PAX East 2011: Activision Doesn't Run Internal Studios With Iron Fist

Tom Goldman

Crying on the inside.
Aug 17, 2009
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PAX East 2011: Activision Doesn't Run Internal Studios With Iron Fist



A PAX East 2011 panel of former independent studio employees revealed how working with Activision has largely been like a dream.

Activision and CEO Bobby Kotick get a pretty bad rap [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/99196-Game-Lawyer-Calls-Bobby-Kotick-Emperor-Palpatine] from the gaming community and beyond, but according to a PAX East 2011 panel of one-time independent developers now under the banner of Activision, the hate is undeserved. Peter Della Penna of High Moon Studios, Jennifier O'Neil of Vicarious Visions, and Eric Biessman of Raven Software all had nothing but positive things to say about Activision, relating their experiences with the publisher in various aspects of the game development process.

As it turns out, Activision isn't involved in every little decision its studios make. There's a formalized process for checking in during milestones, having talks about financial issues, and dealing with legal stuff, but the panel said that Activision isn't obsessively breathing down their necks.

Additionally, Activision does not force game licenses on developers. It tries to find a good fit and discusses the license with a studio to see how it feels. Della Penna revealed that he's had to ask Activision "what it's smoking" during some of these conversations, candidly impressing that these are decisions made through discussion, not mandates from up on high. For example, High Moon are huge Transformers fans, so it was natural for Activision to deposit the bots at the studio so it could make Transformers: War for Cybertron [http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-War-Cybertron-Xbox-360/dp/B0030HIULQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1299955113&sr=1-1].

In fact, the panel was more outspoken on the pitfalls of working with licensors rather than a publisher like Activision. O'Neil said that a licensor trying to drive a game's vision can get "sticky," because it doesn't necessarily understand how game development works. On the other hand, Activision does understand this process, and typically keeps its hands out of the parts of a studio where they aren't needed. If a studio like High Moon wants to have surfboards at the ready for hard working developers to take a surf break during lunch, and this becomes part of a studio's culture, Activision is cool with it if the studio is hitting milestones properly.

While the panel emphasized that being independent and working for Activision are very different states, each member appeared to believe that being under a massive publisher's umbrella was more helpful. Success as an independent is very rewarding, but also very challenging to achieve. Biessman related his experience in the earlier days of Raven when employees were paid with credit cards, didn't have enough computers, and not even enough chairs. Now, Activision gives Raven chairs.

Part of Activision's reputation troubles come from the mouth of Bobby Kotick, but the panel believes many of his quotes are taken out of context. For example, Kotick was once quoted as saying he wanted to "take the fun out of videogames [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/94711-Bobby-Kotick-Wants-to-Take-the-Fun-Out-of-Making-Games]." This was a statement made at an investors conference, and in context Kotick meant that he wanted to make his company more financially responsible. This didn't mean the end of lunchtime surf breaks.

For those that dislike Activision because of things heard in the press, the situation couldn't seem to be more different on the inside. Not that Activision, or any other publisher is perfect, but at least three internal studios appear to be having a very positive experience.

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Supp

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Nov 17, 2009
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tautologico said:
This won't change many opinions. People need a boogeyman to hate.
Of course, boogeymen are usually created from some form of media.

*looks at the escapist accusingly*
 

Natdaprat

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Sep 10, 2009
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These are all lies! Lies and propaganda!

We need somebody to hate, to make ourselves feel better. Don't take that away from us.
 

tautologico

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Apr 5, 2010
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Supp said:
tautologico said:
This won't change many opinions. People need a boogeyman to hate.
Of course, boogeymen are usually created from some form of media.

*looks at the escapist accusingly*
True. Media outlets will run stories about the last quote from Kotick, or Activision closing another studio, because they know it'll have an audience. In an ideal world, people would then think for themselves and not just jump at easy "Activision is evil" conclusions. But the world is far from ideal...
 

Enigmers

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On one hand, it's good to hear things straight from the horse's mouth (I hope I'm using that correctly) but on the other hand, it's hard to believe that everyone's negative opinion of Activision is based solely on Bobby Kotick making words come out of his mouth without thinking about them in his brain first.
 

CrazyCapnMorgan

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Jan 5, 2011
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Dear Bobby Kotick,

Please take Bill Hicks' advice regarding advertising and marketing. Thank you.

