Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Guild Wars 2 - Bill Murphy - ArenaNet and the Wisdom of Not Doing Anything - MMORPG.com

1121315171821

Comments

  • aRtFuLThinGaRtFuLThinG Member UncommonPosts: 1,387
    celtwulf said:
    Below is a great vid from Liana K a youtube content creator, speaking about what they feel happened. It is a great neutral stance on the situation & I have to say I agree with pretty much 100% of what she says. It is a 34min vid but was a good watch. The reason I post it here because some of it is what Bill was trying to say & some of it is what the replies were trying to say. Or at least I think. Enjoy


    What she said is what I thought also - it is more of less an artist throwing an artsy fit over people commenting on their creations.

    It is more of an artist's temperament problem more than anything else.
    YashaX
  • AhnogAhnog Member UncommonPosts: 240
    edited July 2018
    I would be writing the same article, yes.
    I don't believe you.

    I appreciate this is an opinion piece, but even if I thought your article was objective, take out the identity politics angle and there's little to no controversy here. Or in other words, no clicks, no views, no revenue.

    "...the entire gaming world is talking about what a horrible thing it is for a company’s president to have fired an employee over Twitter conversations with players."

    Citation? The bulk of what I've seen (on Twitter, Reddit, ArenaNet, and yes, even this very article's comment section) has been overwhelmingly critical of Price, if not outright in favor of her dismissal. The only people I've seen to be consistently sympathetic have been journalists (such as Kotaku, Polygon, and now MMORPG.com).

    Worse still, (and hopefully no reflection on you, Bill) Forbes recently published a hit piece on TotalBiscuit. Pardon my tin foil hattery for a moment, but I'm finding it hard to believe that's just a coincidence.

    "I don’t know what she goes through day in, day out, just to be a part of this industry."

    I don't know what Donald Trump goes through day in, day out either. Should we just give him a pass too?

    "And it is her personal Twitter, so she should be allowed to say what she feels in that space."

    You might find this quite surprising, but I agree with you. Not because I found Price's behavior anything less than repugnant (I didn't), but because I believe in free expression. That said, I'm constantly reminded "freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequence" so you know, take that as you will.

    "She’s not wrong in her replies..."

    She went out of her way to humiliate someone who was nothing less than respectful, then compounded that with, at best, an indirect accusation of prejudice and sexism. What part of that don't you think is wrong?

    "But firing her, without knowing anything else about how or who she was at work..."

    Again, citation? You don't know what Price goes through day in, day out... but you're confident what O’Brien knew?

    "I’ve spoken with several former employees of ArenaNet and they’ve all told me the same thing: MO is not the hero Guild Wars fans make him out to be."

    You spoke with several ex-employees who were less than flattering of their former boss? Say it isn't so!

    "There’s a reason that MO’s the only founder left."

    And that reason is...? Or was this just a cute way to imply something sinister without risk of defamation?

    "Jessica Price lost a job she obviously cared about."

    You really think her behavior was (obviously) consistent with someone who cares about her job?

    "Peter Fries, a 13-year employee got caught in the crossfire too."

    Yet nearly every article I've seen has been far more sympathetic to Price. Imagine that. It's almost as if accusations of sexism and impropriety garner more clicks.

    "The rest of ArenaNet is left feeling like the spotlight is shining on them, arguably now worried about what they might say to get themselves sacked."

    Really now? Is your contention they're all children or sociopaths? The whole of AreaNet is incapable of discerning what Price did that cost her employment?(/quote)










    Ahnog:Freedom of speech is freedom from government limiting speech. Employers can certainly monitor and punish employees for speech they deem inappropriate. To put it another way, she had the freedom to say what she said, but the employer also has the freedom to fire her for it. 

    VesaviusPhryTacticalZombeh

    Ahnog

    Hokey religions are no replacement for a good blaster at your side.

  • FlyByKnightFlyByKnight Member EpicPosts: 3,967
    Xasapis said:
    This debate really doesn't really need to go any further. It was pretty clean cut. There's no mud or grey area. I really don't get what the drawn out back and forth is for.
    Debate about Jessica Price or Mike O'Brien?

