Support NeoGAF

[Draugoth]

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has joined the chorus of industry professionals criticizing Activision Blizzard, telling staff in an email obtained by Bloomberg that Xbox is "evaluating all aspects of our relationship" with the embattled publisher.

With Xbox and PlayStation both now sending out forceful internal statements about Activision Blizzard, pressure is growing on the board to remove embattled CEO Bobby Kotick. Spencer said he and his executive team are "disturbed and deeply troubled by the horrific events and actions” at Activision Blizzard following this week's revelations that Bobby Kotick knew for years about sexual harassment and was himself a perpetrator of misconduct.

 

[remember_spinal]

Is this the part where people tell him he should shut up and stay out of it because maybe someone in microsoft had possibly done something that could be bad at one point in time?

 

[FrankWza]

 

[Calverz]

Is this the part where people tell him he should shut up and stay out of it because maybe someone in microsoft had possibly done something that could be bad at one point in time?

Yes. Same as Jim Ryan at Sony yesterday

 

[Skifi28]

Ah yes, the holier than thou attitude. Cringe as fuck. Those living in glass houses better not throw rocks around. You might just be the next juicy scandal.

 

[The Pleasure]

Phil Spender isn't anywhere near as charismatic as this guy

 

[Zones]

Phil Spender isn't anywhere near as charismatic as this guy

These are the GOATs!

 

[IntentionalPun]

This "glass houses" shit is silly.

MS forced Bill Gates off of their board for merely flirting with an employee vaguely via email.

They've been the kind of HR that whiney grown men would call "woke" since like the 90s.

This wasn't one person doing something bad; the CEO knew of a rape allegation and other accusations and lied to his own board of directors about it and was involved directly in making sure people weren't punished for sexual harassment. Activision did an investigation into an allegation against Dan Bunting, and the investigation concluded he should be fired.. and Kotick said no.

 

[kyoji]

Yes. As i mentioned in the other thread:

Probably doing this as PR until he himself gets in the crosshairs.
Hopefully that means that Xbox house is in order when it comes to this type of behavior.
Phil Spencer makes a brave tweet hoping to drown out the sound of bones rattling away in his own closet.
When you start saying these kind of things people start digging into your own past, lets hope this guy is as clean as he acts.

 

[Tripolygon]

Ah yes, the holier than thou attitude. Cringe as fuck. Those living in glass houses better not throw rocks around. You might just be the next juicy scandal.

This is a shit take. You don't need to be perfect or holy to talk about or criticize someone doing terrible things.

 

[Bernd Lauert]

I want to know Phil's plastic surgeon. Man's 53 years old and looks like he's in his early 40s.

 

[skit_data]

Good

 

[DeepEnigma]

Phil Spender isn't anywhere near as charismatic as this guy

This looks like a cocaine commercial.

 

[skit_data]

I want to know Phil's plastic surgeon. Man's 53 years old and looks like he's in his early 40s.

I can’t believe him and Jim Ryan are the same age! Jim looks like an old raisin left out in the sun whereas Phil looks like a fresh grape.

 

[reksveks]

Yes. As i mentioned in the other thread:

Probably doing this as PR until he himself gets in the crosshairs.
Hopefully that means that Xbox house is in order when it comes to this type of behavior.
Phil Spencer makes a brave tweet hoping to drown out the sound of bones rattling away in his own closet.
When you start saying these kind of things people start digging into your own past, lets hope this guy is as clean as he acts.

he said it internally? unless you think he was leaking it.

 

[ManaByte]

Xbox is "evaluating all aspects of our relationship" with the embattled publisher.

Remove Vanguard from the store then.

 

[splattered]

I can’t believe him and Jim Ryan are the same age! Jim looks like an old raisin left out in the sun whereas Phil looks like a fresh grape.

Funniest thing i've read on here in forever... they should quote this in the next Xbox ad.

 

[Skifi28]

This is a shit take. You don't need to be perfect or holy to talk about or criticize someone doing terrible things.

That's not the point. We live in weird times, even if you've done nothing it's so easy to start some rumours to create scandals and get people fired without much in the way of proof. We've seen it time and again. Perhaps it's best to remain neutral from a distance and a little sceptical rather than fan the flames that can easily go in your direction soon. Let the law handle it, not the twitter mob.

Corporations pretending to care to score social points is horrible. "we're evaluating all aspects of our relationship". What the hell does that even mean? Are you going to stop publishing their games? CoD just came out, what are you going to do about it? Just empty words.

 

[M1chl]

I can’t believe him and Jim Ryan are the same age! Jim looks like an old raisin left out in the sun whereas Phil looks like a fresh grape.

What the fuck, they are same age?! Impossible.

