BioWare: Activision Threat to Pull PS3 Support Is "Silly"

[Keane Ng]

BioWare: Activision Threat to Pull PS3 Support Is "Silly"

BioWare's Greg Zeschuk criticized Activision's recent threat to pull support for the PlayStation 3 as "silly," saying that it's unfair to poke fun at Sony considering the power of the brand and the volume of the PS3's userbase.

Last month Activision's Bobby Kotick dropped jaws [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/92530-Update-Activision-Might-Have-to-Stop-Supporting-Sony] when he declared that, if his company were "being realistic," they might have to "stop supporting Sony." Some of us took this as Kotick just being full of hot air, others took it to be conclusive evidence that the man had accumulated such riches that it had literally drove him insane, and others, like BioWare's Greg Zeschuk, thought he was just making a joke.

Saying what Kotick did was no laughing matter, though, Zeschuk thinks.

"I don't think it's really fair to poke fun at Sony," Zeschuk told CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=219357]. "Certainly the Wii's been a massive success and Sony's probably not going as fast as they thought it would be but I think that they're starting to make the right moves and the software's coming along."

Not only is poking fun at Sony unfair, Zeschuk thinks, it's just plain silly talk. "I think it's silly to be saying you're not going to support Sony," Zeschuk said. "The brand itself is still huge and there are millions of [users] out there."

Seeing somebody defend a game company from arguably irrational prejudice is common enough on a videogame forum, but hearing it from a developer's mouth is a wholly different thing. Of course, Zeschuk isn't really white knighting Sony, he's just being a rational kind of person. They don't just call him a doctor because he's got a medical degree, after all. Oh wait, they do.


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[RebelRising]

I've always loved the doctors; it's good to see them taking a rational stance on this Sony debacle. I do wonder if there's stuff between Activision and Sony that Zeschuk isn't aware of, though.

 

[Sevre]

I'm gonna say he's not kidding when he says he's pulling support, why? Because this is just Activision showing how much power it has acquired. Imagine the drop in sales of PS3 Games if you removed all the Activision games? No CoD,no Guitar Hero, no Prototype. They'll just boost Wii and Xbox sales.

 

[deathyepl]

Funny thing is, the thing that Activision is saying isn't wrong... if the PS3 were more reasonably priced, there would be a significantly larger userbase.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

good on the Doctor for saying that.

the thing about the ps3 being "over priced" for what you actually get, it's cheaper than the xbox360, there is a blu-ray player in it and the closest thing the 360 had was a $200 hd-dvd player but that's no longer around. to get a blu-ray player and play the 360, you have to pay more than the price of a ps3

 

[Ancientgamer]

Funny thing is, the thing that Activision is saying isn't wrong... if the PS3 were more reasonably priced, there would be a significantly larger userbase.

If it were priced any lower they'd lose massive amounts of money for each console sold. All the users in the world couldn't help them then.

What sony's doing right now is fine. They're pulling a modest profit, and really all they need to do is maintain that. I imagine they're staying par to the course and using this time to gear up for the next console generation. If they're next big release can start with the same momentum the 360 did, it'll put them back in the game. But I can't see them doing anything to the PS3 that would push it to launch level sells.

 

[Keane Ng]

No I don't think he was kidding, I'm going with the mass amount of money madness theory. Also Keane I approve of the new Avatar if it is what I think it is.

It's Charles Bronson in Once Upon a Time in the West, so if that's what you think it is, and you approve, then I approve of you, good sir.

 

[Jumplion]

I'm gonna say he's not kidding when he says he's pulling support, why? Because this is just Activision showing how much power it has acquired. Imagine the drop in sales of PS3 Games if you removed all the Activision games? No CoD,no Guitar Hero, no Prototype. They'll just boost Wii and Xbox sales.

I still say Sony has more power than people think. Many, if not most, of the Guitar Hero songs in the series are owned by Sony or a division that is owned by Sony. If Activision cut support, Sony could easily cut support for the songs themselves, effectively destroying the franchise, and put Activision in an even more compromising situation.

And really, anyone who thinks that Kotick wasn't just blowing off air and trying to make noise for Sony to cut the price is a little silly. Cutting support just because of the price of the console, that doesn't affect the company itself, is just silly, but in a way understandable. Either way, the PS3 is still a console where they can sell their product and it'd be stupid to cut support because of a price that doesn't affect themselves in any way.

 

[Sevre]

I'm gonna say he's not kidding when he says he's pulling support, why? Because this is just Activision showing how much power it has acquired. Imagine the drop in sales of PS3 Games if you removed all the Activision games? No CoD,no Guitar Hero, no Prototype. They'll just boost Wii and Xbox sales.

I still say Sony has more power than people think. Many, if not most, of the Guitar Hero songs in the series are owned by Sony or a division that is owned by Sony. If Activision cut support, Sony could easily cut support for the songs themselves, effectively destroying the franchise, and put Activision in an even more compromising situation.

