Over the last weekend there were a number of stories coming out about games personalities (mostly streamers I didn't know before but apparently have a significant audience) mistreating/abusing/grooming women/girls in their audience and networking circle. The only name I recognized was Cryaotic who often worked with Jesse Cox and Dodger/Dexbonus who apparently groomed an underage girl while being engaged to someone else.
Additionally, the CEO of a talent agency for streamers (lining up promo/marketing deals for them) was reported to have told a female creator that in order to get to the top she better start sleeping around, because that's how it works for women in the biz. It prompted an exodus of many big names from his agency.
Summary here: https://www.tubefilter.com/2020/06/22/youtuber-twitch-streamer-allegations-saynotorage/
Oh, and then this:
https://www.pcgamer.com/chris-avellone-accused-of-sexual-misconduct-by-multiple-women/
QuoteChris Avellone accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women
The allegations were made over the weekend, and have prompted some studios to reconsider his work on their games.
Well-known game writer Chris Avellone is the subject of multiple allegations of predatory behavior and sexual misconduct following an IGN interview with him and Emily Grace Buck, who worked together on the upcoming RPG The Waylanders. In response to a tweet about the interview, Twitter user Karissa described her experiences with Avellone at a convention, including both personal interactions and an account of his behavior toward others.
"ZERO interest in anything from a man who spent so much time preying on young women (no age check), getting them drunk & taking them to hotel rooms, showing up to panels late & wasted if at all, & treating fans/fellow industry SO badly, he was blacklisted from at least 1 big con," Karissa tweeted. She asked that PC Gamer omit her last name due to death threats from the public she's received since coming forward with the allegations.
She went into greater detail on the encounter in follow-up tweets the next day. "He got me blackout drunk on Midori Sours (on the company dime). He and two friends somehow got me back to my room, where he pounced in front of the other guys. They left after a few moments (also drunk), and one of them told me what he had witnessed the next evening. I had very vague impressions that someone had made out with me when I woke up that morning, but thought it was a dream," she wrote.
"When I asked Chris about it, he told me that I had eventually refused him. When more of the night came back to me, I realized the ONLY reason I was able to refuse him in my blackout stupor was because I was on my period that weekend. The ONLY reason."
Karissa said she witnessed Avellone act in a similar fashion with multiple other women at the event, and eventually reached the point where she, backed by two men who were also aware of his behavior, reported him to organizers, who immediately blacklisted him.
"His behavior didn't stop, though. If anything, it got worse. It took years for his employer to finally fire him (I honestly don't recall the exact reason he was given, it was a while ago and I wasn't there personally—this was relayed to me by a friend who also worked there)," she wrote. "He moved to other studios. Other projects. Other conventions until they stopped inviting him on their own accord (whether due to behavior or relevance, I don't know). I pushed him out of my memory, as did my dear friends, and we only discussed our anger and disgust if he happened to come up.
"I didn't bother blowing this up until today due to work being insane all week, but I've got the time now. Chris Avellone is an abusive, abrasive, conniving sexual predator. People tried to get him help. He refused it and continued. Stop glorifying him."
The tweets prompted similar allegations from other women, who described similar behavior dating back several years. Jacqui Collins, Riot Games' PR lead on Valorant, shared an image of a 2013 exchange of text messages with Avellone, including an unprompted sexually explicit proposition. "I forgave Chris for this," she wrote. "I never forgot about it, though."
Avellone acknowledged the allegations against him, but also implied that he wasn't aware of any wrongdoing, and that the complaints caught him by surprise. "I never meant any harm to you ... and I had thought things between us had ended well all up until seeing you off," he tweeted in response to Karissa's initial claim. "That said, if I can't do anything to apologize for it, I understand, and there's nothing more to be done."
After the allegations came to light, Buck (who was in the IGN interview that prompted the chain of allegations) said on Twitter that Avellone's contract to write for The Waylanders had expired the previous week. She also said that the game has "very little writing" by Avellone, and that in light of the allegations, she'll be reviewing all of his scenes. Waylanders developer Gato Studio confirmed Avellone's departure from the game in a separate statement.
"Chris Avellone is no longer associated with Gato Salvaje Studio or The Waylanders project. Chris was brought on as a design contractor on The Waylanders. As of last week, Chris's contract is complete and the content provided will be assessed as development progresses," it said.
"Studio Gato Salvaje and The Waylanders team take matters of abusive and predatory behavior very seriously, and we stand against the kind of behavior that was alleged to have happened in the stories shared over the weekend."
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 publisher Paradox Interactive also distanced itself from Avellone, who announced that he was writing for the game in March 2019. "Chris Avellone briefly worked with the Bloodlines 2 writing team early in the development of the game," a representative said. "Through an iterative creative process, however, none of his contributions remain in the game that Hardsuit Labs is continuing to develop."
Techland said in a statement that, following an investigation, it has ended its partnership with Avellone on Dying Light 2. Avellone was revealed as a high-profile narrative designer on the game when it was announced in 2018.
"We treat matters of sexual harassment and disrespect with utmost care, and have no tolerance for such behaviors—it applies to both our employees as well as external consultants, Chris among them," it said. "That is why we are currently looking very closely into the matter. This is why, together with Chris Avellone, we've decided to end our cooperation."
We'll continue to follow this story and update as more information becomes available.
Similar accusations launched against Angry Joe - I think some people here followed him on youtube?
Yes, the AngryJoe story is cringey and creepy: https://medium.com/@WookieMonsterTV/my-interaction-with-angryjoe-d715aedb0e02
Joe rejects the claims and says his lawyers are on it.
Quote from: Syt on June 23, 2020, 10:46:04 AM
Yes, the AngryJoe story is cringey and creepy: https://medium.com/@WookieMonsterTV/my-interaction-with-angryjoe-d715aedb0e02
Joe rejects the claims and says his lawyers are on it.
I skimmed through it, my favourite part that I spotted is how she was taken from one event and party to the next by Joe for 5 hours so she didn't have a chance to notify her friend or boyfriend where she was.
Which, I assume, you think is not possible?
Quote from: Tamas on June 23, 2020, 11:01:16 AM
Quote from: Syt on June 23, 2020, 10:46:04 AM
Yes, the AngryJoe story is cringey and creepy: https://medium.com/@WookieMonsterTV/my-interaction-with-angryjoe-d715aedb0e02
Joe rejects the claims and says his lawyers are on it.
I skimmed through it, my favourite part that I spotted is how she was taken from one event and party to the next by Joe for 5 hours so she didn't have a chance to notify her friend or boyfriend where she was.
