Schafer: "I need to keep my mouth shut"

By Tom Bramwell Published 15 July, 2010

Developer reflects on Bobby Kotick attack.

Double Fine's Tim Schafer has described his outburst about Activision CEO Bobby Kotick as "an accident".

Yesterday Schafer told Eurogamer that Kotick behaved like a "total prick" in pursuit of money and joked that he should go into arms manufacturing instead of games.

Activision got a bit upset overnight and defended Kotick, claiming the exec is "passionate" about games even though he doesn't get to play many these days.

"That was an accident," Schafer said of the comments in a Eurogamer interview. "I was going to change the title of my talk to 'how to give interviews and remember to check the microphone is off.'

"I need to keep my mouth shut," he said. "It is shocking how you really burn bridges in the industry. You start your own company and you don't have to work for that jerky boss any more. Not naming names.

"Then it's like Empire Strikes Back - you walk in the room and, 'Holy s*** Darth Vader's at the table.' It's such a small industry, you see the same people over and over again. No-one ever goes away."

Schafer didn't explain his comment about Kotick though. "I'm definitely not saying anything about Bobby," he said. "After that Eurogamer thing I realised I'm a little nervous about what I want to say."

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (79) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • Xboxfanuk #1 2 years ago

    lol...say it like it is Tim. Kottick doesn't need to act like a prick when talking business.

  • Fab4 #2 2 years ago

    I thought he was being diplomatic calling him a 'prick'.

  • Beano #3 2 years ago

    "...Activision got a bit upset overnight and defended Kotick, claiming the exec is "passionate" about games"

    Games like drowning kittens and eating roasted babies?

  • FlashMagic #4 2 years ago

    "No-one ever goes away."

    Hopefully Kotick will.

    No need to apologise Tim.

  • Iain815 #5 2 years ago

    C'mon man! At least take some pride in being the first to say what everyone was thinking.

  • somnolentsurfer #6 2 years ago

    "Darth Vader's at the table"? I thought he'd never met Kotick?

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #7 2 years ago

    To be fair, he only said Kotick BEHAVED like a prick (and a dick). It hardly rates at all on the Mel Gibson scale.

    Funny how, in trying to take the comment back somewhat, he then more or less calls Kotick Darth Vader!

  • sneetch #8 2 years ago

    Good luck getting him to ever open up in another interview, Eurogamer. I think the next one (if there is a next one) will be much more of a "We're not making any comments on that" interview. You dropped him in it with your 'Schafer calls Bobby Kotick "a total prick"' sensationalist article.

  • darkmorgado #9 2 years ago

    To be fair, he can't really blame Eurogamer for this and it doesn't seem like he is trying to - he knew it would be on the record, and journalists are always going to report something like this because readers love a bit of gossip.
    It's a shame that he is retracting his comments though, because if anything I think we need more people in the industry taking a stand against Kottick and his business model. If enough people spoke up, Kottick's shareholders might get pissy with him.

  • CaptainQuint #10 2 years ago

    Don't fail me again, Admiral.

  • actionfitz #11 2 years ago

    lol.
    "I'm sorry for calling you a dick Bobby...
    I actually think you are warm and cuddly... like Darth Vader."

    hehe.

  • darkmorgado #12 2 years ago

    @ EarlBassett

    True, it would be an entirely different story.

    What I find interesting is that he mentions Eurogamer in the third-person in this article, so presumably he wasn't making these comments to EG themselves, but there is no mention of who he is actually making them to.

  • Farfarer #13 2 years ago

    Well done EG, sensationalising a throwaway comment out of context has now put clamps on Tim Schafer giving interviews freely.
    Edited by 1 at 15/07/10 @ 13:06

  • Vordred #14 2 years ago

    mind you, Eurogamer did not help, instead of just posting the interview, they had to put up a sperate news piece saying "'Schafer calls Bobby Kotick "a total prick". instead of just leaving it in context of the interview

  • Mkwone #15 2 years ago

    I'm guessing Activision have kidknapped a family member.

  • keano #16 2 years ago

    I assume the headline should read :

    Kotick "i need to keep my mouth shut"

    otherwise it doesnt make sense

  • Coughthulu #17 2 years ago

    @sneetch:

    And maybe not just him. Wonder how many other devs will now think 'Yeah, I'm not saying anything that'll potentially get me into shit" whenever EG ask for an interview.

