Activision: "We might have to stop supporting Sony"

Activision boss Bobby Kotick has dropped a huge bomb on Sony today with a few statements concerning their support for the PlayStation 3 and PSP. In short, the world's largest third-party games developer doesn't like their attach rates for Sony's consles and is threatening to withdraw support.

"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," he says.

What Kotick is pushing for, like many others, is a PlayStation 3 price cut.

"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," Kotick tells Times Online. "When we look at 2010 and 2011, we might want to consider if we support the console - and the PSP too."

Source

What does Activision make again?

CoD, Tony Hawk, and Guitar Hero?

All the games I couldn't give rat's @$$ about so I don't care.

I'm not liking recent arrogant stands Activision is taking these days. Whenever company does this, bad things tends to follow.

I think it's about time that sony adds more features for their console! Freaking same as ps2 lame.

I think it's about time that sony adds more features for their console! Freaking same as ps2 lame.

Makemap

Well that's not good :|

sony better drop the price of the ps3 by 100 bucks each model cause i really like the MODERN WARFARE franchise if they stop making them for ps3 im so getting a 360

Sony needs to wake up or many more developers might start to follow suit.

What does Activision make again?

CoD, Tony Hawk, and Guitar Hero?

All the games I couldn't give rat's @$$ about so I don't care.

I'm not liking recent arrogant stands Activision is taking these days. Whenever company does this, bad things tends to follow.

TriangleHard

[QUOTE="TriangleHard"]

What does Activision make again?

CoD, Tony Hawk, and Guitar Hero?

All the games I couldn't give rat's @$$ about so I don't care.

I'm not liking recent arrogant stands Activision is taking these days. Whenever company does this, bad things tends to follow.

King9999

Yes this is arrogance.

If this is only thing they said, I guess I can over-look it, but Activision has been building up to this point of Jack @$$ness.

Also there was no need to make public statement. This all could've been done behind the doors. By going public, to me it seems nothing more than swinging their manhood around the industry.

Many 3rd party developer has asked for Sony to reduce the PS3 price, but none has gotten out to the point of Activision who acts like they control Sony's destiny.

To simply put, it's less about what they said, but how they said it.

Kotick is talking out of his ass.

[QUOTE="Makemap"]

I think it's about time that sony adds more features for their console! Freaking same as ps2 lame.

rragnaar

I seriously doubt that they'll drop support. I'm sure it's just trying to give Sony a little kick in the butt to try to bring the price of the PS3 down. They may scale back just a little bit if they need/want to prove their point though. Either way though they do have some excellent and very high-profile games in their stable plus such a public statement doesn't do Sony any favours in the consumer's eyes so it could help force Sony's hand.

Activision made a public statement to put pressure on Sony. The more PS3 units sold, the more game copies sold, which is more money for game developers.

Arrogant? I don't think so. Perhaps. More like an "airing of dirty laundry" in public.

I would like to see Sony drop the price of the PS3; and then drop Activision.

[QUOTE="TriangleHard"]

What does Activision make again?

CoD, Tony Hawk, and Guitar Hero?

All the games I couldn't give rat's @$$ about so I don't care.

I'm not liking recent arrogant stands Activision is taking these days. Whenever company does this, bad things tends to follow.

King9999

I'm sure this is just a public way of humiliating Sony into dropping the price.

The thing I find most striking about this is that it cements just how out of hand this generation has gotten for Sony. I mean, think back to 2002, and now look at today, where Activision is threatening (even if it is just an idle threat) to dump them because they aren't selling enough systems for Activision to sell enough games.

How the mighty have fallen. I wish I could say this was surprising to me, but I knew way back when Kaz uttered the "$599 US DOLLARZ" line that this was how it would end up.

What does Activision make again?

CoD, Tony Hawk, and Guitar Hero?

All the games I couldn't give rat's @$$ about so I don't care.

I'm not liking recent arrogant stands Activision is taking these days. Whenever company does this, bad things tends to follow.

TriangleHard

I don't like Activision as a company, but this would be huge. It'd be like what happened with the Dreamcast when the PS2 began dominating. To lose a major 3rd party publisher, would be a stake through the heart, no doubt.

What does Activision make again?

CoD, Tony Hawk, and Guitar Hero?

TriangleHard

Activision is actually a pretty damn good publisher and they have some very good games on the horizon. Also, Prototype and Wolverine: Origins were both really, really well done.

