Kotaku - Allegations Of Sexism, Bullying, And Burnout: Inside The Microsoft Studio Behind State Of Decay 3

[Failwood]

@CryOn

Just ignore the cult. I didn’t visit this website since Xboxera was created.

Yeah, sorry for my initial post. I just got rather heated, and I regret posting it.

[Sparda3g]

@Daniel

I’m starting to think maybe this coincides with Phil becoming Head of Microsoft gaming, got access to all the company’s full resources.

The division is no longer a side project or even a normal size one. It’s a real deal and Satya is going to go all in on it. Imagine if it was still the same as before. There’s no way they can track all of these studios without any moment of break.

[Mort]

@Failwood

Yeah, sorry for my initial post. I just got rather heated, and I regret posting it.

Heh, I feel you. I don’t even lurk over there anymore, it’s like watching Russa Today, Fox News or reading Scientology pamphlets… just don’t.

[Knottian (Daniel)]

@BRiT

Possibly, but then you have to worry about feeling ‘too corporate’ if it’s strictly 1 huge department or having HR feel too withdrawn, you definitely need boots on the ground and at every location. Like everything in life, it’s a difficult thing to balance. It’s impossible to even please all of the people some of the time and you can forget about actually pleasing all the people all of the time.

The other problem is that this leads to redundancies (aka people being fired) and one of the intents behind limited-integration is to avoid firing people in the acquisition process.

[Knottian (Daniel)]

@CryOn

Just ignore the cult. I didn’t visit this website since Xboxera was created.

[Knottian (Daniel)]

@Mort

Heh, I feel you. I don’t even lurk over there anymore, it’s like watching Russa Today, Fox News or reading Scientology pamphlets… just don’t.

[Thebaconlife]

@DARK-PARADISE

A system that enables some people to have power over others, to be shitty and indecent to the less fortunate, without much consequences, is without a doubt at fault. Stop it with the fantasy of capitalism, it’s an ethical failure on a grand number of levels.

IDK Im doing pretty good under capitalism and most people I know are. My wife and her friends all came from heavy socialist or communist countries and they would say the same but to each his own.

[TavishHill]

Just skimming the article, but it sounds like this is conflating sexist employees (which is something that will be found at all moderately large companies no matter what) with Strain’s leadership being questioned (which is legitimate but he also explains that himself in detail). It seems to connect those two things as if to suggest leadership like Jeff were ok or tolerant of some employees being sexist assholes.

I’d say it seems like a Schreier article except this author got more sources than Jason normally does, heh.

[Shakez]

@Mort

Creative freedom is not the same as independent.

This. They can keep their hands on studios without touching the creative process.

They need to touch on how the leadership is treating their collaborators, how the studio is progressing in terms of tech and general support for the game.

[MasterChief]

My comments on the situation is that it’s awful that it happened and that maybe Microsoft needs to be a bit more hands on without touching the creative process, they don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

@CryOn

Just ignore the cult. I didn’t visit this website since Xboxera was created.

I took a peak at the thread over there (fuuuck me) and it gave me a headache because clearly many of the posters there didn’t read the article and are just trolling and are console warriors and they’re so easy to spot but for some reason never get a temporary ban, why a ban I say? Because that site is supposedly a serious site where none of that is tolerated but it is clearly bullshit, saw people bring up Rare, TI and ABK, like wtf, different situations in all of them, what a cesspool, I only visit that place once in a while because actual insiders go there and the Xbox OT is fun to read and that’s all but other than that it’s no different than most other forums when it comes to console warring, it just likes to pretend it’s not.

I’ve seen people posting there for years who have been console warring since the site was created and it always surprises me…

[BigMacTonight]

@MasterChief

I took a peak at the thread over there (fuuuck me) and it gave me a headache because clearly many of the posters there didn’t read the article and are just trolling and are console warriors and they’re so easy to spot but for some reason never get a temporary ban, why a ban I say? Because that site is supposedly a serious site where none of that is tolerated but it is clearly bullshit, saw people bring up Rare, TI and ABK, like wtf, different situations in all of them, what a cesspool, I only visit that place once in a while because actual insiders go there and the Xbox OT is fun to read and that’s all but other than that it’s no different than most other forums when it comes to console warring.

i havent visited that page since 2020, last time i went on there was by mistake when after a long day i accidentally typed resetera instead of xboxera, but what you say sounds about what Id expect

I still remember when one of the creative leads left halo infinite and the shitshow that was

[Staffy]

It’s a shame to read this, it just shows what a mess it can be in the game industry.

One thing seems for sure, it’s gonna be one HELL of a job to clean house when ActiBlizz is 100% owned by Microsoft.

I can’t help but also wonder how this game will eventually turn out.

[AllianceOfficer]

The irony of Kotaku writing about this

[Sparda3g]

@Staffy

It’s a shame to read this, it just shows what a mess it can be in the game industry.

One thing seems for sure, it’s gonna be one HELL of a job to clean house when ActiBlizz is 100% owned by Microsoft.

I can’t help but also wonder how this game will eventually turn out.

The game will be fine. Quality will speak on the talent rather than dilemma if that make any sense.

[Thebaconlife]

@Staffy

It’s a shame to read this, it just shows what a mess it can be in the game industry.

One thing seems for sure, it’s gonna be one HELL of a job to clean house when ActiBlizz is 100% owned by Microsoft.

I can’t help but also wonder how this game will eventually turn out.

Im not trying to sound negative hear but if microsoft can’t stop this kind of stuff from happening at 343, undead labs and who knows where else in its own studios how are they gonna fix it at blizzard? You cant just fire people and expect to have the issue fixed. They can’t be hands off with them.

[CallMeCraig]

Awful stuff there. Nobody needs this shit at the workplace. At least they report that its improving now. Xbox involvment seems late, they should review their process here. Microsoft likes data, maybe do and track anonymous employee surveys more often.

[BRiT]

@Thebaconlife

how are they gonna fix it at blizzard?

Start with showing Bobby the door…

[BRiT]

@MasterChief

I took a peak at the thread over there

So how’s the thread about the most recent claims against Sony? I bet it’s crickets or locked or deleted.

[Failwood]

@Shakez

This. They can keep their hands on studios without touching the creative process.

They need to touch on how the leadership is treating their collaborators, how the studio is progressing in terms of tech and general support for the game.

I mean, we know there are internal deadlines set by Microsoft and that Microsoft is making studios use new tech. It really seems people are falling hook line and sinker for the narrative created by the VCG article, because since then everyone seems to be complaining that Microsoft is too hands-off and needs to reel their studios in.

[Staffy]

@Thebaconlife

Im not trying to sound negative hear but if microsoft can’t stop this kind of stuff from happening at 343, undead labs and who knows where else in its own studios how are they gonna fix it at blizzard? You cant just fire people and expect to have the issue fixed. They can’t be hands off with them.

I get you. It’s definitely not going to be easy. I also agree about 343 with you. We have no idea what the situation is there right now, can only hope they right that ship for future endeavours. Same with UL.

Hands off can’t be their approach for ABK because then nothing is going to change at all. Bobby is a goner, but what about other rotten apples?