PS3 Developer Fired For Comments

Next Generation reports on the unfortunate fallout from one PS3 developer's unflattering comments. Early in January, a developer made comments on his feelings regarding the Xbox 360 and its power/design ease vs. the PS3. Thanks to widespread internet reaction, he has been fired from his development position. From the article: "I can't believe how out of control everything got ... It's absolutely absurd how the Internet can take something relatively harmless and turn it into something so insane... Did I knowingly break NDA? I absolutely did not. I would never do that and I would never want to hurt Sony Online. Did I dance in the grey area by even opening my mouth? Yes I did and I was fired for it. So I guess the new rule for me is, don't ever say anything at all about anything. Ever...ever."

"I work for for "Big Company USA...

...and I think our product is a pain to use"

Just what the hell was he expecting would happen? They'd give him a reward for breaking ranks and giving his subjective views about Sony's PS3?

Good luck finding a new job Asshat.

Re:"I work for for "Big Company USA...

He very clearly stated that he does not like, and is not committed to his (formerly) current project. He also clearly stated that he dislikes the platform he's working on, as well as stating that he thinks the competitor's platform is better.

I would have let this guy go even for stating these opinions privatly. He obviously really does not want to work for Sony. This guy didn't get fired, he quit.

Re:"I work for for "Big Company USA...

In many ways it seems like Sony is becoming the new Microsoft, just as Microsoft replaced IBM as the Big Bad. With the shift in software distribution (internet making it easy to distribute and collaborate on free and open software like Linux) Microsoft's role of "evil" has become nearly moot, much like IBM's hold fell with open commodity architecture.

At the same time, a new issue has emerged, digital rights, an arena where Sony (a giant corporation representing the MPAA *and* RIAA) is the devil figure (rootkit CDs, locked out storage formats, and the upcoming Blu-ray ultra restrictive DRM).

Much as IBM, for it's own financial convience, became a "good guy" by supporting Linux and open source, Microsoft may make a similar transformation: They split with Sony over Blu-ray because they demanded that the next DVD format allow consumers to use media they had purchased the way they wanted to (i.e. store on a Microsoft powered media center). Microsoft's position of having no interest in content (Sony) or hardware (Apple) makes it to their financial benefit to demand both sides provide a positive experience for consumers (since Microsoft will have Windows something running in the middle).

Even Microsoft's own DRM lends to this: It isn't tied to a single music store or mp3 player, and it isn't fixed in what it controls - companies protecting content can choose how restrictive it should be, resulting in open competition for consumers without fractured standards - if consumers don't like the restrictions placed on them by music store A, they can just go to music store B and get the same music, that will play on the same mp3 player, but with less restrictions. Instead of consumers being held hostage to a set of DRM demands, it's the content sellers that have to compete for the sweet spot between protecting the content and giving the user fare use of what they've purchased.

does the word OOOPPPSSS come to mind?

in any corporate environment we must all learn to keep our mouths shut. i have lost more than one job for having the "wrong opinion, political view, etc".

Who didn't see that coming?

I mean, seriously, the biggest surprise is that it has taken so long.

what's the problem

So I guess the new rule for me is, don't ever say anything at all about anything. Ever...ever.

He acts likes it a threat, but I bet no one really cares if he ever talks again.

Welcome to the Real World

So I guess the new rule for me is, don't ever say anything at all about anything. Ever...ever.

Seriously, welcome to the Real World. In college, perhaps, you were encouraged to speak your mind and be free like a little birdie. Big difference: you *paid* to go to college. Within limits, you could do what you want. Things are different when you're the one receiving the money. Within limits, you have to do what *they* want.

Or to misapply the meme: In college, you owned a Sony. In Corporate [America|Japan], SONY own YOU!

He's surprised about this?

Who would have expected that an employee of a company who goes out of his way to publicly badmouth his company's products would be fired? I was expecting Sony to give him a bonus for all the extra sales he's going to bring in.

