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Thread: #metoo intra si pe piata jocurilor video

  1. #41 SP
    Banned GamblerRambler's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by razvanrazy View Post
    Eu sunt un mega sef si am o secretara personala, care stiu (pt ca de asta profit) ca are un salariu mic (doar e secretara), abea-i ajung banii de chirie, samd, eventual are si vreun copil acasa care nu are haine si rechizite, o sa-i zic ca eu o pot ajuta, pot pune o vorba buna la HR pentru ceva marire/bonus, o pot ajuta sa avanseze, ii pot da un proiect personal, o echipa, samd, dar ca sunt barbat si ca am nevoie si trebe sa...si sa.... Si nah...ea accepta pt ca efectiv nu are de ales. Nu vor accepta toate, da pica una, ca sa nu se mai chinuie pe un job care nu-i place.
    A cui e vina in situatia asta? A ei pentru ca nu vrea sa ramana pe pozitia aia? Sau a mea pentru ca's porc afemeiat si vreau sa ... tot ce misca?
    SIMPLU, ca secretara iti dai demisia! Anunti apoi la protectia muncii si la politie daca vezi ca seful te hartuieste sau te santajeaza. Si daca te pisca de cur sau iti zambeste lasciv, din nou, il reclami. Cum ar face orice FEMINISTA ADEVARATA!
    Demisionezi si te duci si iti iei 2 joburi la McDonald's si KFC sau la Mega Image si te chinui sa muncesti cinstit, fara sa te dezonorezi!

    Vrei sa pari un exemplu pentru copilul tau de femeie devotata familiei, independenta si muncitoare care nu se pune in genunchi si nu se dezonoreaza ?
    Sau vrei sa-i arati ca trebuie sa te compromiti si sa comiti fapte dezeagreabile ca sa castigi niste bani ?

    Pentru ca daca faci asta, si copilul tau va face la fel!
    Daca e baiat, va recurge la manarii si infractiuni, ba va crede ca toate femeile vulnerabile trebuiesc tratate asa , ori daca e fata, va face la fel ca maica'sa, se va dezonora prin a se culca cu seful pentru favoruri, crezand ca asta e unica cale spre o viata si o cariera de succes.



    Daca ajungi sa te culci cu seful pentru favoruri financiare si abia dupa vreo 2-5 ani incepi sa publici povestea , imi pare rau draguta, dar.....in fata mea ai credibilitate 0 barat si deja imi pari ca esti o fufa care e doar pe interese si cauta sa se imbogateasca prin prostitutie, apoi autovictimizare si procese.
    Intr-un cuvant, o TEPARA ORDINARA!


    Caz in care pana si cea mai mizerabila centurista merita mai mult respect, centurista, dar macar o centurista CINSTITA, care nu-si da in judecata clientii la cativa ani dupa ce au platit pentru sex si au intretinut relatii sexuale cu consintamant.


    Daca te-a batut sau te-a violat, la fel anunti imediat autoritatile!
    Nu stai cu frica si astepti 2-5 ani cum au facut toate proastele de la Hollywood de ajung apoi sa nascoceasca aiurea povesti din amintiri alterate.
    Oricat de periculos e seful ala, si daca e un interlop sub acoperire, nu stai sa astepti ani , te duci si il reclami sub anonimat.
    Pentru ca daca astepti nu stiu cati ani , timp in care profiti de favorurile financiare oferite in schimbul sexului sau violului, lumea te va primi ca pe o profitoare,nu ca pe o victima.

  2. #42 SP
    Why so serious ? razvanrazy's Avatar
    Asa crezi tu ca functioneaza chestiile astea? Imi pare rau pentru tine daca la tine este o lume ideala. Probabil si toate violurile din lume sunt vina victimelor.

    Raspunsul corect la ce am intrebat eu, pentru ca in continuare refuzi sa raspunzi la o intrebare simpla, cu alb sau negru, era:

    "E vina mea pentru ca's porc afemeiat si vreau sa ... tot ce misca". Iar daca tu consideri altceva, well...imi e mila de sufletul si de inocenta ta

  3. #43 SP
    Senior Member darkpaul13's Avatar
    Eu sunt de acord cu amândoi parțial.Trebuie sa ținem totuși cont și de faptul ca de cele mai multe ori femeile îmbina utilul cu plăcutul.


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  4. #44 SP
    Member ymess's Avatar
    Rambler are dreptate, in plus, societatea din ziua de azi e bolnava.

    https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/...ations-sister/

    Daca il stiti pe Adam Savage de la MythBusters, vedeti ce acuzatii ii aduce sorasa. Ce e grav e de fapt ca aceasta boala mintala a feministelor nu e tratata deloc.

    Pe langa faptul ca il acuza pentru ceva facut intre 9-11 ani, si au trecut mai mult de 40 de ani de la fapta comisa, ea declara ca abuzul a a dus-o la traume mentale irecuperabile. Pai tot ea pe blogul ei, (femeie la 50-60 de ani deh) vorbeste despre cum a crescut responsabil 3 copii, si se autoproclama "life-coach". Sa fi avut motive financiare? Pai sa vedem, ea nu a lucrat o slujba serioasa vreodata, dar e mare antreprenoare ca are un blog amarat pe care intra 100 de feministe. Si pe facebook are 100 de likeuri... Va dati seama in ce societate bolnava traim daca lumea ia in serios toate specimenele?

    Cand o victima e agresata inteleg, poate ii e frica. Dar deja daca lasi prea mult sa treaca, e bataie de joc. Pai cum femeia asta dupa aproape jumatate de secol, 3 copii crescuti, life-coach autoproclamat a trait atat in frica / traume?

    Totusi, exista si cazuri serioase. Dar ce e mai frecvent sa vedem, patroni libidinosi fara scrupule sau femei sa accepte targul? Eu ma gandesc la ce cultura avem noi in Romania, unde daca spui ca esti patron / antreprenor lumea deja se gandeste ca furi bani (nu ca faci locuri de munca sau ajuti economia) sau ca videochatul e deja o sursa importanta din PIB.

  5. #45 SP
    Why so serious ? razvanrazy's Avatar
    Eu nu spun ca nu are dreptate, ci ca generalizeaza si cu siguranta sunt foarte multe cazuri negative, unde persoanele respective nu au avut curajul sa faca sau sa spuna ceva, iar toate miscarile astea sociale, le da curajul necesar pentru a cere dreptate.

    Iar in situatia data de mine, pentru ca despre aia era vorba, cu siguranta nu era vina ei si nici nu avea alta optiune, tocmai pentru ca eu, boss de boss m-am documentat si m-am asigurat de asta.

  6. #46 SP
    Banned GamblerRambler's Avatar
    Cati sefi au mai demisionat de la Ubisoft in ultimele 24 ore ?

  7. #47 SP
    Why so serious ? razvanrazy's Avatar
    Eu sper sa plece toti, dupa starea janica a jocurilor actuale. Mi se pare inadmisibil sa mulgi 3-5 ani la anumite jocuri (RS Siege, For Honor, samd), iar cele pe care totusi le scoti anual sau odata la 2 ani, sa arate ca jocurile de acum 5-7 ani de cand a inceput generatia asta.

  8. #48 SP
    Member ymess's Avatar
    @razvanrazy Intr-un cuvand ce a facut Rambler e nitpicking, din pacate pe internet e din ce in ce mai des.
    In situatia data de tine nu cred ca e nevoie de miscari sociale. In primul rand ca se creeaza alte abuzuri, in al doilea rand, se strang toti depravatii / toate depravatele la un loc si isi fac un echo chamber. Problema principala nu e nici lipsa de educatie formala, e mai mult culturala / educatia de acasa. E adevarat ca multe victime in violuri sunt luate la tinta de familiile lor. Problema e ca, ajungi ca tanara femeie, si nu stii ce e de facut in cazul unui asalt. Nu stii ca intai te duci sa iti iei certificat medico legal, apoi primul lucru care il faci mergi la sectie, in speranta sa il identifici pe faptas cat mai repede inainte sa fuga. Pai daca stii cine e faptasul sau nu stii, nu stai sa te gandesti daca a fost viol sau nu. Sunt protocoale de urmat in situatii de urgenta, iar ratiunea nu are niciun loc in cazul asta, la fel cum e un incendiu, un cutremur. E ceva tragic, cateodata neprevazut, dar se intampla la o scara periculoasa.
    In cazul secretarei sarace, eu cred ca e mai mult vina secretarei. Eu cred ca nu exista situatia de a nu avea optiuni, eu cred doar in situatia in care omul pentru el nu a gasit alte optiuni mai bune. Asta ma tot chinui sa inteleg, mai ales de cand cu cazul Jada si Will Smith, relativismul in moralitate nu are ce cauta, ori ai principii ori nu ai, situatia niciodata nu e o scuza pentru ce actiune faci.

