E3: Kotick Casts Doubts on Battlefield 3 Console Cred

[Andy Chalk]

E3: Kotick Casts Doubts on Battlefield 3 Console Cred

Activision boss Bobby Kotick thinks Battlefield 3 [http://www.amazon.com/Battlefield-3-Limited-Pc/dp/B002I0HJZO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1307549630&sr=8-3] looks pretty good for a PC title but seems to have some doubts that it will be able to run with the big boys on consoles.

Battlefield 3 has been getting a lot of very positive preview press as its release later this year grows ever closer and Electronic Arts has made no secret of the fact that it's aiming for a head-to-head showdown between the DICE-developed military shooter and Activision's upcoming Modern Warfare 3 [http://www.amazon.com/Call-Duty-Modern-Warfare-3-Pc/dp/B00503EAG2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1307549744&sr=8-3]. But there's one guy out there who's determined to be a wet blanket and of course it's Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, who made a point of expressing reservations about the game's console cred.

"So far I've only seen Battlefield 3 on a PC, I haven't seen it on a console where the bulk of our business is," he told CNBC [http://www.cnbc.com]. "If it's just a PC title, as it looks like today, that's just a small audience to participate."

"Modern Warfare 3 is the result of an enormous amount of audience research and it is what our tens of millions of players are saying they'd like to see in their next action experience," he added.

Kotick knows perfectly well that Battlefield 3 is not just a PC title but you can't really blame him for throwing a little cold water on the BF3 love-in. As a respectful and respectable CEO of the biggest videogame company on the planet he can't just come out and say that MW3 is going to stomp BF3's guts out, but a gentle zing, a nudge toward doubt, a little spear behind the play? That's just life in the big leagues, kiddo.

Battlefield 3 comes out on October 25 while Modern Warfare 3 hits on November 8, both for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

via: Develop [http://www.develop-online.net/news/37937/Kotick-doubts-Battlefield-3-console-credentials]

See all our coverage directly from the show floor. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/conferences/e3_2011]

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[Jumwa]

Says the man whose company makes most of its cash off the PC title World of Warcraft.

In all seriousness, Rock Paper Shotgun likely had it right when they said he's just trolling a bit, and trying to cast some doubt on the console versions. To implant in gamers minds a seed that the console versions of the game will be inferior, because of course he knows there will be console versions. He's not so willfully ignorant of the competition.

 

[beema]

Ironically, as a PC gamer, this statement makes me want to buy BF3 more and MW3 less.

But I guess my money doesn't matter, since I'm in such a tiny part of the market.

 

[Mouse_Crouse]

Even as far as cross-corporate jabs. This one is pretty weak. Anyone with any interest in these games knows that they will be on all platforms.

 

[WanderingFool]

Kotick does know his comapany is releasing the same game for the 5th time in a row, right?

 

[Ossian]

Oh wow, the guys at activision are starting to realize that their bland, stale, overused FPS game isn't going to hold up to DICE's Flagship returning for the first time in 5 years, and are starting rumors like middleschool girls.

 

[PettingZOOPONY]

BF3 on whatever platform is going to far superior to MW3. I'm getting it on 360 and PC and skipping MW3.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Battlefield, or any other game for that matter, will never take down COD until it runs at 60FPS on consoles.

Devs need to stop mimicking COD's aesthetics and features and start mimicking it's responsiveness and tight control mechanics.

I'm guessing Respawn will be the team to do it, maybe on Id's sexy new Rage engine?

 

[Scizophrenic Llama]

I guess we'll find out during that open beta they are doing. Although I can't think of any good that will come from that.

 

[ImprovizoR]

This is pathetic even for Kodick
He doesn't realize what he said. If a game is better than CoD on PC it will be better than CoD on consoles as well. Better graphics, bigger maps, more realistic, 32 players. I don't know why anyone would chose CoD over BF3 even on a console. But I'm sure Kodick will try to sabotage BF3 somehow.

 

[JET1971]

Hey Bobby, remember that if it wasnt for PC gaming you wouldnt have had the cash cow COD series. But thats all well and good but thanks for letting me know that the next COD will be console crap and BF3 will be a PC title ported to consoles.

 

[Ninjamedic]

So you think that Consoles are more important than PC's to the Battlefield Series??


This is coming from a PS3 gamer, B3 WILL be better than MW3.

 

[Ossian]

Battlefield, or any other game for that matter, will never take down COD until it runs at 60FPS on consoles.

Devs need to stop mimicking COD's aesthetics and features and start mimicking it's responsiveness and tight control mechanics.

I'm guessing Respawn will be the team to do it.

*While I'm all for tight response and controls, COD has gotten this way by playing it safe and doing the same thing over and over and over. This is the company that already has a Black ops 2, MW3, and sci fi Call of duty in the works.

Battlefield 3 will probably see fighting on a scale unseen on consoles... oh yeah, and A10 warthogs
Don't care if BF3 looked like piss on dirt, to have a decent FPS compared to the PC version, as long as it plays the same.
in fact maybe those bratty kids that are obsessed with graphics will steer clear of the game.

*Yes I realize this post is biased but I'm getting sick of COD and how popular it is when indie games get the shaft and are 1000% better.

 

[unacomn]

Hehe, I didn't give him the "Dick of the week" award twice in a row for nothing.

 

[Fursnake]

Wow, Kotik...thanks for talking down to the PC gaming corwd once again..."If it's just a PC title, as it looks like today, that's just a small audience to participate."

I believe I will now completely wipe my hands of the CoD franchise and not even bother to rent the games anymore.

I can't take Kotick seriously anymore. I have to laugh at all the stupid crap that pours from his pie hole or face the alternative...raging over the shit he spews forth. So I choose to laugh at him and his delusions of grandeur.

 

[Mr. Omega]

Typical PC Gamer response: "LOLOL THAT IS GREAT BECAUSE PC GAMING AND PC GAMERS ARE BETTER THAN YOU IN EVERY WAY! CONSOLE GAMING IS FOR FAGS AND BF3 IS THE BEST GAME EVER BECAUSE IT FOCUSES ON THE TRUE, BETTER GAMERS...PC GAMERS!"

Serious answer: I'm not even a PC Gamer and I think that's not really a knock. I prefered BFBC2 on the PS3, but if my piece of crap laptop can handle it, I might get BF3. I just generally prefer the Battlefield series to Modern Warfare, and BC3 might be the first game since TF2 and Minecraft that I'll actually go out of my way to get on PC. So the fact that it'll be better just makes me more comfortable in that decision.

 

[robert022614]

I am buying battlefield 3 just because it isn't another COD. I hope they mop the floor with COD and force Activision to actually consider innovation. Then I want COD mop the floor with battlefield next year forcing Dice to do the same. This endless loop of progress and not cloning a franchise would be heaven to me.

 

[pretentiousname01]

So a guy, who is the head of a competing title, of a competing company, released at a competing time. Who's sole claim to fame is being a massive evil douche bag. Is throwing hate on another game?

To say I am not surprised would be beyond an understatement. I hope mw3 fails. I hope it fails hard.

 

[Ossian]

Typical PC Console Gamer response: "LOLOL THAT IS GREAT BECAUSE PC CONSOLE GAMING AND PC CONSOLE GAMERS ARE BETTER THAN YOU IN EVERY WAY! CONSOLE PC GAMING IS FOR FAGS AND BF3 MW3 IS THE BEST GAME EVER BECAUSE IT FOCUSES ON THE TRUE, BETTER GAMERS...PC CONSOLE GAMERS!"

Fixed that for you, jeez you had a lot of typos. What tipped me off is generally PC gamers don't type in all caps and say "FAGS"