- Nintendo has reportedly contacted its American workers with an internal email
- The email, written by Nintendo America president Doug Bowser, slammed Activision Blizzard for the recent controversies
- Nintendo also appealed to the ESA to make sure its members uphold their workplace ethics
Nintendo has joined the fray by expressing its disagreement with Activision Blizzard’s actions in a recent internal email.
Nintendo Addresses the Blizzard Scandal
Nintendo has also taken a stance on the latest Activision Blizzard controversy in an internal email, according to a report from the gaming media outlet fanbyte. In a similar fashion to Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo expressed strong disagreement with Blizzard’s ethics.
Going into details, the report claims that the internal email was sent to Nintendo staff by the president of the company’s American branch, Doug Bowser, on November 19. Bowser informed the Nintendo employees that the recent Activision Blizzard-related findings are a real cause for concern.
The report quoted Bowser’s email as the president addressed the Nintendo workers:
“Along with all of you, I’ve been following the latest developments with Activision Blizzard and the ongoing reports of sexual harassment and toxicity at the company,” Bowser explained, “I find these accounts distressing and disturbing. They run counter to my values as well as Nintendo’s beliefs, values, and policies.”
Bowser added that creating and maintaining a healthy environment where workers are respected and treated as equals is a must to every company in the industry. He pointed out that Blizzard is an example of what happens when someone fails to uphold those ideals.
The WSJ Report Led to Nintendo Appealing to the ESA
Last week Nintendo contacted the Entertainment Software Association, the trade association of video game developers in the United States. Nintendo urged the body to stand against workplace harassment and the infringement of employees’ rights.
The whole drama revolves around Blizzard’s lawsuit by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. The video game company was found out to harbor a distressing “frat-boy” workplace culture that tolerates the mistreatment of the company’s female employees.
Blizzard tied its best to mitigate the damage and maintain its image. The company was quick to impose strict workplace rules and lay off workers who refuse to comply with them. Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard’s chief executive officer, was at the front of that battle. He had even accused some of his colleagues of being tone-deaf in their response to the ongoing events.
However, a recent Wall Street Journal report alleged that Kotick knew about the mistreatment of female workers all along. This made his apparent goodwill seem hypocritical and a way of covering up the company’s internal issues. Employees rose in protest and many competitor companies expressed their shock from the reveal.
The situation continues to unfold.