    Nu am copii, dar daca vreodata as avea fata m-as gandi serios cum sa o pregatesc in situatie de urgenta, desi e infiorator gandul. As instrui-o sa mearga prima data la politie fara sa stea pe ganduri, plus atentie pe strada. Cand e vorba de industrie nici nu stam la discutii, daca nu iti place situatia la nivel de ansamblu intr-o firma, asta e, iti iei bagajul si pleci. Daca e vorba de televiziune, moda, hollywood, te astepti sa se intample asta la tot pasul, dar in rest, nu cred ca duci lipsa de optiuni. Ganditi-va ca in astea 3 mentionate sunt efectiv o tona de fete dispuse sa faca "absolut orice" ca sa reuseasca.

  9. #49 SP
    Senior Member darkpaul13's Avatar
    La ce te referi când spui relativism in moralitate vis a vis de will Smith ?


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  10. #50 SP
    Member ymess's Avatar
    E legat de videoul de la red table cu Jada si Will.
    Cand am vazut ca Jada nu are nicio remuscare si a vorbit aproape incontinu de contextul situatiei, mai mult decat gestul in sine, mi s-a parut ca ea e mai cu sange rece decat un serial killer. Apoi mi-a venit ideea, daca cumva ea in sinea ei chiar considera morala alegerea?
    Si tind sa cred ca da. In momentul in care ea si Augsust aveau nevoie de "healing", ii se pare normala alegerea. Ceea ce e o aberatie.
    Intr-o societate bolnava, practic tu ai o dreptul sa fi bolnav la randul tau.
    Si am realizat ca multi oameni gandesc asa. Am intrebat mai multi oameni despre cazul cu Will si Jada, si multi au intrebat: dar nu cumva Will s-ar fi dus la alta? Adica tot pe principiul, daca tu inseli, eu pot sa insel. Dar nu e un fel de ochi pentru ochi, dintre pentru dinte, e mai rau.

  11. #51 SP
    Banned GamblerRambler's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by razvanrazy View Post
    Eu sper sa plece toti, dupa starea janica a jocurilor actuale. Mi se pare inadmisibil sa mulgi 3-5 ani la anumite jocuri (RS Siege, For Honor, samd), iar cele pe care totusi le scoti anual sau odata la 2 ani, sa arate ca jocurile de acum 5-7 ani de cand a inceput generatia asta.
    Treaba cu abuzurile sexuale e doar varful icebergului.

    Astia platesc extrem de prost angajatii in filialele din afara Frantei/Canadei fiindca prefera sa-si ia masini de lux si iacht-uri ca-n Crew, dar REALE, si stau sa pandeasca gagici in loc sa contribuie la calitatea produselor.




    In 2020 sa mai vezi game testeri platiti cu 300 euro la Ubisoft Romania, pe langa porcariile care au loc acolo (de la avansari facute prin linguseli , nepotisme si pile pana la recrutoarele mincinoase si conducerea toxica cu mentalitate balcanica) , mi se pare inadmisibil. Se plang majoritatea seniorilor ca muncesc de le sar capacele si nu li se recunosc meritele.
    Ne miram de ce jocurile sunt pline de buguri la lansare......pai pentru ca game testerii sunt prost platiti.
    Si pentru ca dezvoltatorii de la Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Toronto si Ubisoft Quebec freaca menta pe 50 000 de dolari canadieni (venitul anual).
    Faptul ca si angajatele de acolo sunt niste panarame profitoare care anunta abia dupa cativa ani ca au fost hartuite (de fapt, s-au culcat cu consintamant cu sefii lor pentru favoruri financiare) denota ca Ubisoft e o companie extrem de defecta in ansamblu, poate chiar mai defecta decat EA.


    Ceea ce ma face sa cred ca Ubisoft e de evitat ca loc de munca.

    ---------- Post added 13-07-2020 at 11:58 ----------

    Vad ca Ubisoft Romania si acuma isi are sediul la o fosta parcare supraetajata ! Imi si inchipui cat miroase a cauciuc.
    Cand trec pe acolo vad toti angajatii ca fumeaza in fata parcarii de iese fum ca la gratare.
    HALAL companie multinationala!

    Macar EA Romania are sediu la o cladire moderna cu sticla langa mall-ul AFI Cotroceni si din ce am vazut au conditii mult mai frumoase de lucru, cu sali mai bine amenajate si balcoane speciale pentru fumat.

  12. #52 SP
    Member ymess's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by GamblerRambler View Post
    In 2020 sa mai vezi game testeri platiti cu 300 euro la Ubisoft Romania, pe langa porcariile care au loc acolo (de la avansari facute prin linguseli , nepotisme si pile pana la recrutoarele mincinoase si conducerea toxica cu mentalitate balcanica) , mi se pare inadmisibil. Se plang majoritatea seniorilor ca muncesc de le sar capacele si nu li se recunosc meritele.
    Ne miram de ce jocurile sunt pline de buguri la lansare......pai pentru ca game testerii sunt prost platiti.
    Si pentru ca dezvoltatorii de la Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Toronto si Ubisoft Quebec freaca menta pe 50 000 de dolari canadieni (venitul anual).
    Faptul ca si angajatele de acolo sunt niste panarame profitoare care anunta abia dupa cativa ani ca au fost hartuite (de fapt, s-au culcat cu consintamant cu sefii lor pentru favoruri financiare) denota ca Ubisoft e o companie extrem de defecta in ansamblu, poate chiar mai defecta decat EA.


    Ceea ce ma face sa cred ca Ubisoft e de evitat ca loc de munca.

    ---------- Post added 13-07-2020 at 11:58 ----------

    Vad ca Ubisoft Romania si acuma isi are sediul la o fosta parcare supraetajata ! Imi si inchipui cat miroase a cauciuc.
    Cand trec pe acolo vad toti angajatii ca fumeaza in fata parcarii de iese fum ca la gratare.
    HALAL companie multinationala!

    Macar EA Romania are sediu la o cladire moderna cu sticla langa mall-ul AFI Cotroceni si din ce am vazut au conditii mult mai frumoase de lucru, cu sali mai bine amenajate si balcoane speciale pentru fumat.
    Cunosc impresii de la oameni care au lucrat / inca lucreaza la EA / Ubisoft in Bucuresti, si testeri si programatori. Parerile sunt impartite, au avantaje si dezavantaje. Da, sunt testeri platiti cu 300 de euro, uneori si mai putin, la ambele. Totusi multi dintre ei sunt studenti.
    Ce e infiorator e cu turele de noapte. Ei nu fac ture de noapte pentru ca au ceva clienti cu alt fus orar sau sa ofere ceva 24 de ore, ci pur si simplu fac asta doar pentru ca pot, ca sa faca economie la spatiul de birouri. Din pacate foarte multe firme de IT / multinationale venite in Romania fac schema asta cu 3 ture, pentru economie de spatiu.
    Legat de buguri, in orice firma de gaming nu faptul ca nu sunt descoperite e problema, ci rezolvarea lor e de obicei foarte dificila. Cine a avut tangeta cu programarea stie la ce ma refer. La partea cu frecatul nu sunt de acord. In IT se freaca intr-adevar dar in gaming din ce am auzit se munceste pe rupte. Poti avea perioade moarte cand jocul e gold / dupa-beta, dar cand esti inainte de lansare se face si over-time pana in limita legala, sau si mai si. Si legat de plati din afara Frantei / Canadei, pentru salariile din Romania eu zic ca se plateste extrem de bine, intre un programator de la noi si un doctor tot de la noi nu stiu cine castiga mai mult. Singura problema din ce am auzit ca si munca e pe masura, asta cu venitu la 9 si plecatul la 5 e de mult un mit.

