Activision's 09 lineup 40% larger: Call of Duty 'titles' and Guitar Hero 'releases'

by Christopher Grant { Nov 5th 2008 at 8:28PM }

Discussing what's in store for Activision Blizzard's 2009 lineup, Activision Publishing boss man Mike Griffith said we should expect a "significant increase in SKUs year over year" – specifically, over 70 retail SKUs representing 40% more than this year. So what's making up this increase? Unsurprisingly Griffith cites "innovative new titles for the Call of Duty franchise" along with "multiple Guitar Hero releases." We're not clear if Griffith means multiple Call of Duty SKUs – an Xbox 360 SKU, a PS3 SKU, etc. – or actual multiple Call of Duty titles; we are clear that he means multiple Guitar Hero games (let's see if they can beat this year's measly four games constituting some dozen-plus SKUs).

Also in the '09 lineup are movie games – including Transformers, Wolverine, Dreamworks' Monsters vs. Aliens, and Ice Age (thanks to that Sierra acquisition) – along with Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, a "followup" James Bond (not tied to a film release), a "newly reinvented" Tony Hawk (which is almost surely being worked on "secretly" by Robomodo), Wolfenstein (finally!), and "a targeted selection of qualified new IPs" including Singularity (as shown at E3), Prototype (thanks, Sierra!), and "the new Bizarre Creation's title which will be [Activision Blizzard's] entry into the racing genre." Of course, there's still one yet-to-be-announced Sierra title that Actiblizzard held on to and we presume a handful of other unannounced games, getting us even closer to that 70 figure.

Tags: Activision-Blizzard, Call-of-Duty, Guitar-Hero

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 5th 2008 8:34PM

70 games in one year? no thank you.

Quality over quantity Mr. Griffith

Quality

over

Quantity

A Mosta @ Nov 5th 2008 8:57PM

Do you really think that the makers of Guitar Hero will ever realize that quality>quantity?

Jeepers Creepers 712 @ Nov 5th 2008 8:58PM

Quality isn't affected by how many games a publisher backs. They could put out 5 or put out 150. It's the devs that fuck things up if they rush. Publishers (Activision/Blizzard) just pay the bills.

Hence Infinity Ward making golden wonders, and Treyarch just rehashes.

Jeepers Creepers 712 @ Nov 5th 2008 9:00PM

Do you really think that Activision is the "maker" of Guitar Hero?

Do people not understand the business model of the industry...?

Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 5th 2008 9:08PM

Not exactly true.

The publisher pays the bills, and consequently, has the ability to greatly effect how a final product turns out. What if AB decided to roll two studios together, and have that entity focus on one game as opposed to two?

The developers would have more manpower to develop and polish a game, less advertising money could spend promoting a single game as opposed to three, and a game could be produced in less time.

While your right that a developer has a lot to do with how the final product turns out, the publisher can also do a lot of things to help the process along. Jamming more games into a crowded market is not helping the industry or the publisher.

If I were asked by a non-gamer what game they should buy, it should be AB's goal to be a publisher that makes me say "Buy whatever game has an Activision logo on it"

A Mosta @ Nov 5th 2008 9:16PM

I was talking about the actual developers (Neversoft) not Activision. And either way I don't think Activision is going to do anything to stop them. I know Activision doesn't make them, but with developers like Neversoft making millions on what is essentially the same game, it gives other developers the sense that they don't have to put effort into making a game. This is the reason that Wii Sports 2 is out while there is no sequel to much better games such as Okami and Psychonauts.

Jeepers Creepers 712 @ Nov 5th 2008 9:27PM

"The developers would have more manpower to develop and polish a game, less advertising money could spend promoting a single game as opposed to three, and a game could be produced in less time."

Quite the opposite, as EA has proved lately. The more titles you put out, the more money you have to play with, the more money you can throw at ambitious projects. Basically look at it as an investment tool. If you have 15 development companies, the ones with actual talent can get more financial backing. The less than stellar devs (Neversoft), you give an editing job. Since people are guaranteed to purchase Fight Night Round 4, you can get away with putting less talented programmers on that case. Versus say, Dead Space... Where if you put it in novice hands, you end up with Silent Hill: Homecoming. Both Fight Night and Dead Space will make you money and you have steady income. Unfortunately, this is the route that Squareso... Square-Enix has taken as of late. More titles for a steady stream of income so they can really focus resources on their flagship, Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.

