Activision CEO not expecting the way you pay for games to change
With Bobby Kotick no longer at Activision, some developers who worked on Call of Duty and more have begun speaking out about his actions.
"Glances at Bungie Studio"
Hell yeah, the monetization got sooo much better when they ditched Activision, oh wait . . .
We'll see how much better their games are without Kotick. He’s a scum but a good business man.
Everybody virtual signalling about this man to put on a show that they actually give a damn about staff working conditions. I don't know what he did or didn't do but armchair gamers who believe public persona is the most important to a video game company's success are misguided. Phil Spencer is always celebrated for being 'good guy Phil' and he probably is, but being a good guy persona didn't help him make Xbox into a stronger division - if anything it's got worst. If Bobby Kotick had been put in charge of Xbox at the time Spencer was then I'm 100% certain Xbox would be in a much stronger position, possibly market leader.
So you will get people expressing why Kotick was bad but the bottom line is he made Call of Duty the behemoth of gaming that enticed Microsoft to pay $67 Billion dollars for it. Now Microsoft owns it, it would be wise not to put Spencer in charge of its decisions.
They won't, at the end of the day it's about making the most money. They already see whales eating the slop they chuck out on the market. Why would they grow a conscience and kill sales? Kotick was one player out of many in the industry. Losing him isn't going to impact much, if anything at all.
I strongly doubt MS will fully utilize Activision Blizzard. I mean, look at their track record with output from aquired studios already. They're doing a great job with Bethesda, amirite?
Frankly, I have no respect for many of these devs "speaking out" now. They allowed a lot of pretty horrible shit to go down and even participated in the culture of harassment. Someone died, and that seems to be forgotten.
I have no respect for Microsoft, who provided Kottick and other execs an out for the sake of improving their content. For fuck's sake, people. It's so weird to me. I would be in support of this acquisition 100% with everything getting pulled off other platforms if the end result was all of those cockroaches get their skulls crushed by the justice system. I could overlook the industry consolidation if it made an example of Kottick that no one is safe and the industry needs to do better. Instead, the opposite happened and they let this slippery fuck wriggle away. It is profoundly irritating how broken society is. It is comically absurd, and really reassures me of my decision to stop giving this company any money since 2005.
Rant over.
please.
ifs easy to come forward after your boss was let go. haha.
we all know what goes on in those offices
Because speaking out about your current boss is almost career suicide. I don't blame these people for venting, now that they can.
as suppose to what?
slaggin off your former boss while ur current boss hears about it ?
sure makes u look better doesnt it. /s
Unfortunately, this is leadership everywhere in major corporations. Toxic, unethical, ignorant.
The Peter Principle in a nutshell.
As far as the games, I struggle to see MS as doing better but we'll see, their track record so far is not the strongest argument in their favor.
But Kotick belongs in prison, dude is literally scum, still find it weird how his sexual assault charges went completely silent and seem to have disappeared as soon as the MS acquisition was announced, shady AF if you ask me.
Microsoft is largely keeping the Activision Blizzard leadership structure in place, minus a few high-profile names. Kotick’s last day is December 29th.
Kotick is most likely the biggest winner of the activision /microsoft deal.
Somehow I bet it won't be profitable for MS for at least 10 years. If it will be..ever.
I think what they had earmarked for the acquisition has already been made back through other divisions. MS makes $$ from all sorts of things.
That's not how profit works regarding to stock market. If xbox doesn't make money from Activision SPECIFICALLY considered loss
I hope they ran the numbers and found that it will be profitable well before then, because CoD is at its peak. Betting that it will still be where it is a decade from now would be foolishly risky. I'd anticipate a decline if anything....the landscape changes. And Diablo 4 certainly has not gone as well as anticipated. Blizzard isn't looking so great right now.
Never because the guy can’t do no wrong
He wears a blazer over a gaming shirt and tells us what we want to hear at the given time, he’s totally one of us /s
i think it will happane because all this money invested and xbox division at a distant 3rd won'r last for phil. Now all the pressure is on him
Kotick taught them everything they needed to know about slot machines, now he's off to manage the Tangiers.
Never got to be held responsible for any of the harassment goings on in Activision and walks away with a huge pay check.
this is a good example of why people believe that judgement comes later in the afterlife instead of on earth. if you're athiest that's some hardcore depression to have js
Im not an athiest but it shows how the rich and powerful are rarely held accountable in actual life.
