• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Kotick: EA Is Suffocating Studios

The Bookerman said:
Isn't EA renaming their studios with new and original Names ? Visceral and Danger Close games are exemples of that. Since 2008, EA at least tried to create new brands like Mirror's edge and Dead space. What about Activision. Same shit year after year: Guitar Hero scu's, Tony Hawk, Call of duty, spiderman. That's it. That's all Activision releases.

Activision has been incredibly succesful at creating new IPs that actually sell well, unlike those EA games you mentioned.
 
I´m glad that there are some people in the industry who doesn´t think like Kotick and his henchmen. Otherwise I wouldn´t had got to enjoy Brütal Legend (no, people doesn´t have to comment the RTS parts of them, I enjoyed them).

Brütal Legend > Modern Warfare 2, every day.
 
funkmastergeneral said:
Activision has been incredibly succesful at creating new IPs that actually sell well, unlike those EA games you mentioned.

Like Blur and Singularity?


What we like about a developer is that they have a culture, they have an independent vision and that’s what makes them so successful.' We don’t have an Activision anything - it’s Treyarch, Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer.

All the studios he mentioned are working on the same game. :lol
 

Ikkarus

Member
DennisK4 said:
Eurogamer sure can get a lot of articles out of one interview...
Can you blame them?

As soon as someone see's the word Kotick they know they will get a ton of clicks on the article. If you multiply that in to more then they get more clicks. More clicks equals more money.

Kotick is probably the most hated guy in the gaming world right now that works in the industry. So all of the gaming sites would love to have some opinions from him.

As for Kotick, he really should just keep these thoughts to himself. Ah well. Too late now.

Shitstorm is already here! :lol
 

HK-47

Oh, bitch bitch bitch.
funkmastergeneral said:
Activision has been incredibly succesful at creating new IPs that actually sell well, unlike those EA games you mentioned.

Oh you mean buying the IP and then running it into the ground, followed closely by chasing off key talent and/or eradicating the development studio?
 

Shig

Strap on your hooker ...
Neversoft, Treyarch, Infinity Ward, Vicarious Visions: "Mmmmph mmm mmmmffffffffmmm"
 
HK-47 said:
Oh you mean buying the IP and then running it into the ground, followed closely by chasing off key talent and/or eradicating the development studio?

And it's been proven to be a pretty damn effective method at that.
 

szaromir

Banned
BTW Schafer didn't call Kotick a prick because he dropped Bruetal Legend, he called him a prick he tried to cockblock the game's release by EA.
 

markot

Banned
Interfectum said:
Well they have Blizzard and Bungie... and Bungie chose Activision out of everyone to work with.

I know we all love to hate the devil that is Kotick but maybe he has a point.
Blizzard essentially bought Activision. (Vivendi is the majority owner of Activilizzard, Activision was the junior partner)

Bungie has a publishing deal with them, thats it.
 

HK-47

Oh, bitch bitch bitch.
funkmastergeneral said:
And it's been proven to be a pretty damn effective method at that.

Whether or not thats the case, your original assertion was incorrect.
 

Haunted

Member
Cosmonaut X said:
Seriously? After the (ongoing) shitstorm with IW, he comes out with this?

I mean, his criticisms of EA are pretty well-founded, but this does look like a case of Mr Pot laying into Mr Kettle...
Off topic: this is something I don't really understand. There's a certain irony to it (i.e. it's fine to point out that he's even worse than those he belabours), but that shouldn't detract from the truth of his statement.

This is why I never got the saying "preaching water but drinking wine" (does that saying even exist in English? I just translated it ad hoc) to discredit someone's opinion. It does not make his statement any less truthful. Preaching water is a good thing.

Is that because it's human nature to not accept the truth about something from someone taking the moral high ground with no rights to do so? I don't really get it.

/musing


Please continue.
 

Sadist

Member
2qtbsb8.jpg
 

Shig

Strap on your hooker ...
funkmastergeneral said:
And it's been proven to be a pretty damn effective method at that.
Has it? Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk sales are faint apparitions of their past glory. If they had been managed with an ounce of restraint, they could be just as relevant as they used to be. Cannibalizing the long-term viability of franchises for short-term results is going to bite them in the ass eventually.
 

markot

Banned
Shig said:
Has it? Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk sales are faint apparitions of their past glory. If they had been managed with an ounce of restraint, they could be just as relevant as they used to be. Cannibalizing the long-term viability of franchises for short-term results is going to bite them in the ass eventually.
Which is the main lesson he should be learning from EA and its past glory...
 