  • Cheddar99 #18 2 years ago

    Maybe Eurogamer should have been less sensationalist with it, dunno. This echoes what Cliff Bleszinski said in a recent interview about "certain websites" taking a quote out of context and just using it as an attention grabbing headline to get lots of comments and hits.

  • thisisatempaccount #19 2 years ago

    I agree with the comments above. Eurogamer's short-term gain in hits is the entire industry's loss if one of our few true greats starts winding his neck in.

  • Paulie_P #20 2 years ago

    and for gods sake EG stop putting those ads that pop up when you hover the mouse anywhere near them. I am purposely avoiding Dragon Quest after the annoying ads on this site and (especially) IGNs.

  • ChthonicEcho #21 2 years ago

    This is why Activision's PR fellow was so calm and still: so he could look like the better person. It's not unlikely Activision quietly threatened to sue Shafer for defamation, what with USA's obsession with courts.
    Edited by 1 at 15/07/10 @ 13:02

  • EvilMonkey70 #22 2 years ago

    Bit of an unfair comparison. One is the figure head of an evil organisation and the other is Darth Vader.

  • superdelphinus #23 2 years ago

    bloody hell guys it's hardly watergate

  • thefold #24 2 years ago

    Tim just said things about Kotick in public that we all wish people would. I for one, salute him.

  • Dylbot #25 2 years ago

    Well, you handled that one brilliantly, EG.

  • Raznilof #26 2 years ago

    In the entire interview here, he did come across more balanced. It was in the "duplicated" headline on all the news sites that his quote became far more aggressive than it was.

    Shame, he'll probably indeed never give an interview like that again, can't say Eurogamer is to blame though, although it was very smart questioning no one was holding a gun.

    Besides, Activision's whole year has been a PR disaster.

    If anything, they of all people should know about quotes, news sites and things being taken out of context.

    So they should also know how to give Schafer some slack on this, if they are to expect the same treatment from us.

  • Matfink #27 2 years ago

    @ tempaccoutn: yeah, but what's the value of neck-sticking-out if no-one gets to hear about it?

  • NegativeZero #28 2 years ago

    Activision got a bit upset overnight and defended Kotick, claiming the exec is "passionate" about games even though he doesn't get to play many these days.

    Notice, however, that in their statement they said absolutely nothing to counter the assertion that Bobby is a total prick. I assume it must be some kind of self-evident truth when even your PR flunkies can't argue against it.

  • tomjoadsghost #29 2 years ago

    So this is what reading 'heat' magazine feels like.

  • mcwildcard #30 2 years ago

    Good luck getting more than monosyllabic answers out of Tim next time you interview him guys.

  • TheBoyChris #31 2 years ago

    @Sneech - spot on.

  • Fwing #32 2 years ago

    The press always pretend to be your chums precisely for these moments when you let your guard down and they f*ck you over for their own benefit.

  • ignatiusjreilly #33 2 years ago

    What I find interesting is that he mentions Eurogamer in the third-person in this article, so presumably he wasn't making these comments to EG themselves, but there is no mention of who he is actually making them to.

    He was asked about this by a Guardian reporter at the Develop conference in Brighton.

    It's interesting to me that the Guardian goes with a headline of "Tim Schafer confirms he has four games in development", while EG, despite being a games site where we might like to hear about that, despite scoring a one-on-one interview and despite presumably attending the Develop conference (if not why not? It's in Brighton) get two stories out of it with headlines of "Someone calls someone a total prick" and "Someone should keep his mouth shut".

    How about concentrating on the games instead of the gossip? Schafer had some interesting stuff to say about games development in that conference, gave some juicy hints about his new games and revealed who is producing them, but you didn't even care to mention those things that in your story.

  • a8a #34 2 years ago

    What I find interesting is that he mentions Eurogamer in the third-person in this article, so presumably he wasn't making these comments to EG themselves, but there is no mention of who he is actually making them to.