And really, anyone who thinks that Kotick wasn't just blowing off air and trying to make noise for Sony to cut the price is a little silly. Cutting support just because of the price of the console, that doesn't affect the company itself, is just silly, but in a way understandable. Either way, the PS3 is still a console where they can sell their product and it'd be stupid to cut support because of a price that doesn't affect themselves in any way.

While what you say is true, for Guitar Hero, Activision could just take songs from Universal and Warner Bros., two larger music companies. I'm guessing Activision are just trying to get publicity/blow off steam/show their power, but if they are serious I think this could hurt Sony quite badly. I mean, say Activision pulled the plug tomorrow, no new Guitar Hero,no more Prototype, no back catalogue and no Modern Warefare 2. That is a substantial blow right there.

 

[MrGFunk]

I still say Sony has more power than people think. Many, if not most, of the Guitar Hero songs in the series are owned by Sony or a division that is owned by Sony. If Activision cut support, Sony could easily cut support for the songs themselves, effectively destroying the franchise, and put Activision in an even more compromising situation.

This is a clever way to look at things.

If Activision get into a pissing contest with SONY, if SONY cared they'd win them over to continue support. I don't get why all these production houses are calling for the price drop, I think they're trying to curry favour with the gamers.

 

[Jumplion]

While what you say is true, for Guitar Hero, Activision could just take songs from Universal and Warner Bros., two larger music companies. I'm guessing Activision are just trying to get publicity/blow off steam/show their power, but if they are serious I think this could hurt Sony quite badly. I mean, say Activision pulled the plug tomorrow, no new Guitar Hero,no more Prototype, no back catalogue and no Modern Warefare 2. That is a substantial blow right there.

Even so, Sony still own many well known bands and songs like Ozzy Ozbourne and Blue Oyster Cult. Just check the list of songs in the guitar hero franchise, and look at the list of Sony owned divisions. If a band in the franchise has any deals with any one of Sony's music divisions (of which there are plenty), then that band is out of the franchise for good unless Activision puts support back to Sony.

Besides, Warner Bros. and Universal don't have Hungry like [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duran_Duran] the Wolf [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Records].

 

[Ancientgamer]

I'm gonna say he's not kidding when he says he's pulling support, why? Because this is just Activision showing how much power it has acquired. Imagine the drop in sales of PS3 Games if you removed all the Activision games? No CoD,no Guitar Hero, no Prototype. They'll just boost Wii and Xbox sales.

I still say Sony has more power than people think. Many, if not most, of the Guitar Hero songs in the series are owned by Sony or a division that is owned by Sony. If Activision cut support, Sony could easily cut support for the songs themselves, effectively destroying the franchise, and put Activision in an even more compromising situation.

And really, anyone who thinks that Kotick wasn't just blowing off air and trying to make noise for Sony to cut the price is a little silly. Cutting support just because of the price of the console, that doesn't affect the company itself, is just silly, but in a way understandable. Either way, the PS3 is still a console where they can sell their product and it'd be stupid to cut support because of a price that doesn't affect themselves in any way.

While what you say is true, for Guitar Hero, Activision could just take songs from Universal and Warner Bros., two larger music companies. I'm guessing Activision are just trying to get publicity/blow off steam/show their power, but if they are serious I think this could hurt Sony quite badly. I mean, say Activision pulled the plug tomorrow, no new Guitar Hero,no more Prototype, no back catalogue and no Modern Warefare 2. That is a substantial blow right there.

In the end, even if it wouldn't spell doom, an action like that will only end up hurting both companies for no gain. activision might be pressuring sony, but I doubt they'd be stupid enough to go through with it.

 

[Sevre]

While what you say is true, for Guitar Hero, Activision could just take songs from Universal and Warner Bros., two larger music companies. I'm guessing Activision are just trying to get publicity/blow off steam/show their power, but if they are serious I think this could hurt Sony quite badly. I mean, say Activision pulled the plug tomorrow, no new Guitar Hero,no more Prototype, no back catalogue and no Modern Warefare 2. That is a substantial blow right there.

Even so, Sony still own many well known bands and songs like Ozzy Ozbourne and Blue Oyster Cult. Just check the list of songs in the guitar hero franchise, and look at the list of Sony owned divisions. If a band in the franchise has any deals with any one of Sony's music divisions (of which there are plenty), then that band is out of the franchise for good unless Activision puts support back to Sony.

Besides, Warner Bros. and Universal don't have Hungry like [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duran_Duran] the Wolf [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Records].

Well Activision seem to put the bigger bands of the genre into Guitar Hero so I seriously doubt those bands would suffer, and it is rare that a band gets into the game twice in a row. But I see your point, and I'm all for Duran Duran.

