It’s easy to take pot shots at Activision CEO Bobby Kotick; the guy’s made some colored statements that rightfully earned the ire of video game fans. Fueling the flames today were comments from favored game designer Tim Schafer of Double Fine, who at one point called Kotick a “total prick.” The ensuing comments included a call to virtual arms that included Socrate’sMind demanding a new president be instituted at the Call of Duty publisher.
“Personally I think Activision needs a new President.... Someone who cares about making good games that are creative, fun, great stories, etc..... I think the person who understands this is a gamer not Bobby... At some point here in the future Bobby is going to crash and burn and we all knew it was going to happen...”
Maybe Kotick just needs to pick his words more carefully. What do you think?
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pinicilin
There are great CEO/Presidents that you never hear from. This does not diminish their work, they just not a public speakers, no gift. Some one got to brake it to Bobby that he is one of them. He does something right as all of "flaming" people posting all over internet in fact vote with their money and buy Activision product.
EthanWoods
Since he's obviously the anti-Christ I fear it'll take some form of divine intervention to rid ourselves of him.
kiwasabi
Yeah, he just needs to shut up.
grunge sofa
I think they shouldn't let him speak in public. Ever. EVER.
He probably does his job as effectively as anyone else, but he sucks at making friends with teh internetz (which happens to be his company's costumer base).
Just get someone cool to talk for him and let him be the businessman, with total customer disconnect, he is.
kiwasabi
The great thing about the game industry is that the products are all that matter. Once Activision stops producing games that people are willing to buy, people will stop giving money to Bobby Kotick. They're already well on their way to that point considering how they chased off Infinity Ward and left Call of Duty to Treyarch who has always been subpar compared to Infinity Ward.
ControlV
No, they need a new president. I'll first say why then give an example from a here-say tale. They need someone new, because if it continues things like Tony Hawk, or Guitar Hero, or even Call of Duty will continue to be milked dry of creativity. People will start to realize this and boycott their products (at least the ones being destroyed), like me, (and i mean like REAL boycott, not an internet one :P) and then if they don't change they will be in the situation my example used to be in, Lucas Arts. My student support counselor and mentor (i go to a charter) used to work there, and he was there when their leaders thought "we made little money so we spend less money". But that started to fail, and their new leader said "we spend more money for better, more creative games we make more money". He cared for their devs so much he invited them to an ice-cream social. and look at them now, I would not put them on a pedestal of greatness level but i would not say their bad, not at all.
ControlV
No, they need a new president. I'll first say why then give an example from a here-say tale. They need someone new, because if it continues things like Tony Hawk, or Guitar Hero, or even Call of Duty will continue to be milked dry of creativity. People will start to realize this and boycott their products (at least the ones being destroyed), like me, (and i mean like REAL boycott, not an internet one :P) and then if they don't change they will be in the situation my example used to be in, Lucas Arts. My student support counselor and mentor (i go to a charter) used to work there, and he was there when their leaders thought "we made little money so we spend less money". But that started to fail, and their new leader said "we spend more money for better, more creative games we make more money". He cared for their devs so much he invited them to an ice-cream social. and look at them now, I would not put them on a pedestal of greatness level but i would not say their bad, not at all.
Lloyd12
I have already vowed not to buy anything Activision publishes unless or until Kotick is removed/steps down. Someone should start a website. Not it.
Regardless, nothing changes with Activision unless they start to feel it in the profit margin. Until then, we're just pi**in' in the wind.
CustosIntusSilentium
Well, until people take a stand and hold to it, nothing will change. And by stand I mean NOT buying the constantly reiterated franchises Activision has been cranking out since Guitar Hero. But then again, asking people this day and age to take personal responsibility is just as easy as getting the cliched blood from a stone. While popular demand lives on, I'll be manning my stone press sorta like Arnold in Conan the Barbarian during the desert slave scenes minus the roids.
cmaster1986
I will not stoop so low as to stop buying games with Activison's name on them and I'll tell you why, when you do that you also hurt the developer behind the games such as Raven Software this company makes great FPS games and I'm gunna keep supporting them regardless of what bobby thinks but he will in fact do himself in eventually look at how the company does there successful franchises such as guitar hero, tony hawk all of them failures now because they milked em like cows, now call of duty will soon follow I mean look at how they charge 20 bucks for a map pack?! wow pretty messed up bobby kotick is Mr.eff and run of our generation.
osubluejacket
It's a simple matter of dollars and cents.