I'm guessing this is what got him fired

Now in my opinion it doesn't matter how good the PS3 is. If the XBOX 360 is better, then it doesn't really matter how the cell processors work or how good they say it is. Realistically one of them will be better over all. Now I've spoken with people who are on the technical side of the PS3. I've also talked with people on the technical side of the XBOX 360. The consistent comment I am hearing from people on my end is, "The XBOX 360 is better". They are saying that it is capable of just doing more. (shrugs) Now take that for what its worth. If you watch all the videos on the PS3 they will say how much more powerful it is than the XBOX and vice versa. Im just telling you what I am hearing. They proceeded to go into a lot of technical info that I don't understand. So I just nod.

Then he hits us with this firing worthy blurb

The game that we are creating for a launch title is a "just get it out" title in my opinion. It doesn't look next generation. I don't see how anyone could debate otherwise. It looks good. But it looks good for a game that has come out in the last couple years or so. I mean we are talking about a box that will be with us for the next 5+ years! In 5 years will the games we are making today look good? The only way for that to be possible is if the new games coming out for the PS3 are drastically improved. So good that they can stand the test of time until the next system comes out. We've all seen Gears of War for the xbox 360. If that even looks half as good when it comes out then I'll be floored! The game we are making isn't even in the same league as Gears of War. In fact there are many current games out that look just as good and are using the exact same specs. So, on our end we are either not pushing the bar or were just trying to "get a title out". To be fair, this is a business. Sometimes you have to treat it as a business and not make the best title you can.

He's trashing the game he's working on. What boss would put up with that?

Here's a link to his blog

Though as it points out in the article, he took the post that got him fired down, and will never be putting it back up.

To avoid /.ing him harder (he has allready been dugg) I'm going to link to a google cache ...

http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:jgeFRxdfvuIJ: weblogs.asp.net/josh.robinson/+josh+robinson&hl=en &lr=&strip=1 [google.com]

Great Rule

So I guess the new rule for me is, don't ever say anything at all about anything. Ever...ever.

I found this rule to work best at home and at work. The less you talk, the less trouble you get yourself into.

Tough issue, this...

Here in North Carolina, we work in a "work at will" state. This means that you can quit or be fired without ANY reason, other than reasons covered by discrimination precedence.

It is a tragedy to lose one's job, no doubt. I would wish joblessness on no-one. However, one must always converse about one's product in a very careful way - always think of oneself as a public representative of the company. It is generally best to preserve the interests of one's company. Comments made on the internet are nearly intractable, and will generally find their way to unexpected places.

Re:Tough issue, this...

It is a tragedy to lose one's job, no doubt.

Not in this case. I think the correct word for costing your company more money and good will then you're worth, resulting in a firing, is "example".

Losing your job because your office building burned down and your employer doesn't want to rebuild is tragic. Losing your job because you don't have the common sense God gives a dog is just plain stupid and not really something worth pitying.

What's worse is that he doesn't sound like he learned a single thing from the episode.

Yah, I read his post, and...

I've worked in the industry. Yeah, you would definitely get fired for that. No question.

There isn't really that much of a "gray area." They give you an NDA that basically just says "SHUT THE FUCK UP." And usually when they give it to you, they narrate that bit for you too. You really aren't supposed to talk about anything to do with the job, ever, ever.

There are few things in the business more secrecy intensive than a platform launch like this.

The guy is a big idiot for thinking he could write this and keep his job, without doing a damn good job of remaining anonymous. For that matter, he's just kind of uninformed; this is a 3D artist who obviously doesn't understand much about the hardware or the engines or the development cycle of either, in general....

OK, you got your 15 seconds of fame. Bye.

He does'nt seem to upset about it.

Here's an interview with him about the whole thing:
http://www.ps3week.com/blogs/ps3week.php?title=tit le_6&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 [ps3week.com]

So I'm very fortunate to have all the opportunities I've had. I had four or five job offers the same week I was let go. Ultimately I'll be making even more money, I'll have a better title at the end of my name and I'll be very near the beach. So it's a bit hard to complain I suppose.

