Activision: EA' Mudslinging Is No New Thing For a "Challenger Brand"

The Wooster

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Jul 15, 2008
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Activision: EA' Mudslinging Is No New Thing For a "Challenger Brand"


Activision's Eric Hirshberg responds to EA's latest batch of name calling, pointing out that calling your competitors nasty names isn't exactly a new strategy.

It's been an exciting month for fans of frivolous corporate feuding. Earlier in the month, we reported that Activision's Eric Hirshberg took a dim view of EA CEO John Riccitiello's harsh comments about Modern Warfare 3 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/112398-Activision-Not-Impressed-By-EAs-Name-Calling], claiming that mudslinging was "bad for the industry."

EA's response [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/112486-EA-Slings-More-Mud-at-Activision] was the corporate relations equivalent of taking a picture of Hirshberg and scribbling a crude penis on his forehead. "Welcome to the big leagues Eric - I know you're new in the job but someone should have told you this is an competitive industry," said EA's Jeff Brown, presumably while making obscene gestures with his free hand. He went on to add, "you've got every reason to be nervous. Last year Activision had a 90 [percent] share in the shooter category," he continued. "This year, Battlefield 3 is going to take you down to 60 or 70. At that rate, you'll be out of the category in 2-3 years."

The gloves are now, apparently, well and truly off. Talking to GameIndustry.biz, Hirshberg shot back with some criticism of his own, pointing out that trash talking and needless comparisons are common advertising strategies for "challenger brands." "It's not a new strategy for challenger brands to try to get themselves mentioned in the same breath as leader brands. Coke didn't do the Coke challenge, Pepsi did the Pepsi challenge," he said, (ouch. Comparing EA to Pepsi is like an eleven on a scale of one to "harsh") "It's a tried and true strategy to try and get yourself mentioned as much as possible in the same breath as the leaders so people start thinking of you in that context."

Hirshberg went on to reiterate his earlier points." I feel like [EA's commentary] comes from a place that assumes that there's a finite number of gamers in the world." He said, "If we as an industry act like there's a finite number of gamers in the world, and just beat each other up to get access to them, I think that will come true."

Then he broke out his adorable "growing cake" metaphor again, this time adding a little more detail. "On the other hand, if we act like we can constantly pull people into this passion, which is what has happened - the industry has grown exponentially - then I think that we can bake a bigger pie instead of fighting over a bigger slice of the existing one," he said. Indeed, in a perfect world the entire game industry would be one giant cake, and you and I, gentle reader, well ... we would be the frosting.

Source: Industry Gamers [http://www.industrygamers.com/news/ea-mudslinging-not-a-new-strategy-for-a-challenger-brand-says-activision/]


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Jaebird

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Aug 19, 2008
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While mommy and daddy are fighting, I'll be too busy playing Batman: Arkham City.
 

bbad89

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Jan 1, 2011
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Once again, Activision comes out looking like the mature one. Every detail I read about Battlefield 3 makes me want it less, whilst Modern Warfare 3 is doing the opposite.
 

Lawlhat

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Mar 17, 2009
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Well, I'm glad that -somebody- is trying to be the better man here.

I'm just ashamed that it's not EA.
 

Camarilla

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Jul 17, 2008
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Am I the only person that finds Activision calling Battlefield the 'challenger brand' funny, when it predates Call of Duty by a year? And did it's own modern combat game 2 years before CoD did?






That's a yes then...
 

Tzekelkan

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Dec 27, 2009
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The only thing I'm pissed about is the EA guy's remark that if Activision went from 90% to 70% in a year, in a few years they're literally going to disappear, because there is no way just two points in a graph can make anything but a linear progression. Really, dude? I thought you actually needed to have more than half a brain to get to the top.
 

Rarhnor

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Jun 2, 2010
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I can't help but feel hysteric glee, every time I read Activision is the bigger(ish) man in this "Mudslinging contest".
Not gonna buy either game, but I'll ride the Activision train all the way to Mature Avenue.

Cheshire the Cat said:
Even so, I do look forward to when numbnuts Kotick gets let outta his muzzle and starts talking about EAs momma.
Probably locked him in his office. Surviving on old candy bars and asbestos from the ceiling...

...Movie material.
 

Tzekelkan

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Camarilla said:
Am I the only person that finds Activision calling Battlefield the 'challenger brand' funny, when it predates Call of Duty by a year? And did it's own modern combat game 2 years before CoD did?

That's a yes then...
All that is technically true, but it doesn't really matter. Battlefield is momentarily the challenger because CoD has a bigger part of the market share, regardless of their respective birth dates, which frankly hardly matter anymore. CoD1 and BF1942 were so long ago in game years, it might as well be ancient history. We're at, what, CoD 8 and BF 6 right now (let's be honest, calling it BF "3" is a huge stretch).
 

Imre Csete

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Jul 8, 2010
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Cheshire the Cat said:
But I do have one question, where the fuck are their board of directors and marketing departments telling the guy at EA to shut the fuck up or hes fired?
The same people who were responsible for the Dante's Inferno "Sin to Win" and the your mom hates Dead Space 2 campaigns? Probably giving fistbumps to each other while thinking how awesome they are.

EA has the most retarded marketing team ever.
 

AlternatePFG

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Jan 22, 2010
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Oh god, more popcorn please? This is delicious, especially because I don't particularly care either game.

It's like an argument between a couple of school children.
 

aashell13

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Camarilla said:
Am I the only person that finds Activision calling Battlefield the 'challenger brand' funny, when it predates Call of Duty by a year? And did it's own modern combat game 2 years before CoD did?
I think we're going by recent market share here, not chronological order.

Besides, the early iterations of the series aren't very similar. the early COD's were pretty linear shooters with a heavy emphasis on singleplayer, while on the battlefield side both the WWII anthology and BF2 basically don't even have singleplayer; It's just a local instance of a multiplayer server with all bots.
 

TheBelgianGuy

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Aug 29, 2010
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Oh my god. Seriously. Who's in the EA marketing department? Adults, or frickin' 10-year olds?
Scratch that, I've seen most 10 year olds behave more civilized than this.
That said, the EA guy made a spelling mistake.


TO ALL PEOPLE: I still love Battlefield, I will love Battlefield 3. Maybe. Kinda worried about the Origin thing, but I'll see when it get outs.
And besides, DICE aren't EA, they're just their slaves, right? right? Please say I'm right...
 

Alphakirby

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May 22, 2009
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orangeapples said:
DAMNIT EA Stop making Activision look good.
This,this so very much.
EA is making ACTIVISION,a company that couldn't be more obsessed with money if it were a joint operation between Mr.Krabs,Scrooge Mcduck,and Steve Jobs look like the mature,intelligent person here. Please check to see if the sky is falling,I'm worried it could break someone's house.