    He made them at his keynote talk at Develop in Brighton this morning. It was quite light-hearted, it sounds like he genuinely thinks he shouldn't have said anything, but its not enough of a big deal that he can't make jokes about it. Pretty sure there was no animosity towards EG either - after all, he WAS giving an interview to a website at the time, he can't really be surprised that they report what he said :) Also, I think I saw an EG staff member talking to him just before the talk (I could be mistaken).

    Having said that, I've never been a big fan of the sensationalist tabloid-style news headlines on EG. They do tend to be borderline out-of-context quotes.

  • davisorle #35 2 years ago

    Schafer, for the love of God do not say you regret a thing you said. Just leave it where it is and thats good enough for everyone. As for the rest of us that can say whatever the fk we want we can "most" of us agree and enrich those comments of yours quiet a bit trust me.

    The man said nothing wrong, nothing i dont agree with so he is still + in my book. Cheers.

  • a8a #36 2 years ago

    @ignatiusjreilly

    Dammit, pipped to the post. I think following up on a story you have made - irrespective of the merits of that story - is a reasonable pursuit for a specialist website. However, I agree that confirmation that his company has 4 games in development should defnitely be higher priority :)

    Maybe the headline isnt as good though: "Schafer announces that his company is working on 4 new games he cant announce yet, and also specifically says that when he said 'this year', he was not announcing a release date."

  • Spunkweazle #37 2 years ago

    Headline should read "Schafer SLAMS jerky boss Kotick"

    Fight fight fight

  • jefranklin18 #38 2 years ago

    Does this mean EuroGamer is turning in to the Daily Mail with its sensationalist headlines? ;)

  • Antaios #39 2 years ago

    I'm with sneetch (an several others) on this; nice going EG.

    And Schafer has nothing to be apologetic about. He only said Kotick behaved like a prick, not that he was one. And even if he had, everyone's thinking it and I'm glad Schafer had the balls to say it first. If only he had the balls to stand behind that remark as well.

  • Cheapshot #40 2 years ago

    Guess we won't be seeing any more relaxed, entertaining and informative interviews with brilliant, auteur game developers anymore. Cheers for that, EG.

  • ignatiusjreilly #41 2 years ago

    Maybe the headline isnt as good though

    It isn't as good, for sure - Eurogamer know what they are doing.

    Certainly this story/headline will get EG way more advertising revenue than reporting on what Schafer said in the other 99% of his conference so... way to go EG... I guess.

  • darkmorgado #42 2 years ago

    Does this mean EuroGamer is turning in to the Daily Mail with its sensationalist headlines? ;)

    Nah, more like the Sun:

    "Samantha (23, bra size: 34DD, pictured) says she prefers the Xbox360 to the Wii. 'I find it less tiring,' she says. 'When I play the Wii, often I find that my large boobs can get in the way, but that's not an issue with the Xbox'. What is Samantha doing when she's not modelling for Eurogamer? 'I'm currently studying classical philosophy and would like to be a microbiologist as well someday.'"

  • Coughthulu #43 2 years ago

    Maybe we need another headline:
    "EuroGamer posts sensationalist headline that embarrases well-liked developer, most readers not too chuffed about it." ;-)

    Wonder how quickly Kotaku et al. would pick that up...

  • darkmorgado #44 2 years ago

    Whole thing makes you wonder if EG have subsequently got in touch with Schafer to make sure there's no damage done to his opinion of them.

  • spekkeh #45 2 years ago

    Horry Sheet, that Darth Vader analogy really cracked me up.

  • Lee_Morris #46 2 years ago

    Stand by your comments man.

  • Arwin #47 2 years ago

    And here I thought he'd be so wisened up to Eurogamer's m.o. that they'd discussed beforehand what kind of zinger Eurogamer could grab from the interview and blow up as a sensationist separate article.

  • Byzanite #48 2 years ago

    No ones considered that he had a "phone call" from Acti lawyers to withdraw comments and that the additional Darth Vader comment is a a sly fu? :)

  • darkmorgado #49 2 years ago

    @Byzanite, EarlBassett

    Both good points. I certainly think it's possible that Acti contacted Schafer. Maybe they even contacted EG as well?
    I do think this could warrant an editorial, especially as the story has now exploded across the internet and will probably be picked up in the specialist press as well.

    EDIT: Perhaps even a follow-up interview with Schafer to confirm that there is no loss of respect on either side and to get more detail about his upcoming projects.
    Edited by 1 at 15/07/10 @ 14:17

  • geeza2020 #50 2 years ago

    EG made a boo boo!

