360°

EA Responds To Kotick Comments, Points To Litigation, 'Hubris'

In a new interview with Edge Magazine, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said the key to his company's success is respecting the independence of his studios -- and in his typically-outspoken style, the exec specifically called out publisher Electronic Arts.

In his comments, Kotick claimed EA "doesn’t know how" to implement such a model and that "great people don’t really want to work there" as a result. Excerpts from the interview are already widely circulated among games publications even before the print edition with Edge in which it features arrives on newsstands tomorrow.

But Electronic Arts won't take those assertions silently: "Kotick’s relationship with studio talent is well documented in litigation," EA corporate communications VP Jeff Brown tells Gamasutra in a statement.

Read Full Story >>
gamasutra.com
movements5590d ago

Kotick, shut up. Just shut up.

number475590d ago

hahahah

this industry is getting so sensational and childish.

HammockGames5590d ago (Edited 5590d ago )

A couple years ago or so I never would have thought I'd be on EA's side about much of anything.

With regards to Kotick, I am.

This guy has taken to burning bridges across the entire industry. His own devs, other publishers, fans - you name it, he's gone out of his way to p!ss them off.

SWORDF1SH5590d ago

EA have changed over the years, for the better, because the reputation was getting hurt. Instead of a company that only made lazy sequels and bled franchises dry they actually took more risks and created more franchise which I respect.

Activision are the new old EA and if they don't change their atitude like EA did then the only was is down.

Might be rosey now and they might be getting away with charging extra for games, expensive DLC and milking their franchises but it will all end in tears when is all said and done.

Snakefist305589d ago (Edited 5589d ago )

I just can't understand what goes through Mr. Kotick's mind. Is he pulling and Andy Kaufman on us, making a joke that only he knows about? Give the general perception people have of him, how can he be as bold as to make all these statements? Specially in light of how his company's main franchises are being perceived.

I've never been one to jump into the boat "Kotick is the devil". But it seems he is prone on making absolutely sure that everyone that gives a damn about video games hates him. I don't know if he's just childish of if he was drowned in power, but this has got to stop. It's not good, for anyone.

Rrobba5590d ago (Edited 5590d ago )

Yea, I'm not sure why Kotick and Activision have been attacking EA so much lately, but it's starting to get on my nerves.

NYC_Gamer5590d ago

because EA has more quality games

r1sh125590d ago

yea, I mean MOH wont beat COD this year but in the future it will.
COD has become boring, I will admit black ops is the last COD game I buy.
Activision did not allow infinity ward to support MW2, no matter how much outcry is coming from the community.
Other than call of duty activision dont have any significant console cash cows, more and more people are seeing guitar hero etc.. flop.
People realise how they are being extorted for DLC.
EA was like Kotick once, but they learned looks like this prick is gonna have a rough time after black ops gets old.
If anyone sees kotick kick him as hard as you can in the nuts, then send me a video of it and I will send you money.
No Joke, its pricks like this that ruin the game industry.

Pandamobile5590d ago

Activision has 3 main franchises that they just keep pumping out. COD, Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk.

Meanwhile, EA's pumped out more than a dozen awesome new IP's in the last 5 years across multiple different genres and platforms.

EA has countered all of Activision's main outlets with Skate, Rockband and Medal of Honor (and or) the Battlefield series, not to mention the other giant games like the Crysis series, Dead Space, Mirror's Edge, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Need for Speed, the Sims, Bullet Storm, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and more...

GG Activision.

tmoss7265590d ago

Actually I think WoW makes more than Tony Hawk....

chiwoo5590d ago

Activision tony hawk franchise is dead since EA put out Skate its no competition plus there guitar hero franchise is already gone down in sales so call of duty is all they really got

NewsForMe5590d ago (Edited 5590d ago )

Funny thing is Rock Band and Skate seem more successful and popular than Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk and both came after. I almost want to buy the MoH reboot just to try and help it beat CoD. I'll probably buy Respawn's first game just because and buy Bungie new game used and send them the $10 in the mail. I can't stand Activision.

JackBNimble5590d ago (Edited 5590d ago )

consumer manipulation..... don't forget MoH is coming out soon.

Bobby is the spokesman for the ADF.

gypsygib5590d ago

Me too, Bioware games, Dead Space, BFBC, a bunch of quality sports titles and maybe Crysis say EA publishes some of the best games out there.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5590d ago
xYLeinen5590d ago

EA: "His company is based on three game franchises – one is a fantastic persistent world he had nothing to do with; one is in steep decline; and the third is in the process of being destroyed by Kotick’s own hubris."