That's your favourite part? :huh:
The women making these accusations are either brave or insane. My guess is brave. On a related note I fucking hate "Gamer culture".
Quote from: Razgovory on June 23, 2020, 12:30:13 PM
The women making these accusations are either brave or insane. My guess is brave. On a related note I fucking hate "Gamer culture".
Yeah, if past such cases are anything to go by, they will have all kinds of shit emptied over them, death threats, will be doxxed, etc. Which explains why few speak up, and why the claim they do it "for fame" is dubious at best.
Quote from: Syt on June 23, 2020, 12:40:27 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on June 23, 2020, 12:30:13 PM
The women making these accusations are either brave or insane. My guess is brave. On a related note I fucking hate "Gamer culture".
Yeah, if past such cases are anything to go by, they will have all kinds of shit emptied over them, death threats, will be doxxed, etc. Which explains why few speak up, and why the claim they do it "for fame" is dubious at best.
Yeah it seems a terribly toixc environment.
Quote from: Syt on June 23, 2020, 12:40:27 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on June 23, 2020, 12:30:13 PM
The women making these accusations are either brave or insane. My guess is brave. On a related note I fucking hate "Gamer culture".
Yeah, if past such cases are anything to go by, they will have all kinds of shit emptied over them, death threats, will be doxxed, etc. Which explains why few speak up, and why the claim they do it "for fame" is dubious at best.
Have the GamerGate idiots started with those kind of tactics already?
Goddamnit, really Avellone?
Quote from: Barrister on June 23, 2020, 01:06:03 PM
Quote from: Syt on June 23, 2020, 12:40:27 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on June 23, 2020, 12:30:13 PM
The women making these accusations are either brave or insane. My guess is brave. On a related note I fucking hate "Gamer culture".
Yeah, if past such cases are anything to go by, they will have all kinds of shit emptied over them, death threats, will be doxxed, etc. Which explains why few speak up, and why the claim they do it "for fame" is dubious at best.
Have the GamerGate idiots started with those kind of tactics already?
I mean this wouldn't have happened if women stopped existing in and around video games.
Quote from: Oexmelin on June 23, 2020, 10:32:11 AM
Similar accusations launched against Angry Joe - I think some people here followed him on youtube?
Since he is a Tejano who lives in Austin I wished him well and watched a few of his videos. Sorry to hear that.
I guess that explains why Cry stopped doing things with Jesse and Dodger.
Well, damn, I am a big fan of Avellone's work. Sad to learn he's behaved like that.
Quote from: Oexmelin on June 23, 2020, 10:32:11 AM
Similar accusations launched against Angry Joe - I think some people here followed him on youtube?
I don't really follow him, but I do watch his videos from time to time.
He plays genres/platforms I'm not that interested in, but his reviews seem genuine and are often entertaining (especially the bits with Other Joe). He does tend to interrupt his staff a lot, though, which I find annoying.
Unrelated to that, but Cards Against humanity is also under fire recently:
QuoteFormer employees accuse Cards Against Humanity of a racist and sexist office culture
Co-founder Max Temkin has stepped down following these accusations
Quote from: The Larch on June 23, 2020, 07:26:44 PM
Unrelated to that, but Cards Against humanity is also under fire recently:
QuoteFormer employees accuse Cards Against Humanity of a racist and sexist office culture
Wow, you don't say. Who could have seen this coming. I am so shocked.
:lol: It's like... have you ever played it?
Didn't Avellone have a drinking and drug problem as well?
At least he hasn't denied it and seems to be remorseful.
Quote from: Solmyr on June 24, 2020, 03:35:38 AM
Didn't Avellone have a drinking and drug problem as well?
At least he hasn't denied it and seems to be remorseful.
What does being remorseful matter if he continues doing it?
Hopefully he won't continue doing it.
AssCreed's creative director has resigned. I am not sure if there's more to it, but it seems it was triggered by a female Twitter personality of sorts revealing that he is married and that she didn't know as she was "with him for a year on and off" before finding out.
I guess revealing him as the manipulative scumbag that he is is a net positive but it feels childish to publicise what was basically an affair where one party lied about their life, and trying to latch it unto a growing upheaval over genuine sexual harassment cases.
Quote from: Tamas on June 25, 2020, 07:13:58 AM
AssCreed's creative director has resigned. I am not sure if there's more to it, but it seems it was triggered by a female Twitter personality of sorts revealing that he is married and that she didn't know as she was "with him for a year on and off" before finding out.
I guess revealing him as the manipulative scumbag that he is is a net positive but it feels childish to publicise what was basically an affair where one party lied about their life, and trying to latch it unto a growing upheaval over genuine sexual harassment cases.
Looking at her twitter account, she says that she found out he had done this to multiple women and thus felt compelled to speak out.
And in her own words:
QuoteIf someone is routinely seeking out partners who are 8-18 years younger than them and fans of theirs, that person is seeking out people they can take advantage of. They are abusing their position of power.
It's not rape, but that does not make it okay.
Sleeping with groupies is bad now? I mean what position of power do you hold over someone who's a fan?
Quote from: HVC on June 25, 2020, 09:03:23 AM
Sleeping with groupies is bad now? I mean what position of power do you hold over someone who's a fan?
Yeah this is not a good narrative unless you imply women are unable to control themselves around people they admire.
Half the reason most people become famous is to sleep with attractive people :D
Quote from: HVC on June 25, 2020, 09:03:23 AM
Sleeping with groupies is bad now?
Hasn't it always been sleazy?
Quote from: garbon on June 25, 2020, 10:15:15 AM
Quote from: HVC on June 25, 2020, 09:03:23 AM
Sleeping with groupies is bad now?
Hasn't it always been sleazy?
I mean sure, especially in the case of married people, but to use
QuoteIt's not rape, but that does not make it okay.
to intentionally connect the act with rape is a whole other thing. Plus to lose your job over it?
I've no issue with people losing their job over such actions. After all its down to the company to determine what image they want to promote and game designer isn't a low flunky position.
Agreed though that it is nothing akin to rape and wrong to still hint at an equivalency by bringing it up.
Quote from: HVC on June 25, 2020, 09:03:23 AM
Sleeping with groupies is bad now? I mean what position of power do you hold over someone who's a fan?
That would pretty much destroy the music industry.
Quote from: garbon on June 25, 2020, 11:34:42 AM
I've no issue with people losing their job over such actions. After all its down to the company to determine what image they want to promote and game designer isn't a low flunky position.
Agreed though that it is nothing akin to rape and wrong to still hint at an equivalency by bringing it up.