I mean, if we're creating fantasy scenarios, we can overlook anything, can't we? Who needs accountability in life, it's all about the unproven afterlife we've sold ourselves on.
I'm depressed because I understood reality before you did?
That's some hardcore projection.
Understanding how the world is leads to less disappointment in life.
@christopher
C'mon man. There's no real accountability without an afterlife. You should be thankful for the idea of an afterlife. At the very least it does a good job keeping a large group of people civil ...otherwise...this is it. So. Drink up. Don't waste 1 second. And beat the shit out of anyone who gets in your way. Morality stands no ground without something greater behind everything. But we still live in a society that relies on the backbone of religion while claiming it's the worst thing. The silliness is wild.
@Crows90
If the only thing keeping you from being a terrible person is some reward in an afterlife, you got serious psychological issues and need to seek help, and were never a good person to start with
My moral compass is based on real people and how my actions affect them, y'know, sympathy, compassion, humanity?
I actually believe in an afterlife because I was resuscitated in a car wreck 2 decades ago. I should be dead, I survived a (usually) unsurvivable injury. The belief in that has nothing to do why I seek to treat others well though. That is a misguided perception because at the depth of your soul, there often arises conflict of what you're truly hiding inside and what you're showing outwardly. I seek to treat others well because it pleases me in my core, because I know it's how I would want to be treated. I fail sometimes and it eats me alive. I can only hope that Bobby, in secret, is suffering inside for the things he has done and is trying to hide. True change and judgment comes from within, and I wouldn't mind hearing later that it ate himself so much inside that he confesses and seeks forgiveness from the people he hurt. Probably not.
@chris
i'm just saying people believe in accountability and when the current life doesn't have it we like to think the second oncoming life or afterlife does. if you think it's all make believe that's your choice.
***There's no real accountability without an afterlife.***
Accountability is what the people in power determine it to be. You can keep believing there's something out there to look toward w/o proof. I'm not going to live that type of life and instead look to improve the life I have.
***Morality stands no ground without something greater behind everything.***
Sure. The only thing keeping me from murdering people is my imagination of what comes next.
***But we still live in a society that relies on the backbone of religion while claiming it's the worst thing. The silliness is wild. ***
I mean, we also had a backbone of flat earth and releasing evils from the blood. But, we moved on from that silliness as well.
@isarai
Sympathy, compassion and humanity don't go together. You're a prime example of someone taking the religious backbone and pretending it was there from the beginning.
You think youre a good person and yet you just insulted me without provocation. You don't know yourself.
It also comes to show that you know nothing of what I'm talking about if you think I'm waiting for some reward in the afterlife. You know nothing about religion either hence why you take that backbone as your own. And lastly you are entirely ignorant of human history.
@christopher
You're almost there. You're just hiding behind cureent societal norms heavily influenced by religious bones. To be clear the main thing stopping people from being more violent to each other then they already are is 1. Cowardice 2. Fear 3. The societal contrac
Was I the only one alive during COVID pandemic here...people got incredibky violent. Or whenever there's a water issue.
And yes flat earth silliness...I'd say a few things about vaccinations for viruses but I guess that silliness is fine still.
Nothing sillier than believing that nothing created something.
He can still be sued and held responsible. Leaving the company doesn't protect him from that.
My thoughts ever since this deal was announced, like how was this gonna happen with that going on?🤔 Then we suddenly never heard about it again.
Combining with Microsoft will enable us to deliver more fun, more joy, and more connection to more players, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick writes.
yeh, he'll retire after that and walk away with 520 mio lol
i dont think that this decision makes Phil a saint
And shielded from all the sexual harassment charges I'm sure MS payed out settlements/hush money to keep him around for the deal.
Lol Kotick doesn't need MS for hush money. He's already extremely rich.
The lengths you PS fanboys are willing to go to discredit Xbox is just insane to me, yall need a mental health check.
I remember a Sony exec was caught being a pedophile. You don't see xbox fans saying Sony is protecting pedophiles out there. It's only Sony fanboys with that much hate in their heart for a console lol.
Go get your heads checked.
Basically Microsoft agreed to pay him out so he sold Activision to them. He bailed. He dropped all the problems he generated on Microsoft and will never face responsibility. And Microsoft took advantage of his weakness at that point. Perhaps this makes them smart.
How sure are you? 10%, 20%, 50%, maybe 100%?
