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Bungie's head of HR steps down following reports of toxic workplace culture

Gayle d’Hondt has stepped down as head of HR at Bungie after 14 years, according to IGN. The move comes shortly after the same publication released a report with accounts by former and current Bungie employees painting a picture of a workplace culture that’s both toxic and sexist. In some instances, HR personnel were reportedly unwilling to help complainants and actively protected harmful individuals.

In her email sent to employees and seen by IGN, d’Hondt said she wants to do “everything in [her] power to make sure everyone who works [at Bungie] has a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment.” It’s necessary, she added, for the company’s HR team to move forward with membership “largely comprised of people new to Bungie.” d’Hondt didn’t say who would be replacing her, but she told employees in the email that the HR team needs “to be trusted to be [their] advocates — not labeled as ‘enablers’ or seen as company resources who provide bad actors with safe harbor.” It’s also unclear if d’Hondt is leaving the video game developer completely or just moving to a different role.

The former HR head mentioned about her own experience with an abuser at the company, as well: A male executive whom she thought was her friend. While she didn’t name her abuser, she said Bungie eventually fired him. She concluded:

“I am proud of the work I did at this company. I believe I made recommendations that were in the best interest of our people and in service of the company we wish to become. I also believe we made some mistakes, and that to become the better version of ourselves — the company I know we can be – we have to acknowledge and confront them, in good faith, and grow together.”

While IGN’s report showed the company in a less-than-flattering light, it also showed how the studio is struggling to shake its toxic culture in an effort to foster a better one. In response to it, company CEO Pete Parsons published an apology letter, admitting that Bungie’s “actions or, in some cases, inactions, caused these people pain.” He also talked about the changes the company has made over the past few years to make it a better place for employees, including removing bad actors irrespective of their “tenure, seniority or interpersonal relationships.”

Uber expands person-to-person deliveries across the US

Soon after the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in March 2020, Uber started a person-to-person package delivery service. Now, the company has expanded Uber Connect to more than 6,000 towns and cities (including all major metropolises) across the US and added a couple of extra features.

As with Uber Eats, couriers can now drop off or pick up the package from the customer’s door. Previously, Uber Connect only officially had a curbside meeting option. Customers will be able to add delivery notes or instructions for their driver before pickup or delivery — it’s probably worth letting them know about a fragile package, for instance.

New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego are among the cities in which Uber Connect is available. Uber initially tested Connect in 25 cities in the US, Australia and Mexico. 

Other companies have offered similar services for years, such as TaskRabbit. Still, Uber Connect’s expansion suggests the service has proven popular enough to make it part of the company’s offerings on a much broader basis, helping families and friends in thousands of towns and cities to quickly send each other items. 

Roku will offer 99-cent trials for Showtime, Starz and AMC+

Roku is looking to close out 2022 with a bang. Not only is it setting up a New Year’s Eve experience, it’s offering 99-cent trials on a bunch of subscription services. Between December 23rd and January 1st, eligible users can sign up for the likes of Showtime, Starz, Epix, AMC+, BET+, BBC Select, AcornTV, Hallmark Movies Now and Lifetime Movie Club via The Roku Channel and pay less than a dollar for their first month.

The company has also revealed more details about the New Year’s Eve experience it announced earlier this month. Starting on December 27th, you can access the experience through the navigation menu on the left of the screen or by searching for “New Year.”

Roku New Year's Eve experience
Roku

Features include a countdown clock that starts at 11:55 PM local time on December 31st, six days of giveaways, daily trivia and music on The Roku Channel. A special called The Year in Streaming will highlight the top 10 shows of 2021, and some of the year’s most memorable shows will be available to stream for free. In addition, you’ll be able to deck out your device with New Year- and winter-themed wallpapers and screensavers from Roku.

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CD Projekt Red will pay only $1.85 million to settle 'Cyberpunk 2077' lawsuit

Developer CD Projekt has reportedly agreed to pay $1,850,000 to settle an investor lawsuit over the buggy launch of Cyberpunk 2077, The Verge has reported. That’s a fairly tiny sum next to the game’s reported $316 million development budget and the fact it was an instant hit last year with eight million pre-orders. The settlement is still preliminary and must be approved by a court.

The lawsuit was effectively four separate actions combined into one, brought by shareholders who alleged that the company misled them about financial performance. It’s not clear why the settlement was relatively low, however. CD Projekt’s shares have dropped 54 percent since the game’s release, and analysts have lowered Cyberpunk 2077 sales forecasts significantly, according to Bloomberg.

On top of that, CD Projekt has delayed the much-anticipated next-gen console updates for Cyberpunk 2077 and Witcher 3 for the end of 2021 until the first quarter of 2022. “Apologies for the extended wait, but we wanted to make it right,” the company said. The developer released a Cyberpunk DLC in August, but it only added a few cosmetic items and a car. 

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