Activision Blizzard CEO Kotick: Vivendi franchises lacked 'potential to be exploited'
by Ross Miller 
{ Nov 6th 2008 at 11:00PM }
When asked about the Vivendi Games franchises that were tossed aside when Activision consumed the company (e.g. 50 Cent, Ghostbusters and Brutal Legend) during yesterday's conference call (transcript via Seeking Alpha), the Big Kahuna said, "With respect to the franchises that don't have the potential to be exploited every year across every platform with clear sequel potential that can meet our objectives of over time becoming $100 million plus franchises, that's a strategy that has worked very well for us."
Kotick said that there's only been a "small single-digit number" of new, successful franchises in the last five or 10 years, and that properties they work on are those that "we know if we release today, we'll be working on 10 years from now." He cited rising development costs as a factor in this conservative business strategy.
Of course, as gamers we typically don't mind sequels as long as they show noticeable improvement over their predecessors (and sometimes that's not even necessary), but come on, Bobby, we know you've given KennyL free reign. We really do appreciate it, now do us another favor and just release Brutal Legend. You can write it off as a charitable deduction, we promise!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Rollins @ Nov 6th 2008 11:05PM
And in that one messy run-on sentence, he just explained everything wrong with his company.
NoHitHair @ Nov 6th 2008 11:18PM
It's what's wrong with most gaming companies nowadays. If it's not "exploitable", as in, if it yields less potential revenue than another game, it's not worth releasing.
I remember when I had fuzzy feelings for Blizzard.
Mr.Ironic @ Nov 7th 2008 2:46AM
Perhaps it's because they're worries. They do what they *think* people will want and will gain them money based on something being popular now for what they *think* is long term. But ironically might not match what people really want long term, which is new stuff, and so they don't take those edgy risks they should take.
Besides even if a game is good and doesn't have any squeals it gets the company good reputation, and what price do you put on that Mr.Business man?
AwesomeTown @ Nov 7th 2008 7:24AM
Didn't you get the memo? Periods are out of style.
BananaBoat @ Nov 7th 2008 12:25PM
Oh unexploitable!
Donald @ Nov 6th 2008 11:05PM
I don't know whether I want to punch that guy for his scaring me when I opened Joystiq, or for the comments.
... eh, I'll go with the comments.
Magetto @ Nov 6th 2008 11:05PM
So that's why those dicks aren't doing anything with Brutal Legend. It can't be whored out.
Ghen @ Nov 7th 2008 8:08AM
I don't see why Brutaller Legend and Brutal Legend 3: The Brutalacolypse wouldn't be big stars.. I think this guy is just scared.
I seriously hope Brutal Legend doesn't become vaporware, that would bring a single tear to my eye which would probably trickle slowly down my cheek before I wipe it away with a finger and host an all-girl-guest orgy to regain my manliness.
Ghen @ Nov 7th 2008 8:08AM
Now that I spelled it out, I guess the alternative isn't bad either..
Emceay @ Nov 7th 2008 9:26AM
Kamina-squirtle? Can we exploit that? I'd play.
Beatz @ Nov 6th 2008 11:11PM
This asshole is what's wrong with video games. Exploiting? Really? And now they own Blizzard. Greaaaat.
Sora @ Nov 6th 2008 11:15PM
This.
Negativecool @ Nov 6th 2008 11:27PM
Are you a child or are you seriously just that naive? Exploit = profit from.
Games are released for profit honey. The more profit, the more games you can release. The more games you release the more profit.
You see how this whole "business" thing works?
Beatz @ Nov 6th 2008 11:30PM
That may be true, but if you never release a new franchise, how the fuck do you expect the video game market to expand?
The Fatass of Kickassness @ Nov 6th 2008 11:36PM
Hey, NegativeCool, pay attention. I think we all know how business works. The thing is, though, several games, some of which looked pretty damn nice, were canceled, not because they wouldn't have made a profit period, but because developer time and resources would be 'better spent' churning out the same old bullshit.
