The Wall Street Journal published a lengthy report last week that included claims that longtime Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick knew about sexual harassment allegations from female employees at the company for years, intentionally withholding this information from the company’s board of directors according to the report.
Following this explosive report, both PlayStation and Microsoft sent out internal emails to staff condemning Activision Blizzard’s actions. And according to a fanbyte report from earlier today, Nintendo has also addressed the report internally.
In the report, which cites an internal response fanbyte received from one of its sources, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser called the accounts from the WSJ report “distressing and disturbing.”
“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,” Bowser said in an email sent out to Nintendo of America staff members of Friday, Nov. 19. “I find these accounts distressing and disturbing. They run counter to my values as well as Nintendo’s beliefs, values, and policies.”
“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,” Bowser said.
Nintendo has reportedly been in contact with Activision Blizzard. Nintendo also last week began working with the ESA “to strengthen stances on harassment and abuse in the workplace” and called for the lobbying organization, of which both Nintendo and Activision are a part, to hold its members to the highest standard.