Sincerely,

CCM
 
Feb 13, 2008
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tautologico said:
True. Media outlets will run stories about the last quote from Kotick, or Activision closing another studio, because they know it'll have an audience. In an ideal world, people would then think for themselves and not just jump at easy "Activision is evil" conclusions. But the world is far from ideal...
Which sort of directly counters this exact report, doesn't it?

Also, if Activision aren't evil, why have we already had so much evidence? Is it because of Kotick's shenanigans? If so, then it's still a good reason to have him ousted.

Does seem a little weird having a conference about how Activision are REALLY NICE PEOPLE TO WORK FOR though.

I mean, why would they say that normally?
 

Jumplion

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I don't dislike Activision because of how they use their companies. For all I know, they could be treating their developers like Nigerian princes.

There are several things I do dislike about them about them;

1. Their Behavior; Shamus Young mentioned this in an article [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/experienced-points/8487-Experienced-Points-Dear-Santa.2] describing Activision and their relationship with gamers/companies. They're suing everyone left and right, denying their employees payment, point fingers at others, and they never explain to us why they're in the right. Kotick described the suit with the Infinity Ward founders and said "Oh, if I was doing what they were doing, I'd be in jail!" well...what did they do?

2. Their CEO; Bobby Kotick is a hack. He could be a nice guy up in person, I don't know, and if he's reading this than I don't mean any personal ill will. But he just has no idea what he's doing. Shamus did another article [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/experienced-points/8169-Experienced-Points-Age-of-Kotick] on it, the guy just doesn't know what he's doing. Whether what he says is taken out of context or not doesn't matter, it's the fact that he keeps saying those stupid things like "Charge for Cutscenes" and "take the fun out of games". And every time he says things like that, they hide behind the "It's taken out of context!" or "He was joking!" or some crap like that. A good CEO shouldn't need that, and he is not a good CEO.

3. Sequelitis; Guitar Hero is the notorious Ur example of this. You want to know the reason why the music genre is now becoming stagnant? It's because Activision kept shoving Guitar Heroes on store shelves, with new instruments for every single friggin' iteration. They didn't support the games with DLC, instead pumping out game after game with questionable sound tracks, until it all fell apart [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107672-Activision-Pulls-the-Plug-on-Guitar-Hero-Franchise]. It doesn't help that you've got testimony from the head [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107848-Activision-Abused-Guitar-Hero-Says-Former-Publisher] of the games.

Those are just a few reasons why I dislike Activision. I am already in a personal boycott with them and I will be until they clean up their act. Fine, Activision is a business, just like EA, BioWare, VALVe, Naughty Dog, whathaveyou. That doesn't mean they can't have some integrity in their balls.

And to be more On Topic; What, are they really going to say "Yeah, Activision are a bunch of douches" in a public panel to hundreds of people in a well-documented discussion? Not unless they want to burn a lot of bridges.
 

Muco5681

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something tells me that bobby have gotten tired of all the bad press and are now trying to buy his way to a better reputation with the gamers but i for one do not fall for it Activision is just as bad as Sony now a days
 

theultimateend

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I imagine activision isn't terrible, but Kotick's full unedited speeches tend to read of a man who is entirely separate from reality.

Few people outside of politics and 24 hour news have managed to say so many stupid things in such small amounts of time.
 

RA92

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Jan 1, 2011
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Devs not shit-talking about their publisher? Wow, how did that come to be... -_-

http://cdn-www.cracked.com/articleimages/ob/cat-tax-cat-holding-hands-up-gun-pointing-at-him-788789.jpg
 

samsonguy920

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Tell you what, if Treyarch comes forward and says the same thing, I may be inclined to believe this. But I have to really wonder what the only active dev on the Call of Duty franchise is going through right now and the only devs coming out on this are ones that aren't producing Activision's front line of games and therefore probably immune from pressure because they have smaller budgets.
Perception is very important here, and what gamers think of a studio shouldn't be dismissed like yesterday's Woodstock concert. We buy the (overpriced)games, we give studios the money(more than we can afford these days). How many sales are not happening because gamers would feel dirty buying a game because it would have the same stink as buying from a company that uses child labor?
One little panel isn't going to convince us that Activision is awesome to work for. Consistency to maintain this point from here on will. I think it remains to be seen what comes out of Bobby's mouth the next time he is in public.