And yes, I'm karmawhoring.

If I were him

I'd try to land a dual career at Apple and Thinksecret

seems right up his alley

Launch titles

This guy mentions (or at least implies) that his company's title doesn't take full advantage of the PS3 capabilities. My question is, how many launch titles do?

Note that I am not asking this rhetorically, just speaking from my own experience. I am only familiar with one console's launch titles (PS2), and I don't remember them being that spectacular. Take Dark Cloud (I think the first PS2 game I played): sure it was better than PSX graphics, but later titles for the system were much better (even DC2 looked better, and I hear Kingdom Hearts II is amazing).

The fired guy did have a good point about the fact that the PS3 seems somewhat nonexistant. I would consider myself a Sony fan (own bothPSX and PS2), but from everything I hear, it's sounding less and less likely that I'll be getting a PS3. Revolution it is, I guess...

Don't say anything, ever?

Not really. Just assume that what you type, wearing your pyjamas in your bedroom at 2:16 am after you've smoked a spliff and drunk some whisky is going straight to your boss/parents/partner.

what's with the "dumb person got fired" news??

First that law student who was shocked, shocked!, that an IP firm would not want a lawyer on staff who is against IP (and who advocates breaking the law when you don't agree with it). Now we have a developer who's flabbergasted, flabbergasted!, that an employer would fire an employee for publicly dissing its product.

Next up: a real estate agent is amazed, amazed!, when he loses a client after telling potential buyers "This is house is OK, but I wouldn't want to live here."

The subconscious mind.

This has happened to me several times...where I've deleted a relationship, business or otherwise, by being brutally honest about it. The truth is that I always, deep down, wanted the relationship/job to end because I couldn't stand my internal bullshit meter going off every three seconds. Of course the opposite is also true, anything I truly want to be a part of will be afforded all maner of clemency.

Maybe this guy just knew that coming up with games for this thing was going to be an ordeal and his subconscious pre-empted him.

Then again, maybe this guy got fired because he is simply a classic dumbass.

Either way, you're now free to go make those soon-to-be-classic-Xbox-360-games now, former Sony developer guy.

Re:The subconscious mind.

This has happened to me several times...where I've deleted a relationship...

Are you talking about people or databases?

;-)

that was the very last thing I will say...ever

no..wait...that was the last thing I will ever say.

no..wait..that was.

dammit.

I will never, ever say anything about anything ever. starting from.....now

I take a different lesson from this

Specifically, don't *ever* work for Sony.

What an complete idiot.

Making comments that could potentially steal food out of your own mouth, and the mouths of your colleagues, is just stupid. He even admits to "dancing in the grey area." He fully deserved what he got.

I absolutely doubt this had anything to do with Sony being a big old baddy and this guy was just an innocent blabbermouth surrounded by fools on the internet blowing things out of proportion. To cite myself as an example, I work at a non-profit organization. We receive donations, grants, and contracts based on our ability to show that we have a positive influence on the community we serve. If I were to publicize that a competing local non-profit was more efficient, maybe had a better client record, or in any other way deserved funding more than my org does, I would fully expect to be reprimanded (if not simply fired outright) for my comments - and I'm not under any kind of NDA that governs such behavior. It would just be a case of my employer protecting their ability to continue operations unhindered.

He underscores his claim that he did not knowingly break NDA. Well, depending on the NDA he signed, that's irrelevant. Speaking to the detriment of your own work is certainly never wise, but it is especially foolish when you are bound by an NDA.

And yes, I've read the article. You should too, to see what I'm talking about. Full text cache follows (no longer cached at any of the major sites):

I've spent some time the past year developing for the PS3. Actually it was a cinematic demo to be shown at e3 in 2005 at a closed door viewing. I was one of the few artists selected to work on it for the demo. My job was primarily asset creation. I was creating assets to populate the path where our camera would be flying during the demo. The company I work for is also working on a launch title that I am quite familiar with. In short, I've spent some time around the PS3 and or the teams developing for it.