KingDizzi

Banned
Gaogaogao said:
kotick, EA actually makes fucking games, stfu.

:lol :lol :lol

Amazing stuff, people make out Kotick to be this evil, money hungry fella while EA are the wonderful billion $$$ business whom care more about gamers than money. Kotick's job is to make his shareholders money and he is doing that very well. His observation of Schafer is also very accurate, a man whom seems to want to have sex with himself and make games which are about as funny as a toilet seat. EA must love this, getting attention as a result of Activision hate, like the MW2 fiasco which gave that turd BF:BC2 hype around here.

Must be something about Activision that makes developers want to go there such as Bungie, maybe he takes them out to a fancy dinner, drugs them and has them sign the contract?
 
Haunted said:
Off topic: this is something I don't really understand. There's a certain irony to it (i.e. it's fine to point out that he's even worse than those he belabours), but that shouldn't detract from the truth of his statement.

This is why I never got the saying "preaching water but drinking wine" (does that saying even exist in English? I just translated it ad hoc) to discredit someone's opinion. It does not make his statement any less truthful. Preaching water is a good thing.

Is that because it's human nature to not accept the truth about something from someone taking the moral high ground with no rights to do so? I don't really get it.

/musing


Please continue.

I think it's pretty much as you say - it's human nature to scorn someone who stands up to criticise another when you know (or believe, I suppose) that they're guilty of the same thing, or worse. It's also almost instinctual to disregard what they say because of it (just as it's easy to disregard what someone says when you dislike them) so the challenge is to try and take what they say and separate it from your personal feelings for them.
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
Bobby Kotick said:
He added: "This is my dream job. I've been playing games since I was 18 years old.

*sets spin cycle on: MAXIMUM SPIN*

Wasn't there a quote with a non-gaming magazine where he says he doesn't game? Yeah, I know who not to believe.
 

markot

Banned
KingDizzi said:
:lol :lol :lol

Amazing stuff, people make out Kotick to be this evil, money hungry fella while EA are the wonderful billion $$$ business whom care more about gamers than money. Kotick's job is to make his shareholders money and he is doing that very well. His observation of Schafer is also very accurate, a man whom seems to want to have sex with himself and make games which are about as funny as a toilet seat. EA must love this, getting attention as a result of Activision hate, like the MW2 fiasco which gave that turd BF:BC2 hype around here.

Must be something about Activision that makes developers want to go there such as Bungie, maybe he takes them out to a fancy dinner, drugs them and has them sign the contract?
Bungie probably went to the company that offered them the best deal, end of story. And its a limited publishing deal only, not like they sold themselves to Activision.
 

rvy

Banned
KingDizzi said:
:lol :lol :lol

Amazing stuff, people make out Kotick to be this evil, money hungry fella while EA are the wonderful billion $$$ business whom care more about gamers than money. Kotick's job is to make his shareholders money and he is doing that very well. His observation of Schafer is also very accurate, a man whom seems to want to have sex with himself and make games which are about as funny as a toilet seat. EA must love this, getting attention as a result of Activision hate, like the MW2 fiasco which gave that turd BF:BC2 hype around here.

Must be something about Activision that makes developers want to go there such as Bungie, maybe he takes them out to a fancy dinner, drugs them and has them sign the contract?
Bobby, stop posting on GAF.
 

Fersis

It is illegal to Tag Fish in Tag Fishing Sanctuaries by law 38.36 of the GAF Wildlife Act
KingDizzi said:
:lol :lol :lol

Amazing stuff, people make out Kotick to be this evil, money hungry fella while EA are the wonderful billion $$$ business whom care more about gamers than money. Kotick's job is to make his shareholders money and he is doing that very well. His observation of Schafer is also very accurate, a man whom seems to want to have sex with himself and make games which are about as funny as a toilet seat. EA must love this, getting attention as a result of Activision hate, like the MW2 fiasco which gave that turd BF:BC2 hype around here.

Must be something about Activision that makes developers want to go there such as Bungie, maybe he takes them out to a fancy dinner, drugs them and has them sign the contract?
Ok this is personal nowl! >8(
:lol
 

Dyno

Member
Bobby Fucking Kotick said:
Kotick also insisted his infamous "taking the fun out of videogame development" quote was just a quip.

