Activision Not Impressed By EA's Name Calling

[The Wooster]

Activision Not Impressed By EA's Name Calling

Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg has criticized EA's recent smack-talk concerning the inevitable clash between Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3.

Talking at Gamescom 2011, Hirshberg claimed that the recent slew of "mudslinging" from EA is harming the whole gaming industry. Hirshberg was not-so-subtly referencing a recent interview in which EA CEO John Riccitiello harshly criticized Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, claiming that the game had "jumped the shark" and saying that he hoped it would "Rot from the core."

Hirshberg was not impressed. "Can you imagine the head of Dreamworks Animation coming out with a new movie and going to the press and saying that he wants Toy Story to 'rot from the core'," he said. "It's kind of hard to imagine, right?"

He went on to add, "I've been asked countless times to respond to [Riccitiello's] comment and I've generally chosen not to. My job is to help our incredibly talented, passionate teams to make the best games they can, not to throw insults around at others. But I actually feel this kind of rhetoric is bad for our industry."

Unfortunately, the rest of Activision apparently doesn't share Hirshberg's turn-the-other-cheek attitude. Activision CEO Bobby Kotick is somewhat notorious for running his mouth [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.235042-Bobby-Koticks-Trash-Talking-Spree-Continues] which only exacerbates existing tensions.

Hirshberg argues that cattiness from competing developers isn't doing the industry any favors. "The only way to do that is to continue to make great games. We shouldn't be tearing each other apart fighting for a bigger piece of the pie - we should all be focused on trying to grow a bigger pie. If we as an industry act like there's a finite number of games in the world, then there will be."

Despite the fact inter-publisher cat fights make for great news and pithy headlines, It'd be nice to see publishers talk to and about one another without either badmouthing their competition or pretending they don't exist. On the other hand, my inner 13-year-old demands that if EA responds to Hirshberg's comments by making a joke about his mum, I'll have to go out and preorder Battlefield 3 immediately.

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-17-activision-condemns-ea-mudslinging]

Permalink

 

[Roserari]

OH, clever girl. He just said that his company is like Pixar and that MW3 is like Toy Story. They're basically the kings of animations.

 

[Salad Is Murder]

So two of the biggest developer/publishers in the states, both of who are guilty of churning out games and shitting franchises to death, are pissing in each others cereal?

Wow, that's two bathroom process metaphors one after another, I might need help...pooping.

 

[The Bucket]

OH, clever girl. He just said that his company is like Pixar and that MW3 is like Toy Story. They're basically the kings of animations.

Holy crap you're right. Okay, they win juvenile namecalling.

 

[PixelKing]

Hate the child stereotype at the bottom there, but whatever.
If activison and EA kill eachover from this, who will mourn?

 

[Jaffinnegan]

All I hear is "ABOOHOOHOO"! I Agree 100% with John Riccitiello, and I hope what he says come true. CoD has been subpar since MW2, and MW3 shows no change to that. Where the CoD trailers are making more people less interested, the BF3 trailers are making everyone want it more and more.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Yes, yes, you're both big boys now. Now kiss and make up.

 

[Truly-A-Lie]

Can I just say how much I absolutely adored "we should all be focused on trying to grow a bigger pie." I don't know quite what it is, but that was frankly adorable. I can only hope it inspires this sweet soul to stop making Modern Warfare games, and start creating games where everyone comes together, stops fighting, and grows big pies.

 

[KaosuHamoni]

Oh boohoo. Now get over yourself. =/

It's not as if Call Of Duty is God's gift to games, now is it?

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Yeah c'mon guys! What are you? Game developers or politicians?

 

[Son of a Mitch]

I love how Hirshberg said that insulting a bastardized franchise that's been beaten to death with its own face is "bad for the industry." Especially since the insult came from the publisher of an equally bastardized franchise that's been beaten to death with its own face.

Spend less time bitching and more time innovating your games.

 

[hecticpicnic]

Kinda unprofessional.But i really wish that COD would just die.It makes to much money too though.

