Kotick questions continued Activision support of Sony platforms [update]

by JC Fletcher { Jun 19th 2009 at 9:25AM }

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick is starting to believe that there isn't enough incentive to release games on the PlayStation 3 or PSP. Proving how confident he is that fanboys don't have his email address, he told The Times, "I'm getting concerned about Sony; the PlayStation 3 is losing a bit of momentum and they don't make it easy for me to support the platform. It's expensive to develop for the console, and the Wii and the Xbox are just selling better."

Kotick openly called for a price cut on the PS3, citing a probable drop in attach rates. We can only imagine how Sony feels about being told its prices are too high by the CEO of the company behind (according to retailers) the $200 Band Hero box.

When we look at 2010 and 2011," Kotick said, "we might want to consider if we support the console - and the PSP [portable] too." It's worth noting that, according to this Gamasutra report, both Call of Duty 4 and World at War moved fewer copies on PS3 than on Xbox -- but both broke a million on PS3, which would lead us to consider them "hits." Update: Sony comments, after the break.

[Via Gizmodo; thanks, Ted]

A Sony spokesperson told Joystiq: "PlayStation has tremendous momentum coming out of E3, and we are seeing positive growth with more than 350 titles slated to hit across all our platforms, including many anticipated games from our publishing partners. We enjoy healthy business relationships with and greatly value our publishing partners and are working closely with them to deliver the best entertainment experience."

Well, talk about a non-answer.

Tags: activision, bobby-kotick, price-cut

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)

Maverick Saturn @ Jun 19th 2009 9:30AM

Sounds like a rather daft move to me

Lunastra78 (PSN: lunastra78) @ Jun 19th 2009 10:03AM

He's a daft punk.

goldeneyesoldier ( noble prophet of rant and ownage ) @ Jun 19th 2009 10:09AM

The chronicles of Kotick : Assault on Daft Consuma

WINterfang @ Jun 19th 2009 10:09AM

Those guys needs to work Harder and Better.

Matt @ Jun 19th 2009 10:19AM

I think Kotick was trying to make the point that Sony has remained far too arrogant with the pricing of it's console for far too long, and that they need to shave a little cash off the God damned top.

Which I agree with.

BlackDove @ Jun 19th 2009 10:23AM

When I go to hell, that's who I expect will greet me.

benny boy @ Jun 19th 2009 10:23AM

So wanting to make a profit on their console is arrogance?

Tre (formerly known as digitaltre) @ Jun 19th 2009 10:27AM

@Lunastra and WINterfame: Nice ones.

Maybe he should do a bit more homework.

Jack Spicer PSN: watsuke @ Jun 19th 2009 11:13AM

I say let him stop supporting the PS3, let 360 and wii have the 10 guitar heros this year and the 8 next year. Im so sick of that game.

Shagittarius @ Jun 19th 2009 11:22AM

What a douche.

TregGert @ Jun 19th 2009 11:49AM

Especially when you consider that (ASIDE FROM GUITAR HERO) their games actually sell worst on the Wii, since 2008.

And even for the Guitar Hero games (which you have to consider have been in stead decline since Guitar Hero 3), the PS3 is never pathetically far behind. Guitar Hero 4 it was 1.2 mil on the PS3 vs. 1.9 mil on the 360 vs. 2.9 on the Wii. Guitar Hero Metallica it was .2 on the PS3 vs. .3 on the Wii vs. .4 on the 360. There aren't gigantic discrepancies there.

Not to mention if you look at ANY OTHER ACTIVISION GAME the Wii is the worst selling console. World at War sold twice as many copies on the PS3 as the Wii (although the 360 was still king), Tony Hawk games (all released this generation), Spiderman games, etc.

So really, lets look at this for what it is... its another CEO who wants the PS3 to come down in price.

Sony, just make the market happy, pull a Microsoft. Release a PS3 w/out a hard-drive, a wired controller, and without wireless-internet for 200 bucks. Then everybody will be happy. The spin-masters will be able to call your system budget.

Wonderflex @ Jun 19th 2009 11:48AM

I wouldn't mind meeting this guy face to face.

aristokrat @ Jun 19th 2009 11:58AM

@ benny: agreed

Somehow people think it's arrogant to try to break even on your console sales, yet pricing Band Hero at $200 or even publicly announcing the intent to "exploit" franchises is just gravy?

Comet @ Jun 19th 2009 12:28PM

Lunastra78,
Has he been....AROUND THE WORLD?

ohyeahcola @ Jun 19th 2009 12:32PM

CoD:W@W sold ten times better on the ps3 and he's done with it? If he wants Modern Warfare 2 to sell more than GTA 4 in the 1st day he better stop pissing people off with this and the Hero shit

Fargus @ Jun 19th 2009 12:42PM

@ohyeahcola

Are you just throwing out random sales figures? 10 times better on PS3?!?!?! It didn't even outsell the 360 version! Here are the actual #'s,
World at War PS3: 1.79 million (USA) 3.3 million (worldwide)
World at War 360: 3.95 million (USA) 5.57 million (worldwide)

these are from vgchartz.com

ohyeahcola @ Jun 19th 2009 1:21PM

@Fargus

i meant better than the wii

Mal F4cti0n @ Jun 19th 2009 4:55PM

Benny, et all,

It's not arrogance fo Sony to want to make a profit. It is arrogance to say, when people question how expensive your console will be, that "this is a playstation. People will get another job so they can afford one."

