Ben-DutkaFigured we'd come back with something very discussion-worthy. 😉
As you can see by our poll, we've been thinking about Activision and how they're so often in the news for – seemingly – all the wrong reasons. Over the past few years, they've managed to generate an immense amount of income…along with a very vocal and continually growing group of gamers and journalists who aren't the biggest fans of the publisher's business practices. And as you can see by the poll results so far, nearly half those who responded said they'd at least try to avoid buying Activision games while more than a quarter say they absolutely won't purchase anything with an Activision label. But sometimes, it's our job to step back and look at something objectively, with no biases or personal judgments. In so doing, we have to look at exactly why the publisher is frequently seen in a negative light.
CEO Bobby Kotick has come under fire for many comments that rubbed gamers the wrong way, including the one about how he'd "make games cost $100" if he had his way. Considering the state of the economy at the time – not to mention that the cost of games is always a hot issue in the industry – this was clearly a bad idea. And in regards to his other questionable statements, many can be attributed to classic foot-in-mouth syndrome. But as usual, a set of maybe three or four comments in the past year manages to outstrip anything else the man has said, and he has given his fair share of interviews. If you actually read those interviews, you might be surprised at how much you agree with; you might even respect a few of those comments. It's probably fair to say he's a businessman first and a friend to gamers second but if one wishes to successfully run a multi-billion-dollar business, this is probably essential.
As for the company itself, they've gotten the reputation of being money-grubbing faceless executives who really don't care how much pain they inflict on a wallet. Some have complained at the cost of Call of Duty expansion packs (in direct relation to what you actually get in those packs), and the recent snafu over a possible pay-to-play model – quickly debunked, though – hasn't helped. The Infinity Ward blowup probably reigns supreme on the list of "reasons why we hate Activision" but in that respect, not quite so fast: there will always be a widespread feeling of sympathy when the "little guy" appears to be on the receiving end of abuse and oppression by the "big fish." It was easy to label Activision the aggressor and in the position of, "we have more money than you, so we're going to take what we want." But let's not forget that neither of IW's bosses, Vince Zampella and Jason West, have what you would call squeaky clean pasts…
Lastly, and this is only from my personal standpoint: lawsuits cost company's money and if you think a massive lawsuit like the one that faces Activision doesn't bother them, think again. There's no way on earth they spend a giant chunk of cash on a bazillion lawyers and risk going to court if they believe they have no case; if they were clearly in the wrong, it's very likely they would've quietly paid off the duo and the rest of Infinity Ward and been done with it. But it seems they honestly believe they're in the right, as all their statements to the press have indicated, and they intend to fight it to the bitter end. This is not the behavior of a company whose higher-ups are going, "okay, they got us. Let's just make this go away."
In the end, I do believe Activision is guilty of creating a gulf between them and gamers, but I also believe the headline-hungry press and universal empathy for the "little guy" and common distrust of huge corporations have contributed to Activision's current reputation. And I think this is an accurate assessment. This being said, I think there are steps Activision can take to mend the rift; the question is whether or not they will do so. Granted, it's not all their fault but they could make some sort of public concession and give us gamers a significant gift of some kind…just a thought.
@ Ben: I know, my kind definitely appears to be a dying breed. I'm realistic, but at the same time, I won't budge either. I know they're going to cater to most things I despise because the majority find it entertaining.
The majority also found 'NSync, Brittney Spears, Justin Bieber and so on and so forth, entertaining. Doesn't mean I'm about to waltz out and buy one of their albums. Hehe.
So, I pick and choose, very, very frugally. I absolutely _require_ certain things about certain types of games, before I'll even give them the time of day. The first inkling I have that a developer is going half-assed, I'm done with it.
A shitty port to the PC from consoles, or vice versa, is still a shitty port. I only wish everyone was able to know this, and stop the impulse buying long enough to hammer it home to these developers.
Richard Branson, billionaire founder of the Virgin companies said something to the effect of this: "The primary of concern of a company is not the shareholders, nor even the customers, but the employees. Loyal employees create loyal customers, who in turn create happy shareholders."