 

[AzureRaven]

This really doesn't have much to do with MW3 on the surface. Everyone keeps saying. "Less whining, more innovation, nao!" But he's just saying EA needs to be more respectful. That's really such a bad thing? EA is notorious for needing to keep their mouth shut or doing other stupid things, so I'm gonna side with Activision on this one. I think I'd like BF3 better, but the attitude isn't winning me over by any means.

 

[Jaffinnegan]

I love how Hirshberg said that insulting a bastardized franchise that's been beaten to death with its own face is "bad for the industry." Especially since the insult came from the publisher of an equally bastardized franchise that's been beaten to death with its own face.

Spend less time bitching and more time innovating your games.

I take offence to you talking badly about the Battlefield series. Call of Duty may have failed to move a muscle in 4 years, but Battlefield has changed everytime it has a new game in the series, and BF3 has the most inovation of any big seller in about 5 years, and completerly changed the way the game works, the way you play, and added the best destrution system ever in a game.

BTW, it is a good thing someone within the industry actually call CoD out on its bullshit for once, and Im happy it came from EA.

 

[Jaffinnegan]

Kinda unprofessional.But i really wish that COD would just die.It makes to much money too though.

"Kinda unprofessional"? Anyone Remember what was going on During the Golden-Age of Gaming? "Genesis Does What NintenDon't" and the 3DO advert showing the SNES and Genesis getting thrown into a Bin? Thats what I wish it was like now, Devs would FORCE eachother to inovate by insulting eachother, but now look, one person makes a remark against another, and he Starts crying about it. Oh how we have fallen. -_-

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

I think you're putting too much faith in this community with this article. It's quite obvious that both of them are employing the same strategy and Activision are totally not being the more mature ones about that (apart from Kotick, of course, but that's one guy against almost all of DICE).

Goddammit, DICE, I hope your fucking game is crushed by MW3 so bad, just so that you learn to stop being so obnoxious with your marketing.

I take offence to you talking badly about the Battlefield series. Call of Duty may have failed to move a muscle in 4 years, but Battlefield has changed everytime it has a new game in the series, and BF3 has the most inovation of any big seller in about 5 years, and completerly changed the way the game works, the way you play, and added the best destrution system ever in a game.

It's better to stay in one place than to lower the quality of your games. Bad Company 2 does NOT deserve to be a follow up to Battlefield 2.

Feel free to take offence at that.

 

[RUINER ACTUAL]

Well, Riccitilleo was right about CoD:MW jumping the shark. I think this shows how involved and how much the companies are really putting behind their developers. These games are the flagship titles of these two massive corporations. Times are tough and they are fighting for every dollar so they can continue to do what they do. Individuals trash talk each other all the time, why should it be any different for a company?

BTW, it is a good thing someone within the industry actually call CoD out on its bullshit for once, and Im happy it came from EA.

Agreed.

 

[Son of a Mitch]

I love how Hirshberg said that insulting a bastardized franchise that's been beaten to death with its own face is "bad for the industry." Especially since the insult came from the publisher of an equally bastardized franchise that's been beaten to death with its own face.

Spend less time bitching and more time innovating your games.

I take offence to you talking badly about the Battlefield series. Call of Duty may have failed to move a muscle in 4 years, but Battlefield has changed everytime it has a new game in the series, and BF3 has the most inovation of any big seller in about 5 years, and completerly changed the way the game works, the way you play, and added the best destrution system ever in a game.

Sorry you feel that way, but I really don't feel the same. Perhaps I just haven't played the games enough, but they never really did anything for me, and pretty much seemed the same. But oh well. Different people, different opinions. At least you replied maturely, so thumbs up to you good sir/madam.

 

[TundraWolf]

Thanks for mentioning the fact that Kotick and other Activision heads are just as guilty of the whole namecalling issue as Riccitiello. As if Hirschberg has a leg to stand on. Some people just don't understand what hypocrisy is.

Besides, we all know Battlefield 3 is going to be the better game. It's already decided. All Activision has left to do is admit defeat and fold the franchise, just like they have with every other franchise they own (ie. Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk, amongst others).