    I don't think there is any debate about Price really. Objectively her actions led to the outcome we already know.

    About Mike O'Brien? On it's own it could potential be newsworthy. Tied to the Price incident, it looks like a case of gaslighting.
    Yeah, IDGAF about Mike O'Brien he wasn't the hot topic. If MMORPG wants to do some investigative journalism after the original situation closes out so be it. The approach was already tainted and it was done by a head editor and yes it looks like gaslighting regardless of the motives though.

    It's like when a world leader or his immediate staff are getting caught dead to rights using institution to do nefarious things I don't want to hear about how somebody else they don't like allegedly got away with something else. It should have been handled before the seat got hot. Current affairs first.
    MazingerZ
    "As far as the forum code of conduct, I would think it's a bit outdated and in need of a refre *CLOSED*" 

    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  • FlyByKnightFlyByKnight Member EpicPosts: 3,967

    Freedom of speech is freedom from government limiting speech. Employers can certainly monitor and punish employees for speech they deem inappropriate. To put it another way, she had the freedom to say what she said, but the employer also has the freedom to fire her for it. 

    GhavriggPhryMazingerZTacticalZombeh
    "As far as the forum code of conduct, I would think it's a bit outdated and in need of a refre *CLOSED*" 

    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  • VesaviusVesavius Member RarePosts: 7,908
    I guess I needed to make it clearer that JP is just a small piece to this puzzle. 

    You see, that's the thing. There is no 'puzzle'. It just seems like you are attempting to thow chaff into the air to distract from a very simple situation.


    hanshotfirstBaitnessMazingerZTacticalZombehvorrin5YashaXGaendric
  • RenoakuRenoaku Member EpicPosts: 3,157
    edited July 2018
    Honestly I haven't liked the new Guild Wars 2 game, the Original series was the best, but Guild Wars 2 doesn't feel like a great game at all it's been going in the wrong direction, the cosmetic choices suck, the lack of customization without paying money every time is insane, and over-all game-play really has no purpose or real feeling to it.

    And no I do not feel that Employee should be fired for what they have or post on social media unless they come out and say something hateful that represents the company as a whole within a comment or post, which does not include just having in your profile you work for Arena Net, or another company and such people should legally be allowed to do that unless they sign an agreement that says otherwise or NDA.

    Socialmedia should be protected from people  harassing employee outside of work but people have to fear that they may get fired just because they post a picture of someone holding a firearm on social media hunting, for example a person could lose their job because the owner doesn't like firearms or support it.

    Even being a member of the # NRA for example and wearing a NRA hat in a Facebook post could get you fired I would think, and that is why I think there need to be laws put in place to limit employee from being fired for stuff that happens outside the properly unless it is a violation of the Law.
  • XasapisXasapis Member RarePosts: 6,337
    I don't know how some of you people seem to be surprised that people get fired for posting questionable stuff on social media. Social media is not private space, never was. There was an old saying about things put on paper, it applies tenfold in stuff written on the internet.

    As for whether something should be protected or not, it is largely irrelevant to the situation. It doesn't matter what should happen, it only matters what actually happens. If there was any justice, game journalists would be promoting Frey's case equally if not stronger than Price's. But they don't. They should have, but they don't.

    This whole case is like watching the gaming media trying to defend the perpetrator of a domestic violence incident, while victim shaming the target of her attack. That's why it leaves such a bad taste in everyone's mouth. Tribe association trampled integrity and justice.
    Gobstopper3DMazingerZTacticalZombeh
  • lahnmirlahnmir Member LegendaryPosts: 5,041
    I think the worst part of it all is that the industry has now "learned" that hiring female staff could potentially raise more issues then hiring male staff. Positive discrimination is also discrimination and just as damaging.

    Some companies will think twice about hiring a woman now, some might be incouraged to hire more women. Whatever the outcome, it is NOT supporting equality of the sexes. The problem also is that Price doesn't want equal rights at all, she wants to be the alpha male (ha! irony) and topdog, snarking down to those below. Can you imagine a male talking down to a female as publicly as she did and think it would be ok? Honestly? He would be hunted and chastised. 