This is true (in an at-will employment situation), but I think that wise companies will think twice about firing employees for having sex on their own time with consenting adults, even if there are shrieks to do so. Finding quality game designers is probably harder than waiting five minutes for the non-story to blow over.
It seems Dr Disrespect has been removed from Twitch. Twitch haven't said why, and the streamer only commented after a day that he hadn't been told the reason (normally you'd think they take to Twitter right away).
Apparently he was commenting about Coronavirus being caused by 5G masts, and advertised David Icke (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Icke)'s theories, so it may be related?
Probably not an easy move on Twitch's behalf; they signed a 2 year exclusivity contract with him, so there's probably more legal tape than just banning the average streamer.
This week's Jim Sterling is worth a watch, even if you don't normally watch him (his usually flamboyant style is quite subdued this week).
A Truly Fucked Up Industry (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB7c2uZACcI)
Quote from: Syt on June 29, 2020, 11:41:05 AM
This week's Jim Sterling is worth a watch, even if you don't normally watch him (his usually flamboyant style is quite subdued this week).
A Truly Fucked Up Industry (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB7c2uZACcI)
Indeed, it was worth watching (although Sterling is always worth watching).
https://www.kotaku.co.uk/2020/07/04/one-ubisoft-editorial-vp-resigns-while-another-is-placed-on-disciplinary-leave
QuoteOne Ubisoft Editorial VP Resigns While Another is Placed on Disciplinary Leave
Ubisoft Editorial VP Maxime Béland has resigned and fellow Editorial VP Tommy François has been placed on disciplinary leave, the company's CEO Yves Guillemot announced in a company email today while both are investigated for misconduct. It also stated that an employee from Ubisoft Toronto had been terminated.
Tweets Neil Druckman from NaughtyDog has gotten from "fans" who don't like Last of Us 2:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcLmay2UMAAgGiN?format=jpg&name=medium)
And Laura Bailey who voiced one of the characters:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcCJPnJUcAE0NJB?format=jpg&name=medium)
Gamers seem to truly be one of the most abhorrent communities of the internet.
Quote from: The Larch on July 06, 2020, 05:54:40 AM
Gamers seem to truly be one of the most abhorrent communities of the internet.
You get it with many fandoms. Star Wars/Trek have their share, for example.
You have your "WHY SO MANY WOMEN IN MY STAR WARS" idiots, but the viciousness of shit like gamergate is truly unrivalled.
At any rate, James Gunn's old tweet sums it up well:
(https://i.redd.it/4yg54e02s0811.jpg)
Quote from: celedhring on July 06, 2020, 06:12:23 AM
You have your "WHY SO MANY WOMEN IN MY STAR WARS" idiots, but the viciousness of shit like gamergate is truly unrivalled.
Yeah. I'm an acquaintance with one of the women who were targeted in gamergate and it is just unbelievably toxic.
Why is gamer culture so psychotic? Actually the idea of a "gamer culture" is pretty weird to me. I'm old enough to remember video games as being primary for children and nerds. Not cool. "Gamer culture" sound like its one step above "chronic masturbate culture" to my ears.
Still, why is it so toxic?
Quote from: Razgovory on July 06, 2020, 11:49:38 AM
Why is gamer culture so psychotic? Actually the idea of a "gamer culture" is pretty weird to me. I'm old enough to remember video games as being primary for children and nerds. Not cool. "Gamer culture" sound like its one step above "chronic masturbate culture" to my ears.
Still, why is it so toxic?
Games often offer some sort of power fantasy. Being the great athlete or the hero that saves the world or the general who wins the battle or the ruler who governs the empire. Or just live your dream life (The Sims).
For many this is a harmless diversion, a pleasant way to spend time. Or maybe a more serious hobby, where they take to some games, or genres and want to "master" them, like others take to reading, or knitting or whatever.
And then there appear a vocal number of people among gamers (hard to use the word without cringing these days) who appear to be mentally unstable. Not because of games, but I do believe that games become a focus point for some of them and feed that instability. People who get hooked on the power fantasies where they can be who they can't be in real life and get so fixated on them that they define their self-worth through those games and the communities. And if anything changes this "safe space" - by having more diverse casts in games or taking narrative choices that they don't agree with - they lash out.
That's my 2 cents, anyways.
Quote from: Razgovory on July 06, 2020, 11:49:38 AM
Why is gamer culture so psychotic? Actually the idea of a "gamer culture" is pretty weird to me. I'm old enough to remember video games as being primary for children and nerds. Not cool. "Gamer culture" sound like its one step above "chronic masturbate culture" to my ears.
Still, why is it so toxic?
White males.
I think that's an excellent summary, Syt.
It really is ugly. Even though I spend some serious amount of my life playing games, computer and otherwise, I would object to being called a gamer and would actively discourage people from labelling me as such, mostly because of this prevalent toxic BS.
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 06, 2020, 04:45:45 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on July 06, 2020, 11:49:38 AM
Why is gamer culture so psychotic? Actually the idea of a "gamer culture" is pretty weird to me. I'm old enough to remember video games as being primary for children and nerds. Not cool. "Gamer culture" sound like its one step above "chronic masturbate culture" to my ears.
Still, why is it so toxic?
White males.
:mellow:
Quote from: Tamas on July 06, 2020, 04:48:35 PM
It really is ugly. Even though I spend some serious amount of my life playing games, computer and otherwise, I would object to being called a gamer and would actively discourage people from labelling me as such, mostly because of this prevalent toxic BS.
I don't mind being a call a gamer. The actions of other do not really concern me. I mean, I like modded games. What's the first mod coming out for any RPG or action-rpg? Make the female characters appear naked. That's the top one of the list for months after release. I'm not using it. Why would I care that some idiot will jerk off in front of his computer screen to some pixelated animation?
I am a gamer because I like video games. I don't much like MP at this point, it's too complicated for my life to find dedicated time to play this. But I know it's a totally different world. And I rarely interact with gaming communities, I know they can be as toxic as social medias. Blacks, Asians, Whites, Arabs, Russians, Hungarians, it's all the same. Some people derive some kind of power from abusing people (see: Trump) and from that power they get gratification in the form of adulation by many (see: Trump). You will that in the gaming industry, in the enterntainment industry, in the construction industry, in the engineering industry, in the legal industry, in the insurance industry, in any kind of industry.
The difference being that for now, the entertainment industry and gaming industry are the far west. A lot will be tolerated because there seems to be no rules. It's not like Weinstein was a philantropist helping young ladies achieve their true potential as actresses. His behaviour was known for years and everyone kept their mouth shut. As open homosexuals and lesbians are much more frequent nowadays, we begin to hear stories about them too. I find the gangsta rap culture to be highly toxic, especially degrading for women, but they seem to get off at being called "'ho's" and "bitches".
