Ben-DutkaIt's like a political campaign. It's only a matter of time before the dirt starts to fly.
EA has often spoken about their upcoming clash of titans, where DICE's Battlefield 3 faces off against kingpin Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 . But now, publisher CEO John Riccitiello has taken everything a step further: he told IndustryGamers that he wants to see CoD "rot from the core." Activision boss Eric Hirshberg fired back at GamesCom by saying such verbal attacks were "bad for the industry." EA's response? Well, it came from corporate communications representative Jeff Brown:
"Welcome to the big leagues Eric — I know you're new in the job but someone should have told you this is an competitive industry. You've got every reason to be nervous. Last year Activision had a 90 share in the shooter category. This year, Battlefield 3 is going to take you down to 60 or 70. At that rate, you’ll be out of the category in 2-3 years. If you don't believe me, go to the store and try to buy a copy of Guitar Hero or Tony Hawk."
…yeah, that's gonna get things going. Perhaps the big question doesn't revolve around Brown's comment concerning CoD and its longevity, but whether or not such mud-slinging really is bad for the industry. We've got a fair amount of time before we can put all this behind us; things are bound to get even nastier. Maybe the gamers will eat it up, though.
There is no need for mud slinging. I dont think Battlefield 3 will out sell MW3, but CoD is a dieing breed, and I say just let it go in silence. Its not a matter of if CoD goes down, its when. Trash talking proves nothing, if Battlefield 3 truly deserves to be on top, (as of now I think it does, but we will see when it comes out), then response from the gamers will prove that, no need for nasty words.
Last edited by Helghast on 8/19/2011 9:28:49 PM
JERRY, JERRY, JERRY, JERRY!
Too much mama drama going on here
EA's comments seem to be getting ever more immature… Seriously, the Activision guy was trying to distance the company from such juvenile tactics, and it's starting to swing EA out of my good opinion. Seriously, they're so hell-bent on making Battlefield 3 seem better in the eyes of gamers that they may only serve to be doing the opposite. Why can't they just shut the hell up and promote another game for a while.
I get that BF3 is going to be good, you don't need to tell me. But they've got a new NFS coming up too, why not talk about it. I'm honestly sick to death of the BF/CoD argument already and am starting to wish that both games would just go away…
Your right EA should be promoting there own game instead of taking shots at activision.
Actually if you look at the average CoD fanbase you might think it is an appropriate strategy. The general CoD player likes harsh words and lives in a constant world of aggression. 😀
He might just be getting them on his side showing he's a badass and how much SELLING GAMES IS JUST LIKE WAR. EA AS NO MERCY B****!!! JOIN OUR RANKS!
I guess you get my general picture lol.
It's turning out to be a quite the great spectator sport so I'm just kicking back & eating it all up, tasty just like bacon……
…..(Homer voice)….MMMMMMMMM bacon!
<3 Bacon.
just don't eat to much.
For all you bacon lovers…..
Enjoy
Great bacon recipes
http://www.kunzler.com/recipes/search-results.asp?collection_id=1
My favorite?
"Chocolate Bacon Bark"
MMMM…"Burp"
Chocolate Bacon Bark
Ingredients
12 oz. good-quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
7 strips of Kunzler's EXTRA-THICK bacon
Directions
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and set aside for now.
Cook Kunzler extra-thick bacon according to package directions… fried until crispy.
Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in one-minute increments until melted, stirring after every minute to prevent overheating.
While the chocolate is melting, chop the Kunzler bacon strips into small bits. Set aside approximately one-third of the bacon to be used to top the bark.
Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, stir in the remaining two-thirds of the chopped Kunzler bacon, and stir until the bacon bits are well-incorporated.
Pour the chocolate onto the prepared baking sheet, and with an offset spatula or a knife, spread it into a thin layer about 1/4†high.
While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the top evenly with the reserved chopped bacon and press down gently to adhere it to the surface.
Refrigerate the bacon bark to set the chocolate, about 30 minutes.
Once set, break it into small uneven pieces by hand, and serve immediately.
Chocolate Bacon Bark can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
The FPS genre is a lot longer lasting than the genres that make up Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk. So I don't really see any truth to his comments but a boy can dream.
I agree with you, but you take your sucker punches where you can land them ya know?
Yhea, I guess FPS's are like gold… very long term, very stable…
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
@world
Nice.
I'm tired of both MW3 and BF3 and they haven't even came out yet.
Hell yeah! Anything that rots CoD from the core is GOOD for the industry in my book.
But, from my own perspective as an amateur media analyst this is a pretty safe place for EA to go now. Early on they played it very safe and showed the game, then talked up the engine, then showed off the gameplay at events, then started talking about the competition. And now that everyone who wants to buy BF3 over MW3 has pretty much made the decision I think it is beneficial for the business insofar as it will further hype up the fans who will in turn force their friends to buy this game.
In other words, now that everyone is decided, there is no risk in going hard partisan on the issue. It will only energize fans further, which is good for business.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 8/19/2011 10:20:38 PM
It may be unnecessary, but he speaks the truth. Activision has a tendency to slowly kill off everything that earns them respect.
