Microsoft has fired contract games tester Robert Delaware, following comments he made last week to VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi on the widespread hardware issues plaguing the Xbox 360. In an article exploring the issue, Delaware was the only one to reveal his real name among several unnamed sources quoted.
The news was reported on website VentureBeat by Takahashi himself, according to whom Delaware was told he was being sacked specifically because of the
earlier article. Both Microsoft and former employer VMC are also expected to file civil charges for breaking non-disclosure agreements.
Delaware had discussed issues relating specifically to the launch of the Xbox 360 and the reportedly high levels of hardware failures just prior to and after the format’s release. The widely-read feature claimed to reveal the fullest details so far on the infamous "red ring of death" and associated hardware issues.
Speaking to Takahashi, Delaware was unrepentant, saying: "I don’t regret it. I’ll fight it. If they want to come after me, bring it on." When asked whether he was happy for Takahashi to report the details of his firing he added: "Rock and roll. It feels good. It was the moral thing to do."
