Kotick Takes a Swing at EA

[Wandrecanada]

Just wanna get in before someone misrepresents the Activision-Blizzard merger in this thread. That said, he's probably right. Financially speaking, anyway.

Haha wouldn't want to give Bobby credit for being Vivendi. At least Bliz fans can reserve their hatred of the people who ran the Diablo franchise into the dirt for someone else. RIP Bliz North and hooray for Torchlight.

 

[ultimateownage]

Hey Kotick, your douche score is rising really fast! Soon you might make a world record!

 

[ShadowKatt]

Whether he's right or wrong, I have to wonder: Is he TRYING to piss off every other developer out there? Or does he trhink that now that he has Blizzard behind him he's untouchable?

Because if he doesn't knock this shit off, I'm sure that Activision-Blizzards PR department is going to show him otherwise. No company needs a loudmouth figurehead making a bad name for them, and Blizzard doesn't need Activision to get by.

 

[Vrach]

I think people just want to ***** about the guy. I honestly can't find anything bad in this news post. All seems pretty legit to me.

How about the hypocrisy part?

 

[Kukakkau]

Could someone please assassinate this guy? Not that he is wrong about what he said, he is just wrong about everything else.

How much you offering for it?

While he has a point here it is a really obvious one - let successful smaller companies keep doing what they do but with some more financial support. Wow tricky...

And talking about the treatment of employees? *cough* infinity ward founders *cough*

 

[Loonerinoes]

If I remember a previous report about how Activision basically gets 60% of all its profits from PC sales, in no doubt thanks to a certain very popular product made by Blizzard...can they honestly name another such studio with that level of autonomy in their company that they *didn't* just bowl over?

Don't get me wrong, apart from Bioware I can't think of any such studio on the side of EA either...but to say that Activision is *vastly* different from it really is just stupid. They just happened to get a head start with Blizzard by something like 3 or 4 years so it's no wonder their profits outgrew EA as back in those days, as I understand it, they were still deadset in their less efficient ways.

And ultimately...yeah, coming from the source that it does...really if someone else in Activision said this, then maybe it'd at least pass some consideration. But now it truly does look like ole Bobby needs a rabies shot by this point heheh.

 

[Kinichie]

Hold Tight. He he trying to say Activision is Number one and simultaneously Teabag EA at the same time?

 

[Ghostkai]

As far as I am concerned EA have got their shit in line over the last few years and have churned out some gold, Activision are now the whipping boy. Shut ye mouth Kotick, just look what you did to IW? And what you'll undoubtedly do to Bungie.

 

[Jesus Phish]

Kotick does have a point here. Having individual studios keep their identity while being part of a parent company is the best way forward; not only do the small companies get to keep staff and work ethic but they get the benefit of being part of an overall successful company which is designed to support them.

Ubisoft does it with their studios, Rockstar do it with theirs and even Microsoft have allowed Rare and Lionhead to keep their own structure and game-making prowess.

Thing is though, those small companies only get to stay on the roster as long as Activision sees them being able to milk the series. I agree it's a great idea in theory to just let devs do as they wish with a support of a big publisher.

EA picked up alot of small dev games after Acti axed them because they didnt think, for example, Brutal Ledgend could be milked as much as Guitar Hero.

You mean Activision hires developers based on how much money they can make?

Oh, God, the horror!

No they dump them midway through development

 

[Atmos Duality]

Wait wait...let me guess how this goes:

*Bobby Kotick opens mouth*: STUPID!! STUPID WORDS GO HERE!*
Everyone else: "What a greedy idiot!"

And so concludes another brilliant topic on the gaming industry's equivalent to a male Paris Hilton.

 

[dabronc7]

Bobby Kotick says something stupid and inane about how his studio is better than anyone else...and in other news the sky is blue and the sun is hot.

 

[Kris015]

Tell that to Infinity Ward, Bobby.

Pot, Kettle, Black.

You must've been HIGH!

Spoiler

Aaaaaaanyways, i love this guy, he'll never learn when to shut up

 

[HK_01]

You know what else is not good for a company? Being known mainly for having that idiot CEO who can't shut up and talks crap 24/7.

 

[Ekonk]

The devil speaks again, and viscous black lies spill from his hideous mouth.

Man, how did this guy ever make it CEO? I just can't wrap my mind around it.

 

[Mrsoupcup]

I wonder how many people want to take a swing at Kotick.

And Activision are number 1 because of WoW; the stupid prick admitted that himself.

Yeas but how long will that last? The Old Republic is coming out soon after all, Blizzard is going to have some stiff competition. (I mean think about it, it's a freaking Bioware MMORPG about Star Wars backed by EA who is just pouring money and resources into it. If that doesn't kill WoW then I don't think anything else will)