  • menage #51 2 years ago

    fail on all fronts

  • canoot #52 2 years ago

    Wanker,says something then says it was an accident because he's scared of losing his bottom line,he's as bad as cocktic.

  • Vergis69 #53 2 years ago

    Yet again someone in the industry makes accurate comments about a company/ a person in the industry and then goes back on it... jeez.

    Its true, we all know its true so It should be said. End of.

  • RexRunti #54 2 years ago

    To be fair to Tim he didn't actually withdraw his comments he just said that he probably shouldn't have aired his thoughts to a journalist.

  • irve77 #55 2 years ago

    @canoot & Mr writer

    erm , i know it's not the best joke in the world .. but he's called the guy a prick then Jerky Boss and then compared him to Darth Vader .. so he's just restated he's an Evil prick ! .. and you guys are hating on him for Back tracking ? guys it's called humour !

    if i called someone a twat and then told someone else that i shouldn't have called them a twat because the way forums work is that and i read comments from an arsehole that i'm gonna want to make more comments i'll come face to face with the same Douche .... at what point have i backed down from calling them a twat ?

  • Slipstream #56 2 years ago

    No no, it's fine to speak your mind, you just need to prepare for the concequences of doing so infront of the gaming media, nay, media in general.

  • Skurmedel #57 2 years ago

    mr_writer: Well would you put your nice job on the line just to get some praise by anonymous internet men?

  • PameBoy #58 2 years ago

    I think this whole thing was a huge fuckup on EUrogamer's part. As soon as I saw you'd posted a separate article just focusing on the comments about Kotick, I could see you were just trying to drum up a controversy and you weren't afraid to piss on Schafer and his candidness to do it. Disgraceful excuse for journalism.

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #59 2 years ago

    "He didn't think that was on the record?"

    Oh he definitely knew he was on the record - it was a big, long sit-down chat and was organised between us and him to be recorded and published. We've also spoken to Tim a few times since the interview was published and he also texted Wes earlier about a related matter. It's all good, there's no drama. (Other than the original drama, obviously.)

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #60 2 years ago

    "Good luck getting him to ever open up in another interview, Eurogamer. I think the next one (if there is a next one) will be much more of a "We're not making any comments on that" interview. You dropped him in it with your 'Schafer calls Bobby Kotick "a total prick"' sensationalist article."

    Well, no, he said it and he stands by it, he just realised afterwards it might have been best not to mention it in public!

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #61 2 years ago

    "mind you, Eurogamer did not help, instead of just posting the interview, they had to put up a sperate news piece saying "'Schafer calls Bobby Kotick "a total prick". instead of just leaving it in context of the interview"

    It's what he said and it's news. I'm sorry it upsets you, but there you go. One of the reasons we do separate news stories is that not everybody has time to read the longer interviews and people want to know about the newsworthy aspects that come out of them. It's also something that every newspaper and magazine the world over has done for years, incidentally.

  • sneetch #62 2 years ago

    @Mugwum staff
    It's what he said and it's news. I'm sorry it upsets you, but there you go. One of the reasons we do separate news stories is that not everybody has time to read the longer interviews and people want to know about the newsworthy aspects that come out of them.

    Ah, but whether or not it's really newsworthy is a matter of opinion isn't it? Personally I think it's gossip, it's "Kerry Katona thinks Jordan is a slag!" gossip.

    It's also something that every newspaper and magazine the world over has done for years, incidentally.

    You say that as if it's justification Tom.

    [link url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_common_practice
    ]http://en .wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_c...[/link]

    To paraphrase most of our mothers at one time or another "if other newspapers or magazines jumped off a cliff would Eurogamer jump off one?" ;)

  • Acrid #63 2 years ago

    You should apologise Tim, your rant was insultingly incorrect, Bobby Kotick is not a 'prick' as you so called him, he is infact an absolute cunt, next time try to be accurate.

  • darkmorgado #64 2 years ago

    Thanks for the clarification Tom, it's much appreciated :-)

    I have an idea by the way - in the future in interviews, why not ask the question: "Do you think Bobby Kotick is a prick, yes or no?".

