Batten: a time to unite?

[catsclaw227]

I'm waiting for WoTC's statement on this incident.
Or is this going to go hush hush?

I'm not really sure that a statement from WOTC is necessary, unless there has been a significant change in their development schedule for DDI. And even then, its not necessary.

My condolences to the families of both parties and to the WOTC and Microsoft employees that were close to both parties.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I'm waiting for WoTC's statement on this incident.
Or is this going to go hush hush?

I don't think Microsoft will issue any statements regarding to the murder. They might issue something about a change in leadership or something, but anything more? What companies would do that?

 

[jaerdaph]

What a horrible tragedy. My thoughts and prayers are with both of their families and friends.

 

[doctorhook]

I'm not really sure that a statement from WOTC is necessary, unless there has been a significant change in their development schedule for DDI. And even then, its not necessary.

My condolences to the families of both parties and to the WOTC and Microsoft employees that were close to both parties.

I don't expect WotC to say anything on this matter. Companies tend to shy away from volunteering condolences when it looks like someone they're involved with was responsible, as it does in this case. (For example, consider WWE and the Chris Benoit tragedy, once it became apparent Benoit had been behind the incident.) It might seem callous, but it's in the company's interests to avoid saying anything that could possibly be misconstrued. Thus, I don't expect them to say more than, "We give our sincerest condolences to the friends and family of the victim."

I feel very sorry for everyone close to this tragedy. I feel sorry for the family, friends, and coworkers of the deceased; sorry for the victim, whose life was cut short so abruptly and senselessly. I even feel sorry for the killer, who was himself obviously a victim of untreated mental illness; I feel sorry that he didn't (wouldn't? couldn't?) access the resources he needed to address his inner turmoil more constructively; even more, I'm sorry that he chose a permanent solution to what surely must have been a temporary problem.

Heartfelt prayers for everyone hurt by this terrible event.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Oh, boy.... the tragic murder occured the day after Gleemax was cancelled.

 

[Scholar & Brutalman]

Batten had worked at Wizards for less than a year: his CV is here. I'm not sure the failures of Gleemax necessarily had much to do with his crime.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Batten had worked at Wizards for less than a year: his CV is here. I'm not sure the failures of Gleemax necessarily had much to do with his crime.

Yeah cause receiving word that all you've worked on for your company has been scrapped couldn't be the immediate trigger for an already unstable person to act out. Your resume bears that out, the guy was hired for gleemax. worked mostly on gleemax.

Regardless it's a tragedy and it's not WotC's fault

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Yeah cause receiving word that all you've worked on for your company has been scrapped couldn't be the immediate trigger for an already unstable person to act out. Your resume bears that out, the guy was hired for gleemax. worked mostly on gleemax.

Gleemax Kills.

Or it was the other way around - the stress of his divorce distracted him at work, partially helping the Gleemax failure. (I don't think it was any specific persons fault alone.)

I find this much more likely then the other way around.

But that's all pointless. We will never know for sure, and offering our condolences and sympathy for the victims is the only thing we can do.

 

[justanobody]

Or it was the other way around - the stress of his divorce distracted him at work, partially helping the Gleemax failure. (I don't think it was any specific persons fault alone.)

I find this much more likely then the other way around.

Not to derail, but I think Gleemax had more issues like not having enough people to create it and work on D&D Insider, and MtGO, and the forums, and the fact it was the same team of people trying to do all of that with each being pretty much a new project and all expected to come out at the same time. Personnel just wasn't there to handle it all from what the Gleemax ending announcement said.

 

[haakon1]

Is this king county where WotC HQ is located?

Yes, King County is Seattle plus its suburbs. WOTC is in Renton, WA (a southern suburb) while Microsoft is in Redmond, WA (an "Eastside" suburb). They are maybe 10-15 miles apart, off the same major highway (I-405), in the same county. For what it's worth, Paizo is based in Bellevue, WA, which is the biggest suburban city, right next to Redmond, and is also on I-405.

As I understand it, she was staying with friends and the murder happened in the parking lot when she was leaving for work. The apartment complex is just across the street from Microsoft's campus in Redmond.

I think that county and community first need to do something about the 44% domestic abuse.

It doesn't ring true to me that King County has a unique problem. The TV report said the national statistic is 1 in 4, while the shelter manager said 44% in King County. Different methodologies seem a more likely explanation for this difference than a Seattle area crime wave against women. This was the first murder in Redmond in 4 years, so it's not a high crime area in general, and I suspect there's a high correlation between different types of crime. I might be wrong, but I haven't heard it raised as an issue locally -- on crime, the focus seems to be street crime in downtown Seattle, and on family issues, the focus seems to be improving the foster care system.