Rock on sony – A Response to Activision's Threat

NextGN writes: "In recent news Activision´s big cheese, Bobby Kotick, threatened Sony with discontinuing the support for all their system because he believed that the PlayStation 3 was far too expensive. So, Mr. Activision. If you do decide to pack your bags and leave let me remind you that you are doing damage to yourself. You will be shunning an entire community of hardcore gamers and media/tech buffs.

[PeterPanParadox]

"I know money is wonderful, but sometimes you got to spend it to make it." Pretty much sums it up. I have high hopes for Sony.

[Lfmesquite]

If they dropped price today, they're only a year late. It's a little embarrassing to be a Playstation fan right now. Even third party developers have to resort to this, they know what's good for PS3 more than Sony does.

[coolcole93]

made me laugh because he is so ridiculously pathetic :)

[Boody-Bandit]

from members of N4G but that has to be without question one of the dumbest comments I have seen here yet.

Lfmesquite go back to sleep you obviously need rest.

[nbsmatambo]

idk y activision is btching, its not like they r loosing money...in fact they r making money cuz of the SONY systems....if anything WE the customers should b btching cuz a game cost $60 fcking dollrs.....

y dont they threaten the 360 to reduce price as well, mayb even the Wii??!! cuz according to them "lower price = higher sales?!?" right...

wtf activision..... just wtf

oh nd wat really does activision have that we want....COD, GH....really..... we could just play gems like: KZ2/BF: BC 2 nd Rockband..

[Lifendz]

to be the type of person that actually thinks a "Playstation fan" should be embarrassed. I hope you get all the plastic instrument games you can handle while us playstation fans get to enjoy Sony's exclusive games which torch anything any multiplat game.

[BWS1982]

what they said for Sony's benefit or because they're concerned for the well-being of Sony...Activision knows what's best for PS3 when Sony doesn't? No, they know what's best for their own pockets...you can tell Kotick is in this for the revenue, and nothing more.

[BWS1982]

because apparently it's not clear: Kotick doesn't give a crap about Sony, he cares about his own company and nothing more. He does NOT know what's "best for Sony" nor does he care what's best for Sony, otherwise he'd show more respect for them. On top of that, he's bluffing or he's really that stupid.

[Megatron08]

Wow what an idoit fanboy this writer was. I think the only thing he got right was the words sony and playstation.

1st off show me where MS ever said the ps3 was dying.

2nd GTA4 wasnt announced last year at E3 in fact it was release in april of 08 months before E3 was being held.

3rd GTA was never an ps exclusive in fact it was released 1st for windows a MS system. Its been on windows, ps, 1st xbox , dreamcast and gameboy.

4th Metal Gear was never an exclusive its been on the nes , gamecube, ps and the 1st xbox.

5th MG was a nintendo game that sony spent a ton of money on to steal it from nintendo.

6th MG wasnt MS big announcement Halo reach and Natal was and to a lesser degree crackdown 2

[trancefreak]

Lfmesquite you quit on your team when the going gets tough? You a switch hitter?

Are you that girl who picks the team that wins and is never one too claim your own. Very sad.

[JL]

Just one thing: the article said that the big thing was MS announcing DLC for GTA, not the actual game. So he was right. Though I do disagree 'cause I think MS biggest announcement last year was a stolen exclusive called FF XIII. And I have to disagree with you too that MGS wasn't their biggest announcement this year. Well ok I guess Natal contends with it, but let's stick to GAME announcements here. And Halo Reach sure as sh*t didn't contend with the MGS announcement.

I also do find it funny seeing the sways from day to day. One day it's "Oh yea, look we stole MGS from ya'll. Or stole GTA or FF or whatever", then the next day the argument works better in their favor when they start claiming "Well it was never really exclusive, past games of the franchise have been on such and such system, etc" (Not to say that you've ever said such things and flipflopped like that Megatron, but i know there are those that do--on both sides)

[TheRealSpy]

"Sony's exclusive games which torch anything any multiplat game."

I guess that explains why when i bought killzone 2 and rented halo wars i immediately knew i made a huge mistake. also explains why when i bought infamous then rented prototype i was once again proven completely wrong. I guess that explains why i bought the system for MGS which turned out to be little more than a 20 hour, repetitive movie.

It's funny how N4G is plagued with ps3 fanboys like you; but when you look at the market, you realize if their games were so great, they'd have more support. also, if these games were the best there was to offer, you all wouldn't spend hours trolling the 360 articles on n4g just to trash anyone who expresses either an anti-ps3 or a neutral opinion...you'd be PLAYING THEM.

you guys are a joke. and the only reason why you have dominance on this site is because all the real gamers have simply reached their limit with listening to irate, opinion-based "facts."

Why is activision willing to leave sony?
it's because time and time again 3rd party titles have looked and played and loaded faster on 360. it's because 360 exclusives sell much better than ps3 exclusives.
it's because you can find tons of articles (except on n4g) that disprove all these fact-less claims that you people make about these games being so technically advanced.
it's because production costs for ps3 are much higher and development takes longer.

you are all living in a fantasy land. like gaming is god and you've chosen sony as your religion. no matter how many real details, facts, comparisons, and professional analysis you all see that disprove your views, you still run your mouths about your lord and savior, the ps3.

and since you're obviously a sony warshipper, Lifendz, i know nobody else has called you out on this; but it's pretty apparent that those 15 "Trackers" you have are actually your other accounts so you can feed yourself bubbles.

in closing (to the ps3 fanboys), i'd just like to thank you, on behalf of all real gamers addressing the n4g community of ps3 fanboys, for your attempts to destroy any traces of dignity that were left in console gaming. gaming used to be fun, and you have, in a single generation, reduced whatever was left of that enjoyment to desperation on our part to cling to what made gaming great. thank you for alienating us in our own community. thank you for making it okay to ignore reality in favor of baseless accusations and opinions. thank you for turning the video game industry into just another warzone in entertainment. and thank you for taking it so seriously that you've actually turned it into a faith.
when it comes to console gaming, the hardcore, are slowly becoming atheists.

[jessehaysfl]

goodbye actiblizz, enjoy selling your 120 dollar guitars and skateboards because those are not overpriced at all...

