Kotaku
Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision, confirms in an interview with Portfolio what we've suspected for years—Electronic Arts runs on the power of human souls! Maybe we're reading it wrong, but Kotick definitely said that EA "did a very good job of taking the soul out of a lot of the studios it acquired." Hey, even EA boss John Riccitiello kind of agrees, pointing out at DICE this year that older acquisitions like Bullfrog, Origin and Westwood were examples of the publisher blowing it and that taking away developer autonomy is "a profound mistake."
Kotick says the soul-harvesting machine doesn't fly at Activision, which has "built a model that celebrates entrepreneurial, opportunistic, independent values" and a new Tony Hawk game every fucking year. And they have free bagels on Mondays!
Comments
Them is fighting words. XD
God I miss Bullfrog and Origin... Crusader: No Remorse, anyone? Don't get me started on Dungeon Keeper.
Well, it's true.
And in this case, "takes on to know one" is true, as well.
Friendship? Again?!
No kotaku, you're wrong.
EA runs on the souls of good game developers.
Says the company that won't release one freaking tiny patch to make Rock Band guitars compatible with Guitar Hero.
We need Atlus or NIS to get into this fight. That would rule. As far as American's go, sorry Activision and EA, as cool as you want to be, you'll never be Valve.
What has Activision released in the last few years that anyone cares about besides COD4?
Guitar Hero 3 was the worst Guitar Hero so don't you say a goddamn word about that
@SmokeyTab: Thats the OG Friendship... no ponytail
@Kegwen:to be fair Activision isn't even really responcible for COD4
I don't know if I can take anyone at Activision seriously, especially after this whole thing:
Activision
Brian Kelly, Co-Chairman
$4,600, John McCain (R)
Ron Doornick, Director
$2,300 Mitt Romney (R)
Nina Kotick, CEO
$2,300, Mitt Romney (R)
Robert Kotick, CEO
$2,300, Mitt Romney (R)
Brian Barnes, Game Designer
$2,000, Ron Paul (R)
Erol Otus, Designer/Illustrator
$700, Ron Paul (R)
Charles Homic, Programmer
$400, Ron Paul (R)
Travis Stansbury, Attorney
$325, Ron Paul (R)
Chris Nelson, Programmer
$285, Ron Paul (R)
TOTAL: $15,210 to Republicans
[kotaku.com]
[www.1up.com]
The only thing opportunistic about Activision is their crass appropriation of Harmonix's ideas. This guy is an evil moron. I can't believe he seems so happy to distort the truth-- I'm not saying EA aren't evil, because they totally are, but Activision's business strategies are right in line with EA's. Actually, they might be more abhorrent. I can't remember EA actually buying another studio's franchise and then continue to whore it out while pretending like they created it.
There are no free bagels.
Once a month or so there might be a free lunch day or a free ice cream day though.
I disagree. Just look at what they did to Guitar Hero. If CoD5 is another WWII game, Activision will be just as bad as EA.
Fine: Prove it by getting the Battletech liscense back and giving us a proper sequel to Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries. CHOP CHOP.
@Kegwen:
It also sold the most, incidentally.
@dead_red_eyes:
Go Mccain!
EA has free bagels
Then Activision needs to start eating souls. EA is the lesser of two evil imo
@dead_red_eyes: Eww Republicans... That makes me sad.... I like my video games politics free..
@dead_red_eyes: I don't know what you're really trying to get at with that. Activision beat their franchises into the ground and abuse the once-great Guitar Hero franchise with a clear lack of vision, but you're saying we should discount what Kotick says because his company gave legal, responsible contributions to presidential candidates?
So, it's not about Activision choosing to have Treyarch run CoD into the ground or killing Tony Hawk with seemingly weekly sequels or anything else that actually affects gamers? Activision are evil because they're... Republican?
@dead_red_eyes: I'm not sure I understand the point your trying to make. Are you saying that them donating money to a political campaign is evil or is evil because they gave money to Republican candidates?
It's important to remember that this is not only a constitutional right but is also what these key people in the industry are doing to protect they're way of life: Making games is part of that if you catch my drift.
I'm sorry if I'm implicating you in any kind of political statement that you weren't intending to make. I just wanted to point out this important detail.
@DarknessMyOldFriend: Haha I was just about to say that. Except lousy Day Shift always gets the all the damn ice cream when they make it available!
If John Riccitiello (and through him, EA) was really regretful of how EA has harmed the industry through developer acquisition they would go to great lengths to revitalize some of the greatest franchises the industry has ever known, which they now own!
How about a new Crusader game? How about a new god damn Wing Commander or Privateer game? How about a new Theme Hospital or Dungeon Keeper game? How about a new Bioforge game? How about a new Hi-Octane? How about a new Syndicate? How about a new Magic Carpet?!
FUCK!
Wow, I haven't seen Shang Tsung since.... middle school. Fitting picture, though.
Wow, that's the pot calling the kettle black.
I heard Valve has free cake, everyday. But, you know... not sure I believe that.
What's up with the fighting? They are both evil in their own special little ways. LOL
The same could be said of all religions.
Over at EA it's bagels every morning! :D
I think the real point here is that if you buy a company for what it is and the people who give it the life that made them to alter that is to devalue/ sabotage your investment.