As gamers, we are (most likely) ambivalent towards Kotick at best, but I would postulate that a good section of gamers have no idea who he is and therefore have no idea what he says.
We also all see how he takes a franchise, pressures the developer to crank out iteration after iteration of the same stuff and burning out the IP. He keeps his shareholders happy by maximizing short-term profits, even at the expense of long-term creative and financial viability.
In the end, until people stop buying games that Activision makes altogether (causing a financial drop), he will stay in charge. As much as hardcore gamers loathe him, we won't stop buying the games his company makes, because (in general) there are a handful that always end up on everyone's "Must Play" list.
osubluejacket
It's a simple matter of dollars and cents.
As gamers, we are (most likely) ambivalent towards Kotick at best, but I would postulate that a good section of gamers have no idea who he is and therefore have no idea what he says.
We also all see how he takes a franchise, pressures the developer to crank out iteration after iteration of the same stuff and burning out the IP. He keeps his shareholders happy by maximizing short-term profits, even at the expense of long-term creative and financial viability.
In the end, until people stop buying games that Activision makes altogether (causing a financial drop), he will stay in charge. As much as hardcore gamers loathe him, we won't stop buying the games his company makes, because (in general) there are a handful that always end up on everyone's "Must Play" list.
Shuklar
It's simple. Don't buy NEW games from Activision. Buy used, as all the money is going to the person who is selling the used item, none of it to Activision. Strike them where it hurts...the pocket book.
Either that, or start stealing the games.
Socrates'sMind
@Angelicsin87
I don't think Activision sucks... Its just that they are being led by someone misguided is all... I agree with the money's worth thing... IF we have to shell out $70 for a game it needs to be worth it. I know a lot of us out there can't afford to buy all these games when they come out (myself included) and we have to make a choice on which one we will play for the next several months before we get another game....
Angelicsin87
@Socrates'sMind
Yeah totally, how long do you think the series can go on like this anyways before it starts bombing like Tony Hawk did. It sucks when you buy a game and the same game comes out next year with few changes. This is just like the Left for Dead 2 controversy a while back ago when everyone who bought the first one was mad cause the next one came out a year later. It's like you're not getting your moneys worth for that game. That's why Activision sucks.
angryOnanist
G4 should get a new writer. I didn't read the article, so not to be biest.
Angelicsin87
I totally predict this will be discussed on the feedback or on Sessler's Soapbox.
Socrates'sMind
No I understand that they need to make a profit... Profits drive everything yes.... I also understand it's a publicly traded company so they have to keep the share holders happy as well... I'm just saying that you can be a very successful company without forcing the same game down every ones throats year after year. He is not playing the role of negotiator well... He needs to balance what the gaming community wants and the wants of the share holders in Activision.. All Bobby is focused on is the share holders views... That's why we have gotten CoD to death.. Bobby is milking the IP for as long as he can until we the community quit buying into it... Then he will turn to some other IP to do the same thing over and over... As the negotiator he needs to be pushing game studios to experiment with new IP. If a new IP is successful then everyone is happy. Acitivion and its share holders will make a lot of money, and the gamers will have a great new game to play; both sides win. I understand that working on new IP is a big risk especially in this economic climate but come on. We can't play the same iteration of a game over and over.... It's getting old.
IBloodstormI
The guy is a menace to video games. What ever he can't crank out every year he doesn't want it. Then, to thnk that his games are so liked that he could start charging MMO styled fee's for CoD is completely insane. There may be a bajillion people playing CoD right now Mr. Kotick, but I dare you to move it back to just the PC and charge a fee to play online. Know how many people will be playing, upwards of 0. Bobby Kotick, your are an effing fun vampire. Douche.
PinkCrayon32
Atavax has a great point, but i think everyone is overlooking the fact that Kotick is not the only "evil headmaster" out there. yea he gets flamed a lot for his remarks, but he is no different than 99% of all the other heads of major companies (gaming or otherwise) out there. in this world, money is #1, no matter what you are doing, and most people (gamers in paricular) are too young and/or naive to understand this. do i wish that making games was about the games and not the money? of course. but until there is a cure for greed, it's going to be about the money. always.
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