It is clear not every company goes by this slogan. I'm not totally siding with those now known as Respawn. I simply don't know enough of what happened. But what I do know is the manner at which it happened (bouncer types coming in unannounced like the police and removing those two from the premises, who were voluntarily followed by a significant chunk of the team) reflects a publishing company's disregard well beyond that of mere professionalism, but perhaps of it's own partners and employees (those of whom who even had to witness the unsettling event). The problem that happens when a corporation becomes too aggressive, is that it can break it's very own foundation, the people. If you take out the "fun" of making games, you will undeniably destroy it's creativity, and it's perpetuity. That doesn't even make business sense, as I'm sure Richard Branson would agree. And I think that's what a certain someone from EA meant by Activision shooting their "prize horse".
It is clear that at the center of it all, the IP rights over MW wasn't the heart of the matter. Fact of the matter is, Activision owned COD, so even if Respawn went to make more MW titles under a different publisher, it have to have a different name. Furthermore, Those formerly known as IW plainly stated that after a couple of back-to-back iterations, they wanted to take a break and perhaps work on something else. Activision wanted to push another MW right away, and was forcing IW to do it, before going to Treyarch (whom they eventually had to go to anyways).
It's quite clear that what followed was avoidable. Look at Sony and Insomniac. Insomniac, after many more years, and 20 million + sales, has gone off to take a bigger chunk of the market. Notice how even now they enjoy a healthy relationship with Sony. It's interesting how these two seperations happened roughly during the same time period, yet, look at how different the outcomes were. That is the difference between good business and bad business. I mean even look at Bungie and MS.
About the unpaid royalites and bonuses, and IW's supposed breach of contract and insubordination, we have a saying where I come from: "Give a worker his dues before even the sweat dries from his forehead." Regardless of what happened with the future iterations of the MW franchise, Activision should've made good what IW was promised for working on the current one. This is not only a matter of proper business ethics, but basic morals as well.
Last edited by Shams on 8/4/2010 8:43:33 PM
My reason for disliking them is simple.
The poor quality of online gaming in MW2. Now I know often the online component is not enough to hate on a game, but in this case, the online component is something they pride themselves on. I am sick and tired of being kicked out of games for no reason other than the host player has crap internet. I can't attempt to improve my stats, because when you get kicked out of a game, it counts as a loss.
Every single night that I do play it, I am guaranteed to run into problems.
I also hate it for the glitches. Glaring ones! Like the quick scope auto-aim malfunction glitch. I HATE that. And I hate the physics of online play too. If they had a dedicated server, it'd be fine.
Interesting and thought provoking – as always. Bobby Kotick still reminds me of Gerald Ratner.
gabe newell & bobby kotick should get raped by 4 shemales.
And your comment should be deleted for the trash it is. Come on you can do better than that. Ignorant hatred? Here? No thanks.
Ignorant? Sounds like gaNWars is pro she-males.
Perhaps, but it was hardly the kind of comment we see around here, perhaps it would be acceptable at Destructoid or Kotaku?
your right mybad
Yeah, let's not.
Highlander,
Yeah, but I'd say that kotex has been much more than just "doing a Ratner",
Last edited by BikerSaint on 8/4/2010 9:40:58 PM
Well, yes in a way, but unlike Ratner, Kotick hasn't actually killed his organization just yet.
I think this should some it up nicely…..
Game Developers More Inclined to Work with EA, says Insider.
An industry source notes that developers would rather work with EA boss John Riccitiello than other execs.
The full story here…
http://www.industrygamers.com/news/game-developers-more-inclined-to-work-with-ea-says-insider/
FYI,
Yet, as much as kotex hates video games, look what's still going to be raking in the big bucks for him.
YES, IT's THOSE SAME VIDEO GAMES THAT HE DESPISES SO MUCH…..F'ING HYPOCRITE!!!!
Call of Duty Online in China Could Net Activision $100 Million in First Year…..
http://www.industrygamers.com/news/call-of-duty-online-in-china-could-net-activision-100-million-in-first-year/
Call of Duty:Halo: The Battle Begins????
Halo:Reach will be a long term hit mostly for its multiplayer, but there are plenty of people who are interested in it for its story.
Here in this trailer, we see some glimpses of the story campaign and how much the aesthetics have been affected by "Call of Duty".
Watch the trailer here….
http://www.thealistdaily.com/news/call-of-halo-the-battle-begins/
More money, money, money….going into greedy kotex's multi-million dollar nest egg…..
Call of Duty Map Packs Surpass 20 Million Units Sold
http://www.industrygamers.com/news/call-of-duty-map-packs-surpass-20-million-units-sold/
On a side note about the ex-founders of I.W….
Former Infinity Ward Bosses To Appear at QuakeCon.