Everywhere there is power, there is temptation. Race, gender, sexuality, it does not even matter, we're all humans, we're all subjects to the same behavioral faults. No amount of education is going to change that, but it doesn't hurt to lead by example for the next generation and warn them of the possible dangers. Some people, especially young women seem to be awfully naive.
I don't really play online games much anymore. I got tired of racial and homohobic slurs. And, no I wouldn't want to be associated with gamer culture. The problem isn't nude mods, the problem is the psychotic death threats, casual racism, not-so-casual racism, sexism, SWATting and other disturbing behavior.
I think a great deal of it comes from being the anonymity of the internet. Without the penalty of social sanction people reveal who they are. Some people get a thrilled from doing forbidden things, like screaming racist slurs, but the sad truth is that many people are simply bad people.
I think that many people who seek out escapist power fantasies feel powerless in real life. The lack of power engenders bitterness, anger and hatred. Many of these people are white men and when they see someone talking about social justice and taking power from white men they come to believe that this is the reason why they are powerless and ineffectual. "Social Justice Warriors", took away their power. That's why nobody respects them, or why they have a shit job, or why their girlfriend broke up with them. And now they have something to direct all that bitterness, anger and hatred at.
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 06, 2020, 04:45:45 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on July 06, 2020, 11:49:38 AM
Why is gamer culture so psychotic? Actually the idea of a "gamer culture" is pretty weird to me. I'm old enough to remember video games as being primary for children and nerds. Not cool. "Gamer culture" sound like its one step above "chronic masturbate culture" to my ears.
Still, why is it so toxic?
White males.
Is it a cultural or genetical aspect that makes mysogony an exclusively white male attribute?
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 06, 2020, 04:45:45 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on July 06, 2020, 11:49:38 AM
Why is gamer culture so psychotic? Actually the idea of a "gamer culture" is pretty weird to me. I'm old enough to remember video games as being primary for children and nerds. Not cool. "Gamer culture" sound like its one step above "chronic masturbate culture" to my ears.
Still, why is it so toxic?
White males.
Humans.
White males seem to be much more prevalent among the toxic gamer crowd than other groups, though.
Quote from: Syt on July 08, 2020, 05:02:13 AM
White males seem to be much more prevalent among the toxic gamer crowd than other groups, though.
1. You can't know somebody's skin colour over Internet comments
2. White people are the majority in the English speaking world, and given the toxic misogynistic environment, it is little surprise females barely attend.
I am sorry Syt I should not be saying this replying to you, your earlier analysis was spot on imho, I am just really riled by racist shit like that comment from bogh.
There is a world out there of honor killings, female genital mutilation, and other assorted cruelty of male dominance in the colourful patchwork of human cultures across the globe.. But no, source of misogynistic behavior is white skin!
Quote from: Syt on July 08, 2020, 05:02:13 AM
White males seem to be much more prevalent among the toxic gamer crowd than other groups, though.
Don't white males make up most gamers in general?
I would note that I am not picking a fight or bucking for a huge disagreement. I think your analysis was pretty good.
I would tend to argue/agree with what I think Tamas is getting at. Sure, white male gamers are showing themselves pretty well to be in the toxic category...but I don't think it is any less prevalent than one could find outside of gamer culture, or outside of "white males".
But social media being what it is, those types will definitely get far more exposure and publicity than the everyday misogyny that goes on outside the internet.
Quote from: Tamas on July 08, 2020, 05:36:46 AM
Quote from: Syt on July 08, 2020, 05:02:13 AM
White males seem to be much more prevalent among the toxic gamer crowd than other groups, though.
1. You can't know somebody's skin colour over Internet comments
2. White people are the majority in the English speaking world, and given the toxic misogynistic environment, it is little surprise females barely attend.
I am sorry Syt I should not be saying this replying to you, your earlier analysis was spot on imho, I am just really riled by racist shit like that comment from bogh.
There is a world out there of honor killings, female genital mutilation, and other assorted cruelty of male dominance in the colourful patchwork of human cultures across the globe.. But no, source of misogynistic behavior is white skin!
Very odd because no one said that.
Quote from: Tonitrus on July 08, 2020, 05:42:33 AM
I would tend to argue/agree with what I think Tamas is getting at. Sure, white male gamers are showing themselves pretty well to be in the toxic category...but I don't think it is any less prevalent than one could find outside of gamer culture, or outside of "white males".
But social media being what it is, those types will definitely get far more exposure and publicity than the everyday misogyny that goes on outside the internet.
This seems like a strange point to make given that per the press releases and the video that Syt linked, there is a lot of "everyday" misogyny that has been occurring from gamers/game makers outside the internet.
Quote from: garbon on July 08, 2020, 06:02:07 AM
Quote from: Tonitrus on July 08, 2020, 05:42:33 AM
I would tend to argue/agree with what I think Tamas is getting at. Sure, white male gamers are showing themselves pretty well to be in the toxic category...but I don't think it is any less prevalent than one could find outside of gamer culture, or outside of "white males".
But social media being what it is, those types will definitely get far more exposure and publicity than the everyday misogyny that goes on outside the internet.
This seems like a strange point to make given that per the press releases and the video that Syt linked, there is a lot of "everyday" misogyny that has been occurring from gamers/game makers outside the internet.
As I specifically pointed out, I was reacting to bogh's casual racism that just solved the whole question with the explanation of "white males".
Do you mean that you chose to read a lot into FunkMonk's flippant comment?
Apologies to bogh, I guess it was too early when I read the comment.
I didn't read anything into the comment that wasn't there. If you say those people behave the way they do because they are white males, it stands to reason that you imply they would not act this way if they were not white males.
Quote from: Tamas on July 08, 2020, 06:20:50 AM
Apologies to bogh, I guess it was too early when I read the comment.
I didn't read anything into the comment that wasn't there. If you say those people behave the way they do because they are white males, it stands to reason that you imply they would not act this way if they were not white males.
He posted two words and that spawned multiple posts from you and Toni. That seems like a pretty good example of reading a lot into a comment.
What I was struck by with your posts and Toni's was the surprise you felt at being 'racialised' and the resultant defensiveness. As a racial minority, I think it is rare to have a day with stumbling across some sort of racialised commentary online about the racial background I'm perceived to have. Or as I saw in this New Yorker review:
QuoteTo be perceived as an individual, to not be associated with anything negative because of your skin color, she notes, is a privilege largely afforded to white people; although most school shooters, domestic terrorists, and rapists in the United States are white, it is rare to see a white man on the street reduced to a stereotype. Likewise, people of color often endure having their views attributed to their racial identities; the luxury of impartiality is denied them.