In the case of the Tony Hawk series, skateboarding games were nothing new, but they hit it big with the first Pro Skater. They insisted on releasing a new one every year, and it worked well for a while, but by the time we had entered the current generation, the series had seen a new entry on a yearly basis for 7 years. They decided to innovate and try to milk more cash out of their loyal customers at the same time by creating a "realistic" experience by requiring the use of a skateboard deck controller. This backfired on them since the controller barely worked.
With Guitar Hero, they greedily bought out Red Octane, the original publisher of the series so they could own the Guitar Hero name. They then let Neversoft (the skateboard guys) loose to mimic what Harmonix (passionate music guys) had done so well. They capitalized on the relatively new genre by milking it for all it was worth. Unfortunately, it was new and volatile, and due to a lack of innovation, combined with over-saturation, they managed to kill it off 3x as quickly as it took for them to poison Tony Hawk. Meanwhile, Harmonix took the time to innovate between releases and, although not doing as well as they once were, they still enjoy a loyal fanbase with Rock Band.
Activision, blind to the past, are doing the exact same thing with Call of Duty. Now FPSs have shown to be a staple genre in video games and will always retain some level of popularity, so I figure it will take a bit longer for CoD to die, but it eventually will. Some are beginning to notice that they are generally repackaging the same game in a new box each year which leads me to suspect the downfall is beginning, but there are others who will remain loyal to the franchise for years to come.
Now Mr. Riccitiello's comments are childish, but unfortunately, that's what a lot of gamers respond to (mostly in the pre-teen to teen range, but I'm sure there are some exceptions both ways.) And as World has said, most people have already decided which game they're going to stick with, so they really have nothing to lose by slandering the competition. As for me, I'm growing tired of the FPS genre in general and it would take a fantastic story to really draw me in again. I'm sure I'll rent BF3 sometime later this year to see if it lived up to the hype, but I already know from experience that CoD has not. The ball's in your court, EA. Handle it well.
Last edited by 556pineapple on 8/19/2011 10:53:03 PM
It is true, and the only defense against slander is truth. Sometimes you just want them to stop being nice about the people they are obviously trying to crush ya know? Why pretend to be nice?
Take Sony for instance, I do like that they are classy when talking about MS but gaming often brings out the kid in me. Maybe that's not so attractive, but every now and then you want your team to just take off the gloves and slug it out when the competition is so damn smug.
And Activision IS smug.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 8/19/2011 11:05:30 PM
I agree about that. It's nice when a company can show some class when talking about a competitor, but sometimes it's necessary to take off the gloves just to show they're willing to fight. I love that Sony is often respectful when addressing their competitors, but that just makes it all the sweeter when they throw a few jabs. Perfect example: The Kevin Butler commercial introducing the Move.
"Real boxers don't fight like this." (Flails arms while whining.)
"I meam, come on, who wants to pretend their hand is a gun? What is this, 3rd Grade!?"
You just gotta hit back sometimes.
Last edited by 556pineapple on 8/19/2011 11:24:30 PM
A company should always show class… if it can. It actually enhances its image in-front of its own loyal customers, and goes some way to attract new customers that share that companies values.
When facing adversity and criticism take it like a gentlemen and show up the childish antics of the company pointing the fingers and doing the criticising… the clever consumer will see through it and I think have a tendency to support the honorable firm.
Problem is it is difficult to find a really good honorable company to support…
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
This article just makes me want a new, good, Tony Hawk game.
Yeah me too!
I don't think the modern warfare franchise is going anywhere but up. Gamers enjoy the gameplay and as long as the developers keep the gameplay similar but with the right amount of additions to keep the game feeling fresh the game will continue to be a jugernaught in the industry and I'll continue to be a loyal fan.
F*** battlefield 1, 2, and 3
There is no Battlefield 1, dumba$$.
Ahhh my old nemesis LV bashing me at every turn, aren't you supposed to be busy filming a new episode of Jersey Shore?
He may be a pain in the a** (or enjoy them ;P) but he's right on that one Jdog.
*shrugs* I didn't even know that. Why wasn't there an original Battlefield and doesn't that make the new one Battlefield 2 instead of 3?
World,
Sorry, instead of 1 they used 1942. Get over it. 🙂
Wow, this war is seriously overhyping both games far more than they need to be. With such sky high expectations for both games I suddenly don't feel the urge to buy either. This takes center stage and all the other great games coming out at the end of the year are hurt. Like it or not, the Activision guy's got a point.
I now think they may be doing this intentionally
Why all the comments about needing to have class…have you all stuck your head up your own ass that far? man its gaming …and of the two games that are going against each other …battlefield me all day.. EA showed and proved with there gameplay.. they have some room for some trash talk …take your head out your ass and enjoy the monkey poop show ~back to modern warfare~
aw my god when will EA grow the f*ck up!?
thats it, im buying BF3 used.
they wanna act like children, then thats fine there not getting any of my money.
my lord, if any CEO in any other industry spoke like this he would be fired so fast his head would spin!
imagine what would happen if John tott started saying these things about lambo!
as for them running every popular series into the ground, well EA are any better?
try go grab a copy of MoH or need for speed.
oh wait……….