    /Cheers,
    Lahnmir
    Gobstopper3DDakeruMazingerZSBFordYashaX
    'the only way he could nail it any better is if he used a cross.'

    Kyleran on yours sincerely 


    'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'

    Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...



    'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless. 

    It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.

    It is just huge resource waste....'

    Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer

  • hanshotfirsthanshotfirst Member UncommonPosts: 712
    Ahnog said:

    Freedom of speech is freedom from government limiting speech. Employers can certainly monitor and punish employees for speech they deem inappropriate. To put it another way, she had the freedom to say what she said, but the employer also has the freedom to fire her for it. 

    Respectfully, that's not entirely accurate. Freedom of speech is a principle, and at least in the US, regarded as an inalienable right. You're conflating it with the 1st Amendment, which is nothing more than a Constitutional guarantee the government won't infringe on said rights.

    You are correct however that employers are not necessarily beholden to the 1st Amendment. 

    Or to put it another way: private forums/individuals/institutions do not always have to honor or respect your rights. Rather they are afforded the right of free association, and to act in their own self interest.

    In part, this is why the SCOTUS overturned the Colorado same-sex wedding cake case.
  • marksteelemarksteele Member UncommonPosts: 60
    I find it interesting that there's such a backlash due to anet pandering to their fans. I mean, stop and think about it for a bit, their fans are their profit, it they're not happy anet isn't making money. When it comes down to it, developers are a dime a dozen and if the fans aren't happy then they aren't paying. It makes perfect sense to prioritize pacifying their payerbase over their development team.,
  • GaleOmGaleOm Member UncommonPosts: 28
    I have read Bills article and something feels odd there. ANet is company who have, from time to time, invested in this site( through some baners or sponsored articles). So I came to assumption that a) MMORPG.COM stuff is not that bright and try to cut one of investers with some hearsay article( and I think it`s less likely), or b) this article is marketing plot done in colaboration with ANet( and I think it`s more likely because readers that way argue in MO`s behalf and grow sympathy for him).


  • AeanderAeander Member LegendaryPosts: 7,820
    I find it interesting that there's such a backlash due to anet pandering to their fans. I mean, stop and think about it for a bit, their fans are their profit, it they're not happy anet isn't making money. When it comes down to it, developers are a dime a dozen and if the fans aren't happy then they aren't paying. It makes perfect sense to prioritize pacifying their payerbase over their development team.,
    This is the truth. The customers are the people to whom any business is most obligated to favor in a conflict, and there is nothing wrong with that.

    It has become a dirty thing to side with the customer in our industry because of the running narrative that gamers are in some way bad people. We've been dehumanized and reduced to a hivemind of misogynistic trolls because that lie makes us into a compelling scapegoat for complex issues.
    [Deleted User]EponyxDamorYashaXMadFrenchiehanshotfirst
  • FrodoFraginsFrodoFragins Member EpicPosts: 5,898
    This debate really doesn't really need to go any further. It was pretty clean cut. There's no mud or grey area. I really don't get what the drawn out back and forth is for.
    It's because bill has inside info on the last founder and is holding it against him.  But as many have stated, that is not the issue here.  And I'm a bit disappointed that Bill is hinting at things rather than keeping that info to himself.  He's not making any claims and so there's no way to defend against them.
  • PhryPhry Member LegendaryPosts: 11,004
    lahnmir said:
    I think the worst part of it all is that the industry has now "learned" that hiring female staff could potentially raise more issues then hiring male staff. Positive discrimination is also discrimination and just as damaging.

    Some companies will think twice about hiring a woman now, some might be incouraged to hire more women. Whatever the outcome, it is NOT supporting equality of the sexes. The problem also is that Price doesn't want equal rights at all, she wants to be the alpha male (ha! irony) and topdog, snarking down to those below. Can you imagine a male talking down to a female as publicly as she did and think it would be ok? Honestly? He would be hunted and chastised. 