Just think of it like acting. You do the artsy movie, then you do the safe movie... Then you do the crap movie that your friend says you owe him one. *looks to the audience*

Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 5th 2008 10:11PM

While your (generally) right about the fact that the more titles one publishes, the more money one has to play with, its not always a good idea in the long run. We'll use your example of EA.

It seems to me that Activision is following the business plan EA was using roughly three years ago: produce squeals of games based on existing franchises. This business model was good at producing a "safe" stream of revenue.

Unfortunately, this business model eventually dilutes the products it deals with. Thats why EA has changed their strategy a few years ago, and we are starting to see games like Dead Space and Mirror's Edge. The well that they were tapping was running dry.

Its also probably a big reason as to why the Beatles are choosing Rock Band over Gutiar Hero. The Beatles brand is obviously very important to the owners, and they want it to be used in a game that in unique, and not see it given some kind of generic treatment and thrown onto a shelf. This is a great coup for RB, as people will be willing to but the game over say, an Aero Smith themed game
A.)Because of the Beatles, and
B.) Because the game will (theoretically) not be the standard guitar game.

Activision can make money producing games that marginally improve on the same formula, and that will most likely make them money. I think though, that they will run into the same problem EA did and eventually be forced to make similar changes. I think they know that to. I think that Activision merging with Blizzard was an effort to try to steer themselves away from the path that they seem to be going down.

I'm not trying to say that squeals are a bad thing, but 70 sku's in one year seems incredibly excessive, and I think a lot of that money could go into producing unique IP's as opposed to the next Guitar Hero spin off; which is why I said Quality over Quantity in my first post.

Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 5th 2008 10:16PM

Oh, and I think Activision has enough money to bankroll more than sequels and spin offs.

Obie @ Nov 5th 2008 8:51PM

They better slow the fuck down, and after playing the COD 5 beta, it ain't that special. When will Infinity Ward tell us what they got cookin' next?

Kaemon @ Nov 5th 2008 8:55PM

I find the CoD:WaW beta fun.
Its just CoD4, but new maps and some new things to do.

But yes..

70 new titles, 50 GH titles, 10 CoD, and 10 random sports. Indeed.

Lone Starr @ Nov 5th 2008 9:00PM

I don't care how many CoD games they publish next year so long as I get one good one from Infinity Ward.

Mr Khan @ Nov 5th 2008 9:54PM

Hmm

Activision has faith in their future, it seems. It will be interesting to see how much consumers can tolerate

Metabolic @ Nov 5th 2008 10:49PM

Call me when they revive the Ghostbusters game. Until then, they won't see a penny from me.

Courtney @ Nov 6th 2008 2:36AM

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/30/riddick-remake-and-maybe-ghostbusters-go-to-atari/

JRM @ Nov 5th 2008 11:17PM

I'm more amazed at that Activision rep rolling off those sequels & licenses with a straight face...

LuckyEMS @ Nov 5th 2008 11:32PM

im waiting for prototype that shit looks awesome

Clinton RRoD sept.3 @ Nov 6th 2008 6:53AM

i agree

baby sea tuna @ Nov 6th 2008 9:30AM

That, and a new Marvel UA game are really the only things I'm looking forward to from Activision.

crashcarstar @ Nov 6th 2008 8:57AM

There will be a Guitar Hero: U2.

Dalroi @ Nov 6th 2008 10:46AM

C'mon people, 70 SKUs is not the same as 70 games. Duh.

e.g. 1 game on PS3, 360, PS3 and Wii is 4 SKUs. If there's a special German low-violence mode of a game then that's another 4 SKUs ( if on the samne platforms ) for the same title. SKU == Stock Keeping Unit, it's simply a unique identifier for something a company makes. Every variant of a game has a seperate SKU.