i think he's trying to say: "stop buying guitar hero! it is s***! Just to make sure you don't buy it, we're going to jack up the price." so he's helping people by ensuring they don't buy GH!!!
I know this is all business, but why does he have to keep making public statements?
Bad move imo
thelastguy
the concept of ancillary products isn't some deep dark industry secret that this guy invented. I still need someone to explain to me why it's so horrible for this guy to say that he'd like customers to buy his game, DLC for his games and things of that nature. How do you guys expect to find jobs if companies making money seems like some wild and crazy idea that you could never fathom in a million years?
Wow, I just had a great idea. Okay guys, get this: What if Kotick and Shigeru Miyamoto had a boxing match? Each gets to pick their own weapon, Shiggy gets a Zelda Master Sword, Kotick gets a Guitar Hero peripheral. The ultimate battle of good vs. evil! "In this corner we have the peak of the gaming industries awesomness, a legend to behold, Shigeruuuu MiyaMOTOOO! And in this corner, he's the legend of rehashes, the Hitler of games, the douche of the industry, Robert KOOOOOTICK!" *ding ding ding* Shiggy slashes Kotick in the face, Kotick dies. "I am proud to announce that Call of Duty will never appear on a Nintendo console again. **** Activision, look for the new Zelda next summer", Shiggy anounces.Best E3 ever...
Everyone should buy Rock Band anyways, it's made by the original makers of the Guitar Hero series, it's done by MTV, which has great music industry connections. I don't disagree with Kotick on raising the price of games, given the much higher development costs we've seen recently. But it is astonishing how openly he'll say something like that to the media, shouldn't you at least speak abstractly about "revenue stream" rather than single sale or something like that?
I hope Kotick quits and Mike Morhaime (CEO of Blizzard) becomes CEO of Activision Blizzard. Seeing him bring Blizzard's quality to all of Activision would be a great thing.
What's wrong with that? If people are so shocked by this, why are they not shocked when they have to pay to play online? WoW does it and Microsoft does it, and you people seem fine with that.
Of course it would be rather idiotic to hate the guy for making money for his business, as that's what CEOs jobs entail. I think the real problem is that he obviously has no concern over the quality of titles that he releases, no concern for his employees and certainly no respect whatsoever for the people that make him his $15 million a year pay packet; the consumers. I'm afraid if this becomes the trend in video games, we will begin to see it turn into a new Hollywood (80's remake anyone?). When creativity no longer matters and all that's important is the returns, all that will probably be left is 3 lacklustre franchises that churn out an unimaginative sequel every coule of months. Kinda like Hollywood and all these godamn Saw movies. What ever happened to taking a chance? Doesn't anyone have the balls to try something new? Oh yeah, I found this interview with Kotick from a few years ago in regards to product placement in video games. Here's his response to whether it's the next big thing: " KOTICK: It's primarily really tightly integrated product placement, making sure that the products have an appropriateness to our audiences. But, I mean, you think about the power of - in a Tony Hawk game - going from level three to level four and having to drink a Coca-Cola or a Pepsi, you're reaching millions of consumers, hundreds of hours per consumer. It's a really positive association. So we see, you know, four or five years from now, this being a potentially big opportunity." http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,156801,00.html People like this would probably rather us walking round with advertisements tatooed on our foreheads, pockets empty, filling their coffers. Maybe I wasn't raised well as a child, but I was always taught that greed is a bad thing.
Sounds like a man looking to enjoy the top while he stands there firm and proud. Nothing wrong, if you didn't know... the GH games are compatible with previous instruments and even Rock Band instruments. If you keep buying the sets with every game, you're to blame really, and if no one knew that DLC gives devs more money, well then think about hitting your head on a hard surface and see if blood flows through your brain. The man isn't stating anything beyond the obvious here people...
Omg there are so many people that i hate now in this thread. There is no defending this company at all but yet You still try thread after thread to make everything absolutely wrong with this picture seem 'ok'.
