Nintendo president joins Sony and Xbox in criticizing Activision Blizzard

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Shortly after last week’s Wall Street Journal report that Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick shielded the company’s attackers from repercussions as well as abused women himself, the heads of PlayStation and Xbox have mobilized to criticize the publisher and its lack of responses to the allegations. Following internal emails from Jim Ryan and Phil Spencer to their respective companies, Fanbyte reports that Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser also sent an internal email on Friday, November 19 saying he finds the reports ” distressing and disturbing ”.

Bowser’s email was reportedly sent to all employees at all levels of Nintendo of America, including internal development studios. Bowser says he has “been following the latest developments with Activision Blizzard and ongoing reports of sexual harassment and toxicity in the company.” In addition to calling the reports “explosive and disturbing,” he says they “went against my values ​​and against Nintendo’s beliefs, values ​​and policies.” Bowser expects the gaming industry and all Nintendo partners to maintain a high standard of an open and inclusive workplace.

Additionally, Bowser claims Nintendo has been “in contact with Activision” and says they have “taken action and are evaluating others.” Fanbyte notes that the email does not offer any details on actions that have been taken or are being considered. Bowser’s email also mentions working with E3 organizers, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), to “strengthen positions on harassment and abuse in the workplace.” Activision Blizzard and Nintendo are both members of ESA, along with a number of other top publishers, and Bowser says they “need to keep their members at the highest level.”

A report released over the weekend said that Kotick was considering resigning if the change in Activision Blizzard’s culture did not happen quickly enough, though that report smacks of irony given that so many requests to correct the culture start anyway with the removal of Kotick. As of now, the Activision Blizzard board has officially taken a stand in supporting Kotick’s continued leadership despite the reports.

[Source: Fanbyte]

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