  13. #53 SP
    Manager paul's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Bloomberg News
    Five brothers started Ubisoft Entertainment SA in 1986 and since then the video game company has survived seven generations of game consoles, four recessions, a hostile takeover bid from France’s largest media conglomerate, and a global pandemic. Ubisoft is one of the world’s largest game publishers, the maker of blockbuster series such as Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry, and the Guillemot family still maintains effective control. Now they face a new crisis: allegations of widespread sexual misconduct at the company. The situation has shaken up the founders’ inner circle and raised major concerns about how the business was managed for well over a decade.

    More than a dozen people made public claims of sexual harassment and abuse against employees of Ubisoft over the past few weeks. The outpouring is part of a broader #MeToo movement taking hold in the game industry, and the Paris-based company has been the most frequent target of allegations. Interviews with more than three dozen current or former Ubisoft employees indicate that these claims, and many others that haven’t previously come to light, had been gathering dust in company logs for years. In some instances, Ubisoft took action, but for the most part, complaints were ignored, mishandled, or undermined, employees say.

    The accusations filed to Ubisoft’s human resources department range from subtle forms of sexism to sexual assault, according to two people with access to the reports. In interviews with Bloomberg Businessweek, many employees detailed an atmosphere that was hostile toward women, often describing the Paris headquarters as a frat house. Staff openly made misogynist or racist comments across the publisher’s various offices, and senior executives took part and escalated the misconduct in the form of inappropriate touching or other sexual advances, current and former employees say. On one occasion before this summer, when Ubisoft sided with an alleged victim, the company removed the woman’s boss and rewarded the woman with a gift card, she says.

    A spokesperson for Ubisoft declined to comment or arrange interviews for this story. Chief Executive Officer Yves Guillemot has promised extensive changes and has taken steps that many staff once saw as unlikely. Those include the ousters of Serge Hascoët, chief creative officer and a close friend of Guillemot’s for decades, and the heads of HR and the Canadian studios. The former executives didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment.

    “Ubisoft has fallen short in its obligation to guarantee a safe and inclusive workplace environment for its employees,” Guillemot said in a statement on July 12 in Paris announcing the executive departures. “This is unacceptable, as toxic behaviors are in direct contrast to values on which I have never compromised—and never will. I am committed to implementing profound changes across the company to improve and strengthen our workplace culture.”

    Guillemot, the middle of the five brothers, has been CEO since 1988; together, the siblings hold 21% of the company’s stock and five seats on the board. The brothers speak weekly and hold regular get-togethers on their yacht, according to a 2016 article on the French newswire AFP. The image of Ubisoft as a family business was a source of inspiration for many employees over the years. But others say the dynamic facilitated a culture in which longtime staff, especially Hascoët and his team, were given agency to misbehave. “There are golden children,” says Cindy Fitzpatrick, who worked in Ubisoft’s public-relations department from 2005 to 2009. “No matter what they do, they seem untouchable.”

    Several employees say they were pleasantly surprised, even shocked, by the company’s swift response to allegations once they were made public in recent weeks. Hascoët was long seen as a permanent fixture of the company, they say, despite allegations that he demeaned female subordinates and surrounded himself with men accused of predatory behavior. Many other employees expressed doubts that a company run by the same men who presided over a toxic environment could deliver the type of systemic changes needed to ensure the safety of female workers, who are outnumbered about 4 to 1 by men at Ubisoft.

    “The culture there is really hard as a woman,” says Ellen Lee, who worked in marketing and promotions at Ubisoft’s San Francisco office for seven years. “If you weren’t part of the boys’ club, you were just working hard on the outskirts.”

    The Guillemot brothers got their first tutorial on business from their parents. The elder Guillemots operated an agriculture business in Carentoir, France, which sold chemicals, equipment parts, and, eventually, computers. Amid the economic recession of the early 1980s, business was on the decline. So, with their parents’ permission, the children began selling computer games at the shop to farmers looking to put their new machines to use.

    In 1988, the year Yves Guillemot was named CEO of Ubisoft, the company hired Hascoët. He started as a video game tester, a job he got by applying to a newspaper ad, according to a 2017 article in the French publication Le Monde. Hascoët later helped create Ubisoft’s editorial department, which supervises every game the company puts out. As head of creative, he oversaw the development of blockbuster franchises including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Watch Dogs.

    Hascoët was treated almost like a member of the family. He was given ultimate authority to cancel, greenlight, or overhaul any game to his specifications. Project reviews would take place at a type of meeting known within Ubisoft as “gates,” and Hascoët was usually the gatekeeper.

    Developers routinely swapped stories of their interactions with Hascoët, who they often portrayed as eccentric or sometimes with less charitable descriptions, according to seven current or former employees. During presentations he would bang his head against the table, a sign that he was bored or unhappy. He was infamous for what colleagues described as growling, a sort of guttural noise he would direct at people in meetings or while passing in the hallway.

    Three women who worked at Ubisoft say they’d been warned not to go out drinking with Hascoët and his crew. He sometimes held business meetings at strip clubs, a habit that his deputies began to adopt, say the employees, who asked not to be identified because they are either still employed by Ubisoft or worried about retribution. The women elected not to attend those outings and said their careers suffered as a result. They were frustrated to watch Hascoët promote many of his strip club buddies to creative directors, a group composed almost entirely of men.

    Allegations that Hascoët behaved inappropriately around women extended to the office as well. In a meeting at Ubisoft’s headquarters in Paris, one of the top creative leads on a big game was presenting to Hascoët and other decision-makers at the company. When the lead, a woman, left the room to use the bathroom, Hascoët pulled up a YouTube video, according to two people present at the meeting. He played a French song describing sexually explicit acts with a woman who has the same name as the presenter. He hit pause when the employee walked back into the room, say the two people, who requested that the woman’s name not be printed. As was common in high-level meetings at Ubisoft, there were no other women present.

    Hascoët’s reputation had been well-known around the company for years, say 10 people who worked there over a period spanning more than a decade. On July 10 the French newspaper Libération reported that Hascoët had allegedly made sexually explicit comments to staff, pushed subordinates to drink excessively, and gave colleagues cakes containing marijuana without their knowledge.

    Because Hascoët appeared to be immune to HR complaints, employees say they were forced to either find a way to work with him or seek employment elsewhere.

    Allegations of harassment and sexism extended far beyond Hascoët and his subordinates. In 2015 a group of staff in Sofia, Bulgaria, were watching a trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens featuring the actor John Boyega, who’s Black. “People just collectively went, ‘Hey, look, it’s a monkey,’” says Fey Vercuiel, a former designer on the team. In San Francisco, Dawn Le was instructed by her manager to smile more and was later told she would be fired from her job as a purchasing specialist if her attitude didn’t improve, she says. Each woman reported the incidents to HR, and their claims were dismissed without action. “You complain about something, it just gets swept under the rug,” Vercuiel says.

    Nina Stewart was working at Ubisoft’s customer service center in Morrisville, N.C., last year when, she says, her manager started making strange comments to her. He would detail other women’s bodies in explicit ways and make derogatory comments about hers, she says. “He’d make sexist and fatphobic remarks about me to my whole team,” Stewart says. “Every time he’d say something disgusting, I’d tell him that was inappropriate. I’d say, ‘That makes me uncomfortable.’”

    Stewart went to Ubisoft HR twice about her manager, and both times she was told to “talk it out” with him, she says. It was only after her third visit, she says, when a male co-worker corroborated her claims, that the company removed her boss. “I received a thank-you card from HR,” Stewart says. Attached to the note was a $200 Visa gift card, she says. Stewart, who’s left the company, calls it a “trash employer.”