If you just tuned into the console wars a year ago, you would have missed that little gem.

wayneulmer @ Jun 19th 2009 5:14PM

You know, I don't know what all the hate is for, I mean the guy is a HUMAN AFTERALL.

dgknight500 @ Jun 21st 2009 9:49PM

@Blind Lo: I can name 2 - Uncharted and God of War... Better start on that bombing asap!

seanhawkins09 @ Sep 18th 2009 1:22PM

@wonderflex gotta agree blood and gore FTW

Jack_Jackington @ Jun 19th 2009 9:31AM

Screw you and the company you work for

Jerk Face @ Jun 19th 2009 10:06AM

Seriously, he's such a corporate d-bag; and Activision is the worst of the worst right now.

Jack_Jackington @ Jun 19th 2009 10:13AM

more of Activision's IPs need to go to EA

Kinsey @ Jun 19th 2009 10:46AM

Kotick waking up in the morning: "How can I sound more like a douche bag today?"

Nineteen88 @ Jun 19th 2009 11:37AM

I was thinking WTF?! .. this is totally unheard of!

How dare he interfere with what another company does?

Huh? Huh?!

Sony's first party titles are selling MORE THAN FINE imo, and other than CoD & the overly expensive Guitar Hero, Activision's offerings pale in comparison to what Sony offers.

What an awful thing to say from a CEO of a big company, PS3 offers more value than X360 & Wii combined!

People please be reasonable, this is not a fanboyish comment, look at what the PS3 offers & what it does..

The PS3 might be expensive, but it's worth every damn penny.

If Activision doesn't want to support the PS3, to hell with them.

I know other third party studios who would love to work with Sony and form good relationships with them.

I know Activision won't get my money anytime soon.

Modern Warfare 2 is a different story, it stands on its own merits.

Seriously I'm very disappointed & I feel disgusted by what he said.

I demand an apology, & I know that I speak for others as well when I ask for that.

TheLionOfAzzalle @ Jun 19th 2009 11:59AM

"I demand an apology"

LMAO!

Really? That's absolutely hilarious. What's even more ridiculous is how some of yall think you're tough bad guys who want to beat him up in real life.

Just pathetic. It's not his fault that the ps3 is so much FAIL.

TwEE @ Jun 19th 2009 11:59AM

Nineteen88, that was pretty funny..

Nineteen88 @ Jun 19th 2009 12:19PM

@TheLionOfAzzalle, Hey.. I think your comments are more of a FAIL than the PS3, because you know what?

I know that 99.9% of your comments get DOWNVOTED, so STFU & don't act like an annoying bitch.

Duke @ Jun 19th 2009 1:10PM

"What an awful thing to say from a CEO of a big company, PS3 offers more value than X360 & Wii combined!"

Though what the guy is saying is dumb and worthy of criticism, I have to wonder what makes you say that above. Why does one console with less sales offer more value to him that the two consoles with higher sales combined? That just doesn't make any sense to me. To a company it's just numbers that matter. Also, I don't think the guy owes you an apology. He didn't say anything to you. He made a jackass business comment that wasn't directed towards any end users.

Hashbrown Hunter (OneGiantCluster.blogspot.com) @ Jun 19th 2009 1:47PM

So there is finally enough proof.

Kotick is the most powerful and douchebaggiest troll IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.

Blind Io @ Jun 19th 2009 1:48PM

@Nineteen88

"How dare he interfere with what another company does?"
More Sony sales = More Activision sales. And since they have contracts and do business with one another they do have a say. Same as if you held stock in Sony.

"Sony's first party titles are selling MORE THAN FINE imo, and other than CoD & the overly expensive Guitar Hero, Activision's offerings pale in comparison to what Sony offers."
Your opinion sucks. Activision is one of, if the not the, highest grossing game developer atm. Not having their games would hurt Sony pretty bad. And Guitar Hero is not overly expensive. It only costs $60, same as any other game. The bundle is just there to offer a discount to those who want the new controllers but here's the kicker....you don't have to buy it like that.

"PS3 offers more value than X360 & Wii combined!"
Graphics are a little better than the 360 and it comes with a blu ray player. Doesn't speak much for the games. There aren't many games for the PS3 that I'd care to play that I can't get on my PC (where they'll look even better and can play blu rays). Plus any game that I buy where it'd be better with a controller over a keyboard (racing games for instance) I can use a 360 controller.