Jason West and Vince Zampella, founders of Respawn Entertainment, will be attending QuakeCon this year.
Respawn Entertainment founders and former studio heads of Infinity Ward Jason West and Vince Zampella have confirmed that they will be attending QuakeCon to sit on a “Building Blockbusters†panel during the event.
http://www.industrygamers.com/news/former-infinity-ward-bosses-to-appear-at-quakecon/
I probably have nothing to add at this point, but my problem with Activision is moral, not financial or anything like that. I have no problem with a company seeking more money, but if they do it through intentionally price-gouging their consumers, then that doesn't fly with me. I have no problem with a company releasing a broken product, so long as they are willing to acknowledge that and work on fixing it.
What I have a problem with is some of Kotick's inflammatory comments relating to gaming and the way that he wants his business to run. I know that businesses exist to make a profit, but when it comes to screwing over the person who wants to buy the product they offer, then it all goes to hell. Bugger 'em I say. Give me something interesting and I'll buy it, until then, work on it Activision.
only reason why i hate them is because they care about $ and nothing but $.
a game could be the best thing since sliced bread, they could get so many awards it would make uncharted 2 look bad but if it does not bring in the $ they would not be happy!
they dont give a sh*t about there games, and neither do they polish them!
look at MW2, singularity and wolfenstein 3 of the buggiest most unpolished games i have ever played!
when it comes to unpolished games, only one company can compete with antivision.
bethesda!
cough, fallout 3, cough fallout 3 DLC, cough WET!
i swear to god, if fallout new vegas is half as broken as fallout 3, than bethesda is going to mysteriously disappear of the face of the earth!
I'm not in to the 'branding'… Make a product I like and I will buy it, make crap and I will ignore it.
I'm reading every single word in the article, every single comment, and I still can not see what this "hatred" is all about.
"all they care about is money"
"Their boss says he'd like to raise the price on his products"
"They always release follow-ups if the other releases sold well"
"They don't care about US, they care about our MONEY"
Uhm… What are you guys really, a bunch of hippies, some remnants of the sixties?
Gaming is business. Not only that, its BIG business, and continues to grow at a tremendous pace.
If there is ANY of you who believe there is one single games developer who is NOT in it for the money then sir, you are a fool. They may pretend they are not, but that's only cause they know you'll more likely buy their games then.
Look at Microsoft! Google! Apple! They use every dirty trick in the book in order to grab their shares. They are ALL in it for the money, with CEOs that ALL are saying the same: "HOW can we maximise profit?". It's their JOB. They are just better at it than their competitors.
So at the end of the day: Focus on the games. Buy those that will give you what you're after. The only, and I mean ONLY, real difference between the developers is their skills in making the products.
Aye, beamboom, but if you read the comment I've posted above, Activision is running its company badly. Sure, they're making a lot of money, but that's through acquiring companies that were previously well run and running them down (IW, anyone?), and alienating its customers (or articles like this wouldn't be written).
Gaming is business, and if you compare the performance (from a business perspective) of Activision to almost _any_ other publisher, it's managing of customer (and employee) relations is pretty damn poor. If you go below the issues, this is where the seed of the issue lies, and it's got nothing to do about hippies. Activision is and should be in it for the money, but we'd all be a lot happier (as would their employees) if they did a better job of it.
Fair enough Axe, but this article is about *hate*. Aggression. Irrational emotional outbursts. The "eeeevil" Activision that should be BOYCOTTED for their indescribebably crimes against the humanity. It so it sounds.
Aye – I think hate is getting a bit carried away as well, was just running with the general vibe. I'm not really a hate person anyways. In fact, if everyone is being a bunch of hippies, I think they're not supposed to be haters (although correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not enough of a flower-child to be sure ;)).
I think part of the issue is also the 'ole 'entitlement culture' amongst gamers, exacerbated by the 'peer pressure' to play MW2 for a lot of teen gamers. I don't hate Activision for what they do at all. I think they're silly, and it has meant I don't buy as many Activision products, but I've spent more time writing/thinking about it in relation to this thread than anywhere else combined.
Hmm of course you are right – they can't be hippies… They gotta be commies, then! 😀
lol! Although technically communism is all about the people (through the state) owning the means of production, so they should be arguing that the Government should buy Activision, _then_ give away all the DLC free :).
(disclaimer: This isn't what I'm personally suggesting!)
