The allegations against Bobby Kotick and Activision-Blizzard are deafening. Now, Microsoft’s Phil Spencer and PlayStation’s Jim Ryan have publicly bemoaned the whole situation. An email sent by Phil Spencer to Microsoft/Xbox employees said that he was “disturbed and deeply troubled by the horrific events and actions” taken by Kotick. Spencer added that he is “evaluating all aspects of our relationship with Activision-Blizzard and making ongoing proactive adjustments. This type of behavior has no place in our industry.”
Spencer’s comments follow those from Ryan, who wrote in a similar email to his own staff that Activision-Blizzard, “has not done enough to address a deep-seated culture of discrimination and harassment.” Ryan said he expressed “deep concern” to Activision and has asked the company how they will publicly address the situation for shareholders, gamers, and other business partners.
If push comes to shove, Microsoft could de-list all Activision games and forfeit millions for the sake of peace of mind (games like Call of Duty rake in tremendous revenues for both Sony and Microsoft every year).
Activision-Blizzard and its board of directors stand by Kotick in the aftermath of the original report, even reportedly claiming there is no evidence to warrant punishment for the CEO under the company’s “zero-tolerance” policy of harassment. Several Activision-Blizzard shareholders, led by SOC Investment Group, have called for Kotick’s resignation, as have more than 700 of the publisher’s staff and contractors in a petition started by the ABK Workers Alliance.
(All information was provided by TweakTown and GamesIndustry)
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