Activision Is Platform Agnostic, Says Kotick

[MrGalactus]

Except for that Activision very obviously favors Xbox 360, you know like by releasing things month(s) ahead on that platform over the PS3 and PC.

That's because Microsoft pays to get stuff early, not because Activision prefers the 360. They're not platform neutral because of any preference, or to bring their creations to more gamers, they're platform neutral because that makes the most money.

 

[KindlySpastic]

Would being platform agnostic mean that he doesn't believe humans have a capacity for knowledge about gaming platforms? I can sort of agree with that. There's certainly no lack of parallels to be drawn, what with conversations between Playstation and Xbox fanboys being on the level of nutters of different religious persuasions and all.

 

[jakefongloo]

Isn't he the one who said no one would buy a game if it wasn't a sequel?

 

[jakefongloo]

While i dont like Kotick this is a good attitude for a company to have, even if he only believes this because he can make more profit out of it.

I find 'xxx console only' games just tend to piss off a lot of people.

Is there any better reason for a ceo of a company to believe that? He does run a company not the toyshop at the north pole. What is with "they make games so they shouldn't worry about profits" mentality?? What makes developing games any different from any other company?

It doesn't however there's a difference between making a profit and just being a douche about it.

If he's making a profit, so what that he's a douche about it? You think his shareholders care more about the profit or that he's a douche about it? I'm guessing that they care more about the profit.

What about customers? After all what is a business without its customers? Seriously its in his best interest (yes profit) to at least cut down on the bullshit let alone see to the decreasing quality in their games.

That's what I suspect may be the problem. That the customers somehow see themselves as the objective of the business' existence. They're not. They're only the means by which the business gets to its objective. As long as they continue to provide that means, the business, truth be told, could care less about the customers.

Mayby one day those 14mill(?) CoDers will realise the shit they eat, or Activision will keep up the two year cycle making them unplayable, and hopefully whats left of Infinityward will help this with so much of the talent lost.

Or maybe and this could come as a shock but they like COD? OMG I know the horror. Such a wacky idea could never be true. I am sure that there is some wizard at Activision casting hypnosis spells on every box before they ship that forces them to buy it. I betcha the same thing happens with Madden and every other game I have no particular interest in. It is the only rational explanation. I mean millions of people enjoying a game that I don't?? It has got to be the work of a wizard.

There is no doubt people like it, and that it is good. The problem is people will continue to buy it regardless of what happens as long as the basic mechanics (aiming, movement etc) are intact, i mean when there was the subscription talk, i went around telling this to the CoDers, their reaction was how much?

CoD has nailed the shooting, moving, sprinting, aiming perfectly. It's the core mechanics that I love so much that feel clunky or jerky on any other shooter.

Battlefield has it's own niche I enjoy, but I can't tell you how many times I have sniped a dude in the head, he FLINCHES and the BLOOD shoots out of where I hit him, and then walks away without me even getting a hit marker and him undamaged, or how many times I had to stick a guy with a knife for it to finally register (record is four) with blood and flinching happening every slash.

Granted it has it's problems but to me most of them stem from not having dedicated servers. If the managed to get those up and running I wouldn't have anything but spacific game to game complaints.

No other shooter has held my attention as long as CoD has except left 4 dead and they are two entirely different games.

 

[jakefongloo]

You can't fault Kotick for having an Active vision.

/applause

 

[Fursnake]

Kotik again displays his cherubic devil look again. He tried so hard to look sweet and innocent that it just feels evil.

Also, the word agnostic has no business being in the title of this article or anywhere else in it.

 

[DrunkWithPower]

anyone else thinks this is a most obvious statement?

Bullshit. I've heard (never wasted the money on) the PC version of MW2 and BLops were horrid console ports, and if they don't play favorites, why does 360 always get everything first? Hmm?

Activision plays favorites to whoever gives them more money. Microsoft pays for the timed exclusives

and its probably the cheapest to develop on the 360 first and port it, than to waste money co-developing for each platform. Highly doubt its due to favoritism tbh. But hey you could be right too ^-^

I think you have a point the 360 is cheap to dev on first. I disagree with the waste of money co-deving for each platform. In the long run it would probably make Activision more money because it'll show compassion (or at least the illusion of compassion) for each video game community. Then again, it's all about making the fast cash.

 

[vxicepickxv]

Except for that Activision very obviously favors Xbox 360, you know like by releasing things month(s) ahead on that platform over the PS3 and PC.

Also, "agnostic" is completely the wrong term here.

I don't even know if Black Ops made money on the PC version, plus I'm sure all those extra maps on the PS3 are doing so well on PSN.

Oh wait.

 

[Quellist]

While i dont like Kotick this is a good attitude for a company to have, even if he only believes this because he can make more profit out of it.

I find 'xxx console only' games just tend to piss off a lot of people.

Is there any better reason for a ceo of a company to believe that? He does run a company not the toyshop at the north pole. What is with "they make games so they shouldn't worry about profits" mentality?? What makes developing games any different from any other company?