Last edited by ___________ on 8/20/2011 4:04:31 AM
People stop buying GH for a simple reason…in reality they were buying games that were nothing but literally expansion packs at at a full price. As for CoD, its a franchise that have been going strong for nearly a decade now and in that amount of time you're going to have tons of already dedicated fans, in this case PC gamers.
Now given the fact that EA is a company that have been seeing hard times(financially) ever 2007(they have lost a good amounts of market value), its obvious they would be compelled to knock on a company that is part of the ever successful media conglomerate Vivendi Group.
for the love of god, will ea ever just shut the hell up? they are starting to become annoying. they would do good to muzzle it becuase i notice reaction to their latest comments have been mostly negative.
I actually think this is funny as hell. He's just talking crap. It is immature but people look into this type of thing way too much. I honestly don't think it's bad for the industry really. A lot of people love drama…
lol – "COD is a dying breed" – each new game sells more than the one before it – Call of Duty is king and all you BF fanbois will see that come Nov.
Hmmm I think most people can agree here that the only brainwashed fanboy here is you. I've said it once ill say it again I've played both games more than enough to make an educated opinion. You call cod king yet you back it up with sales? That's it? It's all about quality of the shooter and right now cod is in serious danger of being outshined this fall. I don't care if EA talks so long as they back it up. Ea talks sh** activision sucks blood out of their devs and gamers, so its all gonna come out in the wash eventually. Cod is still in danger of being a dying breed no matter what u say because activisions track record says it all.
BIGRED15 – Sales are based on the enjoyment and value people get from the game – for $60 bucks I know I am going to get literally hundreds of hours of fast paced entertainment – MW2 I have 29 Days played – Black Ops so far 17 Days played. BFBC2 – played 1 day – it is slow and boring.
Reply button, it improves your life.
-This was a PSA from sirbob6
Slow and boring? Perhaps for the simple minded
To eaches own i guess. You did forget one component in ur sales argument however and that's how activision and ea plan to markets that game. sales only happen if people know what theyre buying iinto. When those millions of dollars start being pumped into ad campaign people will take notice and to the average consumer, bf3 will probably stand out. Cod marketing has always shown customers footage that they already know to expect. BF3 is an entirely new animal to shooter fans.
60 bucks for an expansion? Yea my money doesn't grow on trees so I would never do that. Clearly your playstyle is based off raw instinct and reflexes so of course BF isn't your kinda game. I'm a calculated type of player who enjoys endless options on the battlefield which is why bf > cod any day of the week for me.
COD will go the way of Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk, just not anytime soon….
one does not simply drop off from 20 million plus copies in one year!
If cod were to die off the apocalypse of fps gaming would happen. I don't think any core cod player could survive for a min without it, their like crackheads, without their fix their start to loose it. I do think cod will end up like guitar hero and tony hawk but it wont be for awhile. Until cod sells under 100 million activision will keep pumping out that series.
All the hype and verbal bashing has turned me off both games completely. Granted I'm on an Activision boycott still, but I still play the games, just don't buy them. But now? Well I'm over it! I will not play MW3 and will not play BF3.
I'm gonna be busy with Resistance, Uncharted, and maybe Skyrim. I don't need another "cookie cutter" shooter. And don't attack me about Resistance being a shooter! I know that, but it's aliens! Crazy possibilities for the story to go, and confirmed split screen co-op! Features trump genre!
It's interesting hearing people talk….people definately have their sides, but many long time MW fans are ready to jump ship for a better gaming experience. Who knows if BF3 can provide that catalyst…MOH was also thought to be, at one time, the game to beat the COD franchise, but we all know how that ended. I for one would LOVE for BF3 to be that game I turn to in the evening when I want to just un-wind and play some game candy.
FUCK Activision… I'm getting BF3 not out of spite but because I'm sick to death of static backgrounds. Blowing holes in buildings to take out snipers, with tanks, helicopters, C-4, and just taking down buildings altogether with your enemy team all inside is very satisfying, and rewarding… and nothing beats the the "turtle sit and wait" game people play on COD than when BF3's radar system.. you only appear on radar if you throw a proximity grenade near you, OR (and this is the best) if one of your team mates marks an enemy with the Select button spotting the sniper for all to see for a brief 5 seconds…and they can do the same to you. PERFECT.
OOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWW
thats good trash talking! i like it 😀
I LOVE THIS TRASH TALKING, THE HEATED COMPETITION!!!! As gamers we all should. This boosts the quality of game from both coopanies and WE WIN!!!!! Over the past couple of years COD has been becoming boring, now with BF3, Activision has to stay on their toes!!!
Now all i hope is that EA doesnt buy out the competition like they did with football. Ever since EA bought the exclusive NFL license rights they have been lazy every yr with Madden. NFL 2k5 was creative and I couldnt wait for the next installment, but that never happened because EA muscled out the competition. I'm going to buy both shooters, just for the fact they are very confident in their work and both should be highest quality of gaming… I CAN'T WAIT!!!!
Last edited by KJ_313 on 8/22/2011 9:05:43 AM