Robert Delaware was the only named Microsoft worker (a contract employee) who talked — without permission — to VentureBeat for our story last week on the Xbox 360 defects.

Microsoft had him fired on Wednesday. Delaware worked as a game tester at Microsoft but was employed by the temp agency Excell Data. He reported directly to a Microsoft manager, who told him he was being let go because of the VentureBeat article.

Delaware, a 29-year-old Seattle resident, expects to face civil charges from his former employer VMC (which tests games for Microsoft) and Microsoft as well. He will likely have to hire a lawyer. Microsoft spokesman David Dennis said the company does not talk about personnel issues.

“I don’t regret it,” he said in a phone call on Thursday. “I’ll fight it. If they want to come after me, bring it on.”

Full interview here.

http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/12/microsoft-fires-game-test-contractor-who-talked-to-venturebeat/

I dont know at the end of the day what company would'nt do that.

There is loyalty involved.

Just my opinion.

Yeah I read that too.

I think this isn't an issue of loyalty to the company... Dude was loyal to the gaming community, and that's why he went on record with it. I think loyalty to peers > loyalty to higher ups. I think we owe something to this guy for putting his bacon on the line for us.

But MS and the contractor company had full right to dismiss him, I think these things usually have NDAs, and he obviously violated that. 

This is why you don't violate non-disclose agreements, life is not going to be fun for him in the near future.

He should've done it anonymously. I could have told him he'd get fired for talking to the press. Not smart.

Expect him to 'tumble down the stairs' or 'fall off a bridge onto some spikes' pretty soon.

now face the wrath of microsoft

If I was writing a piece like that I wouldn't name anyone, even if they wanted to. It's too high of a risk these days... corporations are fanatical about press leaks (specially if the disclosures could lead to increased liability):

Exactly my thoughts.

HE DIDN'T?????

What an idiot!