It doesn't however there's a difference between making a profit and just being a douche about it.

I'd find it more reassuring if the CEO of a gaming company had some interest in the field beyond squeezing as much cash out of it as possible, Kotick is a man who had stated he wanted to take the fun out of gaming (or words to those effect) he either utterly dismisses his customers or likes inciting hatred from them. So yeah i have a problem with his attitude.

 

[Denamic]

Seems like the gaming community has such a terrible perception of Kotick that they will manage to make anything he says a negative thing. I'm pretty sure that at this point he could say that Activision's next game will include a free year's supply of chocolate and he would still be hated for it.

Here's a freaking news flash. Videogames are still a business, a venture designed to make money, and Bobby Kotick is CEO (read: chief money-maker) of a video game company. Yes, he is trying to find ways to make money. Calling him out like this:

You see I read this and Ijust picture him rubbing his hands together, dollar signs in his eyes.

"What else can I leech the lifeblood out of today?"

doesn't accomplish anything. If the company still makes good games, than who cares. If they don't, or if they stop making good games, then don't buy their games.

Rule number one of entertainment industries: People vote with their wallets.

Let's put it like this:
Kotick is a man who wants to make us pay extra for cutscenes.

He practically begs to be hated.

 

[370999]

Seems like the gaming community has such a terrible perception of Kotick that they will manage to make anything he says a negative thing. I'm pretty sure that at this point he could say that Activision's next game will include a free year's supply of chocolate and he would still be hated for it.

Here's a freaking news flash. Videogames are still a business, a venture designed to make money, and Bobby Kotick is CEO (read: chief money-maker) of a video game company. Yes, he is trying to find ways to make money. Calling him out like this:

You see I read this and Ijust picture him rubbing his hands together, dollar signs in his eyes.

"What else can I leech the lifeblood out of today?"

doesn't accomplish anything. If the company still makes good games, than who cares. If they don't, or if they stop making good games, then don't buy their games.

Rule number one of entertainment industries: People vote with their wallets.

Let's put it like this:
Kotick is a man who wants to make us pay extra for cutscenes.

He practically begs to be hated.

Wasn't that int he context of releasing them outside a game to buy, as in a movie? Anyway do you know what the real answer is to that? Don't buy any games that try to do that. Kotick's job is to make money, we may question whetever he is doing it the most efficent way possible, but to act shcoked that he is, is silly.

 

[Mr.Squishy]

While i dont like Kotick this is a good attitude for a company to have, even if he only believes this because he can make more profit out of it.

I find 'xxx console only' games just tend to piss off a lot of people.

Yeah, this. Also, here's some obligatory text to appease the mods.

 

[Porecomesis]

Here's what I got out of that -

"Activision is a company with no loyalty and no concept of an alliance. We will support a platform as long as it is profitable, and not one second longer. We don't make friends, we make money."

While I don't really like Kotick, that is an incredibly cynical way to interpret a statement.

 

[Spygon]

That's what I suspect may be the problem. That the customers somehow see themselves as the objective of the business' existence. They're not. They're only the means by which the business gets to its objective. As long as they continue to provide that means, the business, truth be told, could care less about the customers.

Suspect may be the problem really?. Do you know why companies put a shit lot of money into PR departments and give away free things with products. It not because they want to get rid of money its because you need to keep your customers happy or they go else where that makes them lose business.

Thinking like yours scares the crap out of me as its just seems to be "i don?t care if a company treats me like total crap as long as its doing something we should be thankful as we are only paying our hard earned money for things".Customers do not need to buy there stuff when they have competitors in the same market while businesses need customers to stay in businesses.

 

[Riobux]

It's nice Bobby doesn't discriminate between platforms he can abuse to make more money. After all, the more platforms he gets games published on, the larger the audience he can exploit for more money.

 

[Hachura]

Activision is platform agnostic because they are currency agnostic. They wanna make money anyway and anywhere they can. Can't fault them I suppose, that's the name of the game. Doesn't mean I can't hate on Bobby Kuntick though.

 

[JoshGod]

While i dont like Kotick this is a good attitude for a company to have, even if he only believes this because he can make more profit out of it.

I find 'xxx console only' games just tend to piss off a lot of people.

Is there any better reason for a ceo of a company to believe that? He does run a company not the toyshop at the north pole. What is with "they make games so they shouldn't worry about profits" mentality?? What makes developing games any different from any other company?

It doesn't however there's a difference between making a profit and just being a douche about it.

I'd find it more reassuring if the CEO of a gaming company had some interest in the field beyond squeezing as much cash out of it as possible, Kotick is a man who had stated he wanted to take the fun out of gaming (or words to those effect) he either utterly dismisses his customers or likes inciting hatred from them. So yeah i have a problem with his attitude.

I'm surprised he is stupid enough to say what does being Activisions CEO. I would guess he dismisses his customers as his attitude hasn't stopped CoD selling like crack cakes. Then again it could also be trolling, my god if it is trolling that is just brilliant my hat goes of to you, well if i was wearing one it would.