    The Toronto office was especially problematic, six current or former employees there say. The studio was run by Maxime Béland, his wife, Rima Brek, and another husband-and-wife management team. Brek served for a time as interim director of HR, the people there say. Two women who reported incidents to Brek and other HR representatives in Toronto say they felt ostracized afterward and were labeled as troublemakers. Brek didn’t respond to requests for comment.

    Béland was a trusted lieutenant of the creative chief. He was also known for his quick temper and a tendency to scream at subordinates during meetings, say four people who worked in the office. Two of those people say they saw Béland touch women inappropriately at holiday parties and other work events. Béland was also accused of choking an employee at a party, according to the video game website Kotaku. The choking story was regularly shared among staff in Toronto, say the people who worked there, as a warning about the executive. Béland didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment.

    Back in Paris, another one of Hascoët’s men had developed a problematic reputation. Tommy François, a 13-year veteran of Ubisoft, openly flirted with subordinates, made homophobic jokes, and performed unwanted massages, say 10 people who witnessed or were the subjects of his alleged abuses. François didn’t respond to requests for comment. Newcomers to the company were told it was “Tommy being Tommy,” the people say.

    A woman who worked at headquarters says she faced repeated harassment there. Colleagues sent her sexually explicit messages, including pornographic videos, she says. François, who was several levels above her on the organizational chart, asked her out for a drink four or five times, and she refused each invitation, she says. The woman, who asked not to be identified over concerns that speaking publicly would damage her career, says she reported all of the incidents to HR and nothing happened. Later she was told she would have to move to an Ubisoft studio in a different country. She did, and says she was frequently told there “you can’t be a producer—you’re a woman.” Less than a year after relocating, she quit.

    Current and former employees say Hascoët enabled bad behavior by fashioning the editorial quarters into a sort of frat like the one in Animal House. People who worked in the department describe pornographic videos on computers, boozy lunches, and a chorus of inappropriate jokes. Five workers say they reported François to HR at various points over the past decade, some of them multiple times, for incidents including sexual propositions and genital grabbing. One former Ubisoft employee says they wrote an email to the CEO some years ago about problems with François. Not long after, François was promoted.

    The machismo of Ubisoft’s offices seeps into the company’s games, current and former employees say. Ubisoft’s biggest franchise is Assassin’s Creed, a series of open-world action-adventure games in which players explore historic settings and sneak around killing people. Most games in the series star male protagonists. This has been a point of contention as far back as 2014, when an Ubisoft creative director said Assassin’s Creed Unity wouldn’t let people play online as female characters because “it was really a lot of extra production work” to add women’s clothing and animations to the game.

    For the next game, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, an early outline of the script gave equal screen time to the twin protagonists, Jacob and Evie, according to three people who worked on the project. In the end, Jacob dominated the game. Assassin’s Creed Origins, released in 2017, was originally going to injure or kill off its male hero, Bayek, early in the story and give the player control of his wife, Aya, according to two people who worked on it. But Aya’s role gradually shrank over the course of development and Bayek became the leading figure.

    Development of 2018’s Assassin’s Creed Odyssey went much the same way. The game tells the story of siblings Kassandra and Alexios. The team originally proposed making the sister the only playable character, according to four people who worked on the game, until they were told that wasn’t an option. The final product gives players a choice between the two characters.

    Current and former Ubisoft employees say these changes, which haven’t been previously reported, are illustrative of the sexism ingrained within the company. All of the directives came from Ubisoft’s marketing department or from Hascoët, both of whom suggested female protagonists wouldn’t sell, the developers say. This false perception has been commonly held in the video game industry for decades. It ignores hits such as the Tomb Raider series or Sony Corp.’s Horizon Zero Dawn, which sold more than 10 million copies.

    Developers say they were compelled to make big compromises to avoid changes from Hascoët that might be detrimental to their project or result in outright cancellation. For example, Hascoët openly expressed disdain for linear storytelling and cut scenes, the interstitial videos that exist between gameplay to advance the narrative. The writers had to find ways to keep his attention, and often that involved installing a strong male lead, the employees say.

    By 2019, though, there were signs Hascoët was losing his creative magic. Ubisoft released two big flops: The Division 2, an online game that failed to meet sales expectations despite critical acclaim, and Ghost Recon Breakpoint, a tactical shooter that was widely panned. Ubisoft had developed a reputation, in large part because of Hascoët, for releasing games with similar tropes: large, open-world environments giving the player a list of tasks to accomplish and checkpoints to clear. By the end of last year, Ubisoft’s stock declined more than 40% from its high a year earlier.

    As a result of these failures, the company overhauled the editorial department, elevating seven vice presidents reporting to Hascoët. The goal was to distribute Hascoët’s power and diversify the games, employees say. All seven vice presidents were men. Béland and François were among those promoted, despite a history of misconduct complaints.

    The #MeToo movement didn’t sweep through the video game business the way it did in adjacent industries of media and technology. It came in fits and starts over the past few years, perhaps impeded by the legacy of Gamergate and a pervasive hostility toward women. But it had a big moment this summer, when dozens of women shared stories on Twitter and in Medium posts of harassment and sexual assault at the hands of game developers and video streaming personalities.

    Béland and François were among the first men named on Twitter. Ubisoft moved quickly in late June to place the executives on administrative leave, along with several other employees publicly accused of wrongdoing. Béland has since left the company, according to Ubisoft. François’s employment status is unclear.

    In emails to staff, Yves Guillemot promised big changes. He said the company would hire a consulting firm to audit and revise HR policies. “As we collectively embark on a path leading to a better Ubisoft, it is my expectation that leaders across the company manage their teams with the utmost respect,” he said in a statement. “I also expect them to work to drive the change we need, always thinking of what is best for Ubisoft and all its employees.”

    A former member of Ubisoft’s HR team, who asked not to be identified because of concerns about legal repercussions, says management held a general distrust of victims, which hindered the department’s ability to properly respond to complaints. In recent weeks, Ubisoft employees have submitted complaints detailing repeated inappropriate jokes from colleagues, unwanted sexual propositions, groping at parties, and sexual assault, according to two people who’ve seen the reports. Some employees say they originally filed some of these allegations years ago.

    On July 12, Ubisoft announced the departures of Hascoët, creative chief; Cécile Cornet, global head of HR; and Yannis Mallat, managing director of Ubisoft’s Canadian studios. “The recent allegations that have come to light in Canada against multiple employees make it impossible for him to continue in this position,” the company said in a statement about Mallat. Ubisoft remains a family business, though. The company replaced Mallat last week with Christophe Derennes, another veteran employee. Derennes is the Guillemots’ cousin, according to three employees.

    Kim Belair, a veteran narrative designer who’s worked for Ubisoft and other game companies, calls the family-run company “a specifically difficult example” of cultural issues because so many of the people at the top are so close. “The entire mindset of the company has to change,” Belair says. “These bad actors were allowed to exist in this system. We have to reevaluate this system. We have to look at why this culture exists.”

    One of Hascoët’s favorite buzzwords, according to those who worked with him, is systemic. In industry parlance, it describes a part of the gameplay with which the player can interact and experiment. Hascoët would frequently tell developers to strive for experiences that were systemic, employees say. The irony isn’t lost on current staff, who agreed to discuss issues of sexual misconduct under the condition of anonymity. As one employee puts it: “At least we did succeed in being systemic somewhere.”
    Ubisoft Sexual Misconduct Scandal: Harassment, Sexism and Abuse - Bloomberg

  14. #54 SP
    Banned Reaper's Avatar
    A new report on Ubisoft's history of internal abuse and sexism includes allegations that plans for leading female characters in multiple Assassin's Creed games were scrapped or minimised due to a perception that games won't sell without a strong male lead.
    In a wide-ranging report by Bloomberg - much of it focused on the company's executives – anonymous Ubisoft employees explain that Assassin's Creed Syndicate, Origins, and Odyssey were all affected prior to release.

