Bobby Kotick's Trash Talking Spree Continues

[vansau]

Bobby Kotick's Trash Talking Spree Continues

Bobby Kotick wants people to know that he's actually a decent guy, but the Infinity Ward guys and Tim Schafer? They're totally jerks.

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick seems to be taking swings at just about everyone these days. Earlier, it was revealed that <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103781-Kotick-Takes-a-Swing-at-EA>the man isn't above taking potshots at his competition in the videogame industry. Now, it turns out that he doesn't have a problem saying unkind things about people he's worked with, either.

In the same interview with Edge Magazine that Kotick criticized game publisher Electronic Arts, he also discussed - vaguely - what happened with Infinity Ward's executives and - specifically - his feelings on Tim Schafer.

According to Kotick, Infinity Ward's Vince Zampella and Jason West were fired because "We didn't have any choice!"

Kotick didn't explain the specifics about what happened, but he painted a broad picture in which he appeared as the victim of some shady behavior and all but accuses the two executives of stealing from Activision. "The frustrating thing about that is," he told Edge, "the stuff that these guys did, I never would have expected them to do. We're a public company, we've got ethics obligations, and the things they did were... I would go to jail if I did them."

"You can't use the company and the company's assets for your own personal benefit, and you can't use the leverage that you might have for personal benefit - you're not allowed to do that! And so we didn't have any choice."

"It shook my belief in two specific people, who were my friends," Kotick said.

Meanwhile, regarding Tim Schafer - specifically, how <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/102093-Schafer-Claims-Kotick-Comments-Were-an-Accident>Schafer called Kotick names earlier this year - the CEO was less than kind.

"The guy comes out and says I'm a prick," he said.

"I've never met him in my life - I've never had anything to do with him. I never had any involvement in the Vivendi project that they were doing, <a href=http://www.amazon.com/Brutal-Legend-Xbox-360/dp/B000XJNTPG/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285614708&sr=8-1>Brütal Legend, other than I was in one meeting where the guys looked at it and said, 'He's late, he's missed every milestone, he's overspent the budget and it doesn't seem like a good game. We're going to cancel it.'

"And do you know what? That seemed like a sensible thing to do. And it turns out, he was late, he missed every milestone, the game was not a particularly good game..."

Reading through the entire interview, it feels like Kotick is finally trying to do some damage control after years of being perceived as <a href=http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/01/activisions-bobby-kotick-brings-cash-but-not-heart.ars>one of the principle villains of the videogame industry. Whether or not this attempt to repair his reputation pays off remains to be seen, but I'm not sure bashing a whole bunch of people is the best way to do it.

Source: <a href=http://www.next-gen.biz/news/kotick-ea-is-suffocating-studios>Edge via <a href=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-09-27-cod-creators-betrayed-me-kotick>Eurogamer and <a href=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-09-27-bobby-kotick-slags-off-tim-schafer>Eurogamer

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[Virgil]

You know who probably dislikes Kotick the most? The Activision PR department.

 

[Ninjamedic]

Anyone have that Facepalm picture of Picard made up of other facepalms?

 

[bjj hero]

Was he really going to come out in the press and say "I'm actually a real dick."?

 

[John Funk]

You know who probably dislikes Kotick the most? The Activision PR department.

I imagine they start drinking at 10 AM and just don't stop.

But seriously, though? Kotick is a businessman. He's a good businessman, too. He's just really bad at self-censoring.

 

[Snotnarok]

You know who probably dislikes Kotick the most? The Activision PR department.

I was about to say that actually. "Kotick shut your damn mouth! You're making us look like morons!"

The next day from Kotick: "My PR department are a bunch of jerks, Ted never buys me coffee and Janet wont go out with me!"

 

[Jack and Calumon]

Kotick, this is a stain that will not come out no matter how much you try and wash it, And rubbing it with other foods doesn't help. I see your point but I see nothing that the Infinity Ward guys did wrong. Tim Schaefer, he made a... all right game. Could have been better, but it probably would have been better if you didn't drop him out of development.

Calumon: Jack, if he keeps saying bad things, you aren't going to go Super Saiyan, are you?

 

[Canadian Briton]

Brutal legend a bad game?
Wut /end fanboyism
HAHAHAHAHAH He tries to justify his actions against infinity ward by saying that some of their members are criminals? Dear god all he needs to do now is pollute the enviroment and a he'll be a Captain Planet villian with all the greedy corporation stuff he does.

 

[Colonel Alzheimer's]

Bobby Kotick just needs to shut the fuck up. Seriously, if he shut his goddamn mouth for a couple of years, most people would forget about him, and Activision wouldn't be perceived as being evil. Then they could do whatever kind of shady shit that they want without telling us about it, like everyone else does. This man should either be fired or forced to wear duct tape on his mouth at all times. That is the only way Activision will get a better reputation.

 

[Pielikey]

I think he's just been trying to see how much he can get away with before people stop giving him money

 

[Torque669]

Well to be honest he can trash talk all he wants. Every else feels its right to insult him publically and as such he has a reason to insult them back.

Also I would probably would have quit Brutal Legend when I had the chance if he was missing important milestones and such. Also its hardly his fault if it was mainly Vivendi trying to get it back.

All in all, he knows what the masses want and gives it to them even if to the hardcore gamers that makes him the devil in human form.

 

[Mr Companion]

I have nothing to say about this guy, other than my vicious hatred of him.

 

[Prof. Monkeypox]

Wow. Who pissed Kotick off this month? There's a story about this every three days or so.
Kotick talks so much shit his esophagus is classified as a bio hazard zone.

 

[Ninjamedic]

snip

Correct!

 

[WanderingFool]

Anyone have that Facepalm picture of Picard made up of other facepalms?

You mean this one?

I think you need a sceond opinion...

Yeah, you're right.

 

[oranger]

And yet somehow, I still, STILL get the feeling he's an elder god hiding inside a meatsuit.

 

[Quiet Stranger]

I can't stand to look at him, he looks like a total douche bag, STOP SMILING BOBBY!

 

[Timbydude]

"I've never met him in my life - I've never had anything to do with him. I never had any involvement in the Vivendi project that they were doing, other than I was in one meeting where the guys looked at it and said, 'He's late, he's missed every milestone, he's overspent the budget and it doesn't seem like a good game. We're going to cancel it.'

"And do you know what? That seemed like a sensible thing to do. And it turns out, he was late, he missed every milestone, the game was not a particularly good game..."

To be totally fair, this part does actually make sense. That's just how business works.

Of course, that still doesn't explain why they sued Schafer for turning to EA.

They've also never explained exactly what the IW guys did that was so awful. Doesn't he notice that he refuses to go into specifics as to what West and Zampella did, while IW's story describes in great detail how Activision withheld their bonuses (even using exact numbers)?

As much as Activision needs him (he apparently knows what he's doing), I'm just surprised that he hasn't figured out that no one likes it when he talks.