I'm not going to dis Activision, because if there's any company that can take an old, 'exploitable' franchise and make it feel fresh again (Call of Duty, for example), it's them. It still sucks, though, that kickass, ORIGINAL games like Ghostbusters or Brutal Legend were shitcanned to make room for Guitar Hero: Same Shit New Tracklist Edition or Shitty 'Profitable' Licensed Game #5,102.
Ihavepants @ Nov 7th 2008 12:14AM
"I'm not going to dis Activision, because if there's any company that can take an old, 'exploitable' franchise and make it feel fresh again (Call of Duty, for example)"
Wut? Activision publishes Call Of Duty, Infinity Ward are the creative force behind it.
wiredknight @ Nov 7th 2008 12:18AM
Exploit =/= Profit. Well, maybe to people like him, but for the people behind those "successful" titles he hold is such high regard, that not how it works.
Yes, profit is good and is ultimately necessary for a company to continue making games. But the reason games are successful are because the people making them love doing it.
Its not just about making a quick buck, it's about doing what you enjoy with other people who have a common goal, and sharing it with the community.
The Fatass of Kickassness @ Nov 7th 2008 4:51AM
'Wut? Activision publishes Call Of Duty, Infinity Ward are the creative force behind it.'
Shit, I knew something was wrong when I reread it but I couldn't put my finger on it.
That just makes things more lame.
Noshino @ Nov 7th 2008 9:49AM
"Wut? Activision publishes Call Of Duty, Infinity Ward are the creative force behind it."
Uh, Infinity Ward is owned by Activision...they were bought back in 03...
Blank-Mage @ Nov 8th 2008 2:08AM
I'm upping Negativecools's comment, but only because it's giving me eye strain.
Markez @ Nov 6th 2008 11:15PM
Real shame about Ghost Busters. Shame they're not even willing to upset the apple cart at all in this regard.
I guess the rule now is:
If it cannot be whored out, over and over again after the first game, then 'no thanks'
Bastards.
Parsnipzilla @ Nov 6th 2008 11:16PM
Basically, what he's saying is: We can't do what EA used to do with these titles.
Blazur @ Nov 7th 2008 8:55AM
Exactly. While EA is branching away and coming up with new IPs and gaining more respect, Activision is just following in their footsteps and gaining a reputation for whoring out their games.
Hopefully this business strategy of his backfires in his face.
seifer @ Nov 6th 2008 11:18PM
Bobby Kotick is a douche. Also, he was in charge of 4Kids at one point. So he's a double douche.
Abscissa @ Nov 6th 2008 11:29PM
He even looks like one.
DangerMouse @ Nov 6th 2008 11:36PM
We need Douche Nozzle! STAT!
The Fatass of Kickassness @ Nov 6th 2008 11:38PM
Ugh, 4Kids, fuck that noise. Thank god for Funimation or I wouldn't be able to stand the sight of One Piece.
Abscissa @ Nov 6th 2008 11:27PM
Interesting that Activision is trying to ape the old EA strategy when even EA themselves have finally realized how stupid it was.
JoeTheBlow @ Nov 7th 2008 5:51AM
This!
Just because Activision now own the mega-money generator that is WoW they think they can get away with shit like this.
This is how companies go down, overconfident moronic managers like him going against all normal logic and sterring the company down a one-way street to fucksville.
giantenemycrab @ Nov 6th 2008 11:53PM
I hate that guy.
giantenemycrab @ Nov 6th 2008 11:55PM
and you know what's really sad? Once EA finally starts doing cool stuff is when they start losing money. But this asshole and his company that simply "exploits" titles are swimming in cash.
samfish @ Nov 6th 2008 11:58PM
They'll get what's coming to them for it eventually. That kind of business plan is destined to crash and burn sooner or later.
They can only pump out so many Guitar Hero's or Call of Duty's before people get sick of them and move on to the next new thing. And when that happens, Activision will be screwed since they have no new output.
