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Bobby Kotick: Activision May Stop Supporting Sony
Now Sony's Not Exploitable Enough, Either
by Sarah
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick is known for making lots of cash and asinine comments, and he's not about to stop doing either of those things now. After suing Double Fine over Brutal Legend like a jealous ex-boyfriend, Activision's latest move is to threaten to stop supporting Sony systems if a PS3 price cut doesn't happen.
In an interview with the Times, Kotick swam around in a pile of his own cash had this to say about the current generation's consoles:
"I'm getting concerned about Sony; the PlayStation 3 is losing a bit of momentum and they don't make it easy for me to support the platform. It's expensive to develop for the console, and the Wii and the Xbox are just selling better. Games generate a better return on invested capital on the Xbox than on the PlayStation. They have to cut the price, because if they don't, the attach rates are likely to slow... If we are being realistic, we might have to stop supporting Sony...When we look at 2010 and 2011, we might want to consider if we support the console - and the PSP [portable] too."
As Kotaku pointed out, if this became a reality, it would mean no Guitar Hero, Tony Hawk, or Call of Duty on the PS3 starting as early as next year. Could this actually happen? I have no idea. I'd like to think it wouldn't, but I also wouldn't expect a third-party publisher to drop two games with tons of early buzz just because they weren't sequels to an established franchise. You never really know with Activision.
Comments
omg, now i cannot play Guitar Hero Megadeth or Tony Hawk 22... OH MAN, NO PLESE DONT LEAVE ACTIVISION /sarcasm
Hahaha, well said, Voyou.
I think it's more likely that Sony cuts the price before Activision stops developing for their systems.
He can't go on with Playstation...it's the farthest he's ever been from the shire.
well, the PS3 really should come down in price, IMO. right now it's just not competitive. however, i'm not sure that kotick acting like a whiny bitch and delivering an ultimatum is really the right way to go about it.
"omg, now i cannot play Guitar Hero Megadeth or Tony Hawk 22... OH MAN, NO PLESE DONT LEAVE ACTIVISION /sarcasm"
What about Call of Duty? Not doing anything for you? Also, whether Sony fans realize it or not, the world's second or third largest game publisher saying that they may not support your console is a bad thing for Sony. Very bad. If they actually do it, it would be likely that others would follow suit, leaving the PS3 as a first-party-only console. And the lifespan for a system like that is..well, ask Neo*Geo.
From a businessperson standpoint, I got mad respect for his blunt demeanor and overall business model. The dude does not hide the fact that he is in it for the money and that he doesn't give a shit about working relationships with other companies or any risky or low profit games. Unfortunately, his company makes videogames, which means that i hate him.
But, Sony isn't making them as much money as Microsoft and Nintendo. It kind of makes sense that they would cut and run so they could dedicate more money to the cash cows. No apologies, no brainstorming, no compromise. If you're not filling my wallet, don't expect a Christmas card....
Sony's strategy is biting them in the ass, I see. If a major player drops out of the PS3, it is possible that others will follow suit. Marvelous comes to mind.
The man has a point but he does sound like a jerk