I've really had to sit here and think for a long time about what my first comment about the PS3 would be. Will I say, its GREAT or will I give it two thumbs down. Well my immediate impression of the PS3 is...where is it? Seriously, where is it? They have a case, a controller and a dev kit. But the system still doesn't even exist. So what is there to say? We received one of 5 PS3 dev kits in the United States some time ago. Several companies in the US as well as companies over seas were given the daunting task of creating a demo in less than 9 weeks on a first generation dev kit. Now I'll be honest with you. What most companies do is fake the entire demo. I mean they come up with some great visuals and neat tricks and scripted events. In the end however, its not a real time demo and its not running ON the actual box. We were the only company to my knowledge that showed something that ran it live on the box. Even then it was a scripted event. You could not pause the camera and fly around the scene. So if you saw the demo once, you saw it again the exact same way the second time. Also this was on a brutally early dev box. You could always tell where the PS3 dev box was because it's the room that had the f-bomb coming out of it half the day.

Lots of time has passed since that demo and the dev box has gone from a totally jimmy rigged computer and box of parts about the size of a small child, to a much more realistic size. Although its still the size of a normal pc. I have been pretty excited about the whole cell processing thing. I am not a very technical person but my understanding of it was pretty clear. (Multiple processors to handle individual events in parallel). Sounds pretty good to me! To hear people talk, you'd thing that a processor revolution was about to happen. So I've been pretty excited to say the least. Now in my opinion it doesn't matter how good the PS3 is. If the XBOX 360 is better, then it doesn't really matter how the cell processors work or how good they say it is. Realistically one of them will be better over all. Now I've spoken with

loyalty and lack of judgement

the guy was fired for: a) showing a horrible lack of judgement in deciding to post all that in a public location b) disloyalty toward not only his NDA, but his company's product. his comments are hardly flattering toward something his own team is developing. Work as a pastry chef assistant and go tell potential customers about how much the pastries there suck. work as an editor and write a piece about how bad your paper's reporters are. this isn't news. you'd be fired for this in any other mass-market industry.

Comments Mild-No Reason to Pull Trigger

Josh's comments are so mild that Sony has to be insane -- or very VERY scared about the problems with the PS3 -- to get upset over anything he said. Maybe they've been listening to their music too much lately and it has rootkit-ed their minds.

It's also interesting how grateful he is that their upper management remembers the lowly artist's names. Perhaps he doesn't realize how much harder it is to replace good artists and management drones. I say that as a Maya 3D user myself, and not nearly as talented as what he shows on his own web-site.

Now if someone could just point me to the article where he compares Maya to 3D Studio Max, I'd really like to read it.

interview with a vampire

Should he have kept his mouth shut? Yes.

Is he right about the lack of quality in games coming out for the PS3 compared to the Xbox 360? Yes.

Should his bosses have listened to him and attempted to improve the quality of the product they were working on? Yes.

Did they listen to him? No.

Are the games still going to be shit? Yes.

Did they fire him cause he revealed their incompetance? Yes.

Did he deserve it? Yup.

Do his managers deserve to be fired for hiring people who are producing crap and are going to ruin Sony's image and sales? Yea.

Are they going to be? Nope.

Is this fair? More or less that's the way it is.

Was I going to buy a PS3 before I read this article? No, never had plans to.

Has reading his opinion make any difference for me? Nope, just confirms what I already understood.

Am I buying a 360? Not anytime soon, I've been dumping money into upgrading my computer.

If I had to buy a console, which would I buy? 360.

Does anyone on slashdot give a shit about my self-interview here? No.

Am I that guy? No.

Why are you anonymous then? Cause I'm lazy.

Are you going to stop this? Yes, now.

TS.

My ex-Marine instructors at the Law Enforcement Academy always said, "Remember the 11th Commandment: Thy shall keep thy mouth SHUT!"