    /Cheers,
    Lahnmir
    Rather than making them reluctant to hire women, i think it might just encourage employers to have a closer look to a potential employees history, Jessica Price had more than a few red flags in hers that should have precluded her employment at Arenanet in the first place.
    Rain_DeathravenEponyxDamorAeanderlahnmirYashaX
  • MosesZDMosesZD Member UncommonPosts: 1,361
    1.  This isn't Price's first rodeo.  She's been fired before because she attacks people.

    2.  This isn't the first Company Price has trashed and lied about.  She does this after every firing/quitting.

    3.  I was there when it happened.  She went off for no reason.   Devs get criticised.   Most of them are men and criticized far worse and with far less respect.

    4.  It wasn't really criticism.  He was offering a different take and perspective.  Sometimes others can have that.   Sometimes it leads to the person hearing it winning a Nobel Prize in physics by making an incredibly important paradigm shift.


    LeiloniYashaXJeffSpicolialkarionlogaRtFuLThinGrojoArcueid
  • VesaviusVesavius Member RarePosts: 7,908
    I find it interesting that there's such a backlash due to anet pandering to their fans. I mean, stop and think about it for a bit, their fans are their profit, it they're not happy anet isn't making money. When it comes down to it, developers are a dime a dozen and if the fans aren't happy then they aren't paying. It makes perfect sense to prioritize pacifying their payerbase over their development team.,

    That's because there actually isn't such a backlash. Not among the customers anyhow. It's garbage tier news sites, the same ones that have shown to be anti customer and actively colluding to promote an agenda in the past, that are on the side of Price on this. You know the names, we all know the names.

    Now, I don't include mmorpg.com among them at this point, I think this opinion piece is simply misguided.
    Phry
  • n3v3rriv3rn3v3rriv3r Member UncommonPosts: 496
    edited July 2018
    MikeB said:
    celtwulf said:
    SBFord said:
    thunderC said:




    That said, I don't necessarily view the subject matter of this piece as inherently political, but the potential for it to become a political discussion wasn't lost on me. 
    Good because we plebs and forum warriors knew that it was a political issue even before reading the article. You know why? Should I tell you or you will figure it alone?

    Because all gaming outlets are talking about this and most of them have a political agenda behind.

    If you are trying to serve to us that an article about company politics,  gender politics, social politics is NOT political well I seriously doubt 1/3 of the people on this forum is eating that.

    If this article was written at a random time and about a random employee (maybe a man and without using "mansplaining" on his twitter ) then ... maybe ...but not here and not now. Sorry.

    (oh and if before you say "but the word "politics" was never mentioned in this article". I will ask you another question. You know what is one of the most important factors in every social setting or even legal procedures?


    CONTEXT


    )
    JeffSpicolialkarionlog
  • maskedweaselmaskedweasel Member LegendaryPosts: 12,173
    SBFord said:
    Since I get to read this stuff as I post it, all I can say is nicely done @billmurphy !

    My favorite comment in all of this that, I believe, should be shouted from the rooftops:

    "I’ve spoken with several former employees of ArenaNet and they’ve all told me the same thing: MO is not the hero Guild Wars fans make him out to be. Quite often, it’s the opposite: he’s a founder and the company president, but there’s a reason he’s the only founder left at the company. There’s a reason many of the people who were responsible for the sky-high dreams of Guild Wars 2 left for other studios. There’s a reason that MO’s the only founder left."
    The comment that tip toes around libel to imply there's something ominous if not abundantly shameful about ArenaNet's Mike O’Brien? 

    That's what MMORPG.com's News Manager believes should be shouted from the rooftops?
    I think people are blowing that a little out of context. It's not saying that what MO did was wrong specifically in this instance.  

    While there were other options on the table other than firing her, firing her simply isn't where the buck stops with a comment like that.

    People seem to be grouping two thoughts together, simply MO isn't some great hero for firing her.  People laud his decision as some kind of masterful plan, when in reality it was probably the easiest thing MO could have done.

    If the employee was valued, if both employees were valued, the tougher yet more heroic thing would be to find a way to keep them both.  Or at least keep Peter, as his role was substantially less than price.  