    Syndicate's script reportedly originally gave equal screen time to twin leads Jacob and Evie Frye, but was altered to include more of Jacob. The original plan for Origins was to have lead character Bayek incapacitated or killed early in the game, with his wife Aya becoming the lead character after that event, but this was prevented, with Aya becoming a side character. Odyssey's team originally pushed for that game's Kassandra to be a sole lead character, but was told that wasn't an option, and were forced to institute the choice to play as her sibling, Alexios.


    Those reporting the changes explained the orders were due to directives by the marketing department or Chief Creative Officer Serge Hascoët - who has since stepped down from his role following multiple reports of sexual misconduct and abuse.

    Famously, an Assassin's Creed Unity developer once stated that playable female characters in the game weren't included because they were "really a lot of extra production work." The upcoming Assassin's Creed Valhalla includes a lead character called Eivor, who can be both male and female (and whose gender can be swapped at any time).

    Ubisoft has been rocked by ongoing allegations of a toxic work culture at many of its studios. After CEO Yves Guillemot promised to "personally follow" the reports, multiple executives have stepped down or been placed on leave. However, Bloomberg's report – which is very much worth reading in full – shows the level to which a culture of abuse and toxicity appears to have been ingrained in parts of the company, and the amount of work that needs to be done to help correct that

    Sursa:
    Multiple Assassin's Creed Games Reportedly Scrapped or Minimised Female Lead Roles Before Release

  15. #55 SP
    Manager paul's Avatar

  16. #56 SP
    Manager paul's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by USgamer
    [...] According to a statement via an Ubisoft spokesperson released today, though, the next Ubisoft Forward event will be different.

    Ubisoft's new statement acknowledges that September's event will include a message dedicated to showing its commitment to "improving the culture" of the embattled publisher.

    "The Ubisoft Forward showcase in September will be a pre-recorded show like the previous iteration in July in order to localize for multiple languages including American Sign Language (ASL)," Ubisoft tells USgamer. "There will also be a message tied to the show sharing the status of Ubisoft's commitment to improving the culture, comfort and safety of Ubisoft employees and community." [...]
    September's Ubisoft Forward Will Show "Commitment to Improving the Culture" Amid Abuse Allegations | USgamer

  17. #57 SP
    Manager paul's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Business Insider
    During a business trip to Montreal in 2016, Tommy François, one of the most senior creative minds at video game giant Ubisoft, told male and female colleagues sitting around the breakfast table that he had spent the entire night masturbating, two people present told Business Insider.

    As everyone ate eggs and muesli from the hotel buffet, he showed coworkers a video he claimed to have watched during the night, they said.

    Five current and former Ubisoft employees who have worked in the same office as François told Business Insider that he regularly judged female colleagues' looks out loud, massaged people without asking permission ("He never asked, he just did it," one woman said), and touched men's genitals in the elevator by playing a French game called "chat-bite," which would roughly translate to "****-tag."

    Many of the stories told to Business Insider echo those in an extensive report in French national newspaper Libération, published July 1.

    Maxime Beland, an editorial vice president based in Toronto, resigned on July 5 after facing multiple accusations of harassment, and allegations that he put his hands around a female colleague's neck. The allegations first emerged on social media and were reported by Kotaku. Beland has so far declined to comment on these allegations, and Ubisoft said it would continue to investigate him after his departure.

    On July 12, three of Ubisoft's most senior employees stepped down amid growing allegations of harassment at the company.

    Serge Hascoet, the company's chief creative officer, resigned. An Ubisoft HR source told Libération that Hascoet was known "for his toxicity, his misogyny, his homophobia" — he didn't respond to questions from the newspaper.

    Yannis Mallat, head of the company's Canadian operations, including its world-renowned studio in Montreal, also stepped down. Ubisoft said the "recent allegations that have come to light in Canada against multiple employees make it impossible for him to continue in this position."

    And global head of HR Cécile Cornet left her role, but remains at the company in a new position. Ubisoft said she believed stepping down "is in the best interest of the company's unity."

    Ubisoft cofounder and CEO Yves Guillemot has promised "profound changes across the company to improve and strengthen our workplace culture," and, as revealed by Business Insider, has pledged to "personally follow" each allegation. The company has brought in external investigators. And given both the tidal wave of similar allegations across the entire industry and the size of Ubisoft, which has a market cap of $8.5 billion and 18,000 employees, Guillemot's handling of his company could be a turning point in a long-standing battle against sexism in video game development.

    Some at Ubisoft remain skeptical.

    A sexist culture stretches from "top to bottom," one former editorial employee who worked for Ubisoft for four years in the 2010s said.

    She shared with Business Insider allegations that she was harassed by multiple men of varying seniority in Ubisoft's Paris office. One man badgered her about having sex with him on a near-daily basis, she said. She said he would sit next to her and ask where he fit into her calendar, and what room they would have sex in. "It was horrible," she said.

    Another man regularly greeted her with a kiss on each cheek, she said. "La bise" is a common greeting in France — but he also ran his hand from her neck to the bottom of her back as he kissed her, she said.

    She said that a third man, whom she trusted, and who still works at the company, put his hand on her leg while she was asleep on a flight. She awoke to his hand creeping up her thigh, she told Business Insider, and jumped out of her seat. That same day, she described the incident to another person who had been on the flight. That person confirmed to Business Insider they had heard the story.

    The culture spread outward from François, she said, through a tight-knit "boys' club" at Ubisoft's Editorial Creative Services (ECS) team, which comprises around 25 people, and out to other editorial staff in the Paris office. Nearly all the reports of misconduct in the Paris office stem from the editorial floor, according to the sources who spoke to us.

    When the former employee entered the office, or crossed the open-plan editorial floor, male colleagues would regularly talk about "how my hair was, how I was dressed, if it was good or not, how my body was," she said. This was confirmed by another person, who said they witnessed the behavior. She was too scared to wear high heels or certain dresses — and too scared to drink at work events, she told Business Insider.

    Two years after leaving the company, she said she is still afraid of working in an office. Several other employees told Business Insider they sought psychological help after working at the company.

    She is skeptical that getting rid of François will make a real difference — Ubisoft needs to "purge the studio" if it wants cultural change, she said. "François is one of many other men … I think it's much, much bigger. It's a male culture, and the roots are super deep."

    Multiple sources said those roots stretch across the Atlantic, too.

    Chelsea O'Hara, who worked at Ubisoft Toronto between 2016 and 2018, wrote a blog post on July 2 in which she described being groped in the back of a taxi by a coworker on the way home from an event. She told Business Insider that the incident occured in late 2017, and that she was drunk at the time, but aware of what was happening. She felt "shocked and vulnerable," she said. She did not later confront the man or report the incident to HR.

    A former colleague of O'Hara confirmed to Business Insider that she told him about the alleged assault in early 2018.

    O'Hara told Business Insider she was "super pessimistic" about the prospect of cultural change.

    "Removing a few directors — that's just PR," she said. "You are going to have to upend the entire foundation of that company."

    Both O'Hara and the former Paris employee were critical of Ubisoft's HR department.

    Each Ubisoft studio has dedicated senior HR staff, and each project or game is assigned at least one HR rep. The former Paris employee said she could talk to neither HR nor her manager, because she felt both would protect the men who harassed her. She did not report the incidents described above to HR.

    "The boys' club was protected by Tommy," she said, adding François was himself protected by other senior staff.

    O'Hara said people in HR had protected male colleagues, which is why she did not report instances of harassment and assault to the company. She also told Business Insider she "already had to carry the trauma," and did not wish to relive it. "Unless they get rid of HR leaders, directors, people that covered up … they are not going to be able to see real change."

    A third woman, who still works at the company, said she complained to HR about a manager who had commented on the clothes she wore, and discussed the appearance of other women.

    The manager also pitted her professionally against other employees and told her she couldn't be friends with certain colleagues, she said — it got to the point that she "couldn't stand going to work."

    Her HR rep seemed, at first, incredibly helpful, but later she was told not to make "too much of a fuss," she said.

    Employees were encouraged not to discuss their issues with one another, she added.