I bet..

he's got a good shot at being picked up by Microsoft now though.

nice script.

So I guess the new rule for me is, don't ever say anything at all about anything. Ever...ever."

Is it just me or does that sound like a corny dialog from a reallly emo character in a c grade movie....?

He is a martyr now...

OK, for whatever reason, he criticised PS3. If you RTFA, the stuff he mentions sound pretty well founded. By firing him, he was made orders of magnitude famous and many more people are going to read him saying "The XBOX 360 is better". From a developer who was fired for his comments. They gave him credibility, the situation is similar to making a martyr out of an organization's leader by assassinating him. In the long run, it might well turn back on them. just think about Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. I am aware this analogy have flaws, but it illustrates my point IMHO.

hire Tyler Durden to write their NDA...

The first rule of Fight Club is - you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is - you DO NOT talk about Fight Club.

Why wouldn' he be fired?

Read the original article. Makes the PS3 sound like shit and that it's doomed to fail before it arrives.

Better yet, he repeats heresay that he doesn't understand, as to why the 360 is better.

If it were my decision, I'd fire him and kick him in the ass on the way out.

Moron violated NDA without knowing it.

Dude, you released information online regarding the status, or perceived status, of the PS3 system's state of build. You did this as a person with inside information. That violates your NDA.

Here's another snippet of the guy's post that isn't neutral:

"Now in my opinion it doesn't matter how good the PS3 is. If the XBOX 360 is better, then it doesn't really matter how the cell processors work or how good they say it is."

So, as an insider and as someone who worked on the PS3 content, you are making a statement that the XBOX is better, thus saying that while you work on the PS3 stuff, it is bad. How does that not violate your contract? You should be glad Sony doesn't sue you for potential Libel.

Another snippet:

"We've all seen Gears of War for the xbox 360. If that even looks half as good when it comes out then I'll be floored! The game we are making isn't even in the same league as Gears of War. In fact there are many current games out that look just as good and are using the exact same specs. So, on our end we are either not pushing the bar or were just trying to "get a title out"."

Releasing comparative information regarding unreleased games being produced for the PS3. Also potential violation of NDA.

Same kind of thing here regarding timetables:

"Our game just keeps getting moved back....and back.....and back.....and back. Again, where is the box? Where is the final system? When is it coming out? No one knows and in the mean time people in the industry are starting to get just a little salty. I mean I was at e3 2005 and PS3 was almost no where to be seen."

Btw, the people who are getting "salty" are who exactly? Certainly not the Japanese. The statement basically draws the conclusion that since it wasn't highly visible at E3, that the device is basically incomplete/non-productional. As someone who is contracted/employed to work on the games for the system, comments like that hold some weight. NDA violation or Libel. Potential to sue for damages in lost sales, etc.

As for his comments of:

"I can't believe how out of control everything got," he said. "It's absolutely absurd how the Internet can take something relatively harmless and turn it into something so insane... Did I knowingly break NDA? I absolutely did not. I would never do that and I would never want to hurt Sony Online. Did I dance in the grey area by even opening my mouth? Yes I did and I was fired for it. So I guess the new rule for me is, don't ever say anything at all about anything. Ever...ever."

If he was a normal person who did not work for Sony or develop on titles relating to Sony's PS3, then his comments could be taken as such: The common opinions of another gamer. But, he worked for Sony. He expressed opinions regarding the company, the product, the internal processes, and the timelines and timetables of games. He revealed information regarding the demos at the E3 event and regarding the level of detail regarding games being developed. From a legal standpoint, yes, he violated NDA. If that is something he doesn't realise, then he does not understand NDA's thoroughly enough.

By making the comments that he did, he DID hurt Sony. To have one of your internal developers basically bashing on the system, the company practices, second guess the marketing methodology, and promoting the competitor's hardware platform. That counts as hurting Sony.