    Then when you have enough responses, publish the results (anonymously of course). It would be nice to see a cross-section of what the industry really thinks of the man.

  • Arwin #65 2 years ago

    Isn't that just the point though, that it *isn't* news when anyone thinks Bobby Kotick is a prick? ;)

  • darkmorgado #66 2 years ago

    You can pretty much guarantee now that Ellie is going to ask whoever she next interviews what they think of Kotick.

  • Centrifugal #67 2 years ago

    And now it seems that Eurogamer has burned a bridge with Schafer.

  • darkmorgado #68 2 years ago

    @Centrifugal

    How exactly? From Tom's comments here it's clear that's not the case.

  • Centrifugal #69 2 years ago

    Because he obviously didn't think they'd put that in the interview, and he must be a little annoyed that now he's basically eliminated the possibility of working with Activision again. Perhaps a bridge hasn't been burnt, but if I was him I'd certainly be annoyed with Eurogamer.

  • Yeevle #70 2 years ago

    No, that's not possible! Noooooooooooooooooo

  • darkmorgado #71 2 years ago

    @Centrifugal

    Don't be daft. If you say something in an interview, you had better be prepared to see it published. Eurogamer's job is to report the news, and that's what they did. If Schafer didn't want it published, he should have said so at the time and clearly he didn't. Above that, he sticks by his comments and on top of that has now compared Kotick to Darth Vader.

  • adfegg #72 2 years ago

    I'm surprised people are thinking Schafer retracted his comment about Kotick. As far as I can see, he's merely admitted the comment was unwise.

  • sneetch #73 2 years ago

    @Centrifugal
    Because he obviously didn't think they'd put that in the interview, and he must be a little annoyed that now he's basically eliminated the possibility of working with Activision again. Perhaps a bridge hasn't been burnt, but if I was him I'd certainly be annoyed with Eurogamer.

    After what Tom has said I'd say they're mostly good, like all developers he wants to keep things friendly with a site like Eurogamer (as, let's be honest here, sites like this provide free marketing). So although I doubt he was thrilled that the sensationalist spin-off article was posted with the headline it was given he accepts that it was his own mouth that got him into this. He'll probably just be a lot more guarded and watch his words more carefully in future.

  • FortysixterUK #74 2 years ago

    I assume his company has just been bought or signed a publishing deal with Activision then.....

  • Vin #75 2 years ago

    Schafer man, STICK TO YOUR GUNS. You're not accountable to him.

  • Veracity #76 2 years ago

    @ mr_writer: as long as you're trying to secure deals with publishers, "the people that matter" are the ones with their fingers hovering over a green light button, not a gaggle of anonymous internet men who call you a hero and fail to buy your games in sufficient numbers to secure sequels, anyway.

    The impolitic comment was directed specifically at Kotick, though. In itself, I would think that endangers any potential relationship with Activision only as long as he's there.

  • gjgjg #77 2 years ago

    lol,and he's still on the main page

  • Grogmonkey #78 2 years ago

    "It's what he said and it's news. I'm sorry it upsets you, but there you go. One of the reasons we do separate news stories is that not everybody has time to read the longer interviews and people want to know about the newsworthy aspects that come out of them."

    And yet, out of everything that was said in the interview, the one piece of 'news' that was singled out as the 'thing most gamers that didn't read the interview would be interested in' was a sensationalist, attention-seeking, headline-grabbing quote? Not the stuff about the games he was working on, or the fact he's doing some XBLA-type stuff, or even his interest in sequels to beloved games?

    The whole thing basically stinks of page hits over journalism; page views and ad revenue over what may or may not be in the best interests of the reading public.

    And maybe that's fine. Maybe the Eurogamer readership is around the same level as Heat magazine. In which case, keep doing what you're doing. For me, I'm after a bit more. And I think this latest story is about enough for me. I already think a large portion of the news section is designed primarily for increasing the page views of the site rather than interesting or insightful dialogue, but I really am beginning to question whether I can trust that the reviews are written objectively, if other sections of the site seem to be peddling the controversy angle more often than it should.

    Which is why I deleted Eurogamer from my bookmarks and the free app from my iPhone. Sad days indeed.

  • 3william56 #79 2 years ago

    Je ne regret rein.