[Syronicus]

I have read some pretty stupid posts here on N4G before but I have to admit, this one takes the cookie... No wait, it takes the entire cookie jar. Please, Activision is doing this as a bluff. It has been done before by other companies and failed for them yet they are still developing/publishing for Sony consoles. It would be devastating for Activision to give up on the 50 million PSP owners, 20 million PS3 owners and 150 million PS2 owners. Sorry, but common sense would tell you this is just a silly corporate bluff and comes with no substance whatsoever.

[Raz]

I did a little Google research, and here's my conclusion about the Microsoft/Sony/Nintendo soap opera:

M: “Expect to see a price drop for the Sony PlayStation 3 within the next couple of months, we’re frankly surprised it’s taken this long. By the way, we beat their sales in March. ..And screw Blu-Ray! We're not using it. Sony is out of touch, and once Halo 3 comes out; we're going to win this console war."

N: "Yeah, but you and Sony have goofy controllers. You're just catching up with motion control, and we're real flattered you're imitating us, but you can't possibly hope to compete."

S: "I'll have you both know that we are the official leadership of this industry! And we're way cooler than you."

M: "Please. You're hemorrhaging at retail all over the US."

S: "Oh really? Our first-party development is as big as yours and Nintendo's combined. You don't have the longevity to compete with us. Your insecurity is showing; why else would you write so many checks? Heck, *our* web browser surfs faster than Explorer 7!"

M: "Yeah? Bring it on. We'll take you in the next generation; hell, we'll take you at Christmas. Your PS2 owners already upgrade to a 360."

S: "Oops, sorry, did we just surpass your sales in the UK? Gee, I guess we did. And thanks for putting out the Elite - you just legitimized our strategy. We think every gamer should have an 'elite' experience. Kudos for finally catching up."

M: "How's Home doing these days? Still in beta, is it? I guess you underestimated how much work that was going to be, huh? Is the real world a little more challenging than you expected?"

N: "You know, it's almost a little sad that Super Mario is kicking both your butts. A plumber, for gosh sakes! I guess you both underestimated the casual market, eh?"

S: "Whatever. At least we sell gamers a complete package. We aren't in the business of peddling add-ons. And Microsoft - how can you hope to last? You've already leveraged all your big assets."

M: "..Look. Let's not argue. You did well at your last press conference, EA likes your motion control more than ours, and...well..we want Blu-Ray. We'll introduce a premium SKU to cover the extra cost of the player, or something - and of course, we could come to some kind of arrangement for the use of the technology..?"

S: "We'll think about it."

[edgeofblade]

So, to paraphrase the article, "Do you want the Money, or the Mob!"

Do you want to keep on making game for the PS3, or do you want to fall victim to the mob mentality that will tear you apart for saying anything negative about their darling?

@Raz:

I think it's quite a disservice to paint 360 as needing Blu-ray... or even wanting it for that matter. In fact, it's clear that PS3 needs Blu-ray more than 360 does. Lucky it already has it.

[xwabbit]

The real spy (delusional kid with how many accounts?) *clicks ignor*

I just had to read half of hes comment to know how much help he rlly needs

[Raz]

Microsoft was in talks with Sony about adding Blu-Ray as far back as March 2008. Go check the Financial Times archives, or Google "Microsoft says Sony" - it's the first hit.

My little re-enactment was nothing more than a sequential dramatization of the headlines resulting from that search, relating to what each game company was saying about the others in their press releases. I didn't just make it up.

[Jamie Foxx]

bobby really brought down activisions image, apart from COD i cant really say i like any of their other games

[Lifendz]

Maybe it's corporate greed by him knowing more of his games would sell if SOny's system was cheaper. But to damage relations with a company that accounts for 40% of your revenue is just insane to me.

[Serg]

Exactly, I seriously doubt they will drop Sony and turn off a lot of investors in the process due to controversial business decisions. The damage is done. It is somewhat common practice to negotiate certain deals on royalty fees and the like, from now on I seriously doubt Sony will even listen if Activision comes crawling back with a crate full of plastic gimmicks.

[MazzingerZ]

Not just the image...the stock value should also have gone down...really stupid words for a man in his position.

[trancefreak]

Totally agree Jamie these are the type of business discussions that take place behind closed doors. Dont get it really unless the man has god hand ego.

[xabmol]

"Game development is a form of art – it should be done for passion and not for the quick buck."

Too bad corporations will always opt for the latter in order to please their investors.

Money, MONEY, Mad MoNeY!! That's what it's all about!!

Good thing there are still a few Devs out there giving us new and innovative games. Thank you Team ICO, Tim Schafer, Quantic Dream, and all other Devs willing to push the gaming medium forward. <3

[IndigoProductions]

Couldn´t agree more with that comment. This article hit dead center of the nail.

[pippoppow]

Ever since MS has been in the video game market things have changed for the worse. Now it's about sales not quality, hardware and/or software. Playing multiplayer games should be more of a privilage and not a right, having to pay to play. buying exclusive DLC for multiplatform titles, leaving out other fans of the games. MS is crealy and blatantly in it just for the money. They rush out a faulty system without still to this day properly fixing the hardware. They throw money around for flashy conferences with little substance. Look, I'll give credit that they helped push console online gaming to where it's at but everything else they bought to the table could be discarded. There was a time I thought it would be cool if someone came out with a console that can play PC games which is what the 360 sorta does. Not all PC games but a bunch. I bought an origional Xbox system to support a new player in the games arena but ended up selling it due to lack of games I wanted to play (twice). Maybe it just comes down to preference but it just seems like Sony has the games I really want to play. I think it's the freedom they give to their Devs that helps generate that special ingrediant they put in their games that caters to my likings. Sure there are 3rd party Devs that deliver as well but they are few. Activison has 2 prized IPs and now are complaining about not making enough off of the Sony brand? Something is fishy especially considering how much money is made off of Sony platforms. Maybe Activision should team up with MS so they can keep coming out with the same ol' money grabbing games together in perfect money hungry harmony. A match made in pergatory. A shame their shared tactics of just pumping out non origional IPs works on the masses so well but for how long? Creative freedom brings about that passion that brings about those games which have an amazing gaming experience that gamers crave for. EA saw the errors of their ways, when will MS and Activision see theirs.