It's not just the lawsuit with the ex-IW guys, it's the history of lawsuits with just about everybody Activision has ever had any dealings with. It has nothing to do with feelings of right or wrong, it's their knee-jerk response to everything.
What I hate most of all was the way they had people go into the Infinity Ward offices and interrogate employees until they were driven to tears. And having goons show up in the offices to guard the place or whatever. Real Stalinist crap there. Abusing people who are just there trying to earn a living – that's unconscionable and utterly unacceptable.
And of course there are Kotick's arrogant statements about not making PS3 games any more unless Sony lowers the price of the console – this from the guy who wants to raise the price of his games as high as possible. Utterly hypocritical. I have absolutely no respect for him, and I've got far better things to do with my time than trying to find a reason to sympathize with a publishing CEO who makes games I have no interest in.
I don't like Activision's management. But we can't punish all the developers (companies and employees) under their publishing umbrella because of some of their practices (best example Infinity Ward). So I hate them, but i don't regret buying their published games.
I probably stand alone here but I really don't give an F about the company that makes the game as long as the game is an incredible, mind blowing, top notch, unforgetable, quality filled experience at the $59.99 price point. I neither love nor hate Activision. I do think they screwed up with the Infinity Ward debacle though. They apparently lost a lot of talent to Respawn Ent. Anyway, if the game is bad ass then that's all I care about. Like I said I probably stand alone on this issue.
Oh by the way, Kotick raped by 4 shemales???!! That's some way wierd ish dude. I almost laughed and vomited at the same time.
Yeah, well if the comment section here descends into a challenge to out-weird each other with crap like that posted by 'gaNWars', I will be out of here so fast it will make your head spin, as will a number of other regular contributors.
No offense to anyone, but if a poster has to resort to quips or jokes about real people being raped, then I don't wish to be associated with that poster. As they say in the UK, it's not big, and it's not clever. Personally I think it's immature and utterly ignorant.
YMMV.
@Highlander
I agree this really isn't the place for that kind of wierd sexual comment. Makes you wonder what kind of person that ganwars is.
Indeed. I get kinda protective of this place as it's such a civil place full of thoughtful commenters and readers. Kind of an oasis on the Net, you know?
Don't worry. And I missed that before but at least the poster apologized.
Indeed, an apology is always welcome.
Why PSXExtreme is so great:
Show me another website anywhere on the net where anyone apologizes for anything.
4 chan! No wait…
I like your article, but it got me thinking again. Is it really that Activision believes they are in the right? Or, is it that they just don't want to give away the multimillion dollar cashcow brand that is 'Call of Duty'? They could just pay Vince and Jason but they also want Call of Duty which is their baby. But Activision wants to milk that baby till it's dry. So is it a matter or right or wrong? Or a matter of a long term or short term financial issue?
Babies don't produce milk. ;P
And Anti-vision just lost another suit, by trying to steal away the rights to the Greg Hastings Paintball games franchise too.
Activision Lost Legal Battle to Paintball Champion, adding to the pile of legal disputes that Activision has had of late……
http://www.industrygamers.com/news/activision-lost-legal-battle-to-paintball-champion/
Activision Doesn't Like Women?
Sources state that Activision brass does not believe that female leads can sell games…..
http://www.industrygamers.com/news/activision-doesnt-like-women/
the reason i hate activision is that they force deadlines and release sequels way too often, look how many damn guitar hero games there are now
REDUNDANT MUCH? At least with the CoD games they are switching back and forth between devs which allows 2 years per game basically…
Wow, can't believe nobody made the comparison to Microsoft! The company founded on stealing technology and rushing it out the door, flaws and all! Thus far, Kotick hasn't done that!
Sure, CEO's are scheming snakes, that's corporate fact!
Activision's games do not appeal to me, I find similar games from different developers if something does look fun, but…whatever!
I find I hate activition more and more. They're almost as bad as EA (which I will NEVER buy a game new from again)
The merge with blizzard is a major downside for the gaming industry…
Any ya how can they possible justify the price on map pack.
Now they are making sequels like clockwork. Pretty soon a new COD game every year wont be enough.
AMEN PANIC! You're talking about MS stealing the prototype processor por the PS3. It's really funny now that you mention it, being this a Pro-PS brand community which means that people here actually has brains beneath the hair. (Throw something like this in a bot community, and comments would overload the server just like S-E twitter after wada's question about FFVII's remake)