    Other current and former employees told Business Insider that complaints to HR about alleged harassment and toxicity resulted in no action. In a mail to staff on July 12, CEO Guillemot said the company needed to "strengthen our HR function, restructure it further and adapt to the new challenges of our industry."

    Official guidance could be part of the problem.

    An Ubisoft HR document from 2019, distributed to employees in Canada and reviewed by Business Insider, said that the first response to sexual harassment should be to talk to the harasser, rather than to a manager or HR.

    Anyone who witnesses harassment against a colleague should "discuss the matter directly with the people involved," it said. It only recommends reporting the incident to a manager, or to HR, if the harassment "persists."

    The guidance also describes a scenario in which an employee gets "recurring jokes about my outfit from the team I work with. At first they made me laugh, but now they are slipping into sexist remarks and I'm starting to feel uncomfortable. What can I do?" The recommended course of action is to talk to the people making the comments "so everyone understands and respects your discomfort." Employees should speak to their manager or HR if they are "not comfortable talking to the team directly."

    "Sexist jokes are not tolerated at Ubisoft," it said.

    Employees were asked to sign a package of HR guidance on anti-corruption, racism, and harassment that contained the document. One former employee, who worked in an Ubisoft Canada office for several years and said she had been "humiliated" by sexual jokes during a meeting, told Business Insider she refused to sign. "I didn't, because I actually read it," she said.

    She called the departure of people like Hascoet a "great start, but only a start." A former designer, who worked at the company in Paris for a decade, said Hascoet's resignation showed that nobody is "untouchable," but he feared "nothing will change in the long run."

    "Now Ubisoft needs to do a profound change to its systems, not just remove a few visible figures. Can they do it? I don't know. Habits die hard," he said.

    The most optimistic member of staff Business Insider spoke to, a current employee, said the departure of Francois and Hascoet would solve "most of the toxic behaviours within the editorial" team and "send a global message about how to treat such incidents in the future, i.e. nobody is untouchable."

    But even she wondered how the company "will deal with current and past complaints. If the effort stops here, it would be a shame."

    Part of that effort will include hiring women in newly created senior roles, according to a source currently at the company, who wished to remain anonymous.

    The tight-knit group of editorial vice presidents — who control the creative direction of the company's games, and which previously included Maxime Beland — will grow from five to at least eight, and the shortlist for the roles is dominated by women, both from inside and outside the company, the source said. "I guarantee you there will not be a single white man in those three hires."

    Much of the responsibility for change, including new hires, will fall on the CEO's shoulders.

    But out of the dozen current and former employees Business Insider interviewed for this piece, many could not believe Yves Guillemot, who founded the company with his brothers in 1986, was oblivious to the toxic culture growing beneath him over three decades.

    "In my 10 years in Ubisoft I have come to really like Yves … but he's too nice and loyal with people who have been there since the beginning, and overlooks a lot of nasty things as a result," the former Paris designer said.

    If Guillemot is fully on board, he will need to convince other senior staff.

    One current editorial vice president said in a recent Facebook post, seen by Business Insider, that he was "enraged" by the recent Liberation article containing allegations of harassment — not, apparently, by the alleged actions of his colleagues, but by the framing of the article itself. "I have a pretty good grasp of the reality and the abject manipulation of the reality to garner clicks makes me want to vomit," he wrote in a post on Facebook in French.

    When contacted by Business Insider, he asked that his name not be published. He said he "might not" have known every detail about the case when he published the post, but did not express remorse at posting it.

    Ubisoft declined to comment for this article, instead directing Business Insider to recent public statements. In the most recent, Yves Guillemot admitted that "Ubisoft has fallen short in its obligation to guarantee a safe and inclusive workplace environment for its employees." The "toxic" behavior at the company is "in direct contrast to values on which I have never compromised — and never will. I am committed to implementing profound changes across the company to improve and strengthen our workplace culture," he said.

    It may take more than new hires and promises from Guillemot to change the culture at Ubisoft — and convince women that they are safe at the company.

    Another former designer, who worked at Ubisoft's Montreal office for several years in the mid-2000s and made multiple complaints about male colleagues' behavior to HR at the time, compared the recent departures of Hascoet and Mallat to the executions of two French monarchs in 1793. It was six years from their beheadings at the Place de la Concorde, 8km from Ubisoft's Paris headquarters, to the end of the French Revolution. Changing Ubisoft may take just as long, she said.

    Ubisoft has "chopped off Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette's heads," she said. "Of course they're the root, but the next two layers ... I don't even know what they'll do with that problem."
    Ubisoft faces new allegations of sexual harassment and 'toxic' culture - Business Insider

  18. #58 SP
    Manager paul's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by GamesIndustry.biz
    Tommy François has left Ubisoft

    Exec was placed on disciplinary leave pending an investigation into harassment and abuse at the publisher

    Tommy François has left Ubisoft amid allegations of misconduct, harassment and abuse.

    The publisher has confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz in an email statement that François, who served as VP for editorial and creative services, has "left the company, effective immediately."

    No further details were given, but François had been placed on disciplinary leave pending the results of an investigation into sexual harassment and abuse at the company.

    The news first emerged via Business Insider's Samuel Horti, who tweeted yesterday claiming to have seen an internal email from Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot informing staff of the departure.

    According to Horti, the email confirms other investigations are still ongoing at Ubisoft.

    François was one of the earliest to be named among those placed on leave while Ubisoft investigated these claims. He is the latest exec to leave the company amid waves of similar allegations.

    Vice president of editorial Maxime Béland resigned following accusations, and PR director Stone Chin was fired.

    Chief creative officer Serge Hascöet stepped down, as did managing director of Canadian studios Yannis Mallat and global head of HR Cécile Cornet.

    An unnamed member of staff from Ubisoft Toronto has also been terminated.

    Ubisoft faces multiple allegations of abuse and misconduct, particularly the mistreatment of women, as do other companies across the industry.

    Guillemot has pledged to make internal changes at the company, including another restructuring of the editorial team, the appointment of a head of workplace culture, and the search for a head of diversity and inclusion.

    French union Solidaires Informatique is currently preparing a collective lawsuit against the publisher.
    Tommy François has left Ubisoft | GamesIndustry.biz

  19. #59 SP
    Manager paul's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Bloomberg News
    Ubisoft Entertainment SA has dismissed the creative director of the newest Assassin’s Creed game, the latest result of a MeToo reckoning at the French video game publisher that has been swirling for two months.

    Ashraf Ismail, the director of this fall’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, was accused by a fan in June of lying about his marital status in order to have a relationship with her. Shortly afterward, Ismail wrote on Twitter that he had stepped down from his role, adding that he was “deeply sorry to everyone hurt in this,” but he remained an Ubisoft employee. The publisher informed staff this week that he was dismissed.

    “As a result of investigations, Ashraf Ismail has been dismissed from Ubisoft and is no longer an employee,” an Ubisoft spokesman confirmed to Bloomberg. Ismail didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

    In late June, dozens of people, mostly women, spoke out on social media about their experiences facing sexual harassment and assault in the video game and streaming industries. Many of those accusations centered on Ubisoft, which has since faced scrutiny for what many described as a “boys’ club” culture. Chief Executive Officer Yves Guillemot has promised big changes. In interviews with Businessweek, more than three dozen current and former Ubisoft employees painted the picture of a company that had been aware of many of these allegations for years.

    Since the allegations emerged, Ubisoft has also parted ways with top executives Tommy François and Maxime Béland as well as several other employees in lower positions. Last month, the company pushed out Chief Creative Officer Serge Hascoët, one of the most powerful people at Ubisoft.

    Ismail spent 11 years at Ubisoft in Montreal and also directed two previous Assassin’s Creed games, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag in 2013 and Assassin’s Creed Origins in 2017.
    Ubisoft Fires Assassin’s Creed Director After Misconduct Claims - Bloomberg
    Quote Originally Posted by Gamasutra
    Over the past several weeks dozens of current and former Ubisoft employees have come forward with allegations of abuse, harassment, and misconduct that suggest the publisher has spent years building its workplace culture on a bedrock of toxicity and deniability.