Abscissa @ Nov 7th 2008 5:18PM
Yup, similar strategies are already running THQ (Licensed-IPs, and more of them!) and Midway (The "M" stands for "Mediocre"!) into the ground, and already killed Vivendi Games (A cross between THQ and Midway).
mabadaba @ Nov 7th 2008 12:04AM
What does ActiBlizzard have to do with Kenny L? I thought he was straight Take2 which last I checked didn't fall under the ActiBlizzard umbrella. What did I miss?
samfish @ Nov 6th 2008 11:56PM
Blech. I don't know how people can bitch about EA when Activision is far worse than EA ever was about this kind of stuff.
eldee @ Nov 6th 2008 11:58PM
being in the games industry i'd have to disagree.. EA was (past tense) the proverbial devil. Lately they're making some bold steps in the right direction though.
I think we can all agree that THQ is probably the worst.. though they don't really make enough money to get any kind of mainstream coverage of their crappy movie-games.
tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 7th 2008 12:20AM
I think this asshole's the first guy to just say fuck it and admit what they're doing. A lot of companies do it, but I can't think of one that just came out and said "yeah we didn't want to make it cause we couldn't find a way to run it into the ground"
zuburi @ Nov 7th 2008 2:40AM
Going to have to agree with eldee. They were really, really awful. Highlights included them paying us to write a strategy guide for one of their games - then not supplying us with copies of the title and charging us full retail for them.
Then there was a certain higher-up who, while talking on a cell phone and thinking I was out of earshot, said something along the lines of "these assholes [gamers] will buy what we tell them to."
This was several years ago, and plenty of said higher-ups went on to other things in unrelated businesses. Believe it or not, they have cleaned up their act a lot.
Haggard @ Nov 7th 2008 2:46AM
It's weird, I love the direction EA is taking (giving the hardcore excellent games, paid for by casual games bought by the masses). But I hate that they've started putting limited installs on their PC games. I can understand (a little) securom, but requiring internet activations is just plain retarded.
So it seems to me EA have taken one step forward, two steps back.
And yeah, fuck this guy.
eldee @ Nov 6th 2008 11:56PM
all in favor of an activision boycott say aye.
fuck activision. blizzard has a tumor that needs to be excised.. blizzard may milk its OWN franchises, but at least there's a level of care and quality that can be respected.
eldee @ Nov 6th 2008 11:59PM
to clarify: boycott activision and support EA! show publishers what we want.. not guitar hero 92! we want new IP's and compelling new franchises!
Joystick Hero @ Nov 7th 2008 12:04AM
Boycotting them is completely unnecessary. If they make a good game, you should buy it.
Now, the vast majority of their titles that look like they will be shit should be passed. That's the message you want to send. "Make GOOD games", not "Stop making games".
&rew @ Nov 7th 2008 12:06AM
I'm all for an Activision boycott, mainly since nothing good is coming, but just to clarify, which do we not want a 92nd Guitar Hero, or Guitar Hero 1992?
eldee @ Nov 7th 2008 12:29AM
don't give them any ideas, they'll do both!
Blank-Mage @ Nov 8th 2008 2:31AM
Guitar Hero 1984 has potential. Your high scores will, of course, be monitored.
Eric @ Nov 7th 2008 12:03AM
This really is everything that is wrong with the industry as a whole, and properly reflects the world's economic strategy when it comes to new technology and ideas. We've gone from products that could entertain us for years to products that entertain us until the next version comes out (and the next and the next and the next). They're literally telling their developers to HOLD BACK so they can put content into a sequel rather than one whole game.
It makes me sick.
Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 7th 2008 12:05AM
50 Cent seems like a highly exploitable franchise.
On a side note, I ranted about this yesterday and it still annoys me to no end
And really? Your in an interview and the first word that comes to your mind is "exploit?" Not capitalize or iterate or develop or polish?
EXPLOIT?!? really? ass.
tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 7th 2008 12:23AM
I think it's because he's finally reached Bush level of douchebaggery, meaning he doesn't even care what he says or does anymore.
Ihavepants @ Nov 7th 2008 12:23AM
Also(paraphrased and emphasis mine):
"Ghostbusters canned to MAKE ROOM FOR shitty 'Profitable' Licensed Game #5,102."
Wut?
Guybrush @ Nov 7th 2008 1:01AM
Actilizzard/Blizzivision/Activision/Whatever this guy is in charge of now... is dead to me. Until they release something awesome and I totally forgive them, but for tonight, they're dead to me.