 

[JoshGod]

While i dont like Kotick this is a good attitude for a company to have, even if he only believes this because he can make more profit out of it.

I find 'xxx console only' games just tend to piss off a lot of people.

Is there any better reason for a ceo of a company to believe that? He does run a company not the toyshop at the north pole. What is with "they make games so they shouldn't worry about profits" mentality?? What makes developing games any different from any other company?

It doesn't however there's a difference between making a profit and just being a douche about it.

If he's making a profit, so what that he's a douche about it? You think his shareholders care more about the profit or that he's a douche about it? I'm guessing that they care more about the profit.

What about customers? After all what is a business without its customers? Seriously its in his best interest (yes profit) to at least cut down on the bullshit let alone see to the decreasing quality in their games.

That's what I suspect may be the problem. That the customers somehow see themselves as the objective of the business' existence. They're not. They're only the means by which the business gets to its objective. As long as they continue to provide that means, the business, truth be told, could care less about the customers.

Mayby one day those 14mill(?) CoDers will realise the shit they eat, or Activision will keep up the two year cycle making them unplayable, and hopefully whats left of Infinityward will help this with so much of the talent lost.

Or maybe and this could come as a shock but they like COD? OMG I know the horror. Such a wacky idea could never be true. I am sure that there is some wizard at Activision casting hypnosis spells on every box before they ship that forces them to buy it. I betcha the same thing happens with Madden and every other game I have no particular interest in. It is the only rational explanation. I mean millions of people enjoying a game that I don't?? It has got to be the work of a wizard.

There is no doubt people like it, and that it is good. The problem is people will continue to buy it regardless of what happens as long as the basic mechanics (aiming, movement etc) are intact, i mean when there was the subscription talk, i went around telling this to the CoDers, their reaction was how much?

CoD has nailed the shooting, moving, sprinting, aiming perfectly. It's the core mechanics that I love so much that feel clunky or jerky on any other shooter.

Battlefield has it's own niche I enjoy, but I can't tell you how many times I have sniped a dude in the head, he FLINCHES and the BLOOD shoots out of where I hit him, and then walks away without me even getting a hit marker and him undamaged, or how many times I had to stick a guy with a knife for it to finally register (record is four) with blood and flinching happening every slash.

Granted it has it's problems but to me most of them stem from not having dedicated servers. If the managed to get those up and running I wouldn't have anything but spacific game to game complaints.

No other shooter has held my attention as long as CoD has except left 4 dead and they are two entirely different games.

I'm just one of those people that are dissapointed that after MW it went down hill. Except for zombies every other CoD seemed like a cash in.

 

[JDKJ]

That's what I suspect may be the problem. That the customers somehow see themselves as the objective of the business' existence. They're not. They're only the means by which the business gets to its objective. As long as they continue to provide that means, the business, truth be told, could care less about the customers.

Suspect may be the problem really?. Do you know why companies put a shit lot of money into PR departments and give away free things with products. It not because they want to get rid of money its because you need to keep your customers happy or they go else where that makes them lose business.

Thinking like yours scares the crap out of me as its just seems to be "i don?t care if a company treats me like total crap as long as its doing something we should be thankful as we are only paying our hard earned money for things".Customers do not need to buy there stuff when they have competitors in the same market while businesses need customers to stay in businesses.

Yeah, because the market for game consoles is just full of and overflowing with competing sellers. All three of them.

 

[JoshGod]

And? They are happy with it. Acti is happy with the money it makes. Other games still get made which makes me happy. Video game "journalists" are happy cuz they get to phone in the weekly "Bobby said he likes profiting from making games" article. Bobby makes the industry go round. He is a hero.

Were the last two sentances jokes? Other games get made, but CoD still has an influence on other games.

Well I am sure he is a hero to game "journalists" who get to use the old "Bobby wants Acti to be profitable derp" weekly articles instead of you know having to do real work.

And you can try to point fingers every which way but the bottom line is gamers set the rules. Gamers have the power. Gamers are the reason COD is popular and influencing other games and blah blah blah. So if anything is the real problem with the way things are it's gamers not 1 guy in a suit who runs 1 company. The sooner we stop buying into this Bobby is the antichrist propaganda the sooner we can actually start lookin for solutions. Because sooner or later Bobby will be replaced with some other jackass in a suit who will be caught saying the same things. And all the rage will be focused on him. And that will not solve 1 goddamn thing. Except let gamers feel better about themselves by raging against "the man".

The solution is simple, as time goes on all the people who were introduced to CoD will get more experience with games and will get into other games instead of a yearly cycle of CoD and whatever Fifa, PES or madden etc is best. Eventually they will demand better games, and all will be good until the next CoD... Also if bobby is a jackass i'm gunna moan about him, it makes me feel better and it may not be productive but i'm on an internet forum, i was never here to be productive.