[DaTruth]

Personally, I prefer my games to sell a lot than to be fun! What good is a fun game? Than I can't beat fans of the opposing system, over the head with sales numbers!
/sarc

Sarcasm aside; I have been saying this for awhile. The money culture is ruining everything. There would be no painters, if it were all about the money!(starving artists)

[Serg]

Couldn't agree more with you guys, bubbles for all of you.

What is it about fusions that converts them to money hungry bastards? Seriously, look at Square Enix, since the merger they keep "westernize" stuff, sticking their nose where they don't belong (Supreme Commander 2 with Square Enix? Really?). They also keep releasing mediocre games hoping their name will help earn the big cash. Now Activision, I used to love Activision. Since they merged with Vivendi they became the gimmick king. Plastic guitar, plastic DJ set, plastic skateboard.

Next up: Call of Duty Hero with plastic gun bundle! And war songs for 2 player coop featuring plastic guitar.

And now this, threatening the biggest console manufacturer (Yes 360 fans Sony is the biggest, they have 3 platforms lined up remember?) to drop their lead platform? This not only isn't professional, it is disrespectful to a company they owe a big piece of their success to. They want Sony do drop the price so they can sell more of their 150$ gimmicks.

[Boody-Bandit]

excellent comments from Xabmol on down.
+bubbles to all of you.
pippow I wish I could give you multiple bubbles because even though I have gamed a lot on the XBox and 360, I couldn't agree more with your assessment of MS since they have entered the gaming industry.

[GrandTheftZamboni]

@Serg

Funny you mention Vivendi. Weren't they a firm supporter of HD-DVD in hi-def format war recently. Ha ha. They must still feel butt-hurt.

[baodeus]

Anyone in business major here? I don't know how cutting out potential customer would be a good idea busines wise. Unless they don't make money from PS3, cutting Sony out make no sense at all.

[JL]

@baodeus

Agreed. I've been screaming this and trying to illustrate this point from the start. And they do make a profit off PS3 and other playstation products. A Huge amount of money. There is no way in the world they would cut Sony loose. If he did, Kotick's head would be on a stake in a matter of days. The board and the stockholders would have NO part of something like that. It never makes sense to get rid of a source of income, just because you wish that source was making even more profit than it already it. You don't discard profit.

[xabmol]

Bubs back at you Serg & Brutallyhonest.

:D

[edgeofblade]

Money is what makes this industry go around.

Think of Shadow of the Colossus. Amazing artistic game... but sold a fraction of the blockbuster franchises.

I'm not going to say whether one is better than another because there are a large variety of opinions that matter on that front. But this industry can't survive without a focus on making money.

[edgeofblade]

@baodeus:

Biz major (M.S.) here.

You would cut out a company like this if the cost of development outweighs the revenue you receive. That is, if you are losing money on PS3 development and would have MORE money had you not dealt with that company.

For the same reason, why don't people develop for Linux or Mac? Because they probably won't make their investment back.

[Droid Control]

before long, the PS3rd will end up dreamcasted...

[GEESE]

O_0

[godmoney]

Like that will happen...

[TheHater]

So you are telling me that both EA and Ubisoft will leave the PS3? If I am not mistaking, wasn't the PS3 both EA and ubisoft biggest profit income last year?

[Shane Kim]

Yeah Driod Control, especially when the Ps3 is the bigger money maker for both Ubi and EA.

[user3915800]

What do we expect from awkward hardware and a media blu ray crap? Yes, expect everything to be expensive and resources Off the roof, for garbage that its worst than the competition. Wait but my floating points are higher than everyone elses, lol............... What do you mean with the games are crap, no way, look we are sony. Fanbase I'm here to tell you once again that even the third party its willing to leave an obsolete hardware for a good reason, just open up your minds and you too could Jump In.

[blackbeld]

EA, UBI, Who cares!!!!!!

Plastation making new exclusive and better games!!!!

Xbox are only playing THE LEFT OVERS from SONY!!!!!!

X(Dreaming on)box..... Pathetic RROD old hardware can not be compared with Playstation 3 ... the true next gen will stay for 10 years...

I bet EA, UBI will cry a lot.... 3 years later from now!!!!

[N4g_null]

Man the fall out in here is crazy! I know you guys are pi$$ed at activision being like this but you all supported their games and made them think they had this type of power. I mean you bought all of their over hyped games and even rock band and the many versions. Of course they want the price lowered because RB and GH and the new skate controller are expensive.

Acti is funny though. They could only pull this off if they quit sony and show a major jump in profit or major drop in operating cost. Also maybe they are running out of funds for staying in the arms race in tech or coding? The next gen stuff is starting to coming into the picture also. Another thing is the stuff that every one is a buzz about are chips that get multicore gaming right. To invest any more time in the cell would be a waste when way better platforms are gearing up. I believe most publisher are thinking it is going to cost an average of 60 million in the next gen per game. This is what I believe they are getting ready for. It take about a year or two to truly get ready.

It really is though times right now for some of the bigger companies and they have to limit their risk yet they can not just stop operating. It's a good bluff I'll admit but look at this.

Snap shot of Profits-

Nintendo $ 2,776,348,044
Bandai Namco $ 117,683,597
Konami $ 108,173,409
Ubisoft $ 98,003,536
Take 2 $ 84,600,000
Capcom $ 80,209,877
Activision Bliz. $ 68,015,000

WOW look who is above them! We knew nintendo would be there but damn! Ubi!At this rate Actvision has a choice to make. They can do 3 totally new HD games for one system or 1 exclusive and one game that is a port to both. Now blu ray media cost more than the xbox disk also last time I looked.

The problem with the ports are that they are to the same type of gamer that in most cases owns both systems. This is what people are starting to feel like is the norm for the HD hardcore. So in away they will not be loosing that gamer if they quit one platform.

Now imagine next gen gaming they would only get one game out with that type of revenue. If you notice konami only supports one system, namco also and they are focused. Konami is going to make pure profit off their metal gear port to the xbox also, we all know it is already paid for. If it doesn't sell then it would only hurt MS.

We all know actvision doesn't really have the quality to really compete with the big dogs a lot of times and they need to find away to slow the bleeding. Id may have some thing to do with this also but id went with another publisher!

Square did this in their own way also. Things are looking like the 3rd parties are about to gang up on sony to get some perks. Yet we all know sony doesn't have the money to do some of these things.

If 3rd parties do leave It could make sony a better game company because they would have to learn how to make 18 million sellers and games for more people than current PS fans. This would be a good thing because many people don't hate sony they are just indifferent and just don't care.

What is sad is I think this guys said this for the investors because the gamers would not be that happy. Yet EA did the same to the dreamcast and tell me how many Sega fans are still mad at EA? I think activision sees that also. Maybe they think the are as big as EA right now?

By the way this is what EA made
Electronic Arts $ - 1,088,000,000

Yep they are in the hole. So yeah they are bigger than EA right now. EA is a port factory right now. Most people making money are not making ports and if they do they are not AAA ports that are expensive.

The model of making content once and they making 2 times the money because of the two HD console is broken because you have to do thing differently to get the same results. If the PS3 had beat the xbox by now we would not be seeing this and maybe the xbox would be threatened.

[BYE]

Activision is worse than EA used to be 4-5 years ago.

[godmoney]

Brutal Legend would have never seen the light of day...

[YogiBear]

Activision is kind of like their newest game Prototype. Overrated.

[xabmol]

Sick burn.

[godmoney]

I really want to try it

[jmare]

Prototype's ok, depending on what you like. If you need a game to be gory just to enjoy it, then you will like it. If you need a game to have a good story, you probably won't like it. The platforming and free running parts are all done for you by the game you just hold down a button and the game automatically takes over. It's kind of fun, but not enough to play again after you've beaten it. But it all comes down to what you want from a game.

EDIT: No, it's worse than AC. The "climbing" is you hold a button and you just run up the side of very boxy buildings. At least AC let you climb stuff.

[xabmol]

"The platforming and free running parts are all done for you by the game you just hold down a button and the game automatically takes over."

They went all AssCreed with the platforming?! Now I don't even want to rent Proto...

[YogiBear]

It's not horrible, it's just that there is a sense of been there done that throughout the game. My recommendation is definitely rent first.

@xabmol: Thanks for the compliment and the video. Bubble for ya.

[xabmol]

That was a sweet burn, Dude.

[Jazz4108]

What a retarded comment, Activision did not make Prtotype, all they did was pay to publish it. So dont be knocking the little guy who made a fantastic game.

[YogiBear]

Hey there name is on it. They put money into it and they promoted it. That is called guilt by association in my book. I have played much worse games but Prototype is not the end all be all of super hero games. Don't get your feelings hurt because someone criticizes a game you like especially that one because it's going to have some critics I'm afraid.

[edgeofblade]

There's no real "free-running" in prototype. You can freely run straight up the side of a building with no regard for the laws of physics. Comapring this to Infamous, Crackdown, Mirror's Edge would be a mistake.

[Athlon]

It's funny that he threatens to stop supporting Sony AFTER Modern Warfare 2 comes out. LoL Even he can't ignore the fact that he'll lose money if he cuts Sony off now.

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

You don't cut off a game while it is in development and nearing completion. You cut off games that haven't started development, but planned. You will start to see this 1-2 years from now if it were to happen, which is unlikely to happen anyhow.

If it were to happen, he would probably start cutting new IPs. However, does Activision have any new ip?

Kotick is just voicing his view....

[JD_Shadow]

Stop making excuses for them. You know all anyone would have to do is to cancel the game for that system (THQ did it with Destroy All Humans. TWICE!). Activision doesn't HAVE to let anyone finish a PS3 version of ANYTHING. In fact, they could cancel MW2 PS3 TODAY, RIGHT NOW if they really wanted to. No one's saying they can't.

So yeah, your comment holds no water, and is only to make an excuse for them.

[JL]

I don't think he was making excuses there Dark. He merely said that what Kotick most likely meant by cutting Sony off meant for future titles. Being as how Kotick did say "we might have to cut Sony off sometime down the road" (paraphrasing there of course). Of course I wouldn't expect the guy to cut off a game mid-production (more like near the end of it) because he's not making enough profit. He'd go ahead and cash it what he has to get that final money from the platform then just not start anything else for it, or at the very most cut off those games that are only in early stages.

[GEESE]

Activision do produce some great titles, but in reality they are NEVER going to drop a console from their development of games.

I'll probably buy Modern Warfare 2

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

deleted.... n4g really need to fix the comment system. I frequently post on the wrong person even though I clicked the correct reply link....

[Theonik]

I've been having the same problem with agrees/disagrees(mostly agrees)

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

yeah, agree/disagrees as well...

[MriownBOTH]

of course you will

mw2 > killzone ps3 need this

[Lfmesquite]

I hope they do drop the PS3, and more developers follow. Sony needs some extra motivation because they simply will not drop the price. Hell, 2009 has almost passed and PS3 still hasn't budged.

Third party developers know what's good for PS3 more than Sony does. It's pretty embarrassing.

[STK026]

yeah, 3rd party sure know what's good for the PS3, game accessories priced at about 200$, no compatibility between GH3 and RB's guitars, 1 CoD per year but all based on the same technology and gameplay, 3-5 GH titles a year, yup, they sure know...

Also, I find it funny that he threatened to drop PSP support aswell, my question is, what support? Activision is probably one of the worse publishers when it comes to the PSP, why the hell is he expecting huge sales on this system?

[silvacrest]

1. activision have more to lose then sony if they drop support, this is just an empty threat

2. we are only half way through the year and sony has plenty of time to drop the price, their not stupid, they are waiting for the right moment

3. third parties are only looking out for themselfs, cheaper PS3=more people able to by activisions games, but lets just forget sony is not ready to do this

[jmare]

How stupid would it be to announce a price cut in summer? Summer is the slowest time of year for console purchases, so the impact would be minimal. Also, how much do you think the PS3 should drop it's price? $100? $200? $300? Sony has to limit their losses so they don't go out of business.

For example, suppose you make a product and it costs $5 to make. But in order to get it to sell, you sell it for $4. To make up that money, other companies sell products that you receive $1.50 for each one sold. That allows you to make up the lost production cost and make a little profit. Now suppose you sell it for $3 because people complain that $4 is too expensive, even though it costs you $5 to make. At $3 you will continue to lose money and eventually you will go out of business. Yes, I know that is an extremely simplified example.

