Kotick: Only 30% of Activision's Profits Come from Consoles

[IxionIndustries]

Thank them? No.. He'd probably fire everyone at Blizzard if he could.

That's why I hate the bastard..

On a side note, Activision is a fucking parasite on Blizzard's good name.

 

[katsabas]

Did this guy just dug up his own grave with this comment? 70%? Huh. Anyway, whatever his intentions, Kotick really let it slip about who is wearing the pants in the Activision-Blizzard relationship. And you know what, you may turn MW2 into a die-hard zone for subscribers (monkey see, monkey do) but I have one word for ya, prick:


ROLL - FUCKIN - OUT

 

[pneuma08]

No one wants people to stop playing their games.

I don't follow. As far as I know, no one cares that old, unsupported games aren't being played anymore, doubly so before the advent of DLC.

Let see what would happen if they tried to get rid of dedicated servers for something like WoW and see what it does to their income.

I- but- er- What do you think dedicated servers are, let's start with that. Unless I'm terribly mistaken, MW2 runs on a lobby-based connection to Activision-run servers, not purely peer-to-peer. That said, how could anyone run an MMO peer-to-peer? The world has to be persistent and exist regardless of who is playing. Unless you're not talking about that at all. I'm not sure what you mean when you refer to WoW having "dedicated servers" (because it doesn't in the same way that TF2 has "dedicated servers").

I just have no idea what you're saying here.

OT: This explains how Activision can afford to get into slap-fights with Infinity Ward. How terribly sad.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

snip

Aslong as the game is viable what company does not want people playing their games. That aside just look at Quake and Doom those are still being played. Things that are subscription based or indirect transaction based games like WoW and TF2 their respective devs want them to keep being played. It just means more money for them to go into other things. If a game has become unsupported it means the community has moved on or the game was a failure simple as really. If a game is still being played for more than nostalgia and has an active community it will always be there and exist which is good for the company to make money. For example all the Quake things is free advertising of the its existance if they ever try to reboot the franchise.


WoW does run on a dedicated server like system as does every MMO. As even with WoW you can make your own private server for it. If Activision thought they could get more money out of it they would do away with this system. That is what I was mainly saying and the fact that they try fuck over whoever they can. So while it is not a dedicated server system in the same sense as TF2 they are still a form of dedicated servers as you can make your own which is what a dedicated server is. MW2 does not run on Activision run servers. MW2 runs on peer to peer which is why when the person who has become the server drops out you have to wait for a new person be selected.

That is what I was saying there.

 

[Enigmers]

Right.

If PC accounts for 70% of his sales, why does he treat PC gamers like shit?

His exact words are "I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of all the money I make from the video game industry despite the fact that I have never had a creative thought in my life."

Considering everyone who plays World of Warcraft pays for the equivalent of a copy of Modern Warfare 2 every four months, plus the fact that four time cards probably earn Blizzard more money than a new copy of MW2 (it costs a lot less to package and deliver, I'd wager. Plus you can probably just buy time online and cut out the middleman altogether, but don't quote me on this.)

 

[ScRaT_the_destroyer]

hang on, if we're the people who pay the majority of their bills, why did they shaft us with mw2?

 

[Gindil]

Oh please. Do you really think Valve is updating TF2 out of the goodness of its heart? No, it keeps you on Steam so you buy stuff there, which they get a cut of. That's your TF2 subscription right there.

Yes, but I don't have to buy it. I haven't bought many games since TF2 came out. I got Portal for free. That's nearly anathema to Kotick's way of thinking. Give something to get more.

Well, when Activision owns things that have a massive PC fanbase and it overcharges the crap out of all of them, it's not that hard to believe.

£9 a month being really expensive and extortionate right?

Quite. If you compare their antics to those of other companies [http://www.teamfortress.com/119/], it's highway robbery what they give you for that amount.

Valve also get money from advertising, and selling other games quite reguarly, Blizzard haven't bought a new game out in yonks, and they also have to keep the WoW servers up, (which is damn expensive) something Valve doesn't have to, because people pay for their own dedicated servers, they really haven't added anywhere near as much as WoW has, they have a massive MASSIVE customer support team that has to be on 24/7 to pay, etc etc.

