Bobby Kotick slags off EA

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 27 September, 2010

"I've been an oppressed EA developer!"

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has slagged off Electronic Arts - his chief rival.

"EA will buy a developer and then it will become 'EA Florida', 'EA Vancouver', EA New Jersey', whatever," Kotick told the latest issue of Edge magazine.

"We always looked and said, 'You know what? What we like about a developer is that they have a culture, they have an independent vision and that's what makes them so successful.'

"We don't have an Activision anything – it's Treyarch, Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer. That, to me, is one of the unassailable rules of building a publishing company. And in every case except for two, the original founders of the studio are still running the studios today.

"The only thing that we try to do is to provide a support structure to make them more successful. If you do a really god job – and a lot of our studios do – you get to pick what is, in my view, the most difficult thing to pick in the industry: to make original intellectual property."

Kotick is, of course, public enemy number one for most gamers after a year that's seen the CEO make some eyebrow-raising comments and fire COD creators Vince Zampella and Jason West, who went on to form Respawn Entertainment and sign with EA.

Only last week Kotick said Halo developer Bungie, which has signed a ten year deal with Activision, was "probably the last remaining high quality independent developer".

And who can forget the infamous "take all the fun out of making video games" quote from last year?

According to Kotick, though, EA's the big bad wolf.

"I've been an oppressed EA developer!" he said in response to the suggestion that EA has changed its ways.

"The thing is, it doesn't work that way – you can't be a floor wax and then decide that you're going to become a dessert topping.

"That doesn't work, it's your DNA. [EA's] DNA isn't oriented towards that model – it doesn't know how to do it, as a culture or as a company, and it never has."

Zing.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (71) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • captain_Carl #1 1 year ago

    Another day and Bobby Kotick is once again making a gigantic cunt of himself

  • Goodfella #2 1 year ago

    He's off again.

    /rolls eyes.

  • telboy007 #3 1 year ago

    +1 for excellent use of the c word. :)

  • Fab4 #4 1 year ago

    "I like it because when we dump them, none of them have Activision in their name."

  • Jon1292 #5 1 year ago

    Activision Blizzard


    What an absolute twat HAHA,

  • lucky_jim #6 1 year ago

    I'm no developer, but I know which out of John Riccitiello and Bobby Kotick I'd rather work for.

  • Eraysor #7 1 year ago

    I facepalmed so hard my head almost came off

  • Goodfella #8 1 year ago

    You can feel the love in here.

    LOL.

  • Ryboy #9 1 year ago

    I'd like to kick Bobby right in his Kotics.

    Cunt.

  • cianchristopher #10 1 year ago

    If that's the case Bobby, then why does the cover of Blur not have Bizarre Creations name listed anywhere on it?

    It's not even on the back of the box, never mind the front.

  • GamesConnoisseur #11 1 year ago

    EA was indeed not great for developers like Bullfrog and others who has gone into page of history, but Activitson are acting more and more like EA of old.

    The proof is always in the pudding, so come on see how EA and Acti does for us gamers and how they treat the developers.

    The head to head comparasion here is Respawn and Bungie, as both are in a special position within EA and Acti.
    Who will does the best? Would gamers get the benefits of their work? We may not know until a good few years have passed!

  • midnight_walker #12 1 year ago

    What a cunt.

  • Kami #13 1 year ago

    Jesus mother Mary and Joseph, does Kotick get a semi from being such a monumental jackass?

    Being such a massive cock must really turn him on... sad really...

    You can feel the love in here.

    We love him because he's so easy to hate on!
    Edited by 1 at 27/09/10 @ 11:38

  • dr_shambles #14 1 year ago

    Mr Pot meet Mr Kettle.

  • Trikk #15 1 year ago

    DEATH TO EA
    DEATH TO ACTIVISION
    DEATH TO KOTICK

  • ZizouFC #16 1 year ago

    Shutup Knobby CockDick.

    See what I did there?

  • actionfitz #17 1 year ago

    "The only thing that we try to do is to provide a support structure to make them more successful. If you do a really god job – and a lot of our studios do – you get to pick what is, in my view, the most difficult thing to pick in the industry: to make original intellectual property."

    Unless you are 'Insubordinate'... then you get fired and have to sue to get the money you worked for.
    Then your former colleagues are harshly interrogated and held to ransom over withheld bonuses (sort of a misnomer considering Infinity Ward agreed lower working wages in exchange for higher completion bonuses before MW2 was finished).

    But when has Bobby ever let the facts get in the way for a good public trolling exercise?
    :)

  • captain_Carl #18 1 year ago

    Liberal use of the C word in these comments!

  • karooo #19 1 year ago

    Fuck you bobby

    I love EA.

  • djed #20 1 year ago

    What's in a name?

    Apparently everything.

  • Kami #21 1 year ago

    "Liberal use of the C word in these comments!"

    You're going to get several more pages of the C-word yet, so hope no-one is easily offended...

  • AbracadaverAK #22 1 year ago

    "The thing is, it doesn't work that way – you can't be a floor wax and then decide that you're going to become a dessert topping."