 

[Pendragon9]

It's good to hear someone with sense. Bioware, I think you're my new hero company.

 

[GonzoGamer]

I'm gonna say he's not kidding when he says he's pulling support, why? Because this is just Activision showing how much power it has acquired. Imagine the drop in sales of PS3 Games if you removed all the Activision games? No CoD,no Guitar Hero, no Prototype. They'll just boost Wii and Xbox sales.

I still say Sony has more power than people think. Many, if not most, of the Guitar Hero songs in the series are owned by Sony or a division that is owned by Sony. If Activision cut support, Sony could easily cut support for the songs themselves, effectively destroying the franchise, and put Activision in an even more compromising situation.

And really, anyone who thinks that Kotick wasn't just blowing off air and trying to make noise for Sony to cut the price is a little silly. Cutting support just because of the price of the console, that doesn't affect the company itself, is just silly, but in a way understandable. Either way, the PS3 is still a console where they can sell their product and it'd be stupid to cut support because of a price that doesn't affect themselves in any way.

While what you say is true, for Guitar Hero, Activision could just take songs from Universal and Warner Bros., two larger music companies. I'm guessing Activision are just trying to get publicity/blow off steam/show their power, but if they are serious I think this could hurt Sony quite badly. I mean, say Activision pulled the plug tomorrow, no new Guitar Hero,no more Prototype, no back catalogue and no Modern Warefare 2. That is a substantial blow right there.

In the end, even if it wouldn't spell doom, an action like that will only end up hurting both companies for no gain. activision might be pressuring sony, but I doubt they'd be stupid enough to go through with it.

I think it would actually hurt Activision more. I don't think many people realize how many suckers buy every single song that pops up on psn. They wouldn't want to lose all those microtransactions, especially considering how lucrative it is: each one of those tracks cost very little to make - most of the money probably goes to the license.

 

[Jamous]

I agree with Bioware. WTF was that about from Activision?

I'm gonna say he's not kidding when he says he's pulling support, why? Because this is just Activision showing how much power it has acquired. Imagine the drop in sales of PS3 Games if you removed all the Activision games? No CoD,no Guitar Hero, no Prototype. They'll just boost Wii and Xbox sales.

I still say Sony has more power than people think. Many, if not most, of the Guitar Hero songs in the series are owned by Sony or a division that is owned by Sony. If Activision cut support, Sony could easily cut support for the songs themselves, effectively destroying the franchise, and put Activision in an even more compromising situation.

And really, anyone who thinks that Kotick wasn't just blowing off air and trying to make noise for Sony to cut the price is a little silly. Cutting support just because of the price of the console, that doesn't affect the company itself, is just silly, but in a way understandable. Either way, the PS3 is still a console where they can sell their product and it'd be stupid to cut support because of a price that doesn't affect themselves in any way.

While what you say is true, for Guitar Hero, Activision could just take songs from Universal and Warner Bros., two larger music companies. I'm guessing Activision are just trying to get publicity/blow off steam/show their power, but if they are serious I think this could hurt Sony quite badly. I mean, say Activision pulled the plug tomorrow, no new Guitar Hero,no more Prototype, no back catalogue and no Modern Warefare 2. That is a substantial blow right there.

In the end, even if it wouldn't spell doom, an action like that will only end up hurting both companies for no gain. activision might be pressuring sony, but I doubt they'd be stupid enough to go through with it.

I think it would actually hurt Activision more. I don't think many people realize how many suckers buy every single song that pops up on psn. They wouldn't want to lose all those microtransactions, especially considering how lucrative it is: each one of those tracks cost very little to make - most of the money probably goes to the license.

I agree.

 

[VoidProphet]

I've been trying for fifteen mintues to conform Greg's statement to some sort of Canadian stereotype, but I can't. I'll just say I agree with my fellow Canuck. Oh, and...

The thing about the ps3 being "over priced" for what you actually get, it's cheaper than the xbox360, there is a blu-ray player in it and the closest thing the 360 had was a $200 hd-dvd player but that's no longer around. to get a blu-ray player and play the 360, you have to pay more than the price of a ps3

Oh. Well then I'm not going to buy a blu-ray player in addition to my 360. It's a tragic loss, as I NEVER WANTED ONE IN THE FIRST PLACE. Seriously, why do people... Scratch that. Why do Sony Fanboys (Because they are the only ones) claim that a blu-ray player is the next step in the visual medium? DVDs are cheaper to make and honestly they look fine to me. Maybe if I had a TV across my entire wall then I'd notice the difference, but I can't afford one.

Ah, there we are. Sony Fanboys are the only ones who claim that a Blu-Ray is a must have because they're also the only ones who have the cash to blow on wall-sized TVs. Which is why they don't mind forking over the extra cash for a PS3.

I get it now.