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Former Bungie VP challenge Lord Kotick with an open letter

F

Fantasy Final

Member
ASWDp.jpg

Mr. Kotick:

You were quoted saying that Bungie is the last remaining high quality independent developer. As a former executive vice president of Bungie, I need to tell you: If this is true, you're screwed.

Activision and every other big publisher have grown by acquiring independent developers. The industry needs a constant supply of new independent developers to buy because they're the ones creating innovative games that become franchises.

Gears of War. Portal. Borderlands. None of these games re-hashes the same old formulas. They innovate. And, they're made by independent developers, of course.

So, we challenge you.

You've called Activision the industry's online leader. If you think the newest Call of Duty online experience is that innovative, let players buy just the online part of Call of Duty Black Ops and charge them a fair price.

In fact, we'll make you a deal. Let consumers buy just the online part of Call of Duty, and we'll give you a starring role in our new online game, Breach. Trust me, starring in your own videogame would give you huge street cred. We've even mocked up a screenshot to show you how cool you'd look in Breach.

As an independent developer, Atomic can't spend its way to big sales, like Activision can. We have to innovate. So, if you're confident Activision can innovate without independent developers, this is your opportunity to prove it.

Sincerely,

Peter Tamte
President
Atomic Games
Click to expand...
Kotaku

mock if old
 
S

SolidSnakex

Member
What exactly would it prove for them to do that? If they cut off CoD's online mode and sold it then it would sell millions. People that play it don't give a shit if it's innovative.
 
Z

Zenith

Banned
Right on the heels of Kotick slagging off EA again.

"You know, Electronic Arts unlikely has somebody that really understands where you go [to get] from 5-and-a-half-Cents per Kilowatt hour to three-and-a-half-Cents per Kilowatt hour.

"Or who's doing the best in developing new technologies for backup generation, or cooling systems, or the things you would do to satisfy the needs of the 32 data centres we run around the world. Or Credit and Correction online. Or how you police a small country/big city - which is what the eleven-plus million consumers of World Of Warcraft have every day.

"These are really complex things. Bungie didn't really have any alternative... We bring so much value to the process."
Click to expand...

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=266240
 
D

Dambrosi

Banned
What's a fair price? Bobby Kotick doesn't know the meaning of "fair pricing". only "profit". A fair price to him would not be a fair price to the consumer, you can bet on that.

So, who determines what a "fair price" is in today's market? That's a more pertinent question.
 
T

The Crimson Kid

what are you waiting for
Gauntlet thrown. I like it.

One day this guy is going to wake up and find his developer's land was all bought out from under him by Kotick though!
 
T

TTP

Have a fun! Enjoy!
It's probably me, but I don't get what's the point of that letter.

*googles Breach*
 
S

SapientWolf

Trucker Sexologist
SolidSnakex said:
What exactly would it prove for them to do that? If they cut off CoD's online mode and sold it then it would sell millions. People that play it don't give a shit if it's innovative.
Click to expand...
Breach is multiplayer only so they're basically daring Acti to compete with them with a similar offering.
 
FrostuTheNinja

FrostuTheNinja

Member
I can understand Epic being referred to as an independent developer when they were making One Must Fall and Jazz Jackrabbit. But Gears of War? Really? After the hits they had with the Unreal franchise?

I'm not sure if he means independent as in grass roots or independent from a parent company. This is why Kotick's original comment confused me.
 
H

HK-47

Oh, bitch bitch bitch.
FrostuTheNinja said:
I can understand Epic being referred to as an independent developer when they were making One Must Fall and Jazz Jackrabbit. But Gears of War? Really? After the hits they had with the Unreal franchise?

I'm not sure if he means independent as in grass roots or independent from a parent company. This is why Kotick's original comment confused me.
Click to expand...

The latter.
 
S

SolidSnakex

Member
SapientWolf said:
Breach is multiplayer only so they're basically daring Acti to compete with them with a similar offering.
Click to expand...

Which would certainly make everyone ignore Breach if they did do it.

As mentioned earlier, this seems a lot more like a "Hey guys, have you heard about this Breach game?" type of call out.
 
S

SapientWolf

Trucker Sexologist
The Crimson Kid said:
Gauntlet thrown. I like it.

One day this guy is going to wake up and find his developer's land was all bought out from under him by Kotick though!
Click to expand...
No way. They're the plucky team of underprivileged optimists. Activision is the mean group of snobs that are flush with capital. Acti doesn't stand a chance. Oh wait, this isn't an inspirational film. The XBL activity list is going to have more CoD than a fish store from now into the foreseeable future and Breach is going to be lucky just to make the top 20.

But for what it's worth, I'm more interested in Breach than CoD BLOPS. I liked the helicopter sequences but I think I'll just get Apache: Air Assault instead.
 
M

MechDX

Member
Does GAF just hate everything? I swear whenever a Kotick thread is created they call for his head. Now a guy formerly from a VERY GAF repsected developer,Bungie, calls him out they hate on him as well.

WTF?:lol
 
N

Not a Jellyfish

but I am a sheep
I don't understand the purpose of sending this letter for other than a marketing ploy. Yes a lot of people hate Activision be it their business practices, their leadership, and how they milk franchises but sending this letter just comes off very unprofessional. Again good marketing because I had never even heard of Breach. :lol
 
Philthy

Philthy

Member
FrostuTheNinja said:
Y' see, it's because Borderlands had guns instead of swords and magic staffs.

Totally original.
Click to expand...

I dunno, I thought it was pretty original. It's probably my favorite FPS because of it. I mean, there was Hellgate London which came before it, but.... yeah.
 
S

SolsticeZero

Banned
While the call-out was a bit douchey, I do agree a bit with what he has to say, as far as independent developers needing to innovate rather than spend their way to a AAA title.
 
FrostuTheNinja

FrostuTheNinja

Member
Philthy said:
I dunno, I thought it was pretty original. It's probably my favorite FPS because of it. I mean, there was Hellgate London which came before it, but.... yeah.
Click to expand...

I actually liked Borderlands a lot myself. I was just stating the fact that at it's core, it's an RPG with a post apocalyptic setting rather than a high fantasy one. Skill trees, leveling, questing, etc.
 
P

Princess Skittles

Prince's's 'Skittle's
MechDX said:
Does GAF just hate everything?
Click to expand...
Basically, yes.

But the comment was silly, especially since he could only name three shooters as being examples of innovation (even if Portal surely should count).
 
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