Activision "might stop supporting Sony" Comments by Games Industry.biz

Could we be a little bit realistic here.

Each system needs to justify the costs to produce a title for it. I'm sure it's not the case for all of their titles but it IS possible that they don't turn a profit on certain PS3 versions.

I can't realistically see them dropping titles like COD, GH & TH off the PS3 roster as I'm sure the ROI is fine, however expensive new franchises that compete with PS3 exclusives could well be dropped in the future - something like Prototype for example.

If that happens it will hurt the PS3....UNLESS they reduce the cost to produce titles for the system and/or reduce the cost of the console so they sell more games. Which is EXACTLY what he is angling for when making that statement.

@Wander
I think you're making it a little too black and white there. Sony own the James Bond and Spiderman IP, which I'm sure earn Activision a fair bit of dosh too.

Three cheers for this, the sooner the better as I can't afford one at the current price point!

What a disaster PS3 is...Gamecube at least was profitable

He's just trying to force the situation, it's a bitt silly for a multiplatform developer to start saying it doesn't make financial sense to support multipel consoles. Especially considering this entire generation has seen a trend of decreasing console exclusive to spread the cost.

This is nothing but a bluff to try and force Sony's hand with a price drop.

This is all a bit ridiculous imo.

Firstly, with the price Acti put on their games/peripherals, they should be the last ones complaining about pricing.

Secondly, this is a very unprofessional way of going about things.

and thirdly, I have absolutely no doubt Sony will drop the price towards the end of the year and not because of this dick.

@Vertius

"Unless you have a PS3, you're missing half of this generation's stand-out titles, if not more".

You must be smoking crack....

And to think this all comes down to Microsoft making shortcuts both in time and money to get the shonky early 360's to market first, and cheaper. When you factor in the huge costs of their warranty mechanisms they're in as deep a hole as Sony, yet they have a much larger userbase and are a more attractive proposition to publishers. In hindsight, an extremely clever, if somewhat cynical, strategy.

Blimey Activision, them's fightin' words....

The PS3 is a bargain, I don't care what anyone says. The problem is the 360 SEEMS cheaper because the price on the box is less. Sadly this is enough to fool many people.

I think the likelihood of a PS3 price cut is pretty high anyway.

I own both consoles but if I were PS3-only, I would happily tell Activision to carry out their threat...their games are complete shit.

I think these are just threats to force the price to go down, however, I don't think PS3-only gamers should start bashing devs for this and that. First Valve, then Atari now Activision, someday some might start syop playing video-games at all because of the PS3 bumpy road.

I love all this QQing from people in the industry recently... At least this time its not another article about Peter 'i invented the dog' Molyneux complaining

Also who buys a PS3 for a FPS? Better players and compitition will be on the 360

@Triggerhappytel

"Well, EA for one, who sacrificed a lot of market share for a better long-term business plan and quality over quantity."

Their market share was declining and they were also losing money, so they restructured in the name of protecting future profits and reducing costs (which in turn hit profits obviously). They certainly didn't do it so that you and I could play better games.

"I think you're making it a little too black and white there. Sony own the James Bond and Spiderman IP, which I'm sure earn Activision a fair bit of dosh too. "

Exactly...I think that Sony would have no option but to respond by playing this kind of hard ball, because such a loss would hit them as hard as losing Bond/ Spidey/ certain songs would hit Activision.

Bigglesworth

+1

Having the heavy weights chime in on this should certainly worry Sony. Frankly the PS3 catalogue is still very poor, there are some great games expected later this year and next, but frankly momentum seems to be slowing from a consumer perspective. Furthermore with many "exclusives" shifting to the 360 as timed releases I'm not seeing much in the way of incentive to keep my PS3 going.

Maybe I'm just getting old but BBC Iplayer is getting more airtime on my PS3 than games are....

The CEO of activision seems like a top bloke:

1. He bins the brutal legends game and it's developers following the Vivendi merger because they cannot make it an annual franchise, fortunately for them EA like them and want to publish their game. Now Activision is sueing them to stop the game being published even though they sacked the developer. Great PR work there Activision.

2. Harmonix are willing to let their instruments work on the inferior Guitar Hero published by Activision, but Activision say that they will not allow guitar hero instruments to be compatible with the better Rock Band, even though this is technically a very simple exercise. Good work again activision.

3. Slags off the premium console on the market, even though the previous iteration of the console was responsible for growing activision into the biggest publisher in the world.

Sounds like the sort of bloke you would really want to be mates with....

