Nintendo Boss Discusses 'Disturbing' Activision Blizzard Claims
The big three have officially banded together, as Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony have shown a united front against the accusations being made against Activision Blizzard. Although Activision Blizzard lauds it over franchises including Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, the biggest gaming companies around are refusing to let allegations of sexual assault, misogyny, and a "frat boy culture" slide.
In recent weeks, PlayStation's Jim Ryan AND Xbox's Phil Spencer have both made their views clear that this kind of behaviour doesn't sit with their company values. Completing the triefcta, Nintendo's Doug Bowser has also shown his hand and decried Activision Blizzard's alleged actions.
What Has Doug Bowser Said About Activision Blizzard?
Bowser (great name) sent an email around to Nintendo employees and made his stance clear. According to Fanbyte, Bowser branded the reports of behaviour from within all levels of Activision Blizzard as "disturbing."
An email sent on November 19 reads, "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. I find these accounts distressing and disturbing. They run counter to my values as well as Nintendo’s beliefs, values and policies."
Bowser went on to champion Nintendo's commitment to having an open and inclusive workplace where discrimination won't be tolerated. But what does this mean for Nintendo's relationship with Activision Blizzard?
What's Next For Activision Blizzard?
Although Nintendo isn't known for hosting the Call of Duty games, the Switch port of Overwatch was a big deal in 2019. Bowser reiterates that he expects all of Nintendo's partners to hold similar values, which is a similar stance to Spencer threatening to cut ties with Activision Blizzard.
Bowser claims Nintendo reps have been "in contact with Activision, have taken action and are assessing others." Although these actions aren't clear, we're in a pressure cooker when it comes to Activision Blizzard and calls for CEO Bobby Kotick to step down. At the time of writing, over 1,800 Activision Blizzard employees have signed a petition calling for his removal.
Bowser concluded, "Every company in the industry must create an environment where everyone is respected and treated as equals, and where all understand the consequences of not doing so." When asked for a response, a Nintendo representative told Fanbyte, "We can confirm the content of Doug Bowser’s internal email to Nintendo of America staff is accurate. We have nothing further to share on this topic."
Kotick has said he'll step down if he can't "fix" the workplace culture at Activision Blizzard, but with each passing day seeing more big names turning their back on the publisher, it remains to be seen whether this is a case of too little, too late.