    But Bobby, they aren't a floor wax or a dessert topping. That analogy doesn't make any sense.

    Now, if you'd said, "you can't make floor wax and then decide to make dessert toppings", that would've been better. Obviously, that wouldn't have worked in this case because, much like the situation you're trying to analogise, it isn't true.

  • metalangel #23 1 year ago

    He doesn't know what he's talking about. Back when EA started out, they were very unique in pushing for the developer's name on the front of the box (the box being a record album-style square sleeve with suitably cool artwork) and creating the whole 'rock star' image as opposed to most games which listed the credits somewhere if they were lucky!

    I've still got Bill Budge's Pinball Construction Set and Stuart Smith's Adventure Construction set on 5.25" floppy around here somewhere. That is what EA built its success on, they were still doing it in the early 90s, Desert Strike has Mike Posehn's name on the front.

    Kuntick seems to forget that Activision was formed by disgruntled Atari programmers who want treatment like the EA guys, and that it's through various big corporate mergers and deals that they've become the despised purveyors of shit and arrogance we know today.

  • SwashbucklingStuff #24 1 year ago

    "Liberal use of the C word in these comments!"

    Doesn't Kotick begin with a K?

    Ohhhh I get it.

  • Antaios #25 1 year ago

    That's it. I've had enough of Kotick and his incessant idiocy now. Not buying any Activision products as long as this cunt stays CEO there.

  • SylarsStubble #26 1 year ago

    Bobby Koprick might expend his talents better managing a debt collection agency.

  • charliemouse #27 1 year ago

    When did Criterion become EA Guildford then?

  • seabassuk #28 1 year ago

    Dammit Bobby, your at your best when your telling us how your going to rip us off or what other insane money plans you have, not when your doing PR "Activision is good, [instert studio] is bad"

    Still,he gets points for being dillusional and for this gem of a quote: "The thing is, it doesn't work that way – you can't be a floor wax and then decide that you're going to become a dessert topping."

  • Toothball #29 1 year ago

    Can't really blame him for mouthing off a bit. He's on the receiving end of it so often that it's not so unreasonable for him to want to have a turn.

    That said I share the general sentiment from most of these comments, although I'd be inclined to phrase it differently.

  • attacanteblue #30 1 year ago

    I work for an Activision-owned dev studio, and I love it. I can honestly say that Activision have been nothing but wonderful in their dealings with us. Our studio retains all the identity and "fun" from our independent days.

    Don't believe everything you read, boys and girls.

  • iHAZaCHEEZ3burger #31 1 year ago

    You can always count an a Kotic article's comments all being positive scoring. :)


    P.S. He is such a cunt.

  • TopKatt #32 1 year ago

    Gosh, what a cunt!

  • Sir_TimAlot #33 1 year ago

    See you next tuesday...

  • nuanimal #34 1 year ago

    Actually Bob, EA is starting to push its EA Partnerts Program - where they've stopped buying devs (likely too costly, and high risk in long term for EA), and just look to partnering up to publish, support and take a cut of profits - still leaving independent studios... err... independant.

    Less risk to EA, more freedom (and long term uncertainty) to devs. Don't get me wrong EA are still a corporate machine. By they aren't a cunt like you.

    "We don't have an Activision anything – it's Treyarch, Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer.

    Yeah EA does have a knack of rebranding everything - but they don't bad mouth their clientel, or aer as much of a hate figure as they used to be - and that's thanks to better quality games of the last couple of years, and a better percieved value to their DLC.


    Edit: Spelling & Grammar

    Edited by 1 at 27/09/10 @ 14:06

  • Goffee #35 1 year ago

    The danger with high-level execs is, THEY ACTUALLY BELIEVE THIS STUFF, and the low-level execs act as a shit filter to keep the boss happy.

    But, is it better to have a rich, deluded daddy who pays the bills and makes the odd insane demand or shuffle off into the harsh light of indy-dev land? Which would you choose?

  • Spekingur #36 1 year ago

    So wait, is he saying that all the studios that Activision has signed are "floor wax"?

  • mezzomorto #37 1 year ago

    When did Criterion become EA Guildford then?

    Or Tiburon, EA Florida?
    Edited by 1 at 27/09/10 @ 12:02

  • NimbusTLD #38 1 year ago

    Anyone know what is the other studio that isn't run by the founders anymore?

  • darkmorgado #39 1 year ago

    Anyone would think he wants to sign the death warrant on his career.

    Either that or he just has a mental illness.

  • Quint2020 #40 1 year ago

    Ahhh Kotick, what about Visceral Games? I believe they used to be EA Redwood but due to their stellar output they were given greater autonomy as well as a name change.

  • OllyJ #41 1 year ago

    Bored of this now, do shut up. This is not news.

  • El-Dev #42 1 year ago

    If Wez or Ellie ever get to interview him they should ask;

    EG: "A large per centage of our users think you're a cunt Bobby, what do you think about that?"