 

[Bernd Lauert]

I can’t believe him and Jim Ryan are the same age! Jim looks like an old raisin left out in the sun whereas Phil looks like a fresh grape.

Fun fact: he's almost 20 years older than Jason Schreier. Unbelievable.

 

[skit_data]

What the fuck, they are same age?! Impossible.

Look it up, I was shocked to see that they’re both 52

 

[The Pleasure]

I can’t believe him and Jim Ryan are the same age! Jim looks like an old raisin left out in the sun whereas Phil looks like a fresh grape.

Jim Ryan has the stress of being profitable while Phil Spender has the trust fund job of spending papa Microsoft's money. Of course one stresses you out more.

 

[KingGhidorah]

if you're a saint, you and your department have no dirty laundry, sure yeah go ahead, try to score some brownie points from the woke crowd....

but if you're not, just remember, what goes around comes around......

 

[skit_data]

Jim Ryan has the stress of being profitable while Phil Spender has the trust fund job of spending papa Microsoft's money. Of course one stresses you out more.

 

[kyoji]

Jim Ryan has the stress of being profitable while Phil Spender has the trust fund job of spending papa Microsoft's money. Of course one stresses you out more.

 

[IntentionalPun]

I can’t believe him and Jim Ryan are the same age! Jim looks like an old raisin left out in the sun whereas Phil looks like a fresh grape.

To the men out there:

Use suncscreen and apply some good product to your face daily, preferably after a shower.

Source: guy who looks 15 years younger than he is.

 

[Banjo64]

Sell the publishing rights to Sekiro you molesting frauds.

 

[SJRB]

In typical Microsoft fashion: always a follower and never a leader.

 

[SpongebobSquaredance]

just look at this guy... you just know he is an evil asshat.

 

[Punished Miku]

I predicted in the Ryan thread that his statements would be the first of many. Each that adds to it will just add more weight to Kotick's downfall. Reminds me of Cuomo resigning in slow motion. If Kotick stays in the press for a few more weeks, the pressure will just slowly build.

 

[IntentionalPun]

if you're a saint, you and your department have no dirty laundry, sure yeah go ahead, try to score some brownie points from the woke crowd....

but if you're not, just remember, what goes around comes around......

You guys are being so silly.

Activision's own CEO stepped in when their HR recommended someone be fired, and stopped it... an in general knew about all kinds of accusations (many with merit, fully investigated) before all of this mess, and lied (or at least SERIOUSLY misled) his own board of directors about how much he had known about it.

There is a lawsuit from that same board of directors.

This isn't people not being saints, it's a company whose shareholders are suing their CEO over how bad shit got lol

 

[wolffy71]

It was an internal email, not a press release so its not like they are publicly calling them out.

 

[Bernd Lauert]

To the men out there:

Use suncscreen and apply some good product to your face daily, preferably after a shower.

Source: guy who looks 15 years younger than he is.

Or just never go out and stay in your basement forever, works even better than sunscreen.

Source: basement dweller who looks 10 years younger than he is.

 

[KingGhidorah]

You guys are being so silly.

Activision's own CEO stepped in when their HR recommended someone be fired, and stopped it... an in general knew about all kinds of accusations (many with merit, fully investigated) before all of this mess, and lied (or at least SERIOUSLY misled) his own board of directors about how much he had known about it.

There is a lawsuit from that same board of directors.

This isn't people not being saints, it's a company whose shareholders are suing their CEO over how bad shit got lol

It's still not MS goddamn business,

I would've said, 'Obviously Activision has some internal issues that they will have to deal with, I will just make sure none of those happening in my department'

Period

 

[IntentionalPun]

It's still not MS goddamn business,

I would've said, 'Obviously Activision has some internal issues that they will have to deal with, I will just make sure none of those happening in my department'

Period

MS's relationship with Activision.. is certainly MS's business.

Look, all anyone really cares about is money.. if it's better for the bottom line to not associate with Activision, MS will end some relationships. If not? Well they'll make PR statements and see where it goes. That's why the shareholders are suing either way lol Because fucking up like this is bad for business.

 

[Hawking Radiation]

YESSS !!! Based fucking Phil.

Put the hurt on 'em uncle Phil.

Fuck Activision and Call Of Duty.

EDIT: I'm happy and angry

 

[KingGhidorah]

MS's relationship with Activision.. is certainly MS's business.

Look, all anyone really cares about is money.. if it's better for the bottom line to not associate with Activision, MS will end some relationships. If not? Well they'll make PR statements and see where it goes. That's why the shareholders are suing either way lol Because fucking up like this is bad for business.

What do Activision internal issues have anything to do with MS-Activision relationsip?!?!?

