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Microsoft fires whistleblowing employee

For talking about Xbox 360 failures.

Microsoft has sacked games tester Robert Delaware for speaking publicly about Xbox 360 hardware failures.

Delaware's comments were published in an article by Dean Takahashi on Venturebeat last week. Now, reports Takahashi, the whistleblower has been fired for breaching his confidentiality agreement.

Delaware has been told he's likely to end up in court over the whole thing, but he doesn't sound too bothered. "I don't regret it," he told Takahashi. "I'll fight it. If they want to come after me, bring it on."

The now-ex-Microsoft employee reported he learned about problems with the Xbox 360 hardware while working for VMC, which tests games for Microsoft. According to Takahashi, he saw how "Xbox Live updates embedded in retail games could turn working consoles into worthless hulks". Delaware later went on to test games for Bungie.

So how does he feel about being fired? "Rock and roll," reckons Delaware. "It feels good. It was the moral thing to do."