"That was a joke! The fact that there are people – and it's a small vocal minority – that actually think that I meant it... How do you combat that?"

You combat that by, you know, not saying it in the first place, you complete and total bullshitter.
 
Dyno said:
You combat that by, you know, not saying it in the first place, you complete and total bullshitter.

QFT. He tries to market himself by saying controversial stuff, so how is anyone to know when he is serious or not?
 
"I could have bought any company, but I bought a bankrupt game company, and I've been doing it for 21 years."

It's funny how he thought this would come off as sympathetic.
 
Galvanise_ said:
They should make better other shit that isn't based on a license. Prototype was a decent start, but far from great.

Shattered Dimensions is the best Spiderman game in my opinion and Transformers was great to. So I'm perfectly fine with Activision continuing to make great license games. Prototype on the other hand should just be forgotten.
 

jufonuk

not tag worthy
I love to hate Billy Mitchell in a pantomime Villain Kinda way but Kotick is really starting to twist my melon man!!
 
"Virtually all of our studio heads are serious, responsible people," he explains. "They want to make great games, they want to do it the right way, and I think one of the benefits we have [with] being a big company is that we don’t have the same pressures of, 'Oh, we have to have it out for this particular quarter.' There’s not a studio at this company that will tell you: 'Activision is forcing us to get the game out.'

-2005 Guitar Hero
Harmonix

-2006(PS2)/2007(360) Guitar Hero II
Harmonix

-2007 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Neversoft (360/PS3)
Neversoft (360/PS3)
Aspyr Media (Windows/Mac)
Vicarious Visions (Wii)
Budcat Creations (PS2)

-2008 Guitar Hero World Tour
Neversoft (360/PS3)
Aspyr Media (Windows/Mac)
Vicarious Visions (Wii)
Budcat Creations (PS2)

-2008 Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
Neversoft (360/PS3)
Aspyr Media (Windows/Mac)
Vicarious Visions (Wii)
Budcat Creations (PS2)

-2009 Guitar Hero 5
Neversoft (360/PS3)
Vicarious Visions (Wii)
Budcat Creations (PS2)

-2009 Guitar Hero: Metallica
Neversoft (360/PS3)
Budcat Creations (Wii/PS2)

-2009 Guitar Hero: Van Halen
Neversoft
Budcat Creations
Underground Development

-2009 Band Hero
Neversoft (360/PS3)
Vicarious Visions (Wii/DS)
Budcat Creations (PS2)

-2010 Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
Neversoft (360/PS3)
Vicarious Visions (Wii)

Its so great making the same game over and over again.
 
Rated-Rsuperstar said:
Shattered Dimensions is the best Spiderman game in my opinion and Transformers was great to. So I'm perfectly fine with Activision continuing to make great license games. Prototype on the other hand should just be forgotten.

The problem with licensed games is that they have a bad reputation. That was why everyone literally went 'WTF wow' when Arkham Asylum turned out to be awesome. It got good marketing and won awards and word of mouth helped carry it along too. That game was done right. Well respected VA that is familiar and respected by the fans of the property.

When I think about developers and publishers I think of their own IP that hasn't been ran into the ground. EA >>> Activision in that regard. COD will run its course, Guitar Hero will run its course etc. When that happens. .as it stands Activision themselves will have fuck all.

EA have their partners program which includes some of the most respected developers in the industry, have established sports licensed brands they can release every year (that also get decent upgrades year on year) and studios that are creating new IP. EA is a much better company in terms of balance, which wasn't the case several years ago.

From a gamers perspective, EA are on the up. Activision seem to be getting stale. I'm far from an EA fan, but I have a lot more respect for what they've been trying to achieve.
 
From a gamers perspective, EA are on the up. Activision seem to be getting stale. I'm far from an EA fan, but I have a lot more respect for what they've been trying to achieve.

There's no doubt EA is doing a lot of great stuff but there are developers under Activision doing the same. It's just those guys get pushed to the way side because of the almighty Call of Duty.
 

Draft

Member
"I've never met him in my life – I've never had anything to do with him. I never had any involvement in the Vivendi project that they were doing, Brütal Legend, other than I was in one meeting where the guys looked at it and said, 'He's late, he's missed every milestone, he's overspent the budget and it doesn't seem like a good game. We're going to cancel it.'

"And do you know what? That seemed like a sensible thing to do. And it turns out, he was late, he missed every milestone, the game was not a particularly good game..."

Kotick :bow :bow :bow
 
Top Bottom