So uh....Activision pretty much sucks, and don't really have anything to fall back on.
I mean WOW can't support the whole company.
Or can it? With enough layoffs anything is possible. You have to wonder if Blizzard is having any regrets at this point.
So when Vivendi bought out Activision, what was the reasoning in putting Kotick (from Activision) in charge? I'm a little fuzzy on what happened, and usually the execs from the buying company take over, rather than the ones from buyees.
It's because Activision bought Vivendi games, not the other way around.
No, they didn't. Activision merged with Vivendi Games, giving Vivendi (Vivendi Games' parent company) a majority stake in Activision Blizzard.
Correct. Which is why (thankfully) activision has no say in what blizzard does whatsoever.
So uh....Activision pretty much sucks, and don't really have anything to fall back on.
I mean WOW can't support the whole company.
Or can it? With enough layoffs anything is possible. You have to wonder if Blizzard is having any regrets at this point.
So when Vivendi bought out Activision, what was the reasoning in putting Kotick (from Activision) in charge? I'm a little fuzzy on what happened, and usually the execs from the buying company take over, rather than the ones from buyees.
It's because Activision bought Vivendi games, not the other way around.
No, they didn't. Activision merged with Vivendi Games, giving Vivendi (Vivendi Games' parent company) a majority stake in Activision Blizzard.
Correct. Which is why (thankfully) activision has no say in what blizzard does whatsoever.
Not necessarily. There have been some comments made on Blizzard's side that indicate they don't have total control of what happens to them.
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Brainiac 8Don't call me Shirley...Registered Userregular
edited March 2010
It all depends on what the contracts signed says. I bet if push comes to shove, Kotick has contractual rights within his job (as head moneymaker) to start messing with Blizzard's affairs.
It all depends on what the contracts signed says. I bet if push comes to shove, Kotick has contractual rights within his job (as head moneymaker) to start messing with Blizzard's affairs.
That would be my guess. Even if there were ironclad protections in the contracts, we're dealing with the goober that does crap like not pay Infinity Ward a cut of the profits.
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FencingsaxIt is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understandingGNU Terry PratchettRegistered Userregular
edited March 2010
I obviously missed something. What did Activision do?
So my memory of months are all running together ... what were the major Feb releases?
AvP, Endless Ocean Blue World.... All I can think of. Plus we get to see if NSMB Wii continues it's domination of the charts and if DarkSiders has any legs. Bayonetta too, I guess. Oh, and Bomberman BioShock 2, of course.
White Knight Chronicles
Bioshock 2
[strike]Hank's Hellatorium[/strike] Dante's Inferno
Sins of a Solar Empire
Ace Attorney Investigations
Tropico 3
Aliens Vs. Predator 3
Socom PSP 3
Heavy Rain
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
Of thise, probably Bioshock 2 and Hank's Hellatorium have the best chance to chart.
So Tom's Hardware has an article about the future of PCs and it has a section that people here might find interesting:
Financiers of games follow similar patterns. If you look at successful "big budget" games like Bioshock, GTA IV, Halo 3, and Final Fantasy XII, games seem to be have a sales that reflect 4x to 6x their budget (ignoring marketing costs). Again, that 4x to 6x estimate doesn’t mean anything about what they really bring back, but instead reflects the fact that successful "big budget" games ranging from $20 million to $100 million, end up selling a similar number of copies that is proportional to the investment. The financiers of games try to follow a similar unwritten risk profile.
Industry pundits will tell you that the video game industry is comparable in total financial size to the motion picture industry, if not larger. That’s not entirely true. In 2008, Media Control GfK International reported that global sales of video games reached $32 billion--more than the $29.8 billion amassed in DVD/Blu-ray sales.
The catch is that box office ticket sales accounted for another $28.1 billion. We haven’t even begun to touch on broadcast rights.
Moreover, the success of a Hollywood film is more predictable than that of video games due to all of those multiple revenue streams and a better understanding of the market. So, while game development budgets will continue to grow, it’s hard to imagine games reaching the same budget levels as Hollywood films. The risks are higher in game development. And therefore, for any given budget, they’ll want a higher return. Over the next ten years, I anticipate quadruple-A games to have budgets in the region of $175 million, and ambitious games introducing new intellectual property having budgets of $60 to $80 million.
With Pixar-level budgets come the potential for Pixar-level graphics (and Pixar-level characters and stories). Given that Pixar films still require 5 to 6 hours to render a single frame on large supercomputer clusters, the answer is no, graphics have not reached the point of diminishing returns yet.
Does being a major game publisher mean you have to treat your employees so harshly? Microsoft and Google do just fine while doing all that they can to improve the quality of life of their people (well, not so much for contractors at MS) - why can't publishers do the same and still make $Texas?
It's like the creative industry that is supposed to be the most jovial has suddenly, at least within the last decade, become the most cut throat and harsh. Even as they outpace other entertainment industries in growth. It might not be as big as the movie or television industries overall (what with licensing and what not) - but still, the investment to profit ratio is bananas. Makes no sense to me.