Get a grip bro, Bobby was gonna skate away unscathed because he is filthy rich, not because MS paid people of for him...what a silly take. A/B employees are happy for the management change, and now can even unionize...but you have your MS hate agenda and conspiracy theories.
MS is getting Rid of him, and other execs are expected to get the boot as well, so lay off it and let these employees get some rest with your nonsensical, asinine, negative conspiracies.
@Zeref, they really do come off as if they lose sleep over this shit, it's almost rabid at this point.
Someone who seeing buying a competitor, and not with money from your division, rather than out performing them, is suppose to be competent in business?
It’s over it’s time to move on. No sense is saying the same things when nothing can be changed now anyways. It will be interesting to see how Sony will react and if they are to buy capcom and square how would Xbox fans look at those acquisitions and keep future titles like resident evil and monster hunter away from them
"more players"
Yes cutting one console out the equation means more players.
Guess with PR bullshit like this him and Phil Spencer get on so well
"Yes cutting one console out the equation means more players."
Cutting one, adding many more platforms, means more choices for many more gamers.
That said, yeah, its sucks to be a PS only fan atm, not gonna lie. But at least you´re still getting COD for 10 years at least. Can´t say the same about other future new games/IPs from ABK that Phil might greenlit, but at least you have COD which was Sony main and only concern.
Playstation could have it all if Ryan accepted to sign the 10 years deal the first time. Since he´d refused saying that the only thing he wanted was to see the deal blocked, now Sony will only have access to COD.
You can thank Ryan for that.
"Cutting one, adding many more platforms,"
No. Just buying already existing user bases. Possibly cutting out the larger user base, since the likes of COD are played more on PS than Xbox with PC 1st or 2nd (?), with the hope those users migrate to Xbox.
Likewise King doesn't figure into the console mess, as its mobile. It gives MS stake in a market its repeatedly failed to insert itself into. Which is the key issue.
If MS was unable to build market share in gaming for all its attempts, has seen diminished returns after buying Gears and handpicking 343, what happens now with ABK who were not in a healthy state?
Right now, all I see of the "console wars" at this point are levels of denial about what's put out under MS.
Sony too, if they can't get their s**t together now that Ryan's gone.
You are just a blind as ever Observer. I guess I should expect that from you. Not suprised at all by your dumb comment.
Besides COD & Diablo, Activision has nothing solely PS owners would miss if MS decides to keep their future games off of PS. What else is there but Spyro, Crash & Tony Hawk?? LMAO!! I would think most solely PS owners as of now don't really care about those 3 games?? PS will be fine.
That's one hell of a PR spin you got there. You must get paid quite well by MS.
But blind fanboyism will do that. Highly doubt CoD even exists in 10yrs. MW3 is already one of the worst entries and just one big corporate greed mess. Continue on that path and you got one dead franchise.
@obscure
I may be wrong here but besides COD what new ip has blizzard Activision came out with? It’s like all the studios work to get COD out every year.
@Christopher
"Those platforms were already there and being used. Nothing is being added here."
Wrong. Kotick removed COD games from Nintendo 10 years ago and removed all games from NVIDIA´s Geforce NOW 4 years ago.
Ubisoft+. Ukraine-based cloud gaming service, Boosteroid and Taiwan-based cloud gaming provider, Ubitus, are newest platforms getting support from Xbox and Activision/Blizzard games.
So yes, it´s much more platforms and much more gamers getting more ABK´s games. Period! That´s why the deal was approved in the first place.
@10M3daysorFail
"There won't be any "other future new games/IPs from ABK" lol. It's Microsoft you are talking about."
Yeah, I´m talking about the same Microsoft that brought back Killer Instinct, Battletoads, Age of Empires, Flight Simulator and now is bringing back Fable and Perfect Dark. Just do me a favor and keep your FUD nonsense to yourself.
@Godmars290
"No. Just buying already existing user bases. Possibly cutting out the larger user base, since the likes of COD are played more on PS than Xbox with PC 1st or 2nd (?), with the hope those users migrate to Xbox."
Dude, for the last time: Xbox don´t need Playstation to successful! Even less now! With the ABK´s deal approved, Xbox has now many partnerships with to many platforms to release its games. Those are the facts. Get over it!
@Sharky231
"I may be wrong here but besides COD what new ip has blizzard Activision came out with? It’s like all the studios work to get COD out every year."
Their new IP is a fantasy survival game which Ryan probably ruined for Playstation only fans.
https://iforum-sg.c.hihonor...