As for you being disgusted and in need of an apology....go fuck yourself

JXCgunrunna @ Jun 19th 2009 1:55PM

It doesnt matter what the "value" of the PS3 is. If no one buys it, it doesnt matter. if it doesnt make sony money, it doesnt matter. Betamax was a better format. if it doesnt sell, who cares. what about the dreamcast? didnt sell and now sega does games only. the GCN had better hardware than the PS2 and the N64 was more powerful than the Playstation. Bush is a dumbshit and Kerry would have been a better prez. its what the people want, not what is better.

Jack Spicer PSN: watsuke @ Jun 19th 2009 3:05PM

@Blind lo

There isnt a single game for the 360 that i am interested in that isn't on PC. They also look better on PC, play better on PC, and i can use a PS3 controller on my PC to play them.

Try using logic on your next post.

ohyeahcola @ Jun 20th 2009 2:11PM

@Blind Io

They're the highest grossing game dev because World of Warcraft

Blind Io @ Jun 21st 2009 3:24AM

@Jack Spicer
You're not really disproving or disagreeing with my "logic". The fact that you can use a PS3 controller on a pc is null when you look at the facts. When it comes to games that are better on a console having to drop $200 at most (i bought my xbox brand new for $130) is better than $400 for a PS3 for those same games. If you can name me one game worth an extra $460+tax that I can't get on the PC or Xbox 360 I'll blow an army of VD patients.

@Ohyeahcola
They're the largest developer because of the:
Guitar Hero series
Call of Duty series
Tony Hawk franchise
Spider-Man series
Spyro the Dragon series
Warcraft, Diablo and Starcraft licenses from mid-2008

So regardless of which studio they own that made that money they still made the most money last year out of any publisher.

CEEarl @ Jun 19th 2009 11:10AM

Let's slap that punk up with his crappy guitar!

MystileArmor @ Jun 19th 2009 9:33AM

How hard can it be developing the same game over and over and over again? You'd figure by now they got an automated process cramming out new Guitar Hero games like a Toyota factory.

Ehm.. new guitar hero... lets see *inputs GH + Bandname + lets add 4 drumkits to this one + list of music we want in the game" *bleep bleep*
*pushes big red button*

Ok Bob, we got a new Guitar Hero coming out!!

Str84rumBk @ Jun 19th 2009 9:38AM

i agree i think all these GH games are the same thing. all they do is change the tracks touch it up abit then add more drums.

The Baron @ Jun 19th 2009 9:41AM

It pisses me off that Acti think they have the right to charge so much for the bundles but the guitar they put out for GH:Metallica was a re-release of the same ultra-unreliable one from GH:WT

MystileArmor @ Jun 19th 2009 9:48AM

There's gotta be something to it. I mean, even if they sell less on the PS3, they still sell good enough, don't they? So if they make profit on it, even if it's less then on the Xbox 360, it's still worth it, isn't it?

Maybe he's just really really lazy and doesn't want to do his paperwork for 2 releases?

*Goddammit, I gotta fill in this report for sales on the 360 AND then another report for the PS3!! Well fuck this..*

Str84rumBk @ Jun 19th 2009 9:58AM

i got it!!!
this is another way of Activision BSing
he probably really means "were giving up on the PS3 because microshit threw alot of money in our face, and were in the middle of compromising to keep our games exclusive to 360 and Wii, since thats where we get most of our sales."

really if sony wanted to make a first party cod type game they could so who needs cod waw or mw2? also we still have rock band so why do we "need" that sh*ty game GH. And the Activision CEO is a F8&king Douche Bag.

Str84rumBk (PSN) @ Jun 19th 2009 10:21AM

wtf why did i get downvoted? not that i care. im just wondering

MystileArmor @ Jun 19th 2009 10:56AM

Cause your comment didn't make any sense.

iiijeremy @ Jun 19th 2009 11:19AM

He's referring to return on investment, Mystile. If it costs the same to develop a game for the PS3 as it does the 360, a point that at best is debatable, and that game sells far better on the 360, a point that NPD numbers would easily validate, then maybe you start to question if you couldn't put the money that you spent in development for the PS3 game to better use.

If you look at the NPD numbers over the last two years as it relates to games released on both systems, you have to wonder why this is the first time we've heard a developer or publisher make that statement, as I think it's safe to assume that they've all been thinking it for quite some time.

Scott @ Jun 19th 2009 11:38AM

He's trying to threaten Sony to reduce their price. Kotick is extremely gung-ho about having console makers cut their profits, so that he can charge $200 and increase his. He's picking on Sony because they're the priciest. You can bet if Sony lowered its price below the 360 price point, he'd be threatening Microsoft in a heartbeat.

TregGert @ Jun 19th 2009 11:50AM

iiijeremy:

I get your point, except in this economic climate, if the PS3 version is turning a profit you stick with that.

Its another story if they are losing money on these games, which I refuse to believe btw, anything with Call of Duty sells MILLIONS of copies regardless of its system, although mind you their games sell worst on the Wii unless its GH, and there haven't been significant changes to GH's engine since GH3.

But if you have something, and its turning a profit, you don't stop it to risk that money on something else. Thats just bad business (and Id argue one of the reasons we are currently in our recession).