PlayStation CEO criticizes Activision Blizzard's response to Kotick report

[Daniel Sims]

What just happened? Earlier this week, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan revealed his dissatisfaction with Activision Blizzard's response to recent reports about its CEO Bobby Kotick. Ryan's views could be another significant issue for Activision because of its longtime relationship with PlayStation concerning its games, chiefly the Call of Duty series.

In an email to PlayStation employees reviewed by Bloomberg, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan said he was "disheartened and frankly stunned to read" what was in the Wall Street Journal's report earlier this week. Ryan reached out to Activision Blizzard, expressing his disappointment in how the company is currently defending Kotick.

For months now, Activision Blizzard has been caught up in a lawsuit and a series of investigations regarding its alleged "frat boy" culture, which allowed sexual harassment and discrimination against female employees. Many high-level members of Blizzard Entertainment left the company as a result.

This week the Wall Street Journal published an extensive report alleging that Kotick knew about sexual harassment and even rape allegations at Activision Blizzard for years and failed to inform the company about them.

Since then, groups of employees and an activist wing of shareholders have called on Kotick to resign. However, Activision Blizzard has so far stood by him. It released a statement to WSJ calling the report's depiction of Kotick "misleading," which drew Ryan's attention.

"We outreached to Activision immediately after the article was published to express our deep concern and to ask how they plan to address the claims made in the article," Ryan wrote in the email. "We do not believe their statements of response properly address the situation."

PlayStation is one of Activision Blizzard's most important partners. Not only is it one of the leading platforms on which it releases its games, but it also has several deals involving the massive Call of Duty franchise. For years now, PlayStation has paid Activision to get exclusive marketing rights to COD games and exclusive access to certain in-game content. Ryan's views on the situation could put a damper on future deals.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/92275-playstation-ceo-criticizes-activision-blizzard-response-kotick-report.html

 

[Dimitriid]

We'll see if he sings the same tune when (That's right, when: no doubt in my mind) the allegations and case of sexual harassment in Sony come up and it comes up he also knew and also buried it.

Because come on guys: you expect me to believe a Japanese based company is somehow going to be *less* of a toxic environment?

 

[psycros]

In other words, fire the guy regardless of the truth because analysts only care about the court of public opinion. Mob capitalism at its finest.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

I wonder how many of the allegations are actually legit though, nowadays simply being a man is enough to get accused by the woke mob.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Activision should simply respond with "Accusations are not convictions, anecdotes are not proof, and sony should stay in their lane if they wish for our best selling games to continue releasing on their system".

These type of "discrimination" suits are constantly being filed for the most inane ****, and 99% of them are nothing burgers with 0 evidence.

 

[AMN3S1AC]

Both should stand by their convictions - If Sony believes Activision to be a morally bankrupt company, then stop doing business with them...or shut the hell up and keep profiting from having their games on your system.

If Jim Ryan truly believes Activision are protecting a rapist and abuser, then how can he, in good conscience, continue doing business with them.

I'm not saying I agree with Ryan, and his distaste for how Activision is conducting themselves is somewhat hypocritical when he takes no meaningful action against them.

 

[Mr Majestyk]

Both should stand by their convictions - If Sony believes Activision to be a morally bankrupt company, then stop doing business with them...or shut the hell up and keep profiting from having their games on your system.

If Jim Ryan truly believes Activision are protecting a rapist and abuser, then how can he, in good conscience, continue doing business with them.

I'm not saying I agree with Ryan, and his distaste for how Activision is conducting themselves is somewhat hypocritical when he takes no meaningful action against them.

Ryan is not the board. The article only just came out. Any decision cannot be made by him unilaterally. You think these things happen overnight?

 

[AMN3S1AC]

Ryan is not the board. The article only just came out. Any decision cannot be made by him unilaterally. You think these things happen overnight?

He should put his money where his mouth is.

 

[Dimitrios]

I hope it doesn't get sweep under the carpet like Governor Cuomo.

 

[Puiu]

We'll see if he sings the same tune when (That's right, when: no doubt in my mind) the allegations and case of sexual harassment in Sony come up and it comes up he also knew and also buried it.

Because come on guys: you expect me to believe a Japanese based company is somehow going to be *less* of a toxic environment?

Toxic as in long work hours? Yes, they definitely are guilty. Japanese work culture is definitely not "amazing". They do have problems like pay discrimination, career advancement discrimination, etc, but I don't think that they're more toxic when it comes to sexual harassment.

 

[Nobina]

Both should stand by their convictions - If Sony believes Activision to be a morally bankrupt company, then stop doing business with them...or shut the hell up and keep profiting from having their games on your system.

If Jim Ryan truly believes Activision are protecting a rapist and abuser, then how can he, in good conscience, continue doing business with them.

I'm not saying I agree with Ryan, and his distaste for how Activision is conducting themselves is somewhat hypocritical when he takes no meaningful action against them.

Giant corporations don't care about morality. To think that is insane at this point.

 

[AMN3S1AC]

Giant corporations don't care about morality. To think that is insane at this point.

exactly, so Ryan should shut his mouth.

 

[pencea]

Jim Ryan has been nothing but bad for Sony Playstation's division ever since he became CEO. The statements and questionable decisions he's made are stupid to say the least.