@seasponge: Ummm... CoD 5 /is/ another WWII game. It's being done my Treyarch so Infinity Ward can work on CoD 6, which isn't a WWII shooter.
EA is a monster, Riccitiello needs to be overthrown.
BULLSHIT.
Activision killed Treyarch ...
The name is still there, but it is not the same studio anymore
@Atheist Jew: Oh, but you forget, my friend, Electronic Arts DID make a new Wing Commander. For XBLA. I've heard it's a mind-rotting monster that literally zombifies all who play it.
Like George Lucas, EA needs to kept far, far away from all the memories you hold dear.
F$@?!
Be kept, even. My ability to wield the English? Fail.
@Parsifal: Another WWII game? WTF WHYYYYY!? They were on a roll with modern warfare.
We get it. Activision keeps releasing the same games year after year (Call of Duty and Tony Hawk). Then again, so does EA (Madden and FIFA).
They should have a picnic.
@Kegwen: Call of Duty 2?
I think Mr.Kotick is hardly the one to comment. Considering EA actually pays employees overtime and Activision doesn't. Of course this happened because of the EA Spouse letter but hey, maybe Activision will get one too. People there crunch for weeks and months and only those fortunate enough to be in a studio there that pays royalties might get some, that is if the game sells well. All I know is Bobby is in no place to talk about taking the soul out of a company when he's not even paying his employees for overtime.
I don't mind Activision nearly as much at EA but they really need to stop releasing a new Tony Hawk every year, they should have taken a break earlier but now that everyone is sick of Tony Hawk taking a break for a year or two to really take the series in a new direction may be what the series needs. I just bought TH Proving Grounds today for the 360 (for $6 mind you) so I guess they are still selling but hopefully some changes can be made now that there is competition from Skate (which I hope they do NOT release sequels to every year like Tony Hawk has done).
Two years ago, I'd agree with this. But their positions have truly changed. EA released many of the best games in 2007, while Activision had nothing but crap. I believe EA is really trying to be a good company now.
@MoreMoney:
Exactly. The Treyarch example I typed about above - the place is a sweatshop (far and away from the great Treyarch studio from pre-Activision days). People are in some crazy crunches over there. Nowadays working for EA is a much better experience than most Activision studios (except places like IW)
Pardon my french, but both companies have been known to fsck thier IP's till they're dry. I really wouldn't be pointing fingers.
I believe this is a case of the Potick calling the Riccikettle black.
I'm pretty sure I hate activision more than EA now.
between giving CoD5 to treyarch to milk what success cod4 had AND taking it back to WW2 and whoring out the GH franchise in terrible ways I could care less about them
EA = Rock band.
Activision = Guitar Hero 3, Guitar Hero Areosmith, "Guitar Hero 4: Rock band".
EA = Good.
Activision = Bad.
Enough said?
@Parsifal: Do you have links proving it will be WW2 fueled and not Treyarch's take on MW?
I was never a fan of Activision, and I have a lot of EA games. They publish good games. They get hated on but they have come out with good things.
@MoreMoney:
Oh wow you know so much!!! You must work for one of those companies huh?
Perhaps the folks you are referring to are salary based pay and not hourly. Or perhaps you know absolutely nothing except hearsay and the random burn you felt when you got booted out of a temp tester spot.
LOL, seriously plenty of people get OT pay at tons of companies, they get bonuses, they get perks up the yin yang and the only ones that seem to have a constant problem when it comes to overtime scheduling are the n00bs that can't read an employment contract.
On the off chance that actually didn't recieve pay, you generally didn't read the fine print.
@mx5: Yes, people over at Treyarch still occasionally have nightmares induced by the crunch that Activision forced on them for Call of Duty 3.
@MoreMoney:
What the hell are you talking about, that they don't pay OT? I was there for a few projects, and I got my OT every friday right on time, as did everyone else. I don't know what department you're referring to.
Activision and EA should just go into a dark alley and settle this with a game of Russian Roulette.
This made my day. EA is a company trying to change it's image like a washed out celebrity would but keeps making the same mistakes. Activision is becoming the company they despise.
Activision may treat their employees better, but they treat their customers worse... All in all, they even out, and they're both equally evil. An example of taking away developer autonomy was to steal Guitar Hero from Harmonix... I don't side with EA, I side with harmonix, because unlike Konami, they trusted in the music games to be able to succeed in the US...
yea....guitar hero.....nuff said.
Did they take away the free bagels? That was one of the only reasons to come in early on a Monday morning...
Never seen any free bagel here...
@wild homes: I didn't forget to mention it, I just like to pretend it doesn't exist! That said, I've had a chance to speak with the developers of that game, and they are genuinely nice guys, and real, actual fans of the Wing Commander franchise. They reported unto me that they attempted to get the franchise started again but that game was all EA would allow. For what it's worth, they released a god damned AMAZING digital instruction booklet, like it was pulled right from 1995. It might also do to keep in mind that the more money the XBLA wing commander game makes, the more of a chance exists that Wing Commander will be brought back as a revitalized franchise.
While I agree that EA is not the greatest choice to bring back the franchises of yore, unfortunately they're all we've got. They'll never sell their licenses unless they're offered an ungodly amount of money for them.
Ok,. that pic is just plain funny.
@okenny :): No, they gave money to Ron Paul.
Which any sane person will tell is as good as giving it to Ralph Nader, or to me for my personal entertainment.