ArenaNet: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 05:12, 11 December 2022

Revision as of 20:50, 5 February 2023

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On July 5, 2018, founder [[Mike O'Brien (game developer)|Mike O'Brien]] announced that two game developers, [[Jessica Price]] and Peter Fries, had been fired from the company for "[failing] to uphold [their] standards of communicating with players" by attacking community members on Twitter.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/comment/586426#Comment_586426 |title=GW 2 Devs/Playerbase Twitter Discussion |work=Guild Wars 2 Forums |access-date=July 25, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> The decision to fire the developers led to a mixed reaction from fans and others inside the industry.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/6/17541318/guild-wars-arenanet-jessica-price-peter-fries-fired-reddit |title=Guild Wars studio fires two employees after clash with streamer |work=The Verge |access-date=July 25, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Polygon">{{Cite news |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/7/9/17549492/arenanet-jessica-price-guild-wars-2-writer-fired |title=ArenaNet 'folded like a cheap card table,' says fired Guild Wars 2 writer |work=Polygon |access-date=July 25, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/krishrach/people-are-uninstalling-this-game-after-it-fired-a-woman |title=People Are Uninstalling This Game After It Fired A Woman Developer |website=BuzzFeed News |language=en |access-date=July 2, 2019}}</ref> O'Brien stood by the decision to release the two developers, citing that their actions had occurred when they were representing themselves and their opinions as the opinions of the company, and that alienating customers was unacceptable, thus necessitating termination of their employment, though he considered the firing to be 'regrettable' due to the fact that both had made favorable contributions to the company.<ref name="Polygon"/>

Nathan Grayson, for ''[[Kotaku]]'', and Megan Farokhmanesh, for ''[[The Verge]]'', reported that there was an uptick in online harassment of female developers after Price's firing and that backlash to Price originated in [[Gamergate controversy|Gamergate]] forums.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://kotaku.com/in-the-wake-of-arenanet-firings-game-studios-rethink-t-1827591298 |title=The ArenaNet Catastrophe Has The Whole Game Industry Rethinking Harassment Policies |last=Grayson |first=Nathan |website=Kotaku |language=en-US |access-date=July 2, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/female-game-developers-report-new-wave-of-harassment-following-arenanet-firings |title=Female game developers report new wave of harassment following ArenaNet firings |last=Ennis |first=Tricia |date=July 12, 2018 |website=SYFY WIRE |language=en |access-date=July 22, 2019}}</ref> Farokhmanesh, wrote that "ArenaNet’s swift action to fire both Price and Fries sends a disturbing message to its fans, and especially its most toxic ones: that their power is directly correlated to how loud they yell. It’s a worrying precedent for anyone interested in working for ArenaNet, but especially those in marginalized communities that are more likely to face blowback and harassment from the worst parts of its fanbase".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/6/17541318/guild-wars-arenanet-jessica-price-peter-fries-fired-reddit |title=Guild Wars studio fires two employees after clash with streamer |last=Farokhmanesh |first=Megan |date=July 6, 2018 |website=The Verge |access-date=July 2, 2019}}</ref>

Both ''[[PC Gamer]]'' and ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' included this event on their respective 2018 gaming controversies lists.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-biggest-pc-gaming-controversies-of-2018/ |title=The biggest PC gaming controversies of 2018 |last=Messner |first=Steven |date=December 31, 2018 |website=PC Gamer |language=en-US |access-date=July 2, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/12/28/18158115/game-industry-mistakes-riot-rockstar-arenanet |title=The year in gaming controversies |last=Campbell |first=Colin |date=December 28, 2018 |website=Polygon |access-date=July 2, 2019}}</ref>