Wow, that gotta hurt >_>

solidjun55590d ago

That was a BURN comment! Funny thing is the it's oh so true. Guitar Hero? Pfftt....steep decline indeed.

raztad5590d ago

Surely it does but it is the true.

At some point COD fans will have to realize that yearly iterations of the same old gameplay with reskinned maps are not worth $60.

Activision really needs another big cash cow. They are betting on Bungie to give them such a new bluckbuster.

mrcash5590d ago

I doubt cod bo will sell as much as the past iterations, most of the people I know are passing up on it, its just the same thing every year. I'm not saying it wont be a great game, it seems like treyarch is putting alot of effort into the game but I just don't think it will do as well as the past games.

NewsForMe5590d ago

Does
a fantastic persistent world he had nothing to do with=CoD
is in steep decline=Tony Hawk
is in the process of being destroyed by Kotick’s own hubris=Guitar Hero
?

kingjoker345590d ago

no the first is World of warcraft
Steep decline is Guitar hero i think
and the last is call of duty

Nineball21125590d ago

I remember when EA was the devil of the industry. Times certainly have changed...

Part of me wonders if Kotick thinks any publicity is good publicity and part of me thinks... naw, he's just an egotistical prick.

Show all comments (42)
50°

Kotick claims lawsuit objecting to MS-Activision deal was "tied to Embracer's desire to boost sales"

Former CEO describes lawsuit filed by Swedish pension fund as a "collateral attack" on Activision Blizzard.

Read Full Story >>
gamesindustry.biz
OpenGL1d 4h ago

Yeah, the Microsoft deal has DEFINITELY worked out for everyone.

galgor1d 1h ago

Can this mother fucker just get lost already

PRIMORDUS1d ago

He belongs in here ⚰️, hopefully sooner than later.

MrDead9h ago(Edited 9h ago)

Kotick Made $155 million from MS in the buyout, the little b*tch needs to stop whining. Thanks to this Microslop deal and massive industry consolidation thousands upon thousands of devs and other workers lost their livelihoods. This greedy piggie pervert needs shut up and f-off.

160°

Saudi Arabia Will Own 93 Percent Of Battlefield 6 Publisher EA

When the dust settles on the $55 billion leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts, Saudi Arabia will be its only true owner, despite a “consortium” of investors being involved in the deal. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund will control 93 percent of the company, according to filings with Brazil’s antitrust regulator.

blacktiger44d ago

Technically speaking, Saudi Arabia and TENCENT can buy the entire USA. ANf Democrat and Republican will not do crap!

Inverno44d ago

Letting foreign entities own half of American businesses is liberal and very progressive. So is bringing in all that talent from outside the States to replace the talentless and lazy American workers. And here I thought the Trump administration wanted to border is up but nope. We're supposed to worry bout them "radical Muslims" minding their own here and ignore China/Saudi/Israel taking over.

blacktiger44d ago

Another thing I hate hearing is "liberal and very progressive"
It's 2025 and that stuff is outdated. Everything and everyway is literally the same thing wheter it's progressive, conservativ. Because they all wants the same thing have, king unlimited oney buy everything including your house.

Now they making mainstream media news that it's AI Bubble justify to highjack the price of RAM.
Another excuse for inflation!

Tacoboto44d ago

"here I thought the Trump administration wanted to border is up but nope"

Lol, you actually bought what he was selling? Let's see this week alone...

Yesterday he pardoned an international drug lord, while allowing the murder of random fishermen on boats. Remember drain the swamp? He pardoned a Democratic Congressman jailed for bribery just today, nevermind that fraudulent drag queen republican that was kicked out of Congress and imprisoned for their fraud. It's so petty they're picking fights on social media with pop stars while using their music, and even using Franklin the damn Turtle to cartoonify their murders.

thorstein43d ago

You believed him!?!!

I've got some Trump $5000 bills for you, only half off.

43d ago
Inverno42d ago

People I do not use /s to point out my sarcasm. Should be obvious I don't believe anything coming out of Trump's mouth or any politicians mouth.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 42d ago
gold_drake43d ago

its quite ridiculous that they were able to do that. or even allowed to.

but saudis even have their grabby hands in nintendo stocks.

maximusprime_43d ago

Looking on the bright side, the games may be patched to remove any ideologies that are incompatible for the majority of the world.

S2Killinit43d ago

What do you mean? You want censorship in games?

Show all comments (16)
40°

EA Quells Fears and Says It Will Retain Creative Control If Saudi-Backed Buyout Proceeds

Electronic Arts says it will retain creative control if sold to a Saudi-backed group, assuring staff its values and vision stay the same.