If Sony drops the prcie of the PS3 this year, it will most likely be announced at TGS which is in October, if I'm not mistaken. Announcing a price cut right before the busiest time of year for console sales is a much better idea than dropping the price in summer. First of all, Sony will get the money from the sales at the $399 price until they drop it and if they do drop it right before Christmas, it will increase interest and increase likely sales.

Also, I do think that the price should come down, but I am not so arrogant to think that I know better how to run a billion dollar international corporation than the people that do. Also, Sony has already proven that they will drop the price when they are damn good and ready and no amount of b1tching or threats is going to make it happen any faster.

[DaTruth]

Microsoft is the only one who would gain from this move. They would have many more exclusives, which I guess would be a loss for Sony! That being said, It actually really is a big threat!

COD7 360 exclusive!!!

Please don't de-bubble me, I only own a PS3!

[evrfighter]

"Please don't de-bubble me, I only own a PS3! "

You really care about bubbles and disagrees that much? to the point where your practically begging?...

[ZOMBIEMAN1]

ate you a) stupid b) retarded c) can't use your brain to think before you speak or d) all of the above , correct answer is d) all of the above . you don't understand Sony can't drop the price whenever they want or whenever ppl want they need to see when it's a perfect time to drop the price and Activision won't drop Sony they can't if we look at sales PS3 versions of Activision's games have sold very well they only want Sony to drop the price so Activision can sell there overpriced bundle game DJ Hero common E3 they show DJ Hero and now they want a PS3 price cut hello is anybody else seeing this is what Activision wants they want more ppl to pay over a $100 for a piece of plastic with a game really there not dropping PS3 nor Sony it's business suicide DJ Hero is there only reason for these empty threats EA isn't saying they're dropping PS3 if there's no price cut neither is capcom , Tecmo , Squere Enix or Rockstar and all of the companys i mention are way better than Activision who here agrees with me ?

[ZOMBIEMAN1]

are you a) stupid b) retarded c) can't use your brain to think before you speak or d) all of the above , correct answer is d) all of the above . you don't understand Sony can't drop the price whenever they want or whenever ppl want they need to see when it's a perfect time to drop the price and Activision won't drop Sony they can't if we look at sales PS3 versions of Activision's games have sold very well they only want Sony to drop the price so Activision can sell there overpriced bundle game DJ Hero common E3 they show DJ Hero and now they want a PS3 price cut hello is anybody else seeing this is what Activision wants they want more ppl to pay over a $100 for a piece of plastic with a game really there not dropping PS3 nor Sony it's business suicide DJ Hero is there only reason for these empty threats EA isn't saying they're dropping PS3 if there's no price cut neither is capcom , Tecmo , Squere Enix or Rockstar and all of the companys i mention are way better than Activision who here agrees with me ?

[BWS1982]

because they sell software, which is not the position Sony is in...they are already losing money on the hardware with each sale (though not as much as launch era losses), and them dropping the price has much more positive impact on Activision...Activision is only looking out for themselves, don't be naive enough to think they care about Sony. Kotick cares about numero uno, not Sony.

[DaTruth]

wow, aren't you the big coolman. You're the coolest dude on N4G. That's like getting gold at the special Olympics!

[evrfighter]

lol so your argument was reduced to 2005 internet jokes?

are we in the 5th grade now?

[Sir Ken_Kutaragi]

...ChatBots on the internet must be W@NKING over the Activision Threat stories!!! ;-D

Once a PS3 Price cut does come you lot can Kiss your Project A-nal good-bye!!! ;-D

[PStu'rd]

OMG sony!!! Instead of wasting money on the gamecube 2 why dont you just hire some decent mods that can delete this SPAM of your website??

[commodore64]

^^^
hehehe!!

i am gonna have to give you a bubble for being such a cunny funt!

[MasterOne]

Lets see, don't support Sony and lose a substantial amount of your revenue source. The board and stockholders will be very grateful.

[Pika-pie]

I dont see how stopping support for the PS3 would actually benefit Activision at all. Yeah they would save in development costs & distribution but loose millions of software sales.

If they are not making a proft on games that sell 4mil copies on the PS3 then they are doing something very wrong.

[Snatcher]

So Activision is considering abandoning support for Sony.
Kinda reminds me of the time when all the 3rd parties were abandoning Nintendo and Sega in favor of the PS1.
What goes around comes around.

[jcsaint]

what are you talking about!.so sony did bad by entering the console wars with the ps1,and according to you that's the reason they are in 3rd place now.remember that competition is good and we all win.

[Uzesgelen_Goo]

they moved to Ps1 because it has CD and powerful. if you played ps1 and sega , nintendo games you should know but at mean time you don't know about that! hehe

[Raoh]

I have a question.

where is that site gamplayer.au now? shouldnt they be writing an article titled

"activision gives hundreds of millions of players the middle finger"

a few of these companies dissed nintendo, now they are all scrambling to make wii and wii like games. making themselves look foolish at E3 and other shows coming home to nintendo with their tails between their legs.

[sunil]

"corporate money-mongering"... speaks for itself

if they really gave a crap about the "gamer" why not reduce the price of their games? 6-7 games and we cover the cost of a ps3.

if they claim it takes 60 million for them to make a game, it would have cost Sony 6 billion to make a ps3 (numbers not accurate, just a representation)

[IndigoProductions]

Great comment. There is logic for ya! Hope Bobby whateverhisnameis reads this article.

[jcsaint]

i think hes just putting pressure on sony to drop the price.it doesnot take to be a genius to know that they never lose money in franchises like call of duty, guitar hero, dragon ball etc.

[timestoby]

well bluray players are on the cheap now so maybe ps3 will come down in months to come?

[likedamaster]

"...the limited library of titles, lack of third-party support, and a refusal to reduce pricing until almost the end of the product's life cycle were among the many issues that led to 3DO's demise."

"The Jaguar eventually faded away due to a number of reasons. For example, it was difficult to program, thus making it too problematic to have good third-party support."

I can quote on and on about the failed consoles from past generations. Take heed Sony or history will repeat itself.

[Jaces]

the limited library of titles, lack of third-party support, and a refusal to reduce pricing until almost the end of the product's life cycle were among the many issues that led to 3DO's demise."

Hmmm...I haven't noticed any of what was quoted above.

[jmare]

Where was this quoted from, Wikipedia? If you have to pull quotes from Wikipedia, then you are truly sad.

[likedamaster]

I know you two may be tied emotionally to your beloved ps3 but I quoted those simply to highlight my point. Game on.

George Santayana: "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

[YogiBear]

You are forgetting the fact that the 3DO's price was $700 when it launched in 1993. Games were $55 a piece. When playstation one was launched in 1994 it's price was $299. Games were $45 at launch.

The Atari Jaguar launched at $250 but had horrible launch titles and was not able to sustain itself through the holiday season. The controller also had 15 buttons which most consumers were not fond of.

3DO System Sales= 2 million
Atari Jaguar= 250'000
PS3= 23 million

Quote all you want, but Sony isn't quite down the toilet yet.
P.S. All these figures are available at Wikipedia, IGN, and Gamespot

[Jaces]

I'm tied to no system.

Just stating what you said as being false and trying to be a little realistic, I know I know it blows that Sony is going to be around for a good while, but you fanboys need something to rag on right?

[mr mintleaf]

As the Sony reply stated, they're coming out of E3 with huge momentum. Their 10 year cycle allows for a much longer arc of growth, slow but steady, resulting in a much longer period at the top. We're about to witness the beginning of Sony domination in the console war. Price drop, huge first-party exclusives, free on-line play, and what looks like perfect implementation of motion controls, will set the PS3 as thee console to game on.

In an effort to boost game sales, Kotick may have cast a shadow on his company in the eyes of gamers. Both PS3 and 360 fans alike, saw a threat from a corporation's willingness to kick 24 million gamers to the curb. The only redemption is if Activision's board realizes damage caused, and does the same with Kotick.

[Ellessdee]

activision make sheit games. COD is the only series they make that i care about. and honestly, if they were to stop making them on ps3 i wouldnt even miss them because we have enough of them already. but if i really wanted to, then id just buy it on PC. that said, every other game they make is complete crap. so they can fuuck off for all i care. EA makes much better games and they actually know how to make AAA multiplats, which is a rarity. Activision didnt even have the balls to publish brutal legend, and now EA has the rights to probably the biggest multiplatform game this year. maybe instead of worrying about ps3 they should try to be a better company themselves and publish actually good games instead of just funding various rehashes over and over.

[Nihilism]

when i read the title i thought the article would actually have a response from sony, i guess it's just another fa990t giving us his opinion on the matter, which i am so very grateful for, however do we get by without reading articles with no news in them, thanks article author for repeating what was already reported and giving us your opinion on the matter, im gonna go curl up in the fetal position suck my thumb and sleep more soundly than i have in months after reading your visionary work, keep it up

[IndigoProductions]

If it weren´t for people´s opinions then where would we be? I hope they read this article. It seems that Mr. Kotick has forget the fundamentals of game development.

[dagreylion]

Good Article and right to the point. Let Activision pack, leave, and commit suicide at the same time....

[electricgta]

"Game development is a form of art – it should be done for passion and not for the quick buck."

and only sony devs ( and other exclusive devs like guerrilla ( i think thats how you spell it ) naughty dog and insomniac.

they are the only ones ( and a few other exclusive companies ) who like to push their games further and further..thinking about the gamers and not the money... oh yeah and i forgot polyphony digital, they are probably the best about doing that they push the game to the limits! and also keep us happy because they didn't have to release gt5p..

[PeterPanParadox]

I think the public response to his comment is enough for him to retract it.

[JustV]

screw you Activision... we don't need your call of duty because we have killzone 2 lol:) I don't like Activision games anyway....I could care less...Sony has a load of new games coming out that I'm waiting for more than Activision's games...

[LiquifiedArt]

Never understood why people like COD anyway. It was a bland and boring franchise until COD4. And (TO ME) it still is the same boring franchise. I won't support it.

I rather realism mixed with sci-fi. Why do I want to play an army shooter again? I just finished a 10hr kz2 stint with all the new maps plus a rotation of some originals and it was literally EPIC. I switched on the mic, put on my fightin gloves and had a freakin blast.

The new Friend joining features and high-precision aiming really changed the game for the better. I highly recommend anyone who hasnt played it with the new additions to pick it up, you'll be very surprised as this gem of a game. The inconsistencies and imbalances have been ironed out and its a fantastic experience..

Rock on guys.. Hope to see you on kz2. (playing inFamous right now too, another really great experience)

PSN: Liquizon..
hit me up Subject: "N4G Kz2 gamer"

[Atomic]

the shareholders should fire Kotick for being so undiplomatic and hostile toward a company responsible for more than %40 of their revenue.
you can't just bully a company with a $80 billion revenue when your revenue is $2,9 billion , it's just reckless and create unnecessary animosity.

[sloth3395]

If Activision wants a cheaper system why dont they make their own then they can quit their crying

[yorkie]

I think Activision have got a point about price cuts........, So how about starting the ball rolling Bobby you gonna cut your prices ? Lets see Activision practise what they preach then just maybe you can give out advice to other companies. I reckon about £10 off the RRP of each title should do for starters. Hardware manufacturers strive to cut production costs to enable them to sell their system as cheap as possible, so why dont developers make reductions in production costs also, once you developed your game engine and got your tools up and running then learnt the particulars of each system you should have shorter development cycles, therefore reducing your production costs. See this giving out advice is easy, now onto the global financial econonic crisis........or maybe I'll just stick to what I know, perhaps you should too Bobby.

[PeterPanParadox]

I am a little anxious to see what happens next.

[bjornbear]

Come one, 1st the Brutal Legends stuff, then the "drop the price Sony! We can't rip off your customers with our over priced peripherals otherwise" stuff....

And now this? Its quite sad, especially since Acti. is only rich because of MW and all the peripheral bull$hit guitar hero franchises =/(both of which sell mostly on Sony's 3 platforms)

lamo lamo laaamo...

[IndigoProductions]

like he said "corporate money-mongering".

[Automat]

What have you done for me lately? Average games with $10 dlc? no thanks. who wants cod 8-13 anyway..? PS3 exclusives saying hello!

[MriownBOTH]

cod > killzone

ps3 fans want it you fool...considering more ps3 fans play cod than KZ2 any time and day.

[LiquifiedArt]

Kz2 > COD.

Try it with the new patch. Im' telling ya. Its completely surpassed COD. Its just a more visceral and enjoyable experience. Not to mention the new map additions are amazing. Let me re-iterate... AMAZING!

Check options for "High Precision Aiming" and join a friend in the fray..

PSN: Liquizon

[rockerboy]

im startin to see the ugly side of gamin this gen , the whole my console is better than yours, companies making stupid comments ,shady back door deals ect.

[smurfie4]

What ever will I do without Activision? >_> If Activision wants to drop Sony than do it. Sony isn't as really strictly dependent on 3rd party support anyway.

[Bladestar]

3rd Party developers need to think about their future. Take the oportunity that Sony is on 3rd and there are other consoles this generation that they can make money with.

You see.. previous generations many 3rd party developers only had the Playstation to make money since the other consoles were too small to take too seriously...

This time the PS3 is the last and yet Sony think they are the last Coca Cola in the desert; that developers will die if they don't support the PS3 under wherever conditions sony decides.

Sony forgot that 3rd party games like Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, Teken, GTA and the list goes on and on.. defined the PS3... I mean name other bigger first party games on the PS1 and PS2 than these?

Now they are acting as if only 1st party games matter... well the failure of the PS3 does not mean the dead of the playstation brand.

3rd party developers needs to make clear that they will support the console(s) where they are treated like equal partners, where they are seem as important, where what they say matters...

Sony have completely ignore 3rd party developers this generations..
They did not care that by making the console super expensive it could affect 3rd party developers, they didn't care about making the PS3 developers friendly and cost effective...

Developers should make an example with SOny.. so all future consoles from all companies take the developers/partners under consideration.

[LiViNgLeGaCY]

I've seen some one sided and extremely biased comments from you, but this is by far one of the worst.

First off; what makes you think the PS3 being in 3rd means they failed? That's simply not true. The PS3 continues to sell worldwide at a good rate. Software sales may not be as good as 360's but is still pretty good. Developers make good money putting their games on the console.

And I still see you putting GTA as one of Sony's former "Exclusives". It's not. Ever since GTA III it's been on multiple platforms. So has Final Fantasy. So sorry, that just took two games out of your arsenal.

And lastly, how has sony ignored 3rd party support? That is such a ridiculous and untrue remark. Jack Tretton has stated that Sony very much values and relies upon 3rd party support. The PS3 has a very difficult architecture, yes. But it's not to purposely push away 3rd party devs. If I'm correct, that's how all the Playstation platforms have been. If anything, Sony has embraced 3rd party support with open arms. I think both Microsoft and Sony have done well supporting 3rd party devs.

It's obvious you want so bad for Sony to fail. It's sad really. Be a gamer, not a fanboy.

[Run_bare]

Do you have some education ?? are you really that one sided ?? are you a kid ??

[N4g_null]

You guys sounds like GC owners or N64 owners. They where told the same things and it was because of the install base once again. The price could help but seriously did that really help the xbox not really.

Actualy he has some points. I know you guys may love PS games but think about it. What if you only had SONy games only and no 3rd parties? I mean you would have some very long droughts there.

Also you do realize those blu ray disk cost a whole lot of money. Development time to get the same effects and maybe beyond on the PS3 cost a lot more and owners of the PS3 believe that their games should look better now.

Then you add the fact that if the game is a port you guys automatically put it down now. I think activision knows they won't be making a uncharted and they could even be getting pressure from some of their best developers who knows?

I'm not sure if blade is a MS fanboi but it does not matter right now because it's not going to be MS fanbois that decide what happens. It will actualy be SONy fanbois.... some how some way you guys have to show more support rather than so much anger. it is much easier to leave you guys if you act indifferent.

What is funny is this has been part of gaming for a while but I think many of you are just now seeing how 3rd parties really operate. Yet you can not blame them since we have lost some high profile players in the last few years.

[MriownBOTH]

as a PlayStation fan im pissed that sony took out the BC and left the price the same....that's outrageous

[onanie]

What exactly classified you as a "fan"? Ownership doesn't qualify, especially when you seem to bag it all the time.

[MriownBOTH]

waiting for uncharted 2 gt5 and god 3. im a fan for sure. im just pissed i cant enjoy playing my ps2 games in my ps3....wouldn't you be pissed.

...just like my 360 wont play all my xbox games but at least it plays most of them.

[onanie]

While it is within your right to complain about that specifically, I don't think it justifies your continuous sh*t piling on the system that you are supposedly a "fan" of.

[Ian414]

activision threat was completly hollow leave youll be beack in 2 months and sony will make them make some exclusive game 2 get back with them.no there not goin microsoft style(lets give them 40 million for a mappack then maybe those pepople who know that ps3 will take a sideward glance at us.)

[fishyjoes]

the bc ps3 cost 500+ whereas the non b/c is 400

[BlackToothGrin]

I'll give them the the MW series is awesome but MW1 was replaced by KZ2 in my collection.

MW2 will be trumped by an inevitable KZ3 in my opinion (this is my personal pref for the scifi story and better level designs)

With that being said, Activision can take a large pile of their silly plastic instruments and sit on them.

[iANONYMOUS]

seeing how many of you "Pretend" to dislike COD4 or 5.
No matter what you said, it doesnt change the fact that most people do like it.
A Price cut is unreasonable since PS3 hold the best hardware,
known to be the cheapest Blue-ray driver existed. I dont own PS3 "yet".
There's a lot of people saying Sony loses money for every console sold, that would've damaged Sony more if Price were cut-down.
For all I know, to those people who dont own any of the three consoles,
and planning to pick up either one, after reading this news,
which console did you think the person would get? Exactly.

Im pretty much sure this threat is a bluff,
If there's no competition, Microsoft might care less about 360.
So it's a Lose-Lose situation if this happen.

