Re:I am a game developer. Arenanet made a big mist (Score 1)

I don't agree that the company screwed up but it has nothing to do with the content of what was said by either party. The reason I believe that the firing was justified is that the conduct and statement of employees who are known to be employed by an organization reflects upon that organization and the public confidence in the leadership or the organization. Of course Redditors (and users of other public comment forums) 'own' Arenanet and every other company with the fee for service business model. Where do those fees come from if not the Redditors and those like them? Taking a stand for artistic freedom at the expense of alienating those who appreciate the art is fine if you are financially self-sufficient and don't need any revenue from the 'patrons of the arts' a.k.a. paying customers. If it helps, think of the Redditor mobs as as the "player's union". They may not represent the opinion of every player but through democracy in action they have the ear of Arenanet company leadership. I'm not a developer but in my own profession I have observed that if a Marine wants to leave the Corps quickly (irrespective of the end of service date on the enlistment contract) one of the fastest ways to do so is to say something that publicly embarasses the Corps or the chain of command even if the statement falls short of violating the UCMJ. That principal applies to the most senior as well as the most junior Marines (ask the thre Generals who were relieved of command over the past year for saying or doing something that was merely embarassing to the Corps). The simple rule that was not observed in this case was, "Don't embarass the company whose emblem you wear on your pocket or the boss who signs your paycheck." Those who do embarass the organization will, by choice or not, become self-employed and then they can hang a sign in the window that says, "we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason." The job is not an entitlement. Antagonizing customers (even if you don't recognize them as customers) is almost never a recipe for job security. The Arenanet devs design the GW2 virtual world and understandably may feel a sense of ownership over it but it is the revenue from the customers that allows their virtual world to exist and puts money in their bank accounts. Mike O'Brien probably took for granted that this was understood by Ms. Price. While the boss may not always be right he or she is still the boss.