Sure he's only worried about Activision's bottom line but at least he said something that we all agree with for once.
Bobby Kotick Says California Law is "Beyond Absurd"
- Thread starter Andy Chalk
- Start date
So he got off his high horse to talk down to the moronic bureaucrats, well better than nothing I suppose, he has point, this would be like prohibition, a stupid law that can't be enforced and that will end up making things worse, because if we all remember when they tried to ban alcohol in the 20's, Al Capone stepped in and pretty much ran Chicago for years from the money he got selling bootleg booze.
This is true I guess. But still. Does he want us to love him or hate him? I honestly don't seem to know anymore. At one point he makes a good point and says something nice, then two minutes later he says something so insanely stupid and infuriating it causes lots of hate.JeanLuc761 said:
Still, like you said, it is nice to have the biggest publisher on our side. Even if he's doing it because he'll lose money if this passes...
To be honest, I don't think he cares if we like him or not. He wants to make money. He is a good businessman and for all the shite people throw at him, you know what? His stuff works. Activision sell millions. Don't get angry at Kotick because his tactics work, get angry at the people who fall for it every time.Irridium said:
But strong words, Bobby (which, incidentally, is Scottish slang for "penis"), words that needed to be said. A powerful ally indeed.
Then you don't understand what the law proposes to do.rockyoumonkeys said:
I'm an adult and I'd really like products for adults to be where I can get them; like on shelves... in a store.ionveau said:
What this law does not do: Give the ESRB ratings "teeth" (ie: make the ESRB ratings enforceable with fines at the retail level).
What this law does: Takes the power to rate games away from the video game industry and puts it in the hands of the government. The government will then decide if a game is "ultra violent" or not. If the game is considered "ultra violent" it's sale to a minor will be punished by fines at the retail level.
What this means to gamers (not just those under 17): The current ESRB ratings (eC, E, E10+, T, M) will be thrown out and become meaningless. The government will decide what to rate each game. The line where "ultra violent" games start will not be the current spot where M starts now. The "ultra violent" banner could be flown on something as tame as Street Fighter (T) or Monday Night Combat (T) or Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions (E10+)... anything with human likenesses and violence could be a target.
What this law needs to be is like the laws in Ontario (Canada, I'm unsure how the UK system works) where the government simply gives the video games industries self-regulated ratings system (ESRB) "teeth". The fine is the same structure ($1000) but it doesn't step on the free speech of the developers by having the government say what is protected speech or not. Win-win. I'm not sure why these anti-video game laws keep trying to sway the court to ban protected speech when the spirit of the law is preserved by merely supporting the existing ratings system with law. If the government was truly concerned about kids not getting the games through fines, then this solution works fine. This law is merely an agenda to vilify video games and remove their 1st amendment protection as free speech, NOT to protect children from virtual violence.
Kotick's just covering his ass like everyone else in the entertainment industry when 1st amendment issues come up. It's weird, like hearing your grandma swear, but not entirely unexpected.
Okay, so you've explained all that, I still don't see where it even affects me. Instead of buying "M-rated", I'm buying "ultra-violent", big deal.
Your whole "free speech" thing is kind of a bunch of crap. Free speech shouldn't extend to you putting super violent video games into the hands of 13 year olds. Sorry.
Your whole "free speech" thing is kind of a bunch of crap. Free speech shouldn't extend to you putting super violent video games into the hands of 13 year olds. Sorry.
He is Satan incarnate and the only way to send him back to hell is to beat him in a Guitar Hero duel but he knows all the glitches and cheats so no one has yet been able to beat him at his own game.Jack and Calumon said:
I may not always agree with Kotick, but he's a "good" business man.
And I don't mean morally...
Anyway, he's on our side in this particular fight. It's one of the bonuses of being a source of income for someone who wants to "exploit" you, they don't want anyone messing with you.
It's like a drug dealer shooting some gangster about to mess with a high-paying customer, really.
And I don't mean morally...
Anyway, he's on our side in this particular fight. It's one of the bonuses of being a source of income for someone who wants to "exploit" you, they don't want anyone messing with you.
It's like a drug dealer shooting some gangster about to mess with a high-paying customer, really.
He has a motive for this too obviously, he'd lose a ton of money, as far as I'm concerned, he just hoisted himself two inches out of the 2 mile long pit he put himself in.
Oh come on you people, of course one of the reasons he is saying this is because of the business he's in. That's rather obvious but the things he is saying are absolutely true and he surely means them too.
+1 to SimuLord. You called it man, good show.
EDIT: Really, people are complaining about this one? Yes, I'm a large part of his motivation here is his bottom line, but come on. Regardless of why he's doing it, any opposition thrown at this thing is good news for us, so stop complaining that he stepped up on this. No matter his motivations it is a good thing for us.
EDIT: Really, people are complaining about this one? Yes, I'm a large part of his motivation here is his bottom line, but come on. Regardless of why he's doing it, any opposition thrown at this thing is good news for us, so stop complaining that he stepped up on this. No matter his motivations it is a good thing for us.
Of course Kotick is extremely concerned with the because of the fact that it will affect his most beloved franchise. That said, it doesn't change the fact that he's wrong. Everybody in the world of gaming will be negatively affected: consumers, publishers, and developers. There's no such thing as too much in help in this situation.
He's quite right. Just worried about his game sales, because everyone knows that absentee parents make a good portion of the money spent on games he craps into the mainstream.thefreeman0001 said: