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Reader Comments (66)

Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:04PM Rob Liv said

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I'm all for working for charity, but it seems Kotick has been desperately trying to prove to people he's not a dick.

Remember, this is the guy who said "games shouldn't be developed for fun" and "we (activision) are just in it for the money".

Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:17PM PR0F3TA said

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@Rob Liv

are those direct quotes, a loose translation or did you pull them out of no where. Link please?
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:18PM sonicspike41 said

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@Rob Liv

He also said devs should work under constant feelings of "skepticism, fear and pessimism".
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:19PM jsx said

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Making video games should be work first and fun second (or maybe third, fourth or last depending on what else you include on the list). Because this guy gets that he's able to make fun games and make money and donate it to our soldiers.

But you go ahead and demonize.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:26PM sonicspike41 said

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@PR0F3TA

"We have a real culture of thrift. The goal that I had in bringing a lot of the packaged goods folks into Activision about 10 years ago was to take all the fun out of making video games."

"I think we definitely have been able to instill the culture, the skepticism and pessimism and fear that you should have in an economy like we are in today. And so, while generally people talk about the recession, we are pretty good at keeping people focused on the deep depression."

"changes he implemented in the past as being particularly beneficial, such as designing the employee incentive program so it "really rewards profit and nothing else." "
http://www.industrygamers.com/news/bobby-koticks-goal-to-take-all-the-fun-out-of-making-video-games/
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6226758.html

"And Tony, you know if it was left to me, I would raise the prices even further."
http://www.vg247.com/2009/08/06/kotick-i-would-raise-game-prices-even-further/
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:40PM PR0F3TA said

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@sonicspike41

well that shut me up.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 4:10PM Antihypocrisy said

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@sonicspike41

Now that you've given sources whose goals are to demonize Kotick to get traffic, here's the flip-side:

http://oneofswords.com/2010/08/bobby-kotick-those-infamous-comments/
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 4:14PM ComedyInK said

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@Rob Liv

It's okay, it's just a cover, he's just using the charity fund to pay for his mega yacht that's being built on the dark side of the moon.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 6:06PM F1shBone said

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@Antihypocrisy Thank you. It least a few people in this world do research.
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Posted: Aug 8th 2011 6:13AM snack said

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@Rob Liv Kotick is the worse kind, he's the perfect example of a Social Sociopath or Social Sociopath Climber. The kind that does charity while shouting it.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:06PM KyGuyTC7 said

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I call ulterior motives!

Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:08PM MowDownJoe said

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@KyGuyTC7 Tax write-offs are usually good ulterior motives.
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Posted: Aug 8th 2011 8:36AM isotrex said

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@KyGuyTC7 @MowDownJoe
Couldn't agree more. :)
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:08PM SpaceFox said

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Never heard of this movie before, looks pretty good. And I hate baseball.

Posted: Aug 7th 2011 4:02PM jph89 said

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@SpaceFox

read the book, its all about the advanced stats in baseball and that you can build a championship caliber team without spending Yankee/Red Sox like money.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:08PM umainebearman said

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Well there 1 reason not to see it right there.

Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:09PM Regularpants said

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Say what you will but IMO doing the right thing for the wrong reasons is still doing the right thing. Good for him.

Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:42PM mcnichoj said

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@Regularpants
Kotick is evil.
Just because he's president of America doesn't make him a good guy, he still punched Superman.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:14PM Slight of Ham said

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Not to trivialize the work the Call of duty Endowment group as i'm sure they're doing fine work, but it just all seems kinda strange. Vets benefitting from a game that portrays the most intense, terryfying moments of their lives in stunning 1080p graphics for others to enjoy. I've played my share of COD and other military FPS's so I certainly am not trying to cast stones at anyone, just sayin' it's kinda surreal.

Posted: Aug 7th 2011 4:27PM Crimsic said

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@Slight of Ham
So veterans shouldn't enjoy Saving Private Ryan or BlackHawk Down either?
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 7:36PM maveric101 said

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@Crimsic

i don't think he's saying they shouldn't, just that it's odd. CoD, Saving Private Ryan, and Blackhawk Down may be fine for some vets, but for others it may activate severe PTSD.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 7:42PM aea0a095 said

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@Slight of Ham

Sorry but I don't get what you mean by stunning 1080P, the cod games don't even render in full 720p, unless you meant on PC.

In a way though, I see this as an offset, like a new smelter factory paying someone $500 to go plant a few trees and calling it even. Kotick can do whatever he wants, but it won't make up for him being a greedy piece of crap that treats his employees like slaves.

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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 8:25PM Slight of Ham said

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@aea0a095...I wasn't trying to accurately guage the resolution of COD, It was meant more as a figure of speech in relation to my previous comment.

As far as Kotick goes, unfortunately, I think he's probably a perfect representation of what corporate culture is nowadays. Arrogant, apathetic, and completely removed from the common concerns of people. This is what makes him successful in the eyes of the shareholders, which is the only thing this egomaniac gives a rat's ass about.

Oh yeah, F#$! Moneyball. I'm an A's fan. We had great pitching. All you had to do was bring in one big bat. Scott Hatteburg can get on base all god-damn day, but it dosn't mean shit if you can't drive him home!
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:18PM (Unverified) said

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Due to Kotick's involvement:
the baseball team has to pay an extra $15 per new venue they play on.

Even venues they've played before in previous seasons.

Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:19PM PR0F3TA said

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so we, as gamers, need an explanation on why a grown ass CEO has to do a movie part because we hate him, his company and his games?... yes, gamers sure a mature bunch. LOL

Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:23PM jsx said

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internet/joystiq commenters != gamers

sales of Activision games support this finding
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:52PM copa said

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@jsx

No, I just need an explanation of why Hollywood's finest makeup and costume artists were set loose on this guy for a major motion picture, and he still looks like a soulless, evil version of Gabe Newell.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 4:21PM Once known as Shadsy said

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@PR0F3TA We need an explanation because Bobby Kotick is almost completely unknown outside gaming circles and somehow landed a cameo in a Brad Pitt movie despite never acting before.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 4:33PM liquidsoap89 said

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@Once known as Shadsy

No, we don't need an explanation. Bobby Kotick can do whatever the hell he wants to, and it shouldn't matter to anybody that doesn't know him. If he wants to go out every night doing lines of coke and getting hammered with 10 prostitutes around him at all times, then so be it. I don't know him, what he does doesn't effect me, so I have no right to look down on him for what he does.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 5:23PM Once known as Shadsy said

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@liquidsoap89 Well no, it's not like we NEED justification... but natural curiosity is impossible to put down.

But I'll pass on investigating him and the prostitutes
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 9:11PM Anticrawl said

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@copa

That sure is implying a lot about Gabe Newell. He just knows when to keep his mouth shut is all. I'd say Newell is a bit worse than Kotick but then again if I bothered to explain it with facts I'd get downvoted to oblivion. Though I'd imagine that will still happen regardless ;)
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:20PM Shadowbender said

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I love seeing the trailer run in theatres (which it does, a lot), and I can't help but make a big production out of myself and laugh.

But it's a good cause. A fullblown conspiracy, but a good cause. (Joking-- for all we know, Bobby may have a shred of heart lying beneath the controversial flesh.)

Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:21PM Cypher FDP said

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I swear to God, I thought that said Monkey Ball.

Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:21PM Yothe said

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Now if I was to kill 5 babies then feed 1 baby would I be a good guy?

Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:37PM An Unnamed Mob said

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@Yothe

Isn't that the truth.

Cut throats to make a billion, and then give away like .1% of it to the "Bobby Loves Kids Foundation", and somehow it's all even-steven?

Those Peace Corps volunteers are SUCKERS, man.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:42PM Regularpants said

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@Yothe To that one baby you would be. Unless you left a chunk out of your question.

Now if I was to kill 5 babies then feed 1 baby (to a lion) would I be a good guy?

In that case you would just be a monster... who works at a zoo.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 4:54PM A Sandwich said

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@Yothe

If that's a Bobby Kotick metaphor it needs a lot of work.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 6:04PM Rather Dashing said

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@Yothe ....I don't like Kotick as much as the next guy, but since when was he killing veterans?
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:48PM Talos Izanagi said

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Kodick can still rot in hell for all I care.

Posted: Aug 7th 2011 3:50PM ShadowXIII said

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So a friend of a friend rubbing elbows "asked" if he could work with him because "we are buddies" instead of based on actual skill (in this case acting).

Sounds like what the job market does in entirety...


...that said...this sounds like this will be a *fantastic* flick............ /ultrasarcasm

Posted: Aug 7th 2011 4:09PM (Unverified) said

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Every super villain has a soft spot. Doesn't mean he's not Bobby Kodick; we know what his true motivation is.

Posted: Aug 7th 2011 4:10PM (Unverified) said

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@(Unverified) Also, lol, he's in the movie talking about money.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 4:21PM ticklefist said

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@(Unverified)
No, he's in a movie talking about building a perennial playoff contender with very little money.

Let's go A's!
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 6:05PM Rather Dashing said

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@(Unverified) Generally speaking, people aren't "supervillains" or "heroes". They're just people. And someone who's slimy and unlikable in the business world can still do something right without having secret evil motives behind it, because people are generally more complex than that.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 4:21PM mguniverse said

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He's doing a good thing, give him a break.

Posted: Aug 7th 2011 4:55PM CaptainProtonX said

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@mguniverse

Not a very compelling argument.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 5:01PM A Sandwich said

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@CaptainProtonX

Not a very compelling counter-argument.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 5:32PM (Unverified) said

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@A Sandwich

not a very compelling counter to the counter-argument.
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Posted: Aug 7th 2011 5:39PM (Unverified) said

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@mguniverse No.
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