Bobby Kotick Says California Law is "Beyond Absurd"

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Bobby Kotick Says California Law is "Beyond Absurd"


Activision Blizzard [http://www.activisionblizzard.com/] CEO Bobby Kotick has weighed in on the California videogame law headed to the Supreme Court, calling it a waste of taxpayers' money that's "beyond absurd."

Remember how confused we all felt when one of the good guys [http://www.ea.com]? Get ready to feel it again, because the big boss at Activision has waded into the First Amendment fray and he's on our side.

"Our First Amendment has survived intact for 219 years amid far greater technological, historical and social challenges," Kotick said. "The argument that videogames present some kind of new ominous threat that requires a wholesale reassessment of one of our nation's most treasured freedoms and to take that freedom away indiscriminately from an entire group of our population based on nothing but age is beyond absurd. These are the same attacks Americans have witnessed against every previous emerging entertainment medium and genre including books, comics, rock 'roll, movies, TV and the Internet. In each case, freedom prevailed."

"Instead of tampering with the nation's Constitution and wasting taxpayers' money on setting forth unenforceable regulations during budgetary crisis, California could and should have adopted any number of measures and campaigns designed to ensure even higher rates of parental understanding of, and reliance on, the industry regulation system," he said.

"Some proponents say they want to act on behalf of parents when all this law will do is swap a self-regulatory program the federal government itself has shown is extremely successful with a taxpayer-funded bureaucracy the state can't afford and attempt to enforce rules that are vague and impossible to comprehend," added George Rose, Executive Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer of Activision Blizzard. "At a time when our schools are out of money, child care centers are closing and health clinics are unfunded, how is that exercise of common sense?"

Activision has filed an independent amicus brief with the Supreme Court in opposition of California's proposed law, joining a coalition of opponents that includes the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Freedom to Read Foundation, the Writers Guild of America and many other groups. "The sheer breadth of support exhibited by public interest organizations, civic and media groups, legislative leaders, academia and interested parties demonstrate both the importance videogames have assumed in the hearts and minds of our nation and the sacredness of certain basic tenets of our Constitution," Kotick said. "We will never give up the fight for the freedom of expression our industry deserves."

You go, Bobby! The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/100241-Supreme-Court-Agrees-to-Review-California-Game-Law] in Schwarzenegger v. EMA on November 2.


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Cynical skeptic

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Apr 19, 2010
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Yea... hes really only saying that because it would greatly impact activision's most successful properties.

Speaking of, thats a pretty loaded week. ACTA on the 30th, defacto game banning on the 2nd.

I didn't think 1984 would come so suddenly!
 

Gralian

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Sep 24, 2008
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Looks like SimuLord was right. Bobby Kotick may indeed be our last, best hope.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend has never rang more true. I guess now the idiotic politicians are going to feel what it's like to have Satan as an enemy in court. Let's not forget that Critical Miss episode where Kotick took some poor soul to court and demanded he be compensated with unicorns.

Pink unicorns.

Honestly, with the amount of money, power and influence behind the opposition, did California really think they were going to get away with this?
 

WanderingFool

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AWWWWW FUCK!!!

Now im confused... do we hate him still or... yeah we do still hate him, just a little less now...
 
Feb 13, 2008
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Finally. Now hopefully the two of them will go at each other until there's nothing left.

Perhaps in a children's card game?
 

barash

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thefreeman0001 said:
the only reason hes shitting his pants is because if this passed CoD sales would take a massive hit. it'd still be popular but you know bobby and his money.
I concur with this bloke/ette, his only concern is the bottom line.
 

Assassin Xaero

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Jul 23, 2008
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Sadly, I have to agree with him... and this surprises me more that he finally realized what the fuck "beyond absurd" really is... Or maybe it is only that way because it wasn't his idea...
 

TheComedown

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Bobby yes this is a good thing to be saying but no, no this doesn't change a thing, you are still a douche. Now get of the bandwagon and back to your whip, the slaves are getting chatty.
 

Kiefer13

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Jul 31, 2008
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While he's obviously just in this to protect his own precious profits, I suppose it's nice to have someone with as much influence as him on our side in this.
 

Dogstile

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Jan 17, 2009
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Fine bobby, i'll shake your hand and accept your help in this one as we're all against the same thing.

Don't think I agree with your policy's though.
 

sunburst

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Mar 19, 2010
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I doubt he's just saying this because the law passing could have negative effects on his business. That certainly plays no small part in his public opposition, but I imagine he does wholeheartedly believe what he's saying. It still doesn't make him less of a douche or excuse any of Activision Blizzard's negative actions, but we don't have to vilify everything he says just because it's him saying it.
 

L4hlborg

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Jul 11, 2009
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Kotick is amazing at getting silly ideas. But this time, he is actually fighting for the right cause. Not for the best of reasons, but he is on our side. That's good enough.
 

Jack and Calumon

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Dec 29, 2008
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Well... he would wouldn't he. It harms his milking cow of Call of Duty. Still, at least he's intelligent enough to prove he knows what's bad as well as good. Shame he doesn't use this intelligence to make reasonable decisions for the gamers and not his wallet.

Calumon: Why is that fat cat holding a guitar?
 

Cynical skeptic

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Apr 19, 2010
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sunburst313 said:
I doubt he's just saying this because the law passing could have negative effects on his business. That certainly plays no small part in his public opposition, but I imagine he does wholeheartedly believe what he's saying. It still doesn't make him less of a douche or excuse any of Activision Blizzard's negative actions, but we don't have to vilify everything he says just because it's him saying it.
This is bobby Kotick you're talking about. He always wholeheartedly believes what hes saying. The less true it is, the more he believes it, he has to. Its the only thing that got him this far. Its the only thing keeping him together.
 

theComposer

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barash said:
thefreeman0001 said:
the only reason hes shitting his pants is because if this passed CoD sales would take a massive hit. it'd still be popular but you know bobby and his money.
I concur with this bloke/ette, his only concern is the bottom line.
Regardless of his motivations, he's still on our side. He also has a ton of money to throw at this case, so personally I'm glad to have him on board. After this case is dead and buried we can all go back to hating Kotick.