Activision's Kotick: 'We might have to stop supporting Sony'

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Home Money

8:00 AM on 06.19.2009, Dale North

150 comments | 35733 views

Activision's Kotick: 'We might have to stop supporting Sony' photo

#Activision #Money #Sony #top stories

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.”

While Kotick may sound a bit cocky here, I don't think Sony wants to sit on statements like these. And no one is going to argue about the PS3 needing a price cut either.

Do you think Sony could live without Activision?

[via Polygamia]

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next 50 comments

146 comments | showing # 1 to 50

silmeria

I think I could.

ROMaster2

I think so too

Corican

If Activision stops supporting Sony:
-Sony panics
-Hurriedly release first party games that aren't ready
-Spend money buying timed exclusives
-Still won't cut PS3 price
-Sony fanboys reassure themselves/cry themselves to sleep (50/50)
-The console sales drop further
-Microsoft rules the world

You know what? I bet MICROSOFT PAID OFF ACTIVISION TO DO THIS!
DAMN XBOTS!

RonBurgandy2010

Microsoft MUST be behind this.

JerinsFury

I would not be surprised if they actually went and did this, or is other developers or publishers followed suit.

AdamskiOwenov

Some people may be able to live without them, but casual audiences are going to be wondering whats the point of a PS3 when their Guitar Heroes and Call Of Dutys have gone, and turn quickly to Xbox and Wii. Still, never seen this kind of threat before. Usually they just up and leave, so they clearly want to see some changes instead of leave it all together.

CocoJambo

Lol, that sounded like an ultimatum.

There's just no good way for Sony to respond, either they cut the price and look like a teen under peer pressure, or they don't and risk having Activision and more leaving the platform.

Anski

I agree with AdamskiOwenov... kind of. Makes it sound like an empty threat if you look at it that way, or just a way to incite some change.

I don't know if they would actually do it.

wastedyears

If a videogame blog posts a story about Activision ceasing support for Sony:

-read freaks out
-reader jumps to conclusions
-reader assumes the worst
-later (much later) reader realizes this is just more corporate bs
-reader becomes relieved

-OR-

-Activision ceases support for Sony
-shareholders want his head on a platter for throwing away potentially huge amounts of money
-Activision announces Bobby Kotick 'mutually agreed to move on' and resigns
-Activision announces new and exciting partnership with Sony

free touch

Nope, sorry to say, but when one company pulls its stuff from a console, others will follow.

Dreamcast.

Shadowiii

If Activision does this, it is very possible that other companies could follow suite.
Hey, then Prototype COULD be an XBOX exclusive, and the fanboys playing as if it were such would have been RIGHT!
Maybe fanboys just know the future.

Drack48

I don't see that happening, he just wants a price cut

megaStryke

Holy Mother.

ParaParaKing

Activision is a bunch of facktards and Bobby Kotick is the king of them all.
Of course attach rates could be higher, but the main reason games are multiplatform is because games on more platforms sell more than on a single platform. Guitar Hero World Tour still sold 1.2 million copies on the PS3 and that is a lot of money.

Also if you ask publishers: Everybody would want consoles to be free so people would buy more games.

Justice

If this actually happened this would be a HUGE loss to Sony. One of the reasons the Dreamcast died early was because EA didn't support it. This is MADNESS!

ChaosTeaCup

Sony: *fingers in ear*

"Laaaa-laaaaa-laaaaa-laaaaa-laaaaaaa"

I can't believe Activision would do this, but if they did it would spell trouble for Sony. You can't have one of the biggest brands in games developement openly boycott your system, and not feel it.

Castro

I don't own a PS3 because I'm poor, so I'm not really one to comment. This is the internet so that doesn't matter.

I would like to say that Activision can suck it and die. I'm fine with Rock Band (as opposed to Guitar Hero) and Tony Hawk: Ride is going to die a painful death.

I'm just bitter that they ditched Brutal Legend. Luckily, EA picket it up and everything is going to be great.

Sexualchocolate

Kotick can go eat a dick.

This would be quite a cunt for Sony, but in all honesty, they wouldn't care too much, Sony's main market is Japan, Activision don't really make Jap-friendly games anyway.

But for us Sony consumers in the West this would be a cunt.

Touche.

Castro

What Sexualchocolate said. Also, something I forgot to mention.

Activision doesn't care about Sony because they aren't doing as well in the USA. Activision's games don't sell as well overseas so they certainly shouldn't care about the PS3.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the PS3 will end up doing pretty well for itself at some point. When this happens, Kotick will feel like a dumbass. Perhaps he will be fired. One can only hope.

Aurain

Nothing like a bit of drama to perk up business...

BattyAdroit

this stinks of 100% saber-rattling.

Volomon

@Sexualchocolate Japans not the main market it's their third largest market. It's just the most saturated market.