[Tion21]

A true game designer dreams to make great games. Hideki Kamiya and Level 5 are great examples of this. The other day a friend at work was telling me to join the military because I caould retire early and stuff. I told him I don't care too much about the money, as long as I am making the games I want and am living to see the future I am living life the way I dreamed. Activision Soon you will go bankrupt. What will you do when COD dies out? Ya have nothing else on the market. Maybe this is what they are scared of? grow up Activision. ya sell 12 million copies of World at War, and even more combined wit hWii, 360, and PC versions. ya will prob sell more with MW2. If 3D realms (DukeNukem Co) lasted 10 years with making lke no games than ya have nothing to worry about you greedy bumbs. Drown in your money pool.

[Theonik]

Well they still make tons of trophies from WOW not to mention other crappy but popular franchises like guitar hero, that's the reason they dropped Brutal legend, they just couldn't make one sequel a year.

[TheDeadMetalhead]

If Activision actually did stop supporting Sony consoles, it would be the equivalent of me taking a kitchen knife and chopping off one of my arms.

[ryano23277]

XBOX 360 buyers are the biggest suckers in the world.
You have bought a 360 from a car salesman.
How do I know that because I was a car salesman and XBOX 360 is marketed the same way a Car is.

Buy our model for X$ and save. Yeah but I want a spoiler, rims, metallic paint etc. some how now you have signed up for $10,000 more than you wanted.

3 years of XBOX live = $ + Wireless Network Adaptor + Batteries every week for my control. Plus you can watch Blu Ray......oh wait no I can't!!!! So I would like a blu ray player better than the PS3's.

CAN I GET 3 OF EACH

[iANONYMOUS]

That's weird,
Im sure this article got nothing to do with xbox 360,
and saying 360 buyers are the biggest suckers in the world..
I Lol-ed.
Go on and bash more, you sound so retarded.
More than that, it's more weird that most "developer" complaint about PS3 being expensive..
Oh wait, PS3 is free online, and now they charge publisher for ever DLC people download.. BS!
*reported*

[ryano23277]

The article is about Activision pulling out of PS3 development because of $Price$, which leaves Wii and XBOX 360.

I was not bagging the 360, I was just saying that it isn't cheap as advertised. Exactly the same way Cars are marketed and most other things.

I own a PS3, XBOX 360 and Wii and play the PS3 because I don't have to get all the add ons to improve my gaming.

[AsILayDying]

im not supp they r saying stuff like that , just look at the sales via system and you can see why activison are saying that

[AsILayDying]

I AGREE WITH Bladestar

[Stoney22]

Ok i made to make an account just to reply to this. Now here TheRealSpy you make yourself sound like a Xbox360 fanboy. (now you might not be and if you aren't then i apologise). Now let me dissect your post.
First were going to go past all the crap about ranting as nobody cares.
"Why is activision willing to leave sony?" Finally the question we are after now lets dissect the reasons why.
"it's because time and time again 3rd party titles have looked and played and loaded faster on 360." Ok now this is simply not true. granted LOTS of games do look and play faster on the 360 not all games do this. regardless why is this a reason for Activision to leave sony? I await your response to that one.
"it's because 360 exclusives sell much better than ps3 exclusives." Again what point are you trying to prove here? Regardless of which exclusive sells more multiplatform games tend to sell more then exclusives. Why would it make sound business sense to go exclusive and loose money?
"it's because you can find tons of articles (except on n4g) that disprove all these fact-less claims" Irrelevant point. What does this have to do with with Activision leaving Sony. I also liek the fact that you never gave examples of these "tons of articles".
"it's because production costs for ps3 are much higher and development takes longer." Finally a point that does make sense. However, this kind of doesn't as i think Sony account for something like 40%-50% of Activisions profit. (i may be wrong however). I'm sure any company would rather spend 3 months more and a few thousand pounds more if it makes them millions.

"in closing (to TheRealSpy)" If you want to rant about 'fanboyism' do it in a article that talks about it. Don't make yourself out to be one.

[Scary69]

for Lfmesquite

You sound pathetic and seriously what are you 5? Please do us all a favor and turn your PC off and go do something useful with yourself. Maybe a better education would be good for you, since you seem to know nothing about what you are speaking about.

[Midgard228]

wtf, not to sound fanboyish but the ps3 has the most good exclusives, has alot of them, its also the strongest system, has blu-ray and bunch of other stuff included besides free online on browser and it being reliable hardware wise, but people still bash it, why the f
does the 360 get so much praise?

faulty hardware, pay to play online, no browser, u have to buy all the rechargable batteries per controller, u need to buy the wifi, they break all the time and have good games yes, but not as many as PS.

u know why? ooo yeah cuz its cheaper! cheaper on the outside anyway

not realizing

300 (console)
20 (charge and play)
11.99 per rechargable battery
50 per year online
no bluray player
100 (wifi)

oooo looks to be way over 400 for just to fully equip it and match wat ps3 comes with. tsk tsk.

fact is people fall for the gimmick, people pay for lower price not knowing they need to equip it with alot more

tho sony r morons and dont advertise free online. at work so many customers dont know that, that and sony needs to bundle some freakin HDMI cables but besides that

there r lots of ps3 owners so y the f wud activision wanna lose those sales? moronic

[ryano23277]

People will fall for that gimmick everytime.

The Wii also isn't that cheap by the time you buy the charger, zapper, hand gun, wheels, more remotes (pointless playing by yourself), more nunchuks, Wii Board, Wii Motion Plus x 4.

Besides their not being a single decent game released this year for the 360 and the fact it costs me money to play, I haven't played the 360 since the first pattern in Halo Wars put me to sleep. That's also including a 3 week period wheremy PS3 was off getting cleaned.

Besides DLC & new controls I haven't spend a cent on my PS3.

[Rowsdower]

"It's expensive to develop for the console (PS3), and the Wii and Xbox are just selling better. Games generate a better return on invested capital on the Xbox than on the PlayStation," Kotick said.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsS...

its just business baby dont take it personally

[SupaPlaya]

so they can sell $250 skateboards. Doesn't that make perfect sense? It's pure business $$$$ for Activision!

While they are at it they should request MS make Live free as well so gamers can purchase more Activision DLC!!

[Rowsdower]

are immature, I'll leave it at that

[SupaPlaya]

thanks.

[randalon]

if activision does go through with this, they will essentially give Harmonix's rockband a greater adavantage to increase its install base on the ps3, in addition to the 360 as well.