Video game giant Activision is investigating a hacking campaign that’s targeting players with the goal of stealing their credentials, TechCrunch has learned.
Activision QA Workers Vote to Form Largest US Video Game Worker Union to Date
09.03.2024 - 01:11 / ign.com / Rebekah Valentine / Raven
A group of roughly 600 quality assurance (QA) workers at Activision under Microsoft have successfully voted to unionize with the Communication Workers of America (CWA), becoming Activision Quality Assurance United.
Activision Quality Assurance United is the first to unionize at Activision since the company was acquired by Microsoft, and the largest video game worker union in the United States. It incorporates central QA workers at Activision offices in Texas, Minnesota, and California, and is distinct from other recent QA unions under Microsoft such as the Zenimax QA union and groups at Raven Software and Blizzard Albany.
The group has organized with the support of a CWA-Microsoft neutrality agreement signed in 2022, wherein Microsoft committed to taking a "neutral approach" toward unionizing and refrain from hindering union discussions at the company, as well as offering a streamlined process for choosing to join a union. This is notable especially in light of the hurdles faced by Raven Software and Blizzard Albany in forming their unions prior to the acquisition, as both groups accused Activision Blizzard of union busting efforts.
"There was no one specific catalyst, but more so just recognizing as QA workers we often have the lowest protections and lowest pay of any workers in the industry even though our work requires expertise, skill, and is absolutely essential to the success of the companies where we work," said Tom Shelley, technical requirements specialist at Activision and member of the newly formed AQAU.
"The CWA Labor Neutrality Agreement is a historic agreement and unprecedented at a tech company of Microsoft’s size. By recognizing our union, Microsoft is making good on its promise to respect our ability to decide for ourselves about union representation. We encountered no union-busting at a time when most US companies - especially tech companies — regularly spend millions on anti-union consultants to prevent workers from speaking up for themselves. We hope this will inspire other workers to form unions and raise industry-wide expectations for pay, benefits, and respect for workers' rights."
The group expects to bargain with Microsoft over a new contract, particularly over asks such as better pay and benefits, more promotional opportunities, and a clear career development track. Currently, Zenimax QA workers are bargaining over their first contract with the company, which thus far includes agreements on subjects such as subcontracting and artificial intelligence.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to [email protected].
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Authors
Popular Topics
howtogeek.com
28.03.2024 / 12:11
Atari THE400 Mini Review: Old School Computer Video Games Are New Again
Back in 2018, Retro Games Ltd. released THEC64 Mini, a plug-and-play console and computer modeled on one of the best-selling computers of all time, the Commodore 64. That was followed in 2019 by a full-sized THEC64 and THEVIC20, complete with working keyboards, as well as THEA500 Mini in 2022, which miniaturized the popular Commodore Amiga 500. Now, nostalgic Atari 8-bit computer fans get to join in on the fun with THE400 Mini.
gamesindustry.biz
27.03.2024 / 23:45
Sega, CWA agree on first major US game dev union contract
Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox
gamerant.com
23.03.2024 / 17:31
Hasbro Has More Dungeons and Dragons Video Games Planned
Hasbro teased more video games based on Dungeonsand Dragons are in the works from the company's developers, following Larian Studios' recent announcement about its future. As one of the most iconic tabletop RPGs in gaming, the beloved franchise from Wizards of the Coast has welcomed a variety of different games to its library. The Forgotten Realms have been home to many video games, ranging from the Baldur's Gate franchise to Gameloft's newly announced Dungeons and Dragons survival RPG. Now, following Baldur's Gate 3's success, Hasbro reportedly has more on the way.
screenrant.com
22.03.2024 / 17:21
“Video Games Are Art”: An Interview With Yoshitaka Amano
The career of Yoshitaka Amano, the Japanese artist who is well-known for his art in the franchise, spans over 50 years, long before his work on Square Enix’s (formerly Square) popular gaming series. Amano’s work started off in the anime industry and has since reached far beyond, extending to games, graphic novels, comic books, and even music. Amano is wildly popular as an artist, having even illustrated the cover of .
digitaltrends.com
22.03.2024 / 17:15
Dragon’s Dogma 2 changed how I look at fast travel in video games
I never had reason to give much thought to fast travel in games before starting Dragon’s Dogma 2. In most open-world games that include the feature, the only requirement for accessing it is reaching points of interest. Once players do so, they are generally free to zip from point to point around the map with little to no inconvenience. That isn’t how Dragon’s Dogma 2 operates — fast travel is based around a limited currency called Ferrystones — and it has completely changed my mindset on the mechanic as a whole.
gameranx.com
21.03.2024 / 12:31
Hasbro Is Launching A Video Game Division And Making More D&D Games, Thanks To Baldur’s Gate 3
Hasbro is upbeat on video games after the success of Baldur’s Gate 3.
polygon.com
20.03.2024 / 17:47
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a new high for oldie representation in video games
I just finished making my character for Dragon’s Dogma 2 thanks to the free character creator demo released ahead of the game, and I’m overjoyed at how gloriously, convincingly old I can be in this game. I feel very seen and very represented.
wegotthiscovered.com
19.03.2024 / 16:27
The best video games featuring big Hollywood stars
As the video game industry grows and the technological tools for turning flesh-and-bone actors into digital beings evolve, it’s only natural for Hollywood stars to become more present in games.
rockpapershotgun.com
15.03.2024 / 19:01
Trying to emulate Hollywood movie soundtracks is holding video game music back, says Final Fantasy composer
Developers happy to mimic the style of Hollywood blockbusters in their video game soundtracks are stopping video game music from advancing, one of the best to ever do it - Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu - has said.
gamesindustry.biz
14.03.2024 / 11:21
Summer Game Fest 2024 date confirmed
The date for Summer Game Fest 2024 has been confirmed, with the gaming showcase taking place on Friday, June 7.
comingsoon.net
12.03.2024 / 20:21
TopSpin 2K25 Release Date Set for Tennis Video Game
2K Games and developer Hangar 13 announced on Tuesday that, the next entry in their tennis video game series, will release next month.