I must comment on the abuse FACTIMUS MAXIMUS gets for pointing out the blatant mess sony is in this gen.i have been reading his comments the last few weeks and he is a beacon of truth in these comments section.keep up the good work with your witty and articulate comments factimus.On topic ps3 games clearly have trouble selling(even exclusives) compared to the rampent 360 is this because of poor versions of multi plats or because a lot of people use ps3 as a blu player.the former i think combined with the sublime LIVE service.

Never, ever going to happen.

Wtf is going on here with loads of you saying its unbelievable for a 3rd party to drop support for a console?

Since the dawn of time the top console or the top two consoles have had major support and the third place systems generally lose it.

Now, because it's your* fucking beloved Sony console you're saying it won't happen, it's never happened or it's fucking out of order if it does happen??

As I said above, I don't think it will be that bad in the case, but please get your heads out of the sand and realise that whether it deserved it or not, the PS3 isnt 'winning' this gen and if the past has told us anything that means the possibility of losing 3rd party software!


* Addressed purely at the fanboys.

The price differance is nothing to write home about 2 and a half games difference. Although im probably not that average given that I have 15 PS3 games and 20 xbox 360 games.

Also the PS3 doesn't have to win it only has to turn a profit its business not war. The console in the lead simply makes more profit.

As long as sony and microsoft turn enough profit to justify producing their next consoles and keep competition alive then im fine.

@E_Shitstain

What the fuck are you talking about? The PS3 is gathering momentum gameswise just as the shitbox is grinding to a halt. I mean, seriously, what are you retarded ms fans looking forward to this year eh? Exactly. And if activision wanna stop making games for the PS3, then it'll hurt them more than Sony.

@ donnie080208

Your posts are great fun! Keep up the good work! :)

If one of the biggest games companys in the world is making comments like this about sonys black box then surely the playstation brand is in serious trouble.oh how the mighty have fallen.ms deserve this gen for the sheer quality of the games and online even if the hardware leaves something to be desired.sony deserve to lose arrogence,price,forced blu ray format,shite psn multis etc..

"What the fuck are you talking about? The PS3 is gathering momentum gameswise just as the shitbox is grinding to a halt. I mean, seriously, what are you retarded ms fans looking forward to this year eh? Exactly. And if activision wanna stop making games for the PS3, then it'll hurt them more than Sony. "

whata complete prat.

learn to read ffs before talking such utter bollocks.

then you'd see the massively higher software sales and the large number of coming games.

ignored.

@Trebell

Coming games? Funny you can't name any isn't it you ridiculous fucking muppet. Awwww, have you got me on ignore now so my words don't hurt your delicate likkle eyes? Pathetic cunt.

I'm very suprised Activision are so arrogant to think they can threaten a platform holder with over 200million hardware units out in the wild. Especially one who have already got one hardware refresh announced plus another strongly rumoured.

Thinking about it though, it really is an empty threat. A PS3 price reduction is a fait-accompli, the only question is when its going to happen. Stopping supporting the PS3 would cut their HD install base demographic by at least a third, which is quite a chunk of revenue (as evidenced by the $500m in royalties they paid last year) and as 360 and PS3 titles share a lot of code and assets it wouldn't save them that much in the way of upfront costs.

I bet EA are rubbing their hands with glee over this. If Activision pull out of the PS3 market it leaves EA's key franchises unopposed.

@donnie080208

Hello Farti you pathetic cumstain.

I do believe that this has always been the biggest problem with the PS3 in the attach rate of games.

I've got both consoles and while I enjoy playing some things on the PS3, whenever a game comes out it seems to me that the xbox360 version is usually superior (either in terms of graphic quality, framerate or (in the case of ghostbusters) basic stuff like flickering walls that are evident on the PS3). With the exception of LBP and Uncharted, most of my PS3 games are those from the PSN store. Ratchet and Clank is probably one of the only games on the PS3 I was compelled to go out and buy.

The developers themselves have a lot to answer for as well as Sony though. The PS3 is technically more powerful than anything out there just now, but the costs of developing and harnessing that power are significant which is why I'm sure we get so many lazy conversions from 360 games on to the PS3 which tend to be flawed. I know quite a lot of people who have both systems and I know from my own experience that people won't buy games for the PS3 that are inferior than the same available on a much cheaper console. With a higher attach rate on the 360, its not surprising that developers are focusing on that first and then porting to the PS3. Until Sony can do something to tip the balance back in their favour, i think the points Activision are making about royalty payments are going to become more and more common.

@maximusfarticus,

Don't you cunts ever get bored spouting the same shit over and over?