 

[Hawking Radiation]

This looks like a cocaine commercial.

Perfect way to demonstrate your product through live examples of the effects it has on other folks.

 

[IntentionalPun]

What do Activision internal issues have anything to do with MS-Activision relationsip?!?!?

That's up to Microsoft to decide, since it's their business to do so.

If Activision was caught rampantly selling children into sex slavery, would you say the same thing? I somehow doubt it.

Y'all are just all up in your feelings over women accusing men of shit. Maybe take a deep look at yourself if this is your attitude.

 

[elliot5]

What do Activision internal issues have anything to do with MS-Activision relationsip?!?!?

Do you also think athletes sponsored by Nike or have Nike made products have no place in speaking out against slave labor to make their shoes? What kind of simple minded thinking is this... They're in a business partnership. If their values and decisions internally don't reflect MS/Sony/etcs own then they can put pressure of them as they see fit.

 

[rickybooby87]

Phil Spender isn't anywhere near as charismatic as this guy

Phil Spencer probably doesn't rail fat lines of coke before taking the stage either lol

 

[Captain Toad]

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has joined the chorus of industry professionals criticizing Activision Blizzard, telling staff in an email obtained by Bloomberg that Xbox is "evaluating all aspects of our relationship" with the embattled publisher.

Evaluating what? Neither Sony or Microsoft would do more than talk here. Call of Duty and Activision are too valuable to PlayStation and Xbox that they'd ever dare cut ties no matter what the CEO or company did.

 

[Punished Miku]

Phil Spencer probably doesn't rail fat lines of coke before taking the stage either lol

Phil talks like a surfer. Having low stress helps with your overall health. He seems chill.

 

[IntentionalPun]

Evaluating what? Neither Sony or Microsoft would do more than talk here. Call of Duty and Activision are too valuable to PlayStation and Xbox that they'd ever dare cut ties no matter what the CEO or company did.

Probably marketing tie-ins.

 

[KingGhidorah]

That's up to Microsoft to decide, since it's their business to do so.

If Activision was caught rampantly selling children into sex slavery, would you say the same thing? I somehow doubt it.

Y'all are just all up in your feelings over women accusing men of shit. Maybe take a deep look at yourself if this is your attitude.

obviously Sony and MS made it their business, I'm just saying, if you go around judging people, you better be damn sure you're without sins.....because if you're not, you're far worse

 

[K' Dash]

Evaluating what? Neither Sony or Microsoft would do more than talk here. Call of Duty and Activision are too valuable to PlayStation and Xbox that they'd ever dare cut ties no matter what the CEO or company did.

Yup, neither will retire their games from their respective stores.

Also, wouldn't that also punish lots of people innocent of this fucked up behavior?

 

[Epic Sax CEO]

That's not the point. We live in weird times, even if you've done nothing it's so easy to start some rumours to create scandals and get people fired without much in the way of proof. We've seen it time and again. Perhaps it's best to remain neutral from a distance and a little sceptical rather than fan the flames that can easily go in your direction soon. Let the law handle it, not the twitter mob.

Corporations pretending to care to score social points is horrible. "we're evaluating all aspects of our relationship". What the hell does that even mean? Are you going to stop publishing their games? CoD just came out, what are you going to do about it? Just empty words.

Oh fuck off with this attitude people, we aren't talking about things that "supposedly may had happened", we are talking about things that actually happened, further crimes where committed protecting the criminals, and how all as made public.

There's no way to defend all this.
People were raped, people died, the higher ups were recompensed with bonuses for succeeding in suppressing the victims. When all this shitty sugar coating talk stops and you people start showing that you have some moral standards and start demanding accountability? At least stop defending these criminals. The way you people talk are signaling only that "if the was me in their place I would do the same".

 

[KingGhidorah]

Do you also think athletes sponsored by Nike or have Nike made products have no place in speaking out against slave labor to make their shoes? What kind of simple minded thinking is this... They're in a business partnership. If their values and decisions internally don't reflect MS/Sony/etcs own then they can put pressure of them as they see fit.

Then why the hell, so many athletes, movie stars, etc still have sponsors from companies whose products come from 3rd world countries where 'child labours' are still rampant?

Why do you even buy products from Apple, H&M, Nike, Amazon (Amazon still have that labour issues, remember?) when did you last buy from Amazon??

 

[CobraAB]

Kick them off your platform Phil!

 

[elliot5]

Yup, neither will retire their games from their respective stores.

Also, wouldn't that also punish lots of people innocent of this fucked up behavior?

How else is pressure meant to be put on someone or some company without monetary impact?

Timmy going without being able to buy call of duty for a little bit is gonna be ok.