Atomic Boss Calls Out Kotick Over Bungie Comment

Andy Chalk

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Nov 12, 2002
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Atomic Boss Calls Out Kotick Over Bungie Comment


Atomic Games [http://www.atomic.com/] President and former Bungie VP Peter Tamte has taken exception to Bobby Kotick's comment that Bungie is the "last remaining high-quality developer," saying that if he's right, Activision and every other big publisher in the industry is screwed.

Gearbox [http://www.activision.com] seemed content to let it slide as "Bobby talk," but Tamte most definitely wasn't.

"You were quoted saying that Bungie is the last remaining high quality independent developer. As a former executive vice president of Bungie, I need to tell you: If this is true, you're screwed," he wrote in an open letter to Kotaku [http://kotaku.com/5645940/an-open-letter-from-a-former-bungie-vp-to-bobby-kotick].

"Activision and every other big publisher have grown by acquiring independent developers. The industry needs a constant supply of new independent developers to buy because they're the ones creating innovative games that become franchises," he continued. "Borderlands [http://www.amazon.com/Gears-War-2-Game-Xbox-360/dp/B002GN8HU4/ref=sr_1_3?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285298137&sr=8-3]. None of these games re-hashes the same old formulas. They innovate. And, they're made by independent developers, of course."

Noting that Kotick has in the past referred to Activision as the "industry's online leader," he put forth a challenge: Demonstrate the multiplayer innovation in the soon-to-be-released Breach [http://www.amazon.com/Call-Duty-Black-Hardened-Xbox-360/dp/B003WFLGNK/ref=sr_1_3?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285298215&sr=8-3], which he promised would give the Activision boss "huge street cred."

The whole thing sounds a bit silly, an impression reinforced by the mocked-up Breach screenshot that Tamte included with his missive. But Tamte said part of his intent was to demonstrate that while Kotick is apparently limiting his definition of "online" to MMOGs, his company has the opportunity to do much greater things. "Part of our point in challenging Activision to offer Call of Duty's online component separately is we believe there are opportunities to use online both to create new kinds of games and as a means of distribution, like we're doing with Breach," he explained. "Activision could grow the whole industry if it chose to innovate in areas like this."

Atomic's Breach is currently scheduled for release in January 2011 for the PC and Xbox 360.


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tmujir955

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Oct 12, 2009
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psrdirector said:
said it before say it again, this sounds like breach is going to suck so he is trying to get pr by attacking everyones favorite strawman with an idiotic buisness idea.
I agree, I've never even heard of Breach and I frequent this site and Joystiq regularly.

I like the mockup though.
 

oranger

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May 27, 2008
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I knew one company or other would do something like this. And he (Peter Tamte) is right: the big publishers are basically behemoths using indie companies as fuel.
 

ArmorArmadillo

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"Gears of War. Portal. Borderlands. None of these games re-hashes the same old formulas. They innovate. And, they're made by independent developers, of course."
Mainstream dreck, innovation, mainstream dreck. Well, it's not all innovation, but at least it's an innovation sandwich.

Edit: Actually, although I almost instinctively think of Portal as innovative, it may not really be that innovative. It has a cool mechanic, but it's a relatively formulaic puzzle platformer that just happens to be very well made and written extremely well.

People should probably stop using the term innovation as though it were just a synonym for good...it means taking things in a new direction.
 

silentsentinel

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At first I thought the article said he was the president of the company creating Brink, and I got excited. But now I realize he said Breach, and now his statements have less impact...
 

Ignatz_Zwakh

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If I could shoot Kotick in Breach, I'd wanna try it for sure. Not spend money on it per se...but it'd give me a chance to vent my indignation. :(
 

Frostbite3789

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Yeah, y'know Bungie that dev that has created the same game 6 times is the last great independent dev in the entire world. Bobby Kotick stars as: Thinks Before He Speaks Man!
 

Korten12

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Aug 26, 2009
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awww... that breach game looked pretty cool, sucks it wont be on PS3, though it will be on PC atleast I can play it there. :)
 

WanderingFool

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I didnt even know there was a game called Breach coming out. Though I do kinda hope Kotick takes him up on that bet, as If im just going to buy COD for a shitty campiagn and multiplayer, Id rather save my money and just buy the multiplayer... but knowing KoDICK (hehe), the multiplayer only will probably cost around $58.99 instead of $59.99
 

Lightslei

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Fans should be agitated if Kotick takes up his challenge. He forgot fair in Kotick's mind probably means 'equivalent'.

And this is why I'm now sticking with freeware games.
 

oktalist

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All these reports remind me of those bits in Championship Manager where you can talk trash about people to the newspapers...

Why should I care what any of these people think?
 

SnootyEnglishman

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Hey Peter you should do what all the other smart developers are doing...and that's ignoring half the babble the comes from Kotick's mouth.
 

lacktheknack

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Jan 19, 2009
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Well, it's ALMOST enough to make me buy Breach, but it's Mirror's Edge fixed the entirely wrong way.

EDIT: Wait, that's Brink... What on earth is Breach?
 

Necromancer1991

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Bobby suffer from we like to call diarrhea of the mouth, as in he can't help but spew a stream of crap out of his mouth, really Kotick, stop making a ass of yourself.
 

Kermi

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Nov 7, 2007
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Peter uses publicity stunt!

Kermi has now heard of Peter!

Kermi uses wallet. It's super effective!

Peter gains 936 marketing points.

Peter levelled up!

Peter is now: successful.