http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3424798330
Dear members of the Blizzard community,
I have read your feedback and comments about this year’s BlizzCon, and I have also read the feedback to the apology from Level 90 Elite Tauren Chieftain. I’d like to respond to some of your feedback here.
As president of Blizzard, I take full responsibility for everything that occurs at BlizzCon.
It was shortsighted and insensitive to use the video at all, even in censored form. The language used in the original version, including the slurs and use of sexual orientation as an insult, is not acceptable, period. We realize now that having even an edited version at the show was counter to the standards we try to maintain in our forums and in our games. Doing so was an error in judgment, and we regret it.
The bottom line is we deeply apologize for our mistakes and for hurting or offending anyone. We want you to have fun at our events, and we want everyone to feel welcome. We’re proud to be part of a huge and diverse community, and I am proud that so many aspects of the community are represented within Blizzard itself.
As a leader of Blizzard, and a member of the band, I truly hope you will accept my humblest apology.
– Mike Morhaime
President, Blizzard Entertainment
Firstly thanks to Mike for getting the apology out, while there will be some people who still want more I think this is a good response. It’s a clear apology and it makes no bones about where the buck stops.
On the US forum there are still those wondering what it was about, complaining about people being oversensitive etc etc, however I strongly suspect those are the same muppets we see spamming [Anal] in trade. I doubt whether any of them will change their attitudes or behaviour for a few more years, maybe when they’re old enough to vote, drive, drink, have kids, be responsible etc etc their views will settle down and spend less time proving themselves through abusing others.
Could they have handled this better, hell yes. The blues could have not knee-jerked so much in their rush to dismiss it all as a bit of fun, nothing to worry about, L90ETC could have written an apology which did just that without trying to explain themselves.
Blizzard could have crushed this issue within 24 hours by doing what Mike did overnight.
So here’s to a new dawn and the hope that lessons have been learnt, understood and will be remembered next time.
As Ratshag says we have other things to discuss, such as Pandas. Epic leveling experience or a good source of meat and leather for adventurers?