned
Posts like this remind me of those in the audience at the 2012 GOP Presidential Candidate Debate who shouted out "Let him die!" when the question was about what to do with a 38 year old uninsured man facing catastrophic illness.
Just as I did that night watching that, hearing those responses... reading your post, I truly feel sorry for you.
Bwahaha what is this.
Edit: I should have known this was sarcasm >.>
On the other hand :
... Really?
You're not under a NDA when you make a "mistake" most of the time. And you can't be lenient when it comes to NDA, otherwise it sets a precedent (legally and as a message to your employees). What is so hard to understand about that?
TheGreatMightyPoo
Banned
AceBandage
Sakura
Member
You can't divulge sensitive internal information and break NDAs and only get a warning :/
Neff
Member
And there it is. Thanks for this insight.
kitchenmotors
Banned
I hope everyone knows thefit is being sarcastic and mocking most of the posts in this thread.
SolidChamp
Banned
Okay, my ignorance on this matter is clear.
I need to listen to the podcast, at some point.
My apologies.
You don't know that sir!
Some of you are equating all mistakes as the same thing.
If he'd left his usb drive with confidential videos on the bus and it was taken, that would be a mistake he'd probably get a talking to about. Breaking his contract the way he did displays he's simply not someone they can rely on to not discuss internal matters. Seeing as his job involves a lot of that, he's out of a job. Taking it to social media is a big gaffe too. He's just establishing that he's a risk.
I should have picked up on that with the Disney line, but honestly some of the logic really lowered my expectations in this thread.
If he'd left his usb drive with confidential videos on the bus and it was taken, that would be a mistake he'd probably get a talking to about. Breaking his contract the way he did displays he's simply not someone they can rely on to not discuss internal matters. Seeing as his job involves a lot of that, he's out of a job. Taking it to social media is a big gaffe too. He's just establishing that he's a risk.
I should have picked up on that with the Disney line, but honestly some of the logic really lowered my expectations in this thread.
For SOME things. Other things don't have a probationary period because the company considers them too important.
Crap on a rug in the office - probationary period possible mandatory counseling
Embarrass the company in public as a low level employee - We'll send you your things. Security will see you out.
SolidChamp
Banned
Fair enough.
I appreciate the sentiment but I don't know if that's really a good idea. There's a certain level of detachment that is preferred in a professional setting. Having fun at work is fine, but I think if you "live and breathe Nintendo," working for them might not be the best course of action.
How the sausage is made, and all that....
They are completely in the legal right to do what they did. I just believe that Nintendo could have been different and more creative with the punishment since they are a brand that is family friendly. They could have done a lot of PR to set a very easy tone, even if they said it was a one time deal, to allow a person to make a cardinal pr mistake in a time of social media.
There has never been a time in the history of this world where a slip of the tongue or jabbering of the jaws in public can ripple through the world such as it is today. Nintendo could have taken the time to remind us that while it is serious business to keep NDAs they wouldn't cripple an employee and possibly his family without reminding all of their employees and gamers who read about Nintendo adults and children alike that people make mistakes and they actually cared about the employees future. It would have been a good lesson for the millennials and a reality check for us neckbeards.
As it stands, they just showed us the cold reality of the corporate world. I completely understand the outcome though. Can you imagine what the press would have been like in that rose tinted scenario I described?
Tinfoilhatsron
Banned
That's it? Really?
KingHenrik30
Member
People need to take responsibility for their own actions. If he didn't know what he was gonna say was going to be a problem then he shouldn't have had that job in the first place. I'm not gonna feel sorry for someone who lost their job due to their own stupidity. Just shut your mouth and do your job.
The fact that your comparing someone with a catastrophic illness to a guy who lost his job because he felt the need to run his mouth on a podcast is moronic. Feel sorry for yourself.
I Stalk Alone
Member
I hope chris gets picked up somewhere close to nintendo, like ouya
All i can see right now is that "bill you're fired" clip but replaced with chris.
So did reggie personally give him the boot or was it evil hr? Stupid Toby Flenderson
Will it be hard for him to pick up another job due to the circumstances of his removal?
All i can see right now is that "bill you're fired" clip but replaced with chris.
So did reggie personally give him the boot or was it evil hr? Stupid Toby Flenderson
Will it be hard for him to pick up another job due to the circumstances of his removal?
Portugeezer
Gold Member
This.
SolidChamp
Banned
Regardless if I'm informed on just how bad he fucked up by listening to the podcast (or not)...this is my bottom line.
But he made the point that his entire life was geared for this job. It's not just a mistake, it was a foolish judgement call.
I hope he gets back on his feet, regardless.
KingHenrik30
Member
Sometimes mistakes cost people jobs. That's the real world. Guy reminds me of the people who fuck up on social media and then lose their jobs because of it.
pixel monkey
Banned
Proper placement of pity... confirmed.
shadow2810
Member
I think it will be really difficult for him to get a job in same field. Employer will need to think twice before hiring someone that was laid off because of breaking NDA.
I took your post as saying that people settle for such jobs due to comformity, but we live in a world in which 90% of all companies treat employees as things. Some can spend their entire lives without ever getting their dream job, and not because they didn't try to. If that wasn't your intention, then I'm sorry.