Ben-DutkaAdmittedly, we journalists are guilty of making headlines designed to grab the attention of readers, and we're big fans of hard-hitting sound bites.
But that doesn't necessarily paint an accurate picture of a dynamic persona like Activision Blizzard boss Bobby Kotick. In speaking to MCV , Blizzard founder Mike Morhaime defends the oft-discussed game boss. Unlike most of us, he has actually had conversations with Kotick and there's something to be said for that. Said Morhaime:
"I have an advantage there because I know Bobby personally and we have very long, in-depth conversations, so my view of him is not limited to small sound bites taken out of context. I can tell you that Bobby has been very supportive of Blizzard and that we have a great relationship with him. I don’t think the public image that some people have of him is fair or accurate."
Also, if you're about to accuse Activision of lording over Blizzard since the merger, Morhaime wants to clear that up, too. He says that when the deal went down, his team was convinced the two businesses were "complementary," and that Blizzard wouldn't be forced to give up any "creative autonomy." Now, several years down the road, he adds: "And that's exactly how it's panned out."
Okay, so who's ready to give Kotick a break? …anyone?
Once he stops driving franchises into the ground I will give him a break.
For such an "intelligent" business man, he needs to learn a lesson or two about supply and demand.
Action will always speak louder than words, & bullsh*t will always walk!
McDonald's may give kotex a break today……
….."But I won't"!!!!!
He said some things about Sony that give you a pretty good clue as to what type of person he is. It seems everyone but him apologizes for his behavior. There's probably some kind of bonus on their paychecks for saying something sweet about Bobby.
Of course he and Kotick have had good conversations. Blizzard makes the company a $#!^ ton of money. There's nothing Bobby needs to change or get involved in. When you're talking overall vision and the actions used to achieve those goals, that's when Kotick becomes a douche.
Have you ever met someone who leaves a trail of drama wherever they go, the kind of person who always has a problem with everyone around them, and its always someone else's fault? After awhile, you start to say to yourself, hmm, maybe its not about everyone else, maybe its you buddy, maybe you're the one with problem.
That's Kotick. Its not just the slimy way he axed IW (although I know there are other sides to it) and its not just about the fact that he seems to lack one iota of artistic vision for gaming and instead sees the medium as nothing but a cash cow, and its not just about his chauvinistic attitude towards women, (http://www.1up.com/news/activision-ceo-kotick-loses-legal)
its all of those things combined which paint a picture of a true scumbag.
So this guy from Blizzard has had lunch with Kotick, so what? I mean, there were plenty of people that knew Bernie Madoff personally and thought he was a goddamn saint until they found out he was the biggest fraud in history.
no
I would just like to point out that, he may have defended him, but apparently Kotick isn't a good enough guy to consider him a friend.
This guys comments sound very businesslike and professional. He didn't say anything that would convince me that he doesn't actually feel the same way as most gamers.
It was a huge merger that that gave Activision a money vein that is now worth over $4 Billion a year in pure profit. Of course Blizzard is not forced to do anything. "yep you guys do whatever you want, we are just going to take all the money"
activision should just have a strict policy of no comment in regards to kotick.
theres putting a best interest in your company and shareholders, and theres just plain greed!
ill leave it up to the readers to guess which category bobby fits into!
yeah, we don't know much about kotick…..his craving for money is even greater than what it appears to be!
Sorry, NO…
Blizzard defending Activision's Bobby?
Um, Blizzard-Activision are partners so none of this matters.
Now, if it came from Nintendo or some other company, but Blizzard? Give me a break
I give him credit for getting rich by doing as little as possible in a growing industry, but I can't respect him for it.
Kotick is an example of a individual who can take a failing business and completely remake it into a profitable/valuable one. If anything its quite shocking that most business leaders in this industry aren't emulating his style of leadership, but overall I would say any praise he receieved is well deserved.
"This guys comments sound very businesslike and professional. He didn't say anything that would convince me that he doesn't actually feel the same way as most gamers.'
You're right on the fact that his comments sound very business-like, whoever based on the performance of activision over the past few years anybody else would've made that comment, even the POTUS himself.
Last edited by A2K78 on 3/29/2011 10:34:45 AM
So his public image is inaccurate eh? OK, but…um….what about the image created by the man's own words? I mean, sure his public image might be incorrect in some fashion, but that created by his own words, is created by his own words and is the fault of no one but himself. His words often make him sound like and appear to be an autocratic jerk. I can ignore third party opinions of him, but not his own words.
The issue is he wants to do what ever it takes to make money at any cost. Whilst I respect the tenants of capitalism… what I despise is when art is contorted and distorted because of it… every penny is used as an excuse to degenerate the art form and drag video gaming through the mud…
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
You know, my buddy lacks a few social necessities when talking with people. He's a bit of a womanizer, and he has a reputation for that. He hits on most anything moderately attractive or with breasts. Sure, it can be annoying, but I know what he's really like. I mean, in public, he'll go talk to a girl and quickly move into a discussion about sex. So much so that he has a reputation for it. His reputation is stemmed from his very own actions.
Now when I talk to people about him, I tell them about the side I know that they don't. He's actually a very caring guy with a big heart. His actions stem only from his own insecurity, but he is a top quality and loyal guy to any girl that can settle him down. When in an actual relationship, he is always loyal to them.
But guess what… no matter what I say about him, people still think he's a womanizing sleezebag. Because of the things he says and does… and if I'm honest… I know that, although deep down he's a quality guy, he is a womanizing sleezebag. And no amount of defence I do for his sake will change that reputation.
Same thing for Kotick. No matter what his more mature friend says, he will be known for what he says and does. Not hard to figure that out.
These comments defending Kotick are pointless. You can't explain anything to game site hoppers. They feel they are 'in the know', constantly dissecting interviews and a few sentences, adding a heaping helping of baseless theory, then typing it up for everyone to see. The fact is, in the grand scheme of gaming, these people do not matter. No matter how much vitriol they spew at Kotick and Activision, they are not the main consumer of theirs. Your average COD/Starcraft/WoW does not care who or what a Kotick is, they care about the end product. As long as Activision/Blizzard focuses on that, they'll be fine. Let the forum jockeys run around with their superiority complexes and entertain themselves.
No "forum jockey" or self-respecting individual would go by the opinion of a CEO's good pal. The public is going to think the way they do based on the things he says… you know… like… it's hard to believe but, public opinion is formed by public behavior.
It's a pretty simple concept. We see it every day in politics.
Hmmm, I wonder if Bungie will really like being under Kotex's thumb a couple years from now???
Halo Developer Eager to Work with Activision, Says Publisher Very 'Hands-Off'
Posted March 28, 2011 by James Brightman
Halo developer Bungie has left Master Chief in the hands of Microsoft and 343, as the renowned studio is moving on to a brand new universe. Many industry observers were a bit surprised to see the studio sign a 10-year deal with Activision, especially considering some of the negative rap the publisher's garnered, but Bungie composer Marty O'Donnell told IndustryGamers that Bungie's quite excited to be working with Activision.
The full article here:
http://www.industrygamers.com/news/halo-developer-eager-to-work-with-activision-says-publisher-very-hands-off/
Well, not everyone's all bad. Sure, I don't like the guy based on all things he's said and done, but I'm sure he has plenty of friends and may be a nice guy in person. Its just his business strategy, complete disregard for the law of supply and demand, and his aforementioned comments and actions that I take issue with.
"These comments defending Kotick are pointless."
Why is it pointless to defend a successful individul?
What is the purpose of defending a successful individual? They're already successful and need no defense.