The internet didn't blow it out of proportion. The internet demonstrated how a leak from an insider can get spread VERY rapidly and result in waves of opinion, which can affect Sony's stock value, the potential sales of their platform, and the potential sales of their competitor's platform. The internet brought his comments to the attention of the media and to the companies, but he was the one who decided to post his thoughts and opinions about inner workings of the company he worked for. The internet didn't force him to do that. It didn't force him to support a competing product and to deride the product(s) he was wo

This is typical for a new non-Von architecture

This is about what you'd expect for a new non-Von Neumann architecture. It's going to take a while to figure out what to do with an array of cell processors. This stuff isn't easy. Figuring out how to split things up, parallelize them, and deal with the limitations on intercommunication is hard.

The PS2 had many of the same problems. In the PS2, most of the processing power is in the vector units; the "main CPU" is relatively weak. It took about a year for developers to figure out how to push more of the work out to the vector units. Graphics weren't that hard, but physics had to be pushed out, and that was tough. (Especially since the PS2 only had a 32-bit FPU, which meant you couldn't use some of the better approaches. But that's another story.)

As a result, the first year of PS2 games was rather disappointing. It took about a year before developers really figured out how to use the beast effectively.

In the latest round, both of the major players have wierd architectures. Which is why the games that launched with the XBox 360 aren't that impressive. It will probably take a year to get that platform figured out.

Re:ZOMG FIRST

Wow. I wonder if Google will hire him.

Obviously you didn't hear about the former Microsoft manager who accidently let a little too much info slip on his blog.

Google is the LAST place that would hire this guy. The reason why we never know what they're doing is because Google employees don't talk about Google. Period.

Re:Double standards: or, how Slashdot sold out

There is a huge gigantic difference between a private entity restricting speech and a government entity restricting speech. Stupidity anyone?

Re:ZOMG FIRST

The thing about working somewhere like Google is that there's usually someone smarter on campus. If you wanna bitch about something, or if you need help, there's probably a guy with a PhD to talk to 2 desks over.

This guy has no-one to bitch to about his job, and needed the release.

Re:Double standards: or, how Slashdot sold out

How is two sets of people having two different opinions on some topics hypocrisy? Need a dictionary maybe?

Re:Double standards: or, how Slashdot sold out

Look around. Most of the comments here aren't "Sony was right", they're "He was an idiot not to expect Sony to react exactly this way".
 
No double standard here.

Re:Double standards: or, how Slashdot sold out

Not really, because when you narrow it down, the comments aren't so much about his being fired, but that he was so surprised, astonished, etc. The guy complains about his employer in a worldwide forum, and expects nothing to come from it? It would be more surprising if Sony did nothing about it.

As for the government angle, all Sony did was fire him. They didn't take away his ability to continue to trash the company, nor did they execute him for doing so. Slight difference. :)

If you were his employers, perhaps you could have found a way to deal with this better? Sure, you could chat with him, but quotes from the various interviews seem to indicate he had no interest in working things out. In fact, we haven't heard anything from Sony on the matter (which we likely never will, because discussing former employee situations is generally verbotin, from a legal standpoint), so assuming Sony is just "the evil employer" is just a little biased as well.

Who knows, perhaps his manager(s) tried to reconcile the situation with him, and he gave them an attitude. Perhaps they asked him for input on how they could improve, and he refused. Perhaps it's just a matter of him not getting the review/salary increase he thought he deserved, or passed over for a promotion, or any of the other things that lead people to badmouth their employers.

Regardless, just because people tend to think the guy brought his situation upon himself doesn't necessarily mean the same people are doing so because they worship "$CORPORATION". It simply means they have opinions, and the right and ability to express them. So did the guy in the story, and the result was that he got fired. So do you, and the result is that you come across a little clueless in your own right. :)

Re:So what's new?

The way I heard it, PS3 is actually in some ways easier to develop for than the 360. It is only the initial reaction to the cell processor that made everyone flip out. For example, the PS3's gpu uses openGL, so most of the graphics functions are very comfortable to developers.