From that context, I read FunkMonk's comment as a joke that also identified a salient common characteristic, even if that characteristic is useless for actually solving the problem (though with Toni's post, it seems like he's viewing as less of a problem for gamers to solve a society in general...).
Obviously being the majority skin colour means you are the target of racist stereotypes much less often, and I appreciate how this the daily normal for ethnic minorities. That doesn't make racism OK though.
On a personal note, I have had my (comparatively very tiny, obviously) share of being a minority. Especially when it comes to Brexit and the plight of immigrants befalling this country it has been acceptable to singlenout East Europeans as the source of troubles. Several times I had to listen to how it wasn't me but these other East euros who were overcrowding and mooching on benefits. Incidentally a good portion of these wise people were not white.
So I am only 99% alien to the concept of being the target of racism. And I sure am glad my skin colour lets me blend in until I open my mouth because I can only imagine from stories how bad it can get when you can't.
But that comfort of being the majority skin colour should not justify racism. Nobody is racist because they want to be holding unfounded opinions. All racists believe they perfectly reasonable reasons for holding X ethnicity at fault for some alleged characteristic of theirs.
Quote from: Tamas on July 08, 2020, 06:20:50 AM
Apologies to bogh, I guess it was too early when I read the comment.
I didn't read anything into the comment that wasn't there. If you say those people behave the way they do because they are white males, it stands to reason that you imply they would not act this way if they were not white males.
As garbs identified, it was a flippant remark. If I've hurt your feelings, my apologies.
I'll add that I think that, as "gamer" culture is predominantly populated with white males, and if the toxic subculture within the "gamer" community is predominantly white male, it is vitally important and incumbent upon white male "gamers" to get their shit together and erode the bullshit within their community.
Quote from: garbon on July 08, 2020, 06:54:13 AM
Quote from: Tamas on July 08, 2020, 06:20:50 AM
Apologies to bogh, I guess it was too early when I read the comment.
I didn't read anything into the comment that wasn't there. If you say those people behave the way they do because they are white males, it stands to reason that you imply they would not act this way if they were not white males.
He posted two words and that spawned multiple posts from you and Toni. That seems like a pretty good example of reading a lot into a comment.
What I was struck by with your posts and Toni's was the surprise you felt at being 'racialised' and the resultant defensiveness. As a racial minority, I think it is rare to have a day with stumbling across some sort of racialised commentary online about the racial background I'm perceived to have.
Not surprised, and not intending to be defensive...just to say it more of a reflection of the predominant demographic. If it came out clumsily, I'll own that.
Quote
From that context, I read FunkMonk's comment as a joke that also identified a salient common characteristic, even if that characteristic is useless for actually solving the problem (though with Toni's post, it seems like he's viewing as less of a problem for gamers to solve a society in general...).
I didn't intend to comment on whose problem it is to solve. I'm not even sure it even really can solved, or if it is a sign of the degradation of society in general...with this aspect being a particularly notable reflection of that.
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 08, 2020, 08:58:19 AM
Quote from: Tamas on July 08, 2020, 06:20:50 AM
Apologies to bogh, I guess it was too early when I read the comment.
I didn't read anything into the comment that wasn't there. If you say those people behave the way they do because they are white males, it stands to reason that you imply they would not act this way if they were not white males.
As garbs identified, it was a flippant remark. If I've hurt your feelings, my apologies.
I'll add that I think that, as "gamer" culture is predominantly populated with white males, and if the toxic subculture within the "gamer" community is predominantly white male, it is vitally important and incumbent upon white male "gamers" to get their shit together and erode the bullshit within their community.
It is predominantly white male because the population is predominantly white. Although I will conceded that I have no idea about the inclusivity of say, Japanese or Nigerian gamer communities.
Quote from: Tamas on July 08, 2020, 01:27:27 PM
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 08, 2020, 08:58:19 AM
Quote from: Tamas on July 08, 2020, 06:20:50 AM
Apologies to bogh, I guess it was too early when I read the comment.
I didn't read anything into the comment that wasn't there. If you say those people behave the way they do because they are white males, it stands to reason that you imply they would not act this way if they were not white males.
As garbs identified, it was a flippant remark. If I've hurt your feelings, my apologies.
I'll add that I think that, as "gamer" culture is predominantly populated with white males, and if the toxic subculture within the "gamer" community is predominantly white male, it is vitally important and incumbent upon white male "gamers" to get their shit together and erode the bullshit within their community.
It is predominantly white male because the population is predominantly white. Although I will conceded that I have no idea about the inclusivity of say, Japanese or Nigerian gamer communities.
You do keep saying that but why does the gamer population need to necessarily reflect population demographics? After all shouldn't it then be primarily female?
Quote from: garbon on July 08, 2020, 02:10:50 PM
You do keep saying that but why does the gamer population need to necessarily reflect population demographics? After all shouldn't it then be primarily female?
Men and women play different kinds of games. Women much more play on their mobile devices.
Quote from: Barrister on July 08, 2020, 02:14:52 PM
Quote from: garbon on July 08, 2020, 02:10:50 PM
You do keep saying that but why does the gamer population need to necessarily reflect population demographics? After all shouldn't it then be primarily female?
Men and women play different kinds of games. Women much more play on their mobile devices.
Quick check suggest about 45% of gamers are women.
Perhaps it stems from the same cause (and I won't even begin to suggest I know for sure what that is) to the demographic disparity in violent criminal behavior between men and women.
Quote from: Tamas on July 08, 2020, 01:27:27 PM
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 08, 2020, 08:58:19 AM
Quote from: Tamas on July 08, 2020, 06:20:50 AM
Apologies to bogh, I guess it was too early when I read the comment.
I didn't read anything into the comment that wasn't there. If you say those people behave the way they do because they are white males, it stands to reason that you imply they would not act this way if they were not white males.
As garbs identified, it was a flippant remark. If I've hurt your feelings, my apologies.
I'll add that I think that, as "gamer" culture is predominantly populated with white males, and if the toxic subculture within the "gamer" community is predominantly white male, it is vitally important and incumbent upon white male "gamers" to get their shit together and erode the bullshit within their community.
It is predominantly white male because the population is predominantly white. Although I will conceded that I have no idea about the inclusivity of say, Japanese or Nigerian gamer communities.