Let's face it. The Sony during the PS2 generation would have crushed Activision for making such comments. The PS3 generation Sony however gets little respect and needs to plead for every penny earned.

PS2 Sony - " I find your lack of faith..... disturbing."

PS3 Sony - "C'mon Activision, you wouldn't do that to poor old Gily! I need this!"

:P thats hilarious

Let's face it. The Sony during the PS2 generation would have crushed Activision for making such comments. The PS3 generation Sony however gets little respect and needs to plead for every penny earned.

PS2 Sony - " I find your lack of faith..... disturbing."

PS3 Sony - "C'mon Activision, you wouldn't do that to poor old Gily! I need this!"

leonalabasters

What does Activision make again?

CoD, Tony Hawk, and Guitar Hero?

All the games I couldn't give rat's @$$ about so I don't care.

I'm not liking recent arrogant stands Activision is taking these days. Whenever company does this, bad things tends to follow.

It is just a bluff. I'm sure Activision makes plenty of money off of Sony...rragnaar

This all could've been done behind the doors. By going public, to me it seems nothing more than swinging their manhood around the industry.TriangleHard

What does Activision make again?

CoD, Tony Hawk, and Guitar Hero?

All the games I couldn't give rat's @$$ about so I don't care.

I'm not liking recent arrogant stands Activision is taking these days. Whenever company does this, bad things tends to follow.

TriangleHard

Activision is a huge 3rd party publisher. It doesn't matter if you like the games they make or not, the reality is that both Guitar Hero and CoD are gargantuan franchises and worth an equally large amount of money. If Activision pulls away from Sony the PS3 is going to take a a big hit in sales. The system does have some great titles both now and upcoming, but none of them are as appealing to casuals as GH and CoD.

The reason Activision is being arrogant is because they can be. This isn't the first time 3rd party developers have complained about the PS3's price and Sony's resistance to making price cuts. While most developers can't bully Sony into making a price cut, some, like Activision, can. Why did Activision make this public? Probably to both humiliate Sony and to encourage other 3rd party publishers to follow suit. If EA, for example, decides to also make an ultimatum Sony will have no choice but to give into their demands since those two companies more or less drive every system's sales.

On a business standpoint and if they are having poor profit, then yeah, putting some pressure on sony is the best idea. A big developer like activision also has an huge cost to keep (game production, installation, taxes, transport, management, employees and others), so an huge profit to keep the business on toes is necessary.

PS3 has the highest production cost, and seems to be giving them very few return, according to the article. So its pointless to keep things like this.

However, by cutting relations with sony, there are some problems that they will create doing this, they will surely piss of some of the PS3 fanbase, while not an huge problem, some people might stop supporting them.

On a business standpoint and if they are having poor profit, then yeah, putting some pressure on sony is the best idea. A big developer like activision also has an huge cost to keep (game production, installation, taxes, transport, management, employees and others), so an huge profit to keep the business on toes is necessary.

PS3 has the highest production cost, and seems to be giving them very few return, according to the article. So its pointless to keep things like this.

However, by cutting relations with sony, there are some problems that they will create doing this, they will surely piss of some of the PS3 fanbase, while not an huge problem, some people might stop supporting them.

meiaman

Obviously Activision doesn't care much about the PS3 fanbase if they drop support for the console. And how exactly would PS3 owners not supporting Activision hurt them more in any way if Activision has already dropped support for the PS3? A boycott doesn't really have any effect if there's nothing to boycott in the first place...

What does Activision make again?

CoD, Tony Hawk, and Guitar Hero?

All the games I couldn't give rat's @$$ about so I don't care.

I'm not liking recent arrogant stands Activision is taking these days. Whenever company does this, bad things tends to follow.

TriangleHard

Activision must be doing some things right, as Stardock just picked them up (along with Ubisoft) to increase their digital download database, and when everything is considered, Prototype really isn't that bad of a new game.

What does Activision make again?

CoD, Tony Hawk, and Guitar Hero?

All the games I couldn't give rat's @$$ about so I don't care.

I'm not liking recent arrogant stands Activision is taking these days. Whenever company does this, bad things tends to follow.

[QUOTE="TriangleHard"]

What does Activision make again?

CoD, Tony Hawk, and Guitar Hero?

All the games I couldn't give rat's @$$ about so I don't care.

I'm not liking recent arrogant stands Activision is taking these days. Whenever company does this, bad things tends to follow.

cousin_eddy

If this is true, Sony WILL take a big hit. I love my PS3, but in right now, price tags are all that people seem to see.