It doesn't suck for any ps fans at all but if it makes you feel better, Xbox is still a dead last console.
"Yeah, I´m talking about the same Microsoft that brought back Killer Instinct, Battletoads, Age of Empires, Flight Simulator and now is bringing back Fable and Perfect Dark."
???
Killer Instinct was YEARS ago, Battleoads wasn't that well received and last heard, ignoring the war and flight sims, Fable and Perfect Dark are in development hell. Several levels of development hell.
That is, what should be, the main concern - MS has MAJOR issues when it comes to making games.
@Godmars290
"Killer Instinct was YEARS ago, Battleoads wasn't that well received and last heard, ignoring the war and flight sims, Fable and Perfect Dark are in development hell. Several levels of development hell."
Dude, you don´t know NOTHING about MS´s first party development. And yet, you try and pass like some informed person when you reality you resort to lies and misinformation. Smdh.
Here´s some FACTS for you:
Killer Instinct:
Iron Galaxy in 2021
https://www.windowscentral....
Iron Galaxy in 2023
https://www.irongalaxystudi...
Xbox brought Iron Galaxy BACK and the KI fans and whole FG community are beyond excited now they know that Killer Instinct is here to stay!
"Battleoads wasn't that well received"
Which doesn´t mean sh!t! Xbox making new games from classic and dormant IPs is the subject of the discussion I was having with 10M3daysorFail. MS brought Battletoads back! Facts!
"Fable and Perfect Dark are in development hell. Several levels of development hell."
How Fable is in development hell when Playground Games REVEALED the game in June? So WTF are you talking about?
https://www.youtube.com/wat...
Anna Megill finished her writing duties as narrative lead last July and Playground Games just hired a high profile producer, Baldur’s Gate 3 producer Ryan Clark
https://wccftech.com/baldur...
Perfect Dark? Yeah, It might be the case with this one. I heard that Darrell Gallagher has a top–down approach when most studios nowadays develop games with a bottom-top design.
Still, The Initiative is a newly created first party studio build from the ground up, so people will headbutt at first until perfect symmetry and synergy are fully built.
"That is, what should be, the main concern - MS has MAJOR issues when it comes to making games."
BS! Any major company faces issues developing games! Perfect Dark is facing problems with development, yeah, but the development continues and no single developer was fired or the game put on hiatus. Which reminds me of Nintendo´s Metroid Prime and Naughty Dog´s Factions 2.
Aren´t those games in development hell? Don´t bother and answer. That was rhetorical question.
You always talk uninformed crap with no sources to back up your fallacious claims. Next time, bring your sources or don´t even bother and reply back to me.
Have a good week.
"Any major company faces issues developing games!"
The key point you're willfully ignoring is consistency. And MS/Xbox has consistently had issues releasing much less making games.
COD is staying on PS at least. If you're talking about all the other franchises, yeah, those should have stayed multiplatform as well and it sucks that they likely won't. Jim Ryan didn't fight for those though, he only gave a shit about COD.
Personally I think during the whole court case they should have said during the 10 year COD deal "at least give us the Crash and Spyro IPs, you guys aren't going to use them, you hardly do platformers, what's there to loose here"
So when the Activision deal passed and they were given the 10 year COD deal then something would have came from Crash and Spyro.
Agreed. MS now has Crash, Spyro, Banjo, and Conker. They don't really make those games as much as I'd like them to. Handing Crash and Spyro over probably wouldn't have been a big deal.
God. This is such PR bullshit. You forgot to add more.... microtransactions and less titles for the competition.
What did the Bethesda acquisition do exactly?
What will the Activision acquisition do exactly?
These are rhetorical questions.
Microsoft can't manage the studios they started with now all of a sudden you expect them to run abk?
Xbox is the golden boy in the industry if you believe the blind fanboyism.
They've yet to offer a single new game to their players. All they're offering so far are games that they would've already received. However, those of us without fanboy glasses can actually look at how Xbox is managing these "new" games...most have underwhelmed tremendously. Starfield and redfall for instance...
Now I'm conflicted... I don't know whether he actually believes it or if it's because he wants this scenario so they can continue to innovate Call of Duty as little as possible.
So he can continue to milk CoD without working too hard. Hmm
I expect i'll use money like everyone else.
Oh well, that's sad. I was expecting to pay for a full game, like the old times, instead of paying half the game in disc, and half in DLC.
i dont care, mr kotic plz take my money