Man was talking to investors for all this so as a result what he said and is saying was meant to instill a desire to invest in the company. The comments were a means to accomplish that...
I love people that say they wont buy another Activision product because the comment is/are filled with hypocrisy. Your on a gaming forum so odds are you enjoy your video games. Hell, odds are its one of your more major hobbies.
As a result, as soon as Activision releases a game that is well received and critically acclaimed, youll bow down, pick up the soap and (directly or otherwise) drop a buck or two in Activisions coffers...
It does not matter how much BS Kotick says because I doubt the average gamer actually goes to forums like GS and keep updated on the latest news, so in the end regardless of how many "petitions or boycotts" we get GH will still sell like pancakes.
The quote out of context makes sense. Nintendo does the same - all companies do. Its how they make money. They sell you something that you need to keep investing in. It maintains brand loyalty.
The rest of the Kotick quotes, though, make him seem like an arrogant arse that neither vaulues employees or customers. He sees the former as people who need to be reduced to robotic drones and the latter as sacks of money. No other CEO will say the things that Kotick has said.
I mean, instilling fear in the developers and sucking the fun out of their job. Is it not a hard enough career option as it is?
I'm glad i don't give a rats a** about games like Guitar Hero, Call of Duty or any other franchise Activision has to offer. Wouldn't want to be giving my hard earned money to this guy and his coompany.
It's a simple solution; Stop buying there **** games. You idiots allow yourselves to get abused with this BS. You pretty much welcome it with open arms and hand your wallets over.
And the more you allow it to continue the worse it gets the more that start doing it.
As a guitarist I never really understood why someone would mash buttons and pretend to play a guitar when they could for similar prices go out and get an Ibanez starter kit for £100. That or take that estimated $500 and buy your self a Vintage SG and take a picture of it and post it to the CEO of activision.
I dont see the shock factor tbh. every corporation is out for profit will you suddenly start boycotting Cereal brand for saying it out loud? OMG my fast and healthy food products want something more than to just make my day better?!?
If its not a fun game people wont buy it simple as that.
Hell this is the entire driving philosophy of the trading card and warhammer business. Dont stop them from being popular.
As a guitarist I never really understood why someone would mash buttons and pretend to play a guitar when they could for similar prices go out and get an Ibanez starter kit for £100. That or take that estimated $500 and buy your self a Vintage SG and take a picture of it and post it to the CEO of activision.
No_Quoter
As someone that is musically stunted, I enjoy Guitar Hero because it allows me to experience music in a different and entertaining way. I am fully aware that the experiences are entirely different, which is why people like rhythm games, and would play them rather than a real instrument. I dont understand the difference between Guitar Hero and Frequency, Amplitude, PaRappa the Rapper and Samba De Amigo, except that the controller is a different shape. Gotta say though that the GH milkage takes the mick. Im probably going to get Beatles Rock Band, but after that... I cant be doing with renewing all these big bulky peripherals. I would like some more interesting rhythm games, like Wii Music taken to the extreme end of its potential, or another Parappa.
Everything is `their' fault ... though I would be shocked if any hardcore gamer never bought at least a single version of GH.
zarshack
I never have. Playing the guitar isnt my thing. Let alone playing a plastic one.
Playing the guitar IS mine, but I've never bought a GH or RB game either.
Beatles Rock Band is appealing [no way am I buying the Beatles-esque instruments for it, though] ... but playing self-created music is just so much more fufilling, and IMO gets me far, far more `into' the music than a game.
As a guitarist I never really understood why someone would mash buttons and pretend to play a guitar when they could for similar prices go out and get an Ibanez starter kit for £100. That or take that estimated $500 and buy your self a Vintage SG and take a picture of it and post it to the CEO of activision.
No_Quoter
i find rock bank/guitar hero are a replacement for the air guitar and not a real guitar.
After hearing all of this I really want to punch this guy in the face repeatedly with a pair of serrated iron knuckles with rusted barbs covered in diseased rat feces, with the force of a bullet train behind each blow.
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