    High-ranking execs like chief creative officer Serge Hascoet, vice presidents of editorial Maxime Beland and Tommy Francois, and Assassin's Creed Valhalla director Ashraf Ismail were all accused of misconduct, and while they're far from the only names implicated, their status and longevity within Ubisoft highlights the sheer scale of the issue facing the French company.

    These revelations and allegations are significant. They indicate Ubisoft is facing an endemic culture crisis that at best stems from years of ignorance, or at worst has been actively cultivated by those in charge at various levels throughout the company.

    As the outpouring of allegations continued, multiple anonymous sources told Gamasutra how Ubisoft is run like a "mafia," where abusive family members are protected at the expense of their victims. One current staffer, who asked to remain anonymous, said the issue runs "deeper and wider" than those public allegations indicated, and suggested Ubisoft isn't committed to driving meaningful change, but rather creating a "false culture of growth and transparency."

    Following that initial report, we spoke with more than a dozen former and current Ubisoft employees who wished to share their experiences at the studio. What I heard reinforced what others were saying in public and behind closed doors. Harassment, homophobia, sexism, racism, bullying, and manipulation are rampant within Ubisoft studios around the world. Those I chatted with have spent varying lengths of time at Ubisoft Singapore, Ubisoft Montreal, and Ubisoft Quebec, but their stories were similar, as were the names they shared.

    Punching down

    Ubisoft Quebec is best known for its work on the Assassin's Creed franchise, having led development on both Syndicate and Odyssey over the past decade. I'm told, however, that its successes often come in spite of the inept and abusive management that reigns unchecked at the Canadian studio.

    I've spent the past few weeks speaking at length with seven former and current Quebec employees, all of whom have asked to remain anonymous out of fear of reprisal, who explained the studio is "hostile" and "plagued by toxic and abusive people." They told me how one of the biggest offenders at Quebec is Assassin's Creed Odyssey creative director Jonathan Dumont. According to multiple sources, Dumont is an abusive and controlling figure who in many ways embodies many of the problems currently facing Ubisoft.

    They claimed Dumont often uses his physical presence to intimidate people by slamming doors, punching walls, or throwing objects, and has verbally abused staff members -- reducing some to tears -- using offensive terms and homophobic slurs. He allegedly also targets women, telling them how to dress or when to smile.

    "He is very narcissistic and overall a major bully," said one source. "[He] pushes people to the edge of their mental health regularly, and tries to justify his behavior by saying 'this is how you get things done.' [He makes] various misogynistic and homophobic comments, and when he's called out on them will come out with defenses like 'my mother left my father when she realized she was ​a lesbian, so I know what I am talking about.'"

    Dumont's behavior was an open secret, according to our sources. People complained about his combustive style, but management never offered a concrete solution beyond forcing him to apologize or telling him not to interact with the writing staff directly. Dumont might've been the perpetrator, but Ubisoft management were complicit.

    Gods & Monsters quest director Hugo Giard allegedly "shares the same pattern of behavior” as Dumont, a source said. He's depicted as an abusive figure by those who've worked with him. A bully who according to one source has "torn people apart" without reason, and someone who specifically targets women and new hires.

    "He also likes to make people cry during meetings, especially women. I can't even count the number of people who left the studio because they couldn't stand working with him any more, from junior and senior positions. No one was spared, and he keeps on being empowered despite this,” said one source. "Jo Dumont and Hugo Giard are both bullies who did not care about any of the employees who worked with them and promoted a culture of fear. The list of people who left because of them is frightening," added another.

    Stephane Mehay, an associate producer at Ubisoft Quebec, is also accused of being manipulative and verbally abusing colleagues. Multiple sources claim they have either witnessed his aggressive behavior or experienced it first-hand. "He's a bully that likes to insult people and push them to the edge," said one source, who added that Mehay will accuse those who struggle with the pressure he puts on them of being "not easy to work with."

    Another source tells me how Mehay refuses to speak English to intentionally exclude people, and will even insult his colleagues in French. "Outside of Dumont, I'd say Stephane was probably the main reason why people left," they claim. "He refused to speak in English to intentionally exclude people from conversations, and while speaking in French -- assuming English speakers didn't understand -- would insult the people in the room with us."

    'Subtle manipulation'

    Marc-Alexis Cote, an executive producer and former creative director at Quebec, is called out on a number of occasions for knowingly enabling that toxicity. While some sources claimed Cote, who's been a senior figure within Quebec for the best part of a decade, treated them well on a personal level, most agreed he knew of the abuse being dished out by senior colleagues and did nothing.

    "I always felt like he had my back, but knew he'd never actually step up himself," explained one source. "He knew a lot of what was happening with Jonathan [Dumont] and Hugo [Giard]," added another, "but the work was still getting done and when you're a studio of close to 500 staffers, a few disgruntled people leaving doesn't really matter to them."

    Others, however, alleged that Cote was particularly adept at navigating the political landscape within the studio, and would use "more subtle manipulation" to keep Quebec ticking over while advancing his own career. I'm informed that one of his favorite tactics was to make employees compete with each other by promising them the same things, or constantly alternating between "hot and cold" -- praising his colleagues one day before insulting them the next.

    "He is narcissistic and extremely manipulative, and has absolutely no care for the health of employees or the studio itself as long as he can keep climbing the ranks," said another source. "He is the one that will empower, legitimize, and even protect the other toxic people in the studio." It's an allegation that tallies with other testimonies, with someone else claiming that Cote has a "direct line to Yves [Guillemot] and [now departed Ubisoft CCO] Serge [Hascoet]" that allows him to protect himself and other creatives with well known toxic behaviors. "Marc-Alexis Cote basically decides who lives or dies at the studio," they add. "His motto 'whatever it takes' says it all."

    Sources indicated this behavior is representative of the broader culture at Ubisoft Quebec, describing a studio dominated by internal politics, bullying, and nepotism that actively rewards those who fit the Ubisoft "alpha" mold. That those in power regularly intimidate, harass, and grind down their colleagues is an open secret, and it’s one Ubisoft refuses to address, they said.

    "I think Ubisoft has a culture of allowing creative directors to be aggressive and dominant and they encourage it from editorial. They always chose large, loud, alpha male figures to lead projects and so they saw the bullying and harassment as part of the job," another source told me. "I always found Ubisoft had a hard time firing anyone. They really didn't want to do it. I've worked at places where people being rude, or aggressive, or even too strongly opinionated would get you fired, but Ubisoft would just let people coast unless they did something really publicly bad."

    With the publisher allegedly intent on turning a blind eye, it’s left to those in the trenches to address the glaring issue facing the company, but how can they when the system is rigged against them? Those who do push back are often shot down by their managers and HR, with one source claiming they were subjected to a personality test and chastised for not being a "team player," because they attempted to negotiate their salary.

    A global issue

    The problems facing Quebec aren't unique. Others with experience working at Ubisoft Singapore came forward with strikingly similar allegations. Sexism, racial insensitivity, harassment, and abuse are allegedly a regular occurrence within the Singapore office, where many of the perpetrators and enablers are people in power.

    One person claimed they began experiencing sexual harassment almost immediately upon joining Singapore, with co-workers telling them to "show more career line" -- a phrase that suggests they should show more of their body -- if they wanted a raise and making other comments about their appearance. Another spoke of a "bro culture" that permeates the office, which encouraged "derogatory talk or behavior towards some women," and explained that "racist views were openly discussed in the studio during a normal working day."

    For instance, a "huge, almost life size" diagram depicting how slaves were transported to the Americas was allegedly a mainstay in the Singapore office despite staff members raising their objections. They were told it was a "decorative" piece that corresponded to the project at the time. It reportedly remained in place for at least a year.

