Activision Blizzard will "not be part" of next week's annual Game Awards broadcast beyond its nominations, award host and creator Geoff Keighley said in a Twitter thread Friday night.
Keighley's post comes after a more non-committal statement on Activision's participation published in The Washington Post Friday morning. "We want to support employees and developers" Keighley told the Post before adding "we have to think very carefully about how to proceed here."
That statement drew widespread condemnation among industry members and watchers on social media in light of ongoing lawsuits and investigations surrounding widespread reports of employee harassment and gender inequity issues.Activision's Call of Duty: Warzone will still have a place in the awards, owing to its nomination for "Best Ongoing Game" and "Best Esports Game." But more than the presentation of actual awards, The Game Awards has risen to prominence in recent years as an annual holiday-season opportunity for publishers to promote trailers and footage of new and upcoming games to an audience of millions.
Activision won't take place in that kind of paid promotion this year, Keighley said on Twitter. "The Game Awards is a time of celebration for this industry, the biggest form of entertainment in the world," Keighley wrote. "I also realize we have a big platform which can accelerate and inspire change. We are committed to that, but we all need to work together to build a better and a more inclusive environment so everyone feels safe to build the world’s best games. All of us are accountable to this standard."
It's currently unclear whether Activision's reduced presence at the show represents a significant change from previous plans. Keighley previously told the Post that the recently delayed Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 would not be shown at this year's show. But the Post also characterized Keighley's earlier position on Activision's potential participation by saying he "supported people coming forward with their stories but also didn’t want to diminish developers’ opportunities to spotlight their games." Keighley was not immediately available to respond to a request for comment.
Rob Kostich, the president of Activision Blizzard, serves on the Advisory Board for The Game Awards alongside many other major game publishers and executives. There's been no public indication of any change in that relationship.
Back in 2015, amid an employment dispute between Konami and Metal Gear Solid auteur Hideo Kojima, Keighley used his Game Awards stage to publicly criticize Konami for not allowing Kojima to come to the show to accept his awards. "[Kojima] is still under an employment contract, and it's disappointing," Keighley said. "It's inconceivable to me that an artist like Hideo would not be allowed to come here and celebrate with his peers, his fellow teammates, for such an incredible game as MGS V. That's the situation we're in." Article From & Read More ( Activision Blizzard “will not be a part” of this year’s Game Awards show - Ars Technica )https://ift.tt/3pldJD6
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