I don't think Activision would pull out. Prematurely...they know that Sony is going to do something this year. I think they are just flexing their muscle to see what they got. On that note though it is extremely arrogant to believe that they have that much power.

Doublely so side note, if they did pull out. I think the board members and investors would be the ones to put him on the roast. No matter what the percentage is a return is a return. To deny money is frankly full of bull.

Aka his threats are hollow.

BattyAdroit

Also: Read wastedyears's response. He has already won the thread.

ejamer

I wonder if he's using this statement to *encourage* Sony to make their next console a bit easier to develop games on?

The PS2 and PS3 had unusual architecture that didn't do developers any favors... both requiring more effort than the respective consoles from Nintendo and MS without very much benefit (especially when you want cross-platform titles to maximize profit). Abandoning PS3 seems like a hollow threat at this point, since heavy investments have already been made into development tools and skills. That's why I think this complaint is really just his way of trying to provide design input for the PS4.

Eques-Ardor

I hope he does it.

ghoti

People are over-reacting to this. Kotick's just putting forward a very strong case for Sony to drop the price of the PS3; his wording strongly implies that if Sony keeps the PS3 at its current price point, then it will continue to sell at a lower rate than its competitors and it won't make sense for Activision to continue funding development.

Sony are going to drop the price of the PS3 long before the "2010 or 2011" period that Kotick's suggesting would see an end of Activision support, which will render this whole discussion pointless.

Sexualchocolate

@Volomon-

OK, "Main market" was probably not the right phrase, more target market. plus, it's tipping towards main market being as though every dollar or pound they make over here is rewarding them fewer and fewer yen with the currency issues going on right now.

Either way, PS3 was designed primarily by, and for the Japanese. Activisions games however are not.

I agree, i doubt Activision will do this, they're just flexing. But like you say, it's pretty fucking arrogant of them. Apart from Modern War 2 though, i couldn't give a fuck less my self.

Also - excellent avatar. Colour me jealous.

Kris S

@Sexualchocalte
Fanboy blinkers on again I see. If this happened it would be disastrous for Sony; worldwide. You think if Sony sell less consoles over here - west - it won't affect the company? The mainstream press would be all over this if it happpened and the normal consumer would lose faith in the brand for a start. Sony are struggling so much for money now, it could possibly be the start of collapse.
As sensible people have pointed out above, the Dreamcast is an example of what happens if a 'mega' publisher drops support for your consoles.
I can understand to a degree why they have overpriced the PSP go and keep the PS3 high - the company is a mess - but I think it's about time they bit the bullet and cut the PS3 instead of waiting until Xmas as widely predicted. Sony's first party line up isn't going to really take shape until 2010 so could they realisticly wait if Activision dropped support?

I honestly wouldn't care about you being a fanboy if you would just speak sense.

Cocca

I don't think they'll actually do this. This is just their way of showing their displeasure of having to create PS3 games. We've heard it from other companies already. Hopefully Sony does something about it for the next generation or we could see some companies pull out.

JustLikeBuck

23million existing PS3 owners might argue it doesn't need a price cut.

Only people who do think a Price cut are Publishers (just to sell more of their games), and Analysts (who say this about everything from consoles to cars).

Activision is welcome to stop producing games on PS3, I'm sure EA would love franchise exclusivity for Rock Band on the console. And the sooner the Call of Duty franchise goes the way of Medal of Honour the better.

Miguelcar808

Didn't EA said that the got the most profit in 2008 from Sony consoles* ?
I also remember Tomb Raider for the PS3 selling more on the PS3 than the 360 in the UK wish was/is amazing considering there's more 360 users than PS3 ones
I cant imagine how it's Sony's fault.
On the other hand companies making "crazy money"*2 these days means very, very crappy casual games for the Wii.
I call that statement a Bluff.

*that was probably tanks to the PS2
*2 has soon has wrote that my head filed with Offspring music

seltzermx

@Volomon: Actually return percentages do matter. If they make a PS3 exclusive, for $50 million lets say, and then their final cut is $55 million, they made a 10% profit.

But if they could have made the Xbox exclusive for less money and more than likely gotten the same number of sales, then that return percentage difference does matter.

A return isn't just a return. They have to make a specific return to make the investment worthwhile. If it took them, for example, 2 years to make the game, they could have invested that money in CDs which were paying 3% per year, and made more that way.

JACK of No Trades

Wow, I can't believe he just said that. I gave this fucking asshole money along with millions of other PS3 owners and he is going to pull this? Fuck Activision. I don't care if its a hollow statement. They are really starting to piss me off. Man, if this guy thinks he can walk all over people, then he's got another thing comming.

