"Taking the fun out of making video games" - Robert Kotick/Activision press conference

[Cucipher]

Apologies for posting this if it's been posted before but came across a truly disturbing article.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6226758.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;1

I'd almost suggest boycotting Modern Warfare 2. As empty a gesture as that would be considering how it's going to fly off shelves, even if activision declared direct involvement in 9/11, AIDS, the killing of John Lennon, and every papercut suffered since 1951.

EDIT: Corrected quote in topic.

 

[Bat Vader]

He actually said taking the fun out of MAKING video games.

Edit: Removed the big difference part.

 

[Corkydog]

Still though, way to alienate the people who's work you rely on...
Edit: I mean seriously, what does this guy do besides piss everyone off? Why Activision hasn't kicked his ass out of his office chair is beyond me.
Double Edit: Wait no, I've got it: He was hired by a rival company to destroy Activision's fanbase. It all makes sense.

 

[oliveira8]

Geee...working at Activision must be a bicth...All that skepticism, pessimism, and fear and no fun at doing their job.

Wonder how they still have employees...

 

[SimuLord]

Sell ATVI, and if you don't own any ATVI stock you should short it. Kotick is insane...or just stupid. If I'm John Riccitiello, I'm sitting in my office laughing and thanking the gaming gods for sending someone to take the media heat off of Electronic Arts while I continue my efforts to restructure the company...

Who am I kidding? If I'm Riccitiello I'm swimming in my money bin and doing lines off of hookers' breasts with $100 bills.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

Geee...working at Activision must be a bicth...All that skepticism, pessimism, and fear and no fun at doing their job.

Wonder how they still have employees...

Clearly you aren't working full time right now, it's nothing but all of the above. You power through it because you need to pay rent and you need to eat.

 

[HT_Black]

The executive said game makers just haven't reached a point yet where the mouth movement and facial animation of game characters is good enough to establish a compelling emotional attachment from the player.

Because everything else that can be said about this has already been said, crucified, buried, memorialized, and forgotten, I think I should add this: Just because your facial animation is shit, that doesn't mean the technology isn't there. At risk of being called a fanboy, I'd like to point a finger at a certain Star Wars game which came out for the PS3 and X360 in early 2008...
*coughTheForceUnleashedcough*

 

[Canadamus Prime]

People talk about things killing gaming. You know what's really killing gaming? Corporate jackasses like that guy.

 

[Cucipher]

He actually said taking the fun out of MAKING video games. Big difference between the two.

Sweetie for the clever clogs with the eye for detail. Though depending on your outlook they might not mean two entirely different things - you cant deny that the enthusiasm/attitude of a company and its employees can affect their product.

Geee...working at Activision must be a bicth...All that skepticism, pessimism, and fear and no fun at doing their job.

Wonder how they still have employees...

Clearly you aren't working full time right now, it's nothing but all of the above. You power through it because you need to pay rent and you need to eat.

Sadly, tis true. Dont reckon many of us have escaped selling our souls for a period of time to cover the roof and the munch to enjoy under it.

 

[thiosk]

I don't know-- activision is going to continue to put out merchandise that sells. We abhor kotick's way of thinking, lusting after the old days of 12 year olds coding games for the C64, but ATVI was a fantastic buy at $9 and its still a good buy at ~$11.

Period.

 

[Sexy Street]

Jesus that is RETARDED and does that guy look like a serial killer to anyone else?

 

[Cucipher]

I think the things that disturbs me the most is that we're finally getting to a stage where games are reaching immense artistic potential and this guy, who works for one of the biggest publishers in the business, has consistently shown disdain for the market ("I'd charge even more" - remember that?!), ignorance of trends and technology in his sector, and ruthless greed. Activision might as well stick a big f*cking McDonalds sign on their products.

Or maybe he's the only one who tells the truth...? Hmm. I'd like to think that's my cynicism getting the best of me.

Still - Arkham Asylum has given me a good deal of hope for games at the moment so i'll try to stay optimistic

 

[TheSunshineHobo]

Say what you want about the man, but hes rolling in dough. I wouldn't be surprised if all his clothes are made out of $100's. He might be an asshole, when it comes to his opinions about gamers, but his business sense is second to none. Maybe Steve Jobs, Apple is doing pretty good, right?

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Oh, he was in San Fran. Damnit! I had my rifle loaded and everything.

OT: Take the "FUN" out of games? What the Fuck? Even EA isn't this bad.

No, they actually were. Look up the open letter from "ea spouse" sometime when you're bored. Or just read this news story that gamespot provide just after the letter was published online: http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/11/11/news_6112998.html

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Come work for Activision and experience our corporate culture of fear and pessimism. Remember, the only thing we care about is profit so don't bother with any of that creativity and talent bullshit that losers talk about while they are losing. Fight to work on a profitable franchise so that you can get a bonus and remember to kiss up to your superiors or you will get fired to save money to pay for Bobby's new mansion.

 

[oliveira8]

Geee...working at Activision must be a bicth...All that skepticism, pessimism, and fear and no fun at doing their job.

Wonder how they still have employees...

Clearly you aren't working full time right now, it's nothing but all of the above. You power through it because you need to pay rent and you need to eat.

True. But if you aren't "happy" on the job, you won't produce nothing. And everyone knows what happens when you produce nothing.

 

[SimuLord]

Geee...working at Activision must be a bicth...All that skepticism, pessimism, and fear and no fun at doing their job.

Wonder how they still have employees...

Clearly you aren't working full time right now, it's nothing but all of the above. You power through it because you need to pay rent and you need to eat.

True. But if you aren't "happy" on the job, you won't produce nothing. And everyone knows what happens when you produce nothing.

You get promoted on the recommendation of the efficiency-expert consultants despite gutting fish on your desk?

Shit. Life's not like the movies at all.