Because to Kotick, employees are something to be (pardon the lack of a better word) exploited, while other companies want to actually coddle developers and breed their ideas into new ways to make dough.
Confirming what we already suspected, a new Call of Duty is coming from Treyarch Games later this year. What we didn't already know, however, was Activision's intentions for Sledgehammer Games (headed by former Visceral Games developers Glen A. Schofield and Michael Condrey) to release a brand-new Call of Duty game "in the action-adventure genre" sometime in 2011.
No setting or gameplay details were revealed for either upcoming Call of Duty product, but the "action-adventure" description suggests it won't be a first-person-shooter.
Can't wait to see Feb's NPD. God willing Endless Ocean Blue World made a ripple, or a splash, in the sales world. I doubt it, but a man can dream.
Hahahaha... that's a good one.
I'd wager that at least one of the Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympics versions will be in the top 20. Wouldn't be surprised if one was in the top 10, honestly.
I will smite the shit out of you, and turn you into chewy, delicious chum for my pet Greenland shark to frolic in.
Back off man, give me one week of dreaming, I have earned it.
Hey, I bought Endless Ocean Blue World too. Haven't opened it up yet due to trying to finish up Fallout 3 and my new policy of only focusing on 2 games at a time - one on DS, one on Wii or PC (and EA Sports Active doesn't count on Wii). I just don't see it charting, no matter how good it is.
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DragkoniasThat Guy Who Does StuffYou Know, There. Registered Userregular
Confirming what we already suspected, a new Call of Duty is coming from Treyarch Games later this year. What we didn't already know, however, was Activision's intentions for Sledgehammer Games (headed by former Visceral Games developers Glen A. Schofield and Michael Condrey) to release a brand-new Call of Duty game "in the action-adventure genre" sometime in 2011.
No setting or gameplay details were revealed for either upcoming Call of Duty product, but the "action-adventure" description suggests it won't be a first-person-shooter.
Hell yeah, time to exploit the hell out of these IPs!
Confirming what we already suspected, a new Call of Duty is coming from Treyarch Games later this year. What we didn't already know, however, was Activision's intentions for Sledgehammer Games (headed by former Visceral Games developers Glen A. Schofield and Michael Condrey) to release a brand-new Call of Duty game "in the action-adventure genre" sometime in 2011.
No setting or gameplay details were revealed for either upcoming Call of Duty product, but the "action-adventure" description suggests it won't be a first-person-shooter.
Hell yeah, time to exploit the hell out of these IPs!
Shit, at least it's a new-ish idea. I'm thinking like a Full Spectrum Warrior, or maybe even an Uncharted type game?
Wait, what's that Dubai Sand thing Greg Kasavin is working on? Spec Ops The Line? Something like that.
The company intends to expand the Call of Duty brand with the same focus seen in its Blizzard® Entertainment business unit. This will include a focus on high-margin digital online content and further the brand as the leading action entertainment franchise in new geographies, new genres and with new digital business models.
Even though Infinity Ward studio heads Jason West and Vince Zampella are now confirmed to have left the company, Activision says Infinity Ward is "central to the Call of Duty's future."
"Jason West and Vince Zampella are no longer with Infinity Ward," explained Griffith, reiterating what we now publicly know. "Infinity Ward remains central to Call of Duty's future and we rely on the combined talent, expertise and leadership of the team there for its success."
I'm half surprised they didn't give Call of Duty to Neversoft. At this point, why not?
Cause...Neversoft is getting dissolved?
No, they just got downsized a bit when the Guitar Hero zerg rush ended and Activision gave the license to Vicarious Visions.
From what I understand, all the people not actively working on GH6 got downsized and all the people actively working on GH6 get to finish it and then get downsized. So, Dead Studio Coding.
I'd like to see a publisher leverage a few studios to make a true RTS/sandbox/FPS hybrid. I like what CCP appears to have planned for DUST 514 (or whatever). If someone could make a mega game that is a mesh of FPS and RTS (a true mesh, not half assed), that is ancillary to a MMO, well I'd be happy.
What this has to do with shit I don't know. It just sounds cool and the conversation made me think of it for some reason.
I know the popular saying is "Well, Activision won't be getting any more of my business." but to be fair, outside of Guitar + Aerosmith I got from Gamestop for $10 about a year ago, I can't remember them having any of my money since 2001's Spider-Man on the Dreamcast.
A shame, too, I was considering DJ Hero now that it's a decent price in some places.
Alfred J. Kwakis it because you were insultedwhen I insulted your hair?Registered Userregular
edited March 2010
Well, it's been said before, they get ~70% of their revenue from Call of Duty, Guitar Hero and World of Warcraft. If you're not into either of those, there's also a good chance you didn't buy any of their other games.
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HenroidMexican kicked from Immigration ThreadCentrism is Racism :3Registered Userregular
The company intends to expand the Call of Duty brand with the same focus seen in its Blizzard® Entertainment business unit. This will include a focus on high-margin digital online content and further the brand as the leading action entertainment franchise in new geographies, new genres and with new digital business models.