Next year blah blah blah

Sales at this point in its life blah blah blah

Great value with blu ray blah blah blah

Look at the great games coming up blah blah blah

M$ RROD LOL blah blah blah

Just fucking grow up or fuck off eh?

donnie(and some numbers)

are you blind to the fact that he's quite capable of holding his own against this torrent of "abuse"? For gooness sake, stop acting like his mum.

here's the thing, everyone is entitled to their opinion, some try to pass their opinion off as fact, others leave fellow posters to form their own opinion. Some flamebait (new word for my vocab!), others bite.

I really don't have a problem with farticus (well, except when he called me a w*nker, but I was being facetious :)) it just all adds to a lively debate.

This isn't a Court of Law and you're not farticus' brief, so stop counting the incidents of abuse against him.

Many Thanks

What a huge waste of money. It beggars belief that people would go out and buy a PS3 when they have an Xbox that they are already happy with and prefer, therefore resulting in the PS3 rarely being used...

The CEO's comment itself says less about the position of the major companies in the games industry and more about industry corporates who parade themselves like last years big brother contestants.

Personally PS3 and 360 are about equal to me, the only differance being that Sony rewarded me for being an early adopter while Microsoft punished me. (But I don't begrudge them, I plan on buying an elite at some point, and ever since I've gotten into photography its put the prices of consoles into stark perspective)

Also I play my PS3 about as much as I play my 360 and prefer neither. (The only console I rarely use is the Wii)

"but please get your heads out of the sand and realise that whether it deserved it or not, the PS3 isnt 'winning' this gen and if the past has told us anything that means the possibility of losing 3rd party software!"

You are right that PS3 isn't winning this gen. But the situation is a bit different this time with 2 HD platforms on the losing side and one totally different platform winning. Not supporting PS3 would cut the market for their HD titles by 40+ percent. Not really a smart move unless the additional costs of porting to PS3 are bigger than the additional revenues.

@Spacemidget

No more than you get bored of spouting the same old shit you dumb motherfucker:

"I know it keeps breaking down, but Microsoft are really quick at sending me a refurb"

"The fan noise doesn't bother me at all, I'm deaf as well as stupid"

"I don't care there are literally no big games coming this year, but as least we have our own version of Miis to play with"

"Peter Molyneux's next project really will be as good as he promises, honest"

Sad really.

Les has a good point.

maximus,

you can't fall for nonsense like that...the reaction is clearly what he wants!

How about you show me anywhere where I've said those things?

Fucking pwnt.

Oooh, it's all gone a bit sweary around here. I'll just go sit at the back so as to avoid the flying spittle.

/tippytoes


I predict at least one squillion bajillion posts, and the last post will end with 'IT'S YOUR DAMN BABY AND I'M HAVING AN ABORTION!!'... or am I thinking of Eastenders.... or am I ????

/eyebrow


Have a super weekend, super friends!

/ganja

@Laudy

You're right, I shouldn't feed obvious know-nothing trolls like trousermidget but I'm naturally a decent person and can't help but try to educate when I come across ignorance.

You're right, I shouldn't feed obvious know-nothing trolls like trousermidget but I'm naturally a decent person and can't help but try to educate when I come across ignorance.

THAT is THE funniest thing I've read in weeks. Brilliant.

@maximusfarticus

Why do you keep going on about "no Xbox 360 games to look forward to this year"?
Personally I'm looking forward to Halo 3:ODST, Forza 3, Blur, Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin's Creed 2. There's probably more out there as well.

What are the PS3 games that are looking good this year? I can only think of Uncharted 2 (and the last 3 I mentioned above - but seeing as they're multiplatform I think we can safely assume that they'll be better on the Xbox 360).

BTW, don't mention God of War 3, Heavy Rain or GT5 as games you're looking forward to. I mean this year as in 2009.

Anyway, I too must take my leave. Unlike all the xbox owners on here, I have some decent games that need playing.

To all the PS3 owners here, happy trails to you, until we meet again. To the Xbox owners, piss off.

I say Sony need to bite the bullit and reduce the price, MW2 is the biggest game of the year and Sony need it, oh how they need it. Sony are now in big trouble, losing shits loads of money every month, and if they lose the support of 3rd parties they are finished.

Les missed the point

@maximusfarticus

Have you heard of the multi award winning Left 4 Dead and its sequel L4D2? Its really very good.

Really, Bobby has just slapped PS3 fans in the face, kicked them in the nuts and finished them off with a chinese burn.......to the bell end.

If Activision can turn their back on over 22m potential customers then fair play to them. But, they are crying about poor attatch rates on Guitar Hero games. How you can buy more than one of them I do not know. I bought GH3, completed it on easy then left it lying for months and traded it in, which was the best bit of trade in business I ever did.

Can't see them dropping the PS3. Also after these comments can't see this guy keepin his job a lot longer. Isn't there a free post at MS after someone left for EA? Hmmmm.....