...

I was more or less referring to MW2, where the concept of a map builder, dedicated servers, and other knick-knacks for the consumers isn't even a given to how Kotick is looking to make those that love the game buy everything they can for their gaming habit.

 

[tkioz]

Everyone is assuming it's PC games, doesn't Activision publish hand held games? Last I heard they were a huge market segment. Oh I don't doubt WoW makes crazy shittons of money.

 

[pneuma08]

Spoiler

snip

Aslong as the game is viable what company does not want people playing their games. That aside just look at Quake and Doom those are still being played. Things that are subscription based or indirect transaction based games like WoW and TF2 their respective devs want them to keep being played. It just means more money for them to go into other things. If a game has become unsupported it means the community has moved on or the game was a failure simple as really. If a game is still being played for more than nostalgia and has an active community it will always be there and exist which is good for the company to make money. For example all the Quake things is free advertising of the its existance if they ever try to reboot the franchise.

I suppose you're right when thinking of the longer term. Nonetheless it's the community that supports legacy games like Deus Ex, not the devs/publishers.

Spoiler: WoW servers

WoW does run on a dedicated server like system as does every MMO. As even with WoW you can make your own private server for it. If Activision thought they could get more money out of it they would do away with this system. That is what I was mainly saying and the fact that they try fuck over whoever they can. So while it is not a dedicated server system in the same sense as TF2 they are still a form of dedicated servers as you can make your own which is what a dedicated server is. MW2 does not run on Activision run servers. MW2 runs on peer to peer which is why when the person who has become the server drops out you have to wait for a new person be selected.

But WoW "private servers" are completely third-party hacks to the system that Activision/Blizzard have set up; and, indeed, they are taking steps to limit these via cease-and-desist letters. At the very least they're not part of A/B's model (and I also sincerely doubt that any significant number of people go out and buy WoW specifically to play on private servers).

Also: MW2 on PC is completely peer-to-peer? That's horrible. I thought they were reaching for a more console-like solution which is adequate if disappointing. It's worse than I thought.

 

[pneuma08]

Everyone is assuming it's PC games, doesn't Activision publish hand held games? Last I heard they were a huge market segment. Oh I don't doubt WoW makes crazy shittons of money.

"Consoles" includes handhelds.

Edit: Unless you're referring to something like iPhone titles.

 

[spectrenihlus]

I hope TOR kills WOW for the sake of all gamers everywhere.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Which essentially means that Kotick is effectively saying that the PC accounts for 70% of Activision's business. Hmm, I wonder where all that money is coming from. It's almost like there's a really popular PC game out there for which millions of people pay monthly, or something like that.

You better thank Blizzard every night before you go to bed, Bobby. They're the ones paying your bills.

I know you're trying to tell me something, Funk.

But what it is...I can't put my finger on it.

 

[Sartan0]

Can anyone explain to me why Blizzard even sold themselves to Activision in the first place?

They did not Vendi did. They sold themselves to Vendi years ago. Vendi sold Blizzard off to Activision to pay their debts due to the credit crunch and recession we just went through.

 

[Paddin]

Well, good for Activision I guess. But the real question is, if Kotick is here, who is running Hell?

 

[Iron Mal]

Right.

If PC accounts for 70% of his sales, why does he treat PC gamers like shit?

Because he knows that we'll just sit there and take it.

No matter how badly you think you're getting fucked over by games there will always be leigons of dedicated fans who will buy anything with their favourite series/developers name slapped onto it, what we 'few good men' think means very little compared to the demands of the hordes of content people out there (after all, who brings in more money?).

 

[ThreeKneeNick]

Right.

If PC accounts for 70% of his sales, why does he treat PC gamers like shit?

... WoW accounts for 70% of their revnue. Not their PC ports of console games.

It was nice to actually see this number, though. Funny how everything activision does is propped up by the projects of a house they have no real influence upon.

I like your coping strategy.