Focusing on the toxic subculture of the video gaming community as we see it in the Western world, we see a predominantly white male community that is complaining about the growing influence of women and minorities. Where have I seen that before?
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 08, 2020, 03:41:54 PM
Quote from: Tamas on July 08, 2020, 01:27:27 PM
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 08, 2020, 08:58:19 AM
Quote from: Tamas on July 08, 2020, 06:20:50 AM
Apologies to bogh, I guess it was too early when I read the comment.
I didn't read anything into the comment that wasn't there. If you say those people behave the way they do because they are white males, it stands to reason that you imply they would not act this way if they were not white males.
As garbs identified, it was a flippant remark. If I've hurt your feelings, my apologies.
I'll add that I think that, as "gamer" culture is predominantly populated with white males, and if the toxic subculture within the "gamer" community is predominantly white male, it is vitally important and incumbent upon white male "gamers" to get their shit together and erode the bullshit within their community.
It is predominantly white male because the population is predominantly white. Although I will conceded that I have no idea about the inclusivity of say, Japanese or Nigerian gamer communities.
Focusing on the toxic subculture of the video gaming community as we see it in the Western world, we see a predominantly white male community that is complaining about the growing influence of women and minorities. Where have I seen that before?
Yeah, white male gamers reflect the wider white Male culture.
Quote from: crazy canuck on July 08, 2020, 03:45:21 PM
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 08, 2020, 03:41:54 PM
Quote from: Tamas on July 08, 2020, 01:27:27 PM
Quote from: FunkMonk on July 08, 2020, 08:58:19 AM
Quote from: Tamas on July 08, 2020, 06:20:50 AM
Apologies to bogh, I guess it was too early when I read the comment.
I didn't read anything into the comment that wasn't there. If you say those people behave the way they do because they are white males, it stands to reason that you imply they would not act this way if they were not white males.
As garbs identified, it was a flippant remark. If I've hurt your feelings, my apologies.
I'll add that I think that, as "gamer" culture is predominantly populated with white males, and if the toxic subculture within the "gamer" community is predominantly white male, it is vitally important and incumbent upon white male "gamers" to get their shit together and erode the bullshit within their community.
It is predominantly white male because the population is predominantly white. Although I will conceded that I have no idea about the inclusivity of say, Japanese or Nigerian gamer communities.
Focusing on the toxic subculture of the video gaming community as we see it in the Western world, we see a predominantly white male community that is complaining about the growing influence of women and minorities. Where have I seen that before?
Yeah, white male gamers reflect the wider white Male culture.
Could you help me out and highlight some of the key differences between white male culture and other male cultures that make white male culture such a distinct easily identifiable source of misogyny?
About 400 years or so of thinking they are the superior "race"
Quote from: crazy canuck on July 08, 2020, 06:32:24 PM
About 400 years or so of thinking they are the superior "race"
So the Chinese are "white" now?
Oh. You said 400 years, not 4000 years. My apologies.
Quote from: garbon on July 08, 2020, 06:02:07 AM
This seems like a strange point to make given that per the press releases and the video that Syt linked, there is a lot of "everyday" misogyny that has been occurring from gamers/game makers outside the internet.
how many black gamers in a position of authority are there?
how many women leading a team?
Quote from: garbon on July 08, 2020, 02:25:21 PM
Quick check suggest about 45% of gamers are women.
This is a gaming board. How many women are there with us?
There ain't that many, they tend to be younger, and they tend to be discrete (for unfortunately obvious reasons).
Give it time, they'll code as much as men, they lead teams, they'll lead companies.
The racist slurs, I believe we heard a few coming out of Hollywood. Is the cinematic industry a toxic industry?
V, I think you missed my point.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-21/ubisoft-sexual-misconduct-scandal-harassment-sexism-and-abuse?srnd=businessweek-v2
QuoteUbisoft Family Accused of Mishandling Sexual Misconduct Claims
A scandal at the family-run video game company has disrupted the Guillemots' inner circle and incited calls for more drastic changes.
By Jason Schreier
Five brothers started Ubisoft Entertainment SA in 1986 and since then the video game company has survived seven generations of game consoles, four recessions, a hostile takeover bid from France's largest media conglomerate, and a global pandemic. Ubisoft is one of the world's largest game publishers, the maker of blockbuster series such as Assassin's Creed and Far Cry, and the Guillemot family still maintains effective control. Now they face a new crisis: allegations of widespread sexual misconduct at the company. The situation has shaken up the founders' inner circle and raised major concerns about how the business was managed for well over a decade.
More than a dozen people made public claims of sexual harassment and abuse against employees of Ubisoft over the past few weeks. The outpouring is part of a broader #MeToo movement taking hold in the game industry, and the Paris-based company has been the most frequent target of allegations. Interviews with more than three dozen current or former Ubisoft employees indicate that these claims, and many others that haven't previously come to light, had been gathering dust in company logs for years. In some instances, Ubisoft took action, but for the most part, complaints were ignored, mishandled, or undermined, employees say.
The accusations filed to Ubisoft's human resources department range from subtle forms of sexism to sexual assault, according to two people with access to the reports. In interviews with Bloomberg Businessweek, many employees detailed an atmosphere that was hostile toward women, often describing the Paris headquarters as a frat house. Staff openly made misogynist or racist comments across the publisher's various offices, and senior executives took part and escalated the misconduct in the form of inappropriate touching or other sexual advances, current and former employees say. On one occasion before this summer, when Ubisoft sided with an alleged victim, the company removed the woman's boss and rewarded the woman with a gift card, she says.
A spokesperson for Ubisoft declined to comment or arrange interviews for this story. Chief Executive Officer Yves Guillemot has promised extensive changes and has taken steps that many staff once saw as unlikely. Those include the ousters of Serge Hascoët, chief creative officer and a close friend of Guillemot's for decades, and the heads of HR and the Canadian studios. The former executives didn't respond to multiple requests for comment.
"Ubisoft has fallen short in its obligation to guarantee a safe and inclusive workplace environment for its employees," Guillemot said in a statement on July 12 in Paris announcing the executive departures. "This is unacceptable, as toxic behaviors are in direct contrast to values on which I have never compromised—and never will. I am committed to implementing profound changes across the company to improve and strengthen our workplace culture."
Guillemot, the middle of the five brothers, has been CEO since 1988; together, the siblings hold 21% of the company's stock and five seats on the board. The brothers speak weekly and hold regular get-togethers on their yacht, according to a 2016 article on the French newswire AFP. The image of Ubisoft as a family business was a source of inspiration for many employees over the years. But others say the dynamic facilitated a culture in which longtime staff, especially Hascoët and his team, were given agency to misbehave. "There are golden children," says Cindy Fitzpatrick, who worked in Ubisoft's public-relations department from 2005 to 2009. "No matter what they do, they seem untouchable."