    And probably get this answer;

    BK: "They've never met me or had any dealings with me, but I would like to thank them for buying my games and making me an exceptionally rich cunt. Now I've got to go, me and my buddies are about to run a train on a air hostess."
    Edited by 3 at 27/09/10 @ 13:48

  • DDevil #43 1 year ago

    The brilliant thing about this is in the previous issue of Edge there was an article about how EA have changed and no longer calls their studios EA Scunthorpe or wherever. See: Criterion, Respawn and others. You'd have thought Kotick would have known that with Respawn being one of them.

    Still, you don't check the names of the ants you tread on do you?

  • retr0gamer #44 1 year ago

    Damage Control?

  • Retro_ #45 1 year ago

    I prefer EA games to Activision personally. EA seem to make a decent attempt at making both PS3 and 360 versions as close as possible, Activision don't seem to care somehow.

  • menage #46 1 year ago

    EA is lot better than Acti in the actual games dep. So yeah, like everyone said already.

  • Ryboy #47 1 year ago

    You're still a cunt.

  • ucankurbaga #48 1 year ago

    Bobby Kotick, you are disgrace to gaming industry, You were LUCKY to had the guys working in Infinity Ward, They were the ones what made CALL OF DUTY a hit title today. You cut the golden laying chicken. Without them Activision would be avarage company which would still publish your stupid Guitar Hero games and never be part of a big company like Blizzard.
    Edited by 1 at 27/09/10 @ 13:02

  • rojjer #49 1 year ago

    The sad thing is, approximately 60% of the people in here slagging off Kotick will buy an activision game this side of the new year
    Edited by 1 at 27/09/10 @ 13:27

  • Derblington #50 1 year ago

    DDevil - Respawn aren't EA owned, it's a publishing deal.

  • ozzzy189 #51 1 year ago

    I'm going to be a troll for the first time ever and write the same thing in all the booby kotick stories, and even use some swearing words too.
    Fuck off you fat cunt, no one likes you or even gives a fucking shit what you say.

  • Segnit #52 1 year ago

    Kotick is a mobile April Fools day. When you're with him, anything goes.

  • NegativeZero #53 1 year ago

    "I've been an oppressed EA developer!" he said in response to the suggestion that EA has changed its ways.

    When was this? If Bobby has ever written a single line of code in his life I'd be extremely surprised, and I doubt he's ever worked a day for EA - there's no mention of it anywhere online.

  • Derblington #54 1 year ago

    He wasn't a game dev, he did "business programs". Details here: http://ko taku.com/5559201/a-delightful-c...

  • dingo75 #55 1 year ago

    Kotick you wanker:
    Go and check out EA's history especially the early years you stupid noob!
    Then talk about not being able to change (for the worse in EA's case unfortunately) again!

  • IamTheElderScrolls #56 1 year ago

    I love you Bobby
    Edited by 1 at 27/09/10 @ 16:13

  • menage #57 1 year ago

    I'll root for Moore

  • Soton4084 #58 1 year ago

    The more this idiot says, the more inclined I am NOT to buy Activision games. This guy is a PR disaster!

  • TheLittlestHobo #59 1 year ago

    Breaking news: Activision has finally been rebranded. The brief was to bring it more inline with consumer expectations. I think they did such a great job I have used the logo as my profile pic.

  • I\'mListening #60 1 year ago

    Notice the only three developers he mentions are his cash-cow develpores forced to work on COD

  • TiTaniXNEz #61 1 year ago

    Can you fly Bobby?

    [link url=http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=aI-Fg9chJzM
    ]http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=aI-Fg9chJzM
    [/link]

  • des #62 1 year ago

    EA is shit,Activison is shit.
    Both are trying to rip you off...and succeeding sadly...you really have to be stupid to love either of them

  • DDevil #63 1 year ago

    "DDevil - Respawn aren't EA owned, it's a publishing deal."

    Oooh, good point Derbs. I had forgotten that.

  • monkfishjoe #64 1 year ago

    So, the CEO of one publisher slagging off another - orignal and entirely unexpected that...

    Also - autonomas developers hey Bobby? How does Infinity Ward feel about that statement?

  • alcides #65 1 year ago

    "We always looked and said, 'You know what? What we like about a developer is that they have a culture, they have an independent vision and that's what makes them so successful.'

    lol wat.

  • Freek #66 1 year ago

    Diden't they hire somebody to improve Activissions image?

    Step one: duck tape Koticks mouth.
    Step two: ???
    Step three: proffit!

  • alcides #67 1 year ago

    did EG hire a guy to post gaming news?

  • cristoflanga #68 1 year ago

    This guy is so funny. It's just way off the mark as a human being.

  • gaanbo #69 1 year ago

    Bobby Kotick the cunt works at cunty Cuntyvision

  • levitate #70 1 year ago

    Anything Bobby Kotick has to say is worth less than yesterday's dog poo.

  • Hermiod #71 1 year ago

    Bungie are the last high quality independent studio ? Really, Bobby ?

    You might want to talk to Valve about that.