So about Activision

[Gorden Springel]

So Activision closes yet another studio(Budcat Creations), which I'll be honest, I have never even heard of, making it just the last in a seemingly long line of closed studios. The way they seemed to explain it was that they were giving them the axe in return for more resources on other projects. Now I am not a huge Activision follower so I couldn't name off all of their IP's but as it stands, the only popular one that I am aware of is Call of Duty, obviously not including Blizzard's IP's.

What I want to know is do you think Activision is limiting themselves too much by putting the majority of their resources towards Call of Duty? I mean, I keep hearing about them closing studios and opening more in return, but always based on developing Call of Duty titles which makes it feel like they might just milk this cow dry too, much like what they did with the music genre a few years back. It actually seems like they might be shooting themselves in the foot by putting so many of their resources behind Call of Duty.

What I am trying to get at is this, in a year or two or longer even, when people are tired of Call of Duty and move on to the next thing, what will Activision have? They milked the music genre dry and are eventually going to kill interest in Call of Duty, if I was Activision I would be feeling a little worried right now, putting all their eggs into one basket. It hasn't worked out for them before yet they don't seem to have learned at all. Or maybe I have just looked at this the entirely wrong way, and couldn't be more wrong.

Anyway, what do you all think?

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Studios are rarely actually 'closed'. They simply move the people on to different work and ditch that name.

They are also reducing the headcount by 500 employees.

At this point, the Activision stable consists of Call of Duty and various Blizzard games. Given the nature of their business model, I would not expect them to attempt to develop a new IP and they will likely seek to acquire other studios and minor publishers. At the top of the probable list: Take-Two.

 

[VGC USpartan VS]

Can't wait till' Activision goes a huge management change. Seriously, they stole millions from the guys at IW. I also hate, no, REALLY HATE, when companies try to milk their products dry, case in point, Call of Duty. Company not making games fast enough? Start a new one. Company owed millions? Get rid of them and bring the replacement in. Billions in profit not good enough? Why not go ahead and add a subscription fee! Can't wait till' CoD fails, then new IPs can come and show off their talent.


Btw Budcat worked on the PS2 versions of Guitar Hero 3 and Aerosmith... which by the way... Activision shut Guitar Hero down too...

 

[Jelly ^.^]

Tim Schafer calling Bobby Kotick a total prick was the highlight of 2010 for me in games.

I don't buy Activision games anymore.

I had an avatar several days ago with an image of Bobby Kotick and the words "Kill Him", but apparently it was too hateful.

I rejected the studio completely after they canceled True Crime: Hong Kong, which I had been anticipating for quite awhile.

I liked the 'Get Him' one.

 

[Neverhoodian]

I had an avatar several days ago with an image of Bobby Kotick and the words "Kill Him", but apparently it was too hateful.

I rejected the studio completely after they canceled True Crime: Hong Kong, which I had been anticipating for quite awhile.

Would "tar and feather him" be acceptable?

After I read some of Kotick's notorious quotes a few years ago, I started my own personal boycott of Activision (just enter "Bobby Kotick quotes" on Google if you don't know what I'm talking about). I refuse to support the company in any way, shape or form as long as that despicable man is in charge.

 

[oplinger]

when people are tired of Call of Duty and move on to the next thing, what will Activision have?

Simple. Something else. Activision is a publisher. They used to be a developer, and still hold some of their own IPs, but they are a publisher. They aren't just sitting on nothing. No publisher ever is, they probably have a giant back log of IPs their studios have come up with that they just weren't willing to fund. They'll find something.

Sadly they're focused on one IP right now, because we are showing them trends to do so. They aren't being -too- ridiculously stupid about it. It's our fault. To top it off they aren't afraid to wave their money plastered corporate penis in front of the world so we all know JUST how much money they make, and how they still don't think it's enough.

 

[Chibz]

Simple. Something else. Activision is a publisher. They used to be a developer, and still hold some of their own IPs, but they are a publisher. They aren't just sitting on nothing. No publisher ever is, they probably have a giant back log of IPs their studios have come up with that they just weren't willing to fund. They'll find something.

Sadly they're focused on one IP right now, because we are showing them trends to do so. They aren't being -too- ridiculously stupid about it. It's our fault. To top it off they aren't afraid to wave their money plastered corporate penis in front of the world so we all know JUST how much money they make, and how they still don't think it's enough.

Milking a franchaise to death IS their business model. But let's target the biggest douchebag in douche town, Bobby Kotick.

"I think what the untethered Guitar Hero does is equal the playing field a little more and give you some leverage with first parties when it comes to downloadable content and the business model."

What that quote really says is "what if we don't need a console to have people play guitar hero... We could sell DLC for whatever ridiculously high price we want!"

"We have a real culture of thrift. The goal that I had in bringing a lot of the packaged goods folks into Activision about 10 years ago was to take all the fun out of making video games."

"The executive said that he has tried to instill into the company culture 'skepticism, pessimism, and fear' of the global economic downturn, adding, 'We are very good at keeping people focused on the deep depression.'"

"With respect to the franchises that don?t have the potential to be exploited every year across every platform, with clear sequel potential that can meet our objectives of, over time, becoming $100 million-plus franchises, that?s a strategy that has worked very well for us"

He drops titles without the potential to be milked for a sequel every year.

Also remember, this guy has a controlling stake in 4kids Entertainment.