Age of Kotick
Sure, everyone knows Bobby Kotick is a jerk, but do you know why he's a jerk?
Read Full Article
Sure, everyone knows Bobby Kotick is a jerk, but do you know why he's a jerk?
Read Full Article
Age of Kotick
- Thread starter Shamus Young
- Start date
I love you for admitting this.Shamus Young said:
Anyway, that about sums it up for Kotick. They should hire you as CEO. Or at least some kind of public relations manager. Speaking of public relations...Activision has done something right, whether it was Kotick's idea, or someone elses' idea.
They hired Dan Amrich as a public relations manager.
http://www.giantbomb.com/dan-amrich/72-83285/
Reading his blog [http://oneofswords.com/] really calms me down when I start hating Activision.
Hmmm,
I think you've got some of it wrong. There is a differance between capitolism, and being ridiculously greedy. One expects businesses to want to make a fair profit, that's why they are in business, however when it turns from making a profit into exploiting consumers for every possible dime you can get out of them, it gets ridiculous and that is where the accusations of greed come from.
Believe it or not, but there was a time when businesses were content to make money, and didn't have to gouge maximum profits out of every little thing that they did.
I think people also understand Mr. Kotick and why he does what he does. I think he's realized that gamers are very similar to junkies. We'll whine, we'll complain, we'll make toothless internet petitions, but in the end no matter what a company does, if they release a good game we'll come racing to buy it (complaining all the while) no matter how we're treated, or what the terms of the company are.
What Mr. Kotick is doing is demonstrating that he can act like a complete jerk, and people will STILL come racing to buy "Starcraft", "Modern Warfare", and other titles. He's showing that his position, and the industry, is really that secure. A bulletproof cash cow so to speak with cusomers so hardwired to the products that he can literally do anything and still turn a profit. His antics seem to me to be aimed largely at investors and other businessmen, if your a fat cat, Kotick is going to see like a safe person to deal with due to the security his attitude generates.
That's how it seems to me at any rate.
In the end nothing is going to change unless gamers decide to stop acting like sheep, and go without a few of these big titles. Let a couple of multi-million dollar titles like "Modern Warfare" or a Blizzard game hit the proverbial toilet. That will adjust attitudes to show that the game industry needs to cater to us, the consumers, and give us our moneys worth (as opposed to all this DLC gouging), as opposed to use taking whatever abuse the industry wants to heap on us this week.
I think you've got some of it wrong. There is a differance between capitolism, and being ridiculously greedy. One expects businesses to want to make a fair profit, that's why they are in business, however when it turns from making a profit into exploiting consumers for every possible dime you can get out of them, it gets ridiculous and that is where the accusations of greed come from.
Believe it or not, but there was a time when businesses were content to make money, and didn't have to gouge maximum profits out of every little thing that they did.
I think people also understand Mr. Kotick and why he does what he does. I think he's realized that gamers are very similar to junkies. We'll whine, we'll complain, we'll make toothless internet petitions, but in the end no matter what a company does, if they release a good game we'll come racing to buy it (complaining all the while) no matter how we're treated, or what the terms of the company are.
What Mr. Kotick is doing is demonstrating that he can act like a complete jerk, and people will STILL come racing to buy "Starcraft", "Modern Warfare", and other titles. He's showing that his position, and the industry, is really that secure. A bulletproof cash cow so to speak with cusomers so hardwired to the products that he can literally do anything and still turn a profit. His antics seem to me to be aimed largely at investors and other businessmen, if your a fat cat, Kotick is going to see like a safe person to deal with due to the security his attitude generates.
That's how it seems to me at any rate.
In the end nothing is going to change unless gamers decide to stop acting like sheep, and go without a few of these big titles. Let a couple of multi-million dollar titles like "Modern Warfare" or a Blizzard game hit the proverbial toilet. That will adjust attitudes to show that the game industry needs to cater to us, the consumers, and give us our moneys worth (as opposed to all this DLC gouging), as opposed to use taking whatever abuse the industry wants to heap on us this week.