    That culture of "fear and oppression" was once again propagated by those running the show, sources said. Ubisoft Singapore managing director Hugues Ricour was accused by multiple sources of sexual harassment. According to them, Ricour would regularly target women, making suggestive and inappropriate comments about their clothing during office hours, or encouraging them to kiss him at work events. I'm told those involved in these incidents were visibly uncomfortable, but that Ricour's unprofessional and harmful behavior persisted nonetheless. Those who questioned his actions claimed Ricour retaliated by using his influence to make their work life miserable, and while a formal harassment complaint was never filed against the managing director, HR were reportedly aware of the issue.

    Justin Farren, who was formerly creative director on Skull & Bones at Ubisoft Singapore but has now moved to Wargaming, was also called out for allegedly bragging on the studio floor that he only "****s Asian girls" and "never dates white girls." We're told his behavior was reported to management after upsetting an employee who overheard those remarks, but that nothing was done.

    Another senior staffer, Jordi Woudstra, who worked as Ubisoft Singapore's marketing product manager before moving to the Discovery Channel in January 2020, was also allegedly a problem. Multiple sources claim that Woudstra inappropriately touched at least one woman employee, despite them firmly telling him 'no.' He allegedly received multiple warnings from HR, which eventually resulted in him being moved to another building and the implementation of a new harassment reporting system. Woudstra, however, was allowed to keep his job until eventually departing of his own accord.

    Elsewhere, one former Ubisoft Montreal employee told me how they were sexually harassed by two colleagues. They reported the abuse to HR, but again, nothing was done. Shortly after coming forward they were dismissed for not being a good fit, despite having passed their performance review weeks prior. They were also offered a settlement [pictured here] that would prevent them from injuring Ubisoft's reputation. They declined what they describe as "hush money" and departed the company. The two men accused of sexual harassment still work at Ubisoft Montreal today.

    Those I spoke with at Quebec, Montreal, and Singapore explained how HR and management would often push the blame back onto the accusers, asking why they didn't do more to stop the situation. "When I reported [sexual harassment], I was told that my body language wasn't strong enough when I said 'don't touch me,' or that maybe I need to 'stay away from these situations,'" recalled one source.

    Another suggested there was "a complete and utter lack of support from HR, to say nothing of broken trust," and claimed those working in HR would actively spread gossip and rumor. "There was no proper infrastructure for reporting, let alone dealing with cases of sexual assault, harassment, misconduct, or other abuse in the office," they continued. "When critiqued about the lack of official support, they went as far as saying they didn't have anything in place because that would 'imply we needed it,' and that it would reflect badly on them."

    Complicity and denial

    Publicly, Ubisoft has been making the right noises. It recently unveiled a five point plan to address its broken culture that includes allowing independent external consultants to investigate allegations and deploying a confidential third-party platform where employees can report abuse. It has also pledged to review and reorganize the editorial department, transform its HR processes to "better prevent, detect, and sanction inappropriate behavior," and appointed a head of workplace culture alongside a new head of diversity and inclusion. Both of those new hires will report directly to company CEO Yves Guillemot, who's released a number of sympathetic statements promising more action.

    When pressed on how this could happen under his watch during a recent investor Q&A, Guillemot, whose corporate representatives have twice declined an interview with Gamasutra, insisted the company has always acted on allegations of abuse. "Each time we've been made aware of misconduct, we made tough decisions," he said. "It has now become clear that certain individuals betrayed the trust I placed in them and didn't adhere to Ubisoft's shared values. So I have never compromised on my core values and ethics, and I never will."

    One source, however, suggested that isn't entirely accurate. A former Ubisoft senior leader told me that Guillemot and his direct team stopped them from ousting an abusive member of staff because they were "talented" and bringing more value to the company than causing collateral damage. When they explained to Ubisoft leadership that such a model was unsustainable, their comments were ignored. I’m also told that, as well as being protected by those in charge, that an abusive member of staff was even rewarded with a substantial amount of company stock.

    While it's possible Guillemot didn't know the full extent of the allegations, it's a claim that suggests the long-serving CEO was on at least one occasion willing to place other workers in the firing line to protect Ubisoft talent.

    The fresh allegations against key employees within Quebec, Singapore, and Montreal also cast doubt on Guillemot's assertions that Ubisoft has "made tough decisions" each time it's been made aware of misconduct. Although it would be unfair to suggest Guillemot should have personally dealt with every instance of abuse within the company, the buck ultimately stops with him.

    "Change should start with a personal apology from the CEO of the company as he needs to take responsibility for this. I have seen no mea culpa, simply blaming others is not a sign of real intent for change," explained that former Ubisoft leader.

    "Most serious cases would have reached the Ubisoft leadership team and Yves. It is his company," they said. "Toxic behavior was not encouraged, but not acting decisively only makes the problem bigger and worse over time. I feel bad for HR leadership being blamed publicly as well as some of the studio leaders who tried so hard to fight this system, and create positive change. The reality is they had their hands tied and did what they were told to do. You accept this is how it works or you leave."

    Time for a reboot

    Another Ubisoft worker I spoke with for our previous report implored me not to lose sight of the bigger picture, and now that image has become even clearer. My conversations with current and former staffers over the past month suggest Ubisoft must do more to forge a brighter future for its employees, and it feels like crunch time for those at the very top, including Guillemot.

    It's not the job of victims and accusers -- those who've already left the company and others who continue to suffer in silence -- to start the healing process. That responsibility falls firmly on those in power. Ubisoft must welcome the mighty challenge of rebooting its culture, and it must do so immediately. It won't happen overnight, but as long as there are still abusers and bullies operating with impunity, a permanent culture shift appears unlikely.

    Speaking to me about how the company can rise from the ashes of toxicity, Ubisoft Quebec's former director of narrative design Jill Murray said the process has to be painstakingly comprehensive, leaving no stone unturned. Perhaps more importantly, however, the rebuild must be transparent. Ubisoft must be willing to openly identify and address its own shortcomings, and ensure nobody -- no matter their status within the Ubisoft family -- is ever again beyond reproach.

    "Real change at Ubisoft has to happen from the ground up and the top down, and it needs to be transparent. Empower employees. Remove business-as-usual executives. Yves Guillemot can't pretend to want change, while installing his cousin [Christophe Derennes] as CEO in Montreal," said Murray.

    "To be transparent, don't hire union-busting law-firms like Relais to handle external investigations. Don't make abuse reporters sign confidentiality agreements. Get serious about finding out what the deeper problems are. Many critics and former employees are able to give them important information. Invite them in. Pay them for their service if they're still hopeful and willing to help."

    Ubisoft and those named in this report declined to comment on these new allegations, although the publisher again reiterated that it will take each claim seriously. "We won’t comment on individual employees. We take any allegations of abuse or harassment very seriously, and each of them will be promptly and thoroughly investigated," said a company spokesperson when notified of our investigation. "Swift, appropriate action will be taken based on the outcomes of these investigations."
    Gamasutra - New allegations show the cycle of abuse and misconduct runs deep at Ubisoft

  20. #60 SP
    Manager paul's Avatar
    Articolul e lung, nu pot sa-l pun pe tot. E un rezumat cu ce s-a intamplat pana acum plus informatiile celor de la Kotaku:
    Quote Originally Posted by Kotaku
    At the start of the summer, as the world roiled from multiple crises, something unusual and essential happened in video games. It started with a Tweet, then another, one by one as people—mostly women—began speaking out regarding sexual harassment, abuse, and other misconduct at Ubisoft.

    Testimonials followed, then reporting in English and French, the native language of the Paris-headquartered publisher of some of the biggest video game franchises of all time. The accounts of misconduct stretched back for years, spanned the company’s studios around the globe, and reached its highest levels of power.

    “So many of us have been waiting for this moment to happen for years,” a former Ubisoft developer recently told Kotaku, as we spoke to developers and others affected by Ubisoft about what these last seven weeks have amounted to.

    “The floodgates started to open once at least one person stepped up and said, ‘Hey, I have a problem with this person, and this person works for Ubisoft,” the source recalled. “Then a lot of people felt safer to speak up.”

    What followed then were condemnations, resignations and vows to do better. Heads rolled. Or at least some of them did.
    Ubisoft's #MeToo Reckoning, Two Months Later

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