Dnky666

I guess that Activision are confident that x amount of the sales lost through not producing a PS3 version would transfer to the Xbox. I agree with whoever said that Sony is in a right mess. They have become percieved as arrogant with their staunch refusal to drop the price, they have wasted money on a pointless online service (HOME) that no-one wants and when they have had exclusives they have squandered them with poor marketing. Furthermore they have over priced the PSP go which whatever they want to think is percieved as a games related buy, not an I-Pod or I-touch or whatever Sony are trying to flog it as. Perhaps Bobby should go work for them....he'd kick them into touch.

SilverDragon1979

I don't like Activition very much, but I can't deny that they make a whole lot of games that I want to buy. I mean we are talking about the guys who publish Guitar Hero and Call of Duty. If they pulled their support from Sony it would be a huge deal. I think Sony would survive, but it wouldn't be easy.

Midgetsnowman

@Jack of No Trades: I find that ironic given you seem content to let sony walk all over you with their pricing scheme.

Tha Meat

activision who care if they stop make games for PS3. the thing I'm worried about is there influence and deciscions that might sway the choices of smaller companies.

Havoc Fang

Said it once, I'll say it again:

Activision is the Hollywood of Gaming. A necessary evil. If they WERE to pull away from the PS3, the loss/gain would be up in the air. They MIGHT profit, but then they may also lose considerably.

The PS3 wouldn't be hurt, it'd be as if it lost a chair and had to sit on the floor. Essentially the same, just a bit less...comfortable.

seltzermx

@Jack: If they decide to pull out, it has no bearing on your previous purchases from the company. Those games should still work without a problem.

Developers and suppliers from all industries worldwide switch allegiances and make and break deals on a daily basis. The gmaing industry shoudlr eally be no exception. Its business.

Sexualchocolate

Hey JACK of No Trades

I'm with you buddy, thinking about trading in my Guitar Hero World tour and buying Rock band 2. Never again will I buy any DLC for that shit and Activision can go fuck themselves for my money in future.

Again, Kotick can eat a fucking dick, a dick with herpes, not just a little bit of herpes, full blown, scabs on bell-end herpes.

I love my PS3 and I'm excited about the coming exclusives, i love my Blu-ray collection and the PSN makes online gaming easy. Fuck Kotick, he's just lost one more PS3 users money and if that helps toward Acti no longer supporting Sony then so fucking be it.

ghets

First the Brutal Legend bullshit. Now this bullshit. What the fuck Activision??? Were done!

JACK of No Trades

@Midgetsnowman

I bought my 40 gig PS3 for 400 bucks and I think it is well worth the money asshole.

I don't have to worry about my PS3 breaking down. I don't have to worry about buying batteries to put in my controller since I can plug it in to anything that has a USB and charge it. I didn't have to worry about buying WIFI since it came with the system. I can upgrade my HDD at anytime for cheap. I don't have to pay to play online.

Fuck off.

PEICanada7

Wow! This is a huge bombshell, if it comes true, but why is he saying this now? Didn't Sony have a good E3? Was Sony not dropping the price at E3 really that big of a deal? If they don't drop the price before the holidays, than yes I could see him saying this early next year, but who's to say Sony won't still drop the price before the holidays? I'm certainly no Sony fan, but this seems a bit too overly cocky on Activisions part.

I think Mr. Kotick is throwing his weight around here, but when you're the CEO of the biggest 3rd Party Publisher in the world, I guess you can throw your weight around. The PS3 is officially the GameCube of this generation, because once Activision pulls out, you can be sure that most of the other 3rd Party's will follow suit sortly there after.

WhiteX

I want Modern warfare 2 Wii.

I�ll settle for the first one as well, oh and Fuck PS3.

JACK of No Trades

@sexualchocolate

I agree man! I don't think I will buy MW2 this fall, on top of this, we won't even get the first two map packs for awhile since MS has them exclusive. We have plenty of games to keep us busy this fall. Fuck Activision! Fuck them hard and dry!

Kris S

@JACK of No Trades
No you go fuck off, you rude little prick. Midget merely made a comment that was in no way offensive.
We get it, your a fanboy, cry me a fucking river.

morbid-82-

Fuck Activision and fuck the haters. If they do drop out that will only mean more money for EA.

Kris S

Apologies should have been you're :)

BurningHammer

Well they'd save money producing less multiplatform titles, but they might lose on the profits they'd get from the PS3 sales. I guess if they'd make more money ignoring Sony more power to them. For Sony on the other this would be devasting, Guitar Hero and COD probably are the biggest selling multiplat titles outside of madden.

JACK of No Trades

@Kris S

"I find that ironic given you seem content to let sony walk all over you with their pricing scheme." -this is what he said prick-

Kris, you must be a fucking retard. I gave him a reason why Sony didn't walk all over me with the price of the PS3. Don't talk to me like your a tough guy on the internet.

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