Actvision is the games equivilant of kraft foods. It's reached the point (it thinks) where it can no longer sustain growth through internal development & innovation, & so instead pursues a policy of acquiring brands that someone else has already made a success of in order to keep that line on the profits chart pointing upwards.
The guy should learn to keep his mouth shut, however. Good CEOs let someone trained in PR do the talking for them.
The guy should learn to keep his mouth shut, however. Good CEOs let someone trained in PR do the talking for them.
no there wasn't. The only reason you might choose not to squeeze something for additional revenue is because not squeezing it will ultimately make more.Therumancer said:
Awesome article, excellent point about all those people complaining that Kotick's greedy. Everyone is greedy in the business world, you just have to know the right way to do it (a la Valve, as you stated). The problem I have with Kotick is how he seems to try and force stagnation into the industry, and not even for the sake of profit, but for the sake of security.
And that's why we need to stop buying Activision crap. I did, you can't imagine they freedom of bitching about SC2 being cut into three parts when you didn't buy it, and so you're immune to return fire from fanboysTherumancer said:
Also, I'm GLAD I skipped MW2, watched a mate play and BOY does that thing suck.
And you couldn't PAY me to play Guitar Hero, I still think of a guitar as a piece of wood/plastic with metal strings that make sounds while you pluck them.
Aaaaand I think I just ran out of everything ActiBlizz puts out these days, or am I missing something?
Oh, btw, I cancelled my WoW account a week before the merger came through
Yep, you got it pretty much right.
And yeah, it's true that we would flame him for doing something nice like opening a door. Haha, well he's a dick.
Or just awful at his job.
Either way, I still dislike him
And yeah, it's true that we would flame him for doing something nice like opening a door. Haha, well he's a dick.
Or just awful at his job.
Either way, I still dislike him
I tell you what Kotick got hired for and that is to increase Activision retained profit. The shareholders feel, quite rightly, that a company with a $4 billion turnover should be making more than 120 million in profit. That's only around 3% profit so its hardly being greedy. Kotick is there to do the unpopular things, to cut costs and to increase revenues from the existing business. There is no amount of PR is going to disguise this, so he will ignore it all the hate until he steps down to spend more with his share options. He will stay there for about 3 years and the next guy will be all touchy feely and have the shiny PR. His replacement wont have to do the nasty things and will have freedom to do the things that is suggested in the article.
Holy mother of Raptor Jesus, I think this man is correct. Do you realize that this makes EA the innovative one? E...fucking....A....Cousin_IT said:
The Apocalypse has come, take the women and children, kill them first, spare them the suffering of the final battle between evil and MORE evil.
I just read the history of Activison since Kotick's been there and...damn.
He's a bigger asshole than I thought.
He's a bigger asshole than I thought.
Hey, I'm not saying what Bobby's doing is wrong for Activision(it is in the long term, but that's beside the point I'm trying to make).albino boo said:
I'm saying that those PR guys are getting paid to spin stuff like "We want to charge extra for multiplayer" so that it sounds GOOD.
Bobby should do what every good CEO does, shut up and only show his face in public to promote new products.
I honestly think that most of this article is a bunch of bullshit. Yeah I know that lots of people hate the guy and that it's pretty easy to hate the guy, but implying he's absolutely terrible at his job? Bullshit.
He isn't terrible. Given the position that Activision is in right now, I'm inclined to say he's pretty good. He isn't the smartest fox when it comes to public relations, but does it really matter? How many sales did CoD lose after he bloated about his retarded money making shemes? Not a lot.
He really dropped the ball with the IW fiasco, but he made up for it. Guess who they have in place instead of IW now? Bungie. So much for attracting good talent to Activision. Now they can create original, sequel worthy games.
He isn't terrible. Given the position that Activision is in right now, I'm inclined to say he's pretty good. He isn't the smartest fox when it comes to public relations, but does it really matter? How many sales did CoD lose after he bloated about his retarded money making shemes? Not a lot.
He really dropped the ball with the IW fiasco, but he made up for it. Guess who they have in place instead of IW now? Bungie. So much for attracting good talent to Activision. Now they can create original, sequel worthy games.