    From a developer standpoint, if the easiest go to for any company where an infraction occurs is to get fired, no questions asked, no strikes involved, then yeah, MO does come off as a poor employer.  

    From the perspective of us, the gamers, what do we care? We don't work for them, our stakes aren't our livelihood, so he can be our "hero" by firing people we don't like, without taking into consideration the lives of those developers, what they might be going through, and how things that we, as gamers who interact with them, can actually affect them.


    Again, to me, it's not about Jessica Price in this instance. I think she's a jerk. I think she's delusional.  I think, in this instance, she's fighting an imaginary battle of sexism in situations where no sexism was present.  It seems like her vulgarity and poor judgement are go-to's for her, and that just seems to be her personality in my estimation.  But that is also just a singular issue, whereas the MO issue is another perspective that most people looking at it just from the outside gamer angle of whats going on with Jessica Price likely won't take the time to think about, much less try to understand.
    JeffSpicoli[Deleted User]



  • UngoodUngood Member LegendaryPosts: 7,517
    maskedweasel said:
     I think, in this instance, she's fighting an imaginary battle of sexism in situations where no sexism was present. 
    I just wanna say a little bit here.

    Sexism in Video Game is huge.I used to read developer blogs, and all the stories I could about game development. And the reality is, Video Games has been for a long time a hugely male dominated  business in both creator and connoisseur.  

    It is only maybe in the last decade that the numbers have moved significantly, where women are getting involved in games, both playing and making.

    So there is no doubt that Price constantly has to deal with sexism in the work place and by outsiders, as a lot of other women. Will they say so publicly?...Well, not unless they want to lose their job. 

    But make no mistake, the sexism is there against women in that field.

    Just wanted to put that out. I am not defending Price, or her actions, I am not saying anything other then that the Sexism in the Video Game profession is very real, and still very much ongoing.
    n3v3rriv3rBillMurphyalkarionlog
    Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.

  • FrodoFraginsFrodoFragins Member EpicPosts: 5,898
    edited July 2018
    Ungood said:
    maskedweasel said:
     I think, in this instance, she's fighting an imaginary battle of sexism in situations where no sexism was present. 
    I just wanna say a little bit here.

    Sexism in Video Game is huge.I used to read developer blogs, and all the stories I could about game development. And the reality is, Video Games has been for a long time a hugely male dominated  business in both creator and connoisseur.  

    It is only maybe in the last decade that the numbers have moved significantly, where women are getting involved in games, both playing and making.

    So there is no doubt that Price constantly has to deal with sexism in the work place and by outsiders, as a lot of other women. Will they say so publicly?...Well, not unless they want to lose their job. 

    But make no mistake, the sexism is there against women in that field.

    Just wanted to put that out. I am not defending Price, or her actions, I am not saying anything other then that the Sexism in the Video Game profession is very real, and still very much ongoing.
    Nobody is debating that.  We are saying that someone offering a differing opinion doesn't make it sexism.  Yet she was super quick to invoke that card and act like a victim.

    and no offense to GW2 players, but their story has never really been held up as a pinnacle of the genre.  I've always seen it as merely adequate, but I'm not familiar with her contributions to it.
    EponyxDamorIselinBillMurphymaskedweaselSlyLoKThreatlevel0alkarionlogLeiloniYashaX
  • XasapisXasapis Member RarePosts: 6,337
    The easiest thing he could have done was to bury his head in sand and pretend nothing happened. He'd be lauded as champion of the women and fighting against misogyny and all that nonsense, none of whom apply here, but would be credited regardless.

    The hardest would be to deal with the need to find and train two new developers, the press backlash and the character assassination attempts.

    His move surprised everyone exactly because he didn't choose the easy way out.

    One subtle thing not many may have noticed. Mike O'Brien thanked her for her early contribution to GW2, but said nothing about her later work. Jessica Price claimed her work is everywhere in GW2 and will be visible for years. I have the feeling that O'Brien was not happy with her work, she realised it and devised this method so she could go out in a blaze of glory. The whole thing obviously backfired when her "harasser" happened to be the most timid and polite person imaginable. The rest is history (in the making or rewriting for some).