Several employees say they were pleasantly surprised, even shocked, by the company's swift response to allegations once they were made public in recent weeks. Hascoët was long seen as a permanent fixture of the company, they say, despite allegations that he demeaned female subordinates and surrounded himself with men accused of predatory behavior. Many other employees expressed doubts that a company run by the same men who presided over a toxic environment could deliver the type of systemic changes needed to ensure the safety of female workers, who are outnumbered about 4 to 1 by men at Ubisoft.
"The culture there is really hard as a woman," says Ellen Lee, who worked in marketing and promotions at Ubisoft's San Francisco office for seven years. "If you weren't part of the boys' club, you were just working hard on the outskirts."
The Guillemot brothers got their first tutorial on business from their parents. The elder Guillemots operated an agriculture business in Carentoir, France, which sold chemicals, equipment parts, and, eventually, computers. Amid the economic recession of the early 1980s, business was on the decline. So, with their parents' permission, the children began selling computer games at the shop to farmers looking to put their new machines to use.
In 1988, the year Yves Guillemot was named CEO of Ubisoft, the company hired Hascoët. He started as a video game tester, a job he got by applying to a newspaper ad, according to a 2017 article in the French publication Le Monde. Hascoët later helped create Ubisoft's editorial department, which supervises every game the company puts out. As head of creative, he oversaw the development of blockbuster franchises including Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Watch Dogs.
Hascoët was treated almost like a member of the family. He was given ultimate authority to cancel, greenlight, or overhaul any game to his specifications. Project reviews would take place at a type of meeting known within Ubisoft as "gates," and Hascoët was usually the gatekeeper.
Developers routinely swapped stories of their interactions with Hascoët, who they often portrayed as eccentric or sometimes with less charitable descriptions, according to seven current or former employees. During presentations he would bang his head against the table, a sign that he was bored or unhappy. He was infamous for what colleagues described as growling, a sort of guttural noise he would direct at people in meetings or while passing in the hallway.
Three women who worked at Ubisoft say they'd been warned not to go out drinking with Hascoët and his crew. He sometimes held business meetings at strip clubs, a habit that his deputies began to adopt, say the employees, who asked not to be identified because they are either still employed by Ubisoft or worried about retribution. The women elected not to attend those outings and said their careers suffered as a result. They were frustrated to watch Hascoët promote many of his strip club buddies to creative directors, a group composed almost entirely of men.
Allegations that Hascoët behaved inappropriately around women extended to the office as well. In a meeting at Ubisoft's headquarters in Paris, one of the top creative leads on a big game was presenting to Hascoët and other decision-makers at the company. When the lead, a woman, left the room to use the bathroom, Hascoët pulled up a YouTube video, according to two people present at the meeting. He played a French song describing sexually explicit acts with a woman who has the same name as the presenter. He hit pause when the employee walked back into the room, say the two people, who requested that the woman's name not be printed. As was common in high-level meetings at Ubisoft, there were no other women present.
Hascoët's reputation had been well-known around the company for years, say 10 people who worked there over a period spanning more than a decade. On July 10 the French newspaper Libération reported that Hascoët had allegedly made sexually explicit comments to staff, pushed subordinates to drink excessively, and gave colleagues cakes containing marijuana without their knowledge.
Because Hascoët appeared to be immune to HR complaints, employees say they were forced to either find a way to work with him or seek employment elsewhere.
Allegations of harassment and sexism extended far beyond Hascoët and his subordinates. In 2015 a group of staff in Sofia, Bulgaria, were watching a trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens featuring the actor John Boyega, who's Black. According to Fey Vercuiel, a former designer on the team: "People just collectively went, 'Hey, look, it's a monkey.'" In San Francisco, Dawn Le was instructed by her manager to smile more and was later told she would be fired from her job as a purchasing specialist if her attitude didn't improve, she says. Each woman reported the incidents to HR, and their claims were dismissed without action. "You complain about something, it just gets swept under the rug," Vercuiel says.
Nina Stewart was working at Ubisoft's customer service center in Morrisville, N.C., last year when, she says, her manager started making strange comments to her. He would detail other women's bodies in explicit ways and make derogatory comments about hers, she says. "He'd make sexist and fatphobic remarks about me to my whole team," Stewart says. "Every time he'd say something disgusting, I'd tell him that was inappropriate. I'd say, 'That makes me uncomfortable.'"
Stewart went to Ubisoft HR twice about her manager, and both times she was told to "talk it out" with him, she says. It was only after her third visit, she says, when a male co-worker corroborated her claims, that the company removed her boss. "I received a thank-you card from HR," Stewart says. Attached to the note was a $200 Visa gift card, she says. Stewart, who's left the company, calls it a "trash employer."
The Toronto office was especially problematic, six current or former employees there say. The studio was run by Maxime Béland, his wife, Rima Brek, and another husband-and-wife management team. Brek served for a time as interim director of HR, the people there say. Two women who reported incidents to Brek and other HR representatives in Toronto say they felt ostracized afterward and were labeled as troublemakers. Brek didn't respond to requests for comment.
Béland was a trusted lieutenant of the creative chief. He was also known for his quick temper and a tendency to scream at subordinates during meetings, say four people who worked in the office. Two of those people say they saw Béland touch women inappropriately at holiday parties and other work events. Béland was also accused of choking an employee at a party, according to the video game website Kotaku. The choking story was regularly shared among staff in Toronto, say the people who worked there, as a warning about the executive. Béland didn't respond to multiple requests for comment.
Back in Paris, another one of Hascoët's men had developed a problematic reputation. Tommy François, a 13-year veteran of Ubisoft, openly flirted with subordinates, made homophobic jokes, and performed unwanted massages, say 10 people who witnessed or were the subjects of his alleged abuses. François didn't respond to requests for comment. Newcomers to the company were told it was "Tommy being Tommy," the people say.
A woman who worked at headquarters says she faced repeated harassment there. Colleagues sent her sexually explicit messages, including pornographic videos, she says. François, who was several levels above her on the organizational chart, asked her out for a drink four or five times, and she refused each invitation, she says. The woman, who asked not to be identified over concerns that speaking publicly would damage her career, says she reported all of the incidents to HR and nothing happened. Later she was told she would have to move to an Ubisoft studio in a different country. She did, and says she was frequently told there "you can't be a producer—you're a woman." Less than a year after relocating, she quit.
Current and former employees say Hascoët enabled bad behavior by fashioning the editorial quarters into a sort of frat like the one in Animal House. People who worked in the department describe pornographic videos on computers, boozy lunches, and a chorus of inappropriate jokes. Five workers say they reported François to HR at various points over the past decade, some of them multiple times, for incidents including sexual propositions and genital grabbing. One former Ubisoft employee says they wrote an email to the CEO some years ago about problems with François. Not long after, François was promoted.
The machismo of Ubisoft's offices seeps into the company's games, current and former employees say. Ubisoft's biggest franchise is Assassin's Creed, a series of open-world action-adventure games in which players explore historic settings and sneak around killing people. Most games in the series star male protagonists. This has been a point of contention as far back as 2014, when an Ubisoft creative director said Assassin's Creed Unity wouldn't let people play online as female characters because "it was really a lot of extra production work" to add women's clothing and animations to the game.
For the next game, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, an early outline of the script gave equal screen time to the twin protagonists, Jacob and Evie, according to three people who worked on the project. In the end, Jacob dominated the game. Assassin's Creed Origins, released in 2017, was originally going to injure or kill off its male hero, Bayek, early in the story and give the player control of his wife, Aya, according to two people who worked on it. But Aya's role gradually shrank over the course of development and Bayek became the leading figure.
Development of 2018's Assassin's Creed Odyssey went much the same way. The game tells the story of siblings Kassandra and Alexios. The team originally proposed making the sister the only playable character, according to four people who worked on the game, until they were told that wasn't an option. The final product gives players a choice between the two characters.
Current and former Ubisoft employees say these changes, which haven't been previously reported, are illustrative of the sexism ingrained within the company. All of the directives came from Ubisoft's marketing department or from Hascoët, both of whom suggested female protagonists wouldn't sell, the developers say. This false perception has been commonly held in the video game industry for decades. It ignores hits such as the Tomb Raider series or Sony Corp.'s Horizon Zero Dawn, which sold more than 10 million copies.
Developers say they were compelled to make big compromises to avoid changes from Hascoët that might be detrimental to their project or result in outright cancellation. For example, Hascoët openly expressed disdain for linear storytelling and cut scenes, the interstitial videos that exist between gameplay to advance the narrative. The writers had to find ways to keep his attention, and often that involved installing a strong male lead, the employees say.
By 2019, though, there were signs Hascoët was losing his creative magic. Ubisoft released two big flops: The Division 2, an online game that failed to meet sales expectations despite critical acclaim, and Ghost Recon Breakpoint, a tactical shooter that was widely panned. Ubisoft had developed a reputation, in large part because of Hascoët, for releasing games with similar tropes: large, open-world environments giving the player a list of tasks to accomplish and checkpoints to clear. By the end of last year, Ubisoft's stock declined more than 40% from its high a year earlier.
As a result of these failures, the company overhauled the editorial department, elevating seven vice presidents reporting to Hascoët. The goal was to distribute Hascoët's power and diversify the games, employees say. All seven vice presidents were men. Béland and François were among those promoted, despite a history of misconduct complaints.
The #MeToo movement didn't sweep through the video game business the way it did in adjacent industries of media and technology. It came in fits and starts over the past few years, perhaps impeded by the legacy of Gamergate and a pervasive hostility toward women. But it had a big moment this summer, when dozens of women shared stories on Twitter and in Medium posts of harassment and sexual assault at the hands of game developers and video streaming personalities.
Béland and François were among the first men named on Twitter. Ubisoft moved quickly in late June to place the executives on administrative leave, along with several other employees publicly accused of wrongdoing. Béland has since left the company, according to Ubisoft. François's employment status is unclear.
In emails to staff, Yves Guillemot promised big changes. He said the company would hire a consulting firm to audit and revise HR policies. "As we collectively embark on a path leading to a better Ubisoft, it is my expectation that leaders across the company manage their teams with the utmost respect," he said in a statement. "I also expect them to work to drive the change we need, always thinking of what is best for Ubisoft and all its employees."
A former member of Ubisoft's HR team, who asked not to be identified because of concerns about legal repercussions, says management held a general distrust of victims, which hindered the department's ability to properly respond to complaints. In recent weeks, Ubisoft employees have submitted complaints detailing repeated inappropriate jokes from colleagues, unwanted sexual propositions, groping at parties, and sexual assault, according to two people who've seen the reports. Some employees say they originally filed some of these allegations years ago.
On July 12, Ubisoft announced the departures of Hascoët, creative chief; Cécile Cornet, global head of HR; and Yannis Mallat, managing director of Ubisoft's Canadian studios. "The recent allegations that have come to light in Canada against multiple employees make it impossible for him to continue in this position," the company said in a statement about Mallat. Ubisoft remains a family business, though. The company replaced Mallat last week with Christophe Derennes, another veteran employee. Derennes is the Guillemots' cousin, according to three employees.
Kim Belair, a veteran narrative designer who's worked for Ubisoft and other game companies, calls the family-run company "a specifically difficult example" of cultural issues because so many of the people at the top are so close. "The entire mindset of the company has to change," Belair says. "These bad actors were allowed to exist in this system. We have to reevaluate this system. We have to look at why this culture exists."
One of Hascoët's favorite buzzwords, according to those who worked with him, is systemic. In industry parlance, it describes a part of the gameplay with which the player can interact and experiment. Hascoët would frequently tell developers to strive for experiences that were systemic, employees say. The irony isn't lost on current staff, who agreed to discuss issues of sexual misconduct under the condition of anonymity. As one employee puts it: "At least we did succeed in being systemic somewhere."
Two related tweets from ex-employees:
https://twitter.com/disco_jill/status/1285590827830517761?s=20
QuoteJill Murray
@disco_jill
·
3h
The gentleman from editorial said "the protagonist must be a STRAIGHT WHITE ALPHA MALE" and underlined it in red marker, stamping a foot, for emphasis. I was demoted over this issue, and quit. I trust this cannot be interpreted as "disparaging" since the studio was proud of it.
https://twitter.com/mariejasmin_/status/1285565180097761281?s=20
QuoteMarie Jasmin à la maison | BLM
@mariejasmin_
I was in the Montréal studio on AC 2 to 10 (origins) and Ubi execs said "women don't sell" EVERY SINGLE TIME.
I am in awe of the Ubi Québec staff who fought teeth and claws to get Evie, and later Kassandra, to even exist.Heart suit
Know that, before them, many battles were lost.
I thought Ubisoft was Canadian. I tend to avoid their games if possible.
Jim Sterling had a video on Ubisoft recently: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRhYT5Lgp98