Contract Game Tester Fired Over VentureBeat Interview, Snaps In A Z-Formation
It doesn't take a brain surgeon to know that speaking poorly of your employer will get you in hot water. Speaking publicly, now that will get you fired, possibly sued, and is generally what is known as a "bad move". Game tester Robert Delaware learned this first hand after speaking (without permission) to video game publication VentureBeat.
Delaware was the only named Microsoft employee in the article talking about the rampant Red Ring of Death problems circulating around the launch of the Xbox 360. It is fairly common knowledge that if you own a launch console, it is highly likely that you will experience catastrophic system failure at some point. I can think of at least 4 of our writers who have experienced some issue that could only be resolved with the replacement of the console itself. Sadly, this doesn't come from sound engineering.
Robert Delaware was the only named Microsoft worker (a contract employee) who talked -- without permission -- to VentureBeat for our story last week on the Xbox 360 defects. Microsoft had him fired on Wednesday. Delaware worked as a game tester at Microsoft but was employed by the temp agency Excell Data. He reported directly to a Microsoft manager, who told him he was being let go because of the VentureBeat article.
He is the unfortunate side effect of not remaining anonymous. It is at least good to know that he knew this was a potential side effect of his actions. The biggest problem is that once you break an NDA and it is published across the states, it's much more difficult to find a new job.
"I don't regret it, I'll fight it. If they want to come after me, bring it on."
Honestly, I don't know who to agree with on this. Delaware was performing a public service speaking out against apparent big business walking over the little guy, but he did break a legally agreement. My advice is, take a page from deep throat.
Microsoft fires game test contractor who talked to VentureBeat [VentureBeat]
[via GamePolitics]
Asterick
Posted to Video Games on 15 September 2008
· Comments (5)
Other stuff like this: deep throat, fired, interview gone bad, microsoft, nda, rrod, venturebeat
While it's nice to hear the inside scoop, I think we were all pretty much aware that Microsoft messed up on this, even if they wouldn't admit it.
And the golden rule of QA is DO NOT BREAK THE NDA. Not if you want to keep your job.
This is why we need more "Whistle blower" protection laws.
You do have to admit the story of Xbox 360 hardware problems is pretty interesting. Microsoft really seemed to screw up the development of the thing, and they never seemed to improve on it....
I just had my second 360 break down a couple weeks ago, now I have to send it in.
N'Gai Croal over at Newsweek had an interesting article from the Summer of 2007 about Xbox 360 hardware defects. He basically called for all out honesty and an explanation of what went wrong with the 360...
It's an interesting read:
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/archive/2007/07/10/why-microsoft-must-be-more-forthcoming-about-xbox-360-flaws-or-initiate-a-recall.aspx
Could not help but notice that there isn't a link back to the original article:
http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/05/xbox-360-defects-an-inside-history-of-microsofts-video-game-console-woes/
This was Dean Takahashi's article from September 5th, 2008 called, "Xbox 360 defects: an inside history of Microsoft's video game console woes".
It's a pretty interesting read, and has a lot more to do with where Microsoft is going as opposed to simply the story of what went wrong with the Xbox 360.
After you read Takahashi's article, you should read this interview with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer:
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10621083?nclick_check=1
It's almost as if Ballmer is answering some of the questions brought up in Takahashi's article....