    All the above are obviously my own speculations. The voices in my head however assured me that everything is true.
    JeffSpicoliPhryFrodoFraginsLeiloni
  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 22,823
    I have just been reading her follow up comments. Apparently MO picking out something good he wanted to remember her for was designed to pretend that's all she did. Also by firing MO wanted to escalate her harassment, that was his aim here. Also while offering these "explanations" she still has to call everyone assholes, she just cannot put a lid on it.

    I stopped reading there, she lives in cloud cuckoo land and I really don't want to give her any more of my time.
    laxieThreatlevel0LeiloniTacticalZombehYashaX
  • n3v3rriv3rn3v3rriv3r Member UncommonPosts: 496
    edited July 2018
    Ungood said:
    maskedweasel said:
     I think, in this instance, she's fighting an imaginary battle of sexism in situations where no sexism was present. 
    I just wanna say a little bit here.

    Sexism in Video Game is huge.I used to read developer blogs, and all the stories I could about game development. And the reality is, Video Games has been for a long time a hugely male dominated  business in both creator and connoisseur.  

    It is only maybe in the last decade that the numbers have moved significantly, where women are getting involved in games, both playing and making.

    So there is no doubt that Price constantly has to deal with sexism in the work place and by outsiders, as a lot of other women. Will they say so publicly?...Well, not unless they want to lose their job. 

    But make no mistake, the sexism is there against women in that field.

    Just wanted to put that out. I am not defending Price, or her actions, I am not saying anything other then that the Sexism in the Video Game profession is very real, and still very much ongoing.

      Yep if it happens on internet then it is true.

     Pssssssst: I work in similar business and nobody is, CAN or should be sexist to anybody ... but your experience from reddit is different I  understand.

     .. but maybe only in our country are laws in place that prevents this and maybe only where I live men and women have a contract based on skills not on gender and maybe only here we have human resources department and legal department that handles that kind of issues...


    alkarionlog
  • JeffSpicoliJeffSpicoli Member EpicPosts: 2,849
    Does anyone else keep seeing her face in that howdy doody cowboy hat & outfit looking to sky every time someone mentions her name in a post ? lol
    hanshotfirstDakeru
    • Aloha Mr Hand ! 

  • maskedweaselmaskedweasel Member LegendaryPosts: 12,173
    Ungood said:
    maskedweasel said:
     I think, in this instance, she's fighting an imaginary battle of sexism in situations where no sexism was present. 
    I just wanna say a little bit here.

    Sexism in Video Game is huge.I used to read developer blogs, and all the stories I could about game development. And the reality is, Video Games has been for a long time a hugely male dominated  business in both creator and connoisseur.  

    It is only maybe in the last decade that the numbers have moved significantly, where women are getting involved in games, both playing and making.

    So there is no doubt that Price constantly has to deal with sexism in the work place and by outsiders, as a lot of other women. Will they say so publicly?...Well, not unless they want to lose their job. 

    But make no mistake, the sexism is there against women in that field.

    Just wanted to put that out. I am not defending Price, or her actions, I am not saying anything other then that the Sexism in the Video Game profession is very real, and still very much ongoing.
    Nobody is debating that.  We are saying that someone offering a differing opinion doesn't make it sexism.  Yet she was super quick to invoke that card and act like a victim.

    and no offense to GW2 players, but their story has never really been held up as a pinnacle of the genre.  I've always seen it as merely adequate, but I'm not familiar with her contributions to it.
    Pretty much this, I'm not saying that sexism isn't apparent, because it is, I'm saying in this particular instance.

    In this instance it was basically like a parody show, where the protagonist reads into things way more than they were meant to. 

    "Sir would you like to supersize the order?"
    "Why are you asking me? Because I'm fat?" 
    "No sir we ask everyone that question." 

    I'm not saying there's not an overarching sexism war that women are up against, I'm just saying this battle she's fighting of the streamer, and what MO did, wasn't due to sexism, and sometimes just being a jerk is enough of a reason for you to be punished.
    FrodoFraginsalkarionlog



Sign In or Register to comment.