I have a bad feeling about this.
That's a bad goal to set themselves to. Blizzard's only genre leap was making Warcraft an MMORPG from an RTS. More to the point, they created game universes that are all fiction. Call of Duty is based on the real world to many degrees and I don't think they're going to do themselves any favors by trying to expand it to a Warcraft-like scope. Also, if they try to MMO it, they're gonna get what's coming to them.
Unless they put Blizzard in charge of making it, which will be bad news bears for Blizzard.
This is a fairly long article but it brings up a lot of interesting points.
Every developer and every studio aims to be as globally successful as possible. With record-breaking hit titles come acclaim, affluence, and often special treatment from publishers in the form of favorable contracts.
For creating the Grand Theft Auto franchise hits for Take-Two, Rockstar Games' top brass were able to negotiate a nearly unprecedented profit-sharing deal. Halo house Bungie earned its independence while retaining the benefits of a close relationship with Microsoft.
And Infinity Ward, creator of the multi-billion-dollar Modern Warfare branch in Activision's Call of Duty franchise, earned the freedom to develop a new property when it signed its newest contract with the publisher in 2008.
But amid this week's apparent standoff between Infinity Ward and Activision -- one that multiple sources confirm has seen the ouster of the studio's co-founders -- the publisher is accusing the studio of breaching that contract.
Activision confirmed in an SEC filing that its allegations of "insubordination" and breach of contract will likely lead to litigation. All of the tension and drama today raises one question: Can making a record-breaking franchise become a double-edged sword?
Only top brass at Infinity Ward and Activision are privy to all the facts about the their contract. But numerous sources close to the situation have told Gamasutra there's been tension between Activision leadership and ousted Infinity Ward co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella for some months.
The pair hasn't maintained a reputation for being easy to work with -- and some sources have told us they first fell out of favor with bombastic Activision CEO Bobby Kotick when they refused to allow Activision to check up on Modern Warfare 2 milestones.
Modern Warfare 2 broke retail records, and a third installment could perform even better. With music genre revenue declining, sources say Activision is eager to have Infinity Ward start on Modern Warfare 3. Infinity Ward, on the other hand, would rather finish the new IP its contract allows.
Numerous sources with knowledge of the situation have speculated to Gamasutra that the contract dictates only Infinity Ward may make games in the Modern Warfare arm of the Call of Duty franchise. Other studios, like fellow Activision subsidiary Treyarch, may continue develop other Call of Duty-branded titles.
Sources say one development candidate would be newly-founded Sledgehammer Games, but Activision can't put another studio to work on the third Modern Warfare installment any more than it can force Infinity Ward to work on it now.
Another source suggests West and Zampella could have demanded a larger share of profits in return for developing Modern Warfare 3 on Activision's schedule instead of in line with Infinity Ward's original plans. According to that account, those attempts to re-negotiate or add to the current contract prompted Activision's ire.
Some media reports have inaccurately conflated this week's situation with outstanding royalties from Activision to Infinity Ward. But sources confirm to Gamasutra that Activision routinely pays royalties at the end of the quarter after which they were earned, which will begin next month, meaning the publisher is not overdue in its financial responsibilities.
The major issue is that Activision's hands are tied by the contract, sources say -- and that may be the root of the "insubordination" allegation against Infinity Ward's leaders.
Activision has a history of using legal muscle to get the better end of its agreements, as it did with its Brutal Legend spat with EA and the DJ Hero battle that caught Scratch developer 7 Studios in the crossfire.
Another source with knowledge of the situation tells Gamasutra that although Infinity Ward is only about 75 developers strong, Activision brass demanded layoffs at the studio anticipating a refusal -- which they received, potentially opening the door for Activision to use that refusal as a way to launch a breach suit that would help it escape its contract.
Certainly, rumors and speculation will run rampant all over the dramatic exit of West and Zampella, and all eyes are watching the situation closely for the real facts to emerge.
But it makes clear one unfortunate downside to success: The game industry is a business, and when success is high, the stakes get higher. A sweetheart contract with a publisher might appear to be the ultimate reward -- but it may also turn out to be an ultimate weakness.
I disagree with the writer though, since I think pretty much every publisher but Activision are smart enough to realise that gutting a hugely profitable studio is bad for business. Then even mention some examples of that, with the Microsoft/Bungie and Take 2/Rockstar scenarios.
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Correct. Which is why (thankfully) activision has no say in what blizzard does whatsoever.
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Not necessarily. There have been some comments made on Blizzard's side that indicate they don't have total control of what happens to them.
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That would be my guess. Even if there were ironclad protections in the contracts, we're dealing with the goober that does crap like not pay Infinity Ward a cut of the profits.
(edit) I guess the word is that they left, but it looks to be that Activision was not happy with them.
http://kotaku.com/5483711/report-modern-warfare