This is case and point why you have your HR department handling hiring and firing employees, not CEOs. If James is important enough to garner a personal statement from the CEO then he was important enough to be fired over the phone or by skype. You do not just say "you are fired" and not explain why, you always explain the rationale behind the decision and attempt to end the relationship as amicably as possible. If they had told James they had decided to go with a different hosting style and appreciated his contributions this would have been much less of an issue.

I'm going to attempt to decipher your second sentence as questioning my belief as to whether Gabe's statement is valve's side. Yes I believe that this is Valve's story. Perhaps they will clarify later with more detail but until that point this is all we have to go on. This is the only information we have on the subject from the most important individual in this debate and he chose to explain it as a personal attack on an individual's personality. I would personally never handle a HR matter at my company in this manner and would never do business with a person that handles matters in such a way.

As to your third point about my "extensive knowledge", my mentors include the head partner of a major law firm that handles HR legal disputes in the hospitality in industry who's clients include almost every single fortune 500 company in that industry and a superintend of schools. These two individuals have extensive history in how to handle these matters and have been involved in at the very least thousands of hiring and firings. I will not provide any more personal details of these individuals for privacy concerns.

From where I stand this puts me in a reliable and expert position in regards to hiring and firing of talent and individuals. Perhaps you disagree, and that is ok. Now unless you wish to return to discussing the actual debate here instead of personal attacks on my qualifications I bid you good day.