Since the July DFEH filing, according to the Journal, more than 500 current and former Activision employees have come forward with claims of "harassment, sexual assault, bullying, pay disparities and other issues." This week's damning Wall Street Journal investigation was a wake-up call, with reports that the company's top leader was aware of numerous egregious accusations, including the protection of an executive whom human resources recommended be fired.
But it's a company as vital to the Los Angeles entertainment community as Disney, Netflix, Sony and any of the Hollywood players who get far more mainstream media scrutiny. Many outside the company were slow to take the problems at Activision seriously in part because they didn't take video games seriously. The lawsuit was the result of a lengthy investigation that documented how harassment was practically encouraged, fueled often by alcohol and written off as a joke in a workplace that's about 80% male. This is a studio that in July the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) singled out for boorish, boyish stereotypes in a 29-page lawsuit that argued that the executives of Activision Blizzard grew a “pervasive frat boy workplace culture” and allegedly perpetrated or ignored inequality and sexual harassment. The perception today is the company places the goals of its executives and shareholders ahead of the needs of its staff and the players, turning a blind eye to calls for improvement and even viewing them as a nuisance. He built a behemoth, but one that is now the target of multiple lawsuits and a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation. Kotick, CEO since 1991, has had two decades to mold the game company he wanted, to lead a path out of gaming's crude early stereotypes. This is not an isolated incident or two, a single regrettable lapse in judgment. So while many in the game industry gasped in the wake of new revelations of Kotick's failure to deal with what occurred behind closed doors - Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO and President Jim Ryan was quick to express "deep concern" while Microsoft's Xbox chief Phil Spencer said he is " evaluating all aspects of our relationship with Activision Blizzard" - the board of directors at Activision dismissed the reports and released a statement pledging allegiance to Kotick's ability to implement "industry leading changes." Not just anyone can run a company estimated to be worth more than $50 billion. This week, another walkout was staged to demand the resignation of CEO Bobby Kotick. In July, several hundred Activision Blizzard employees staged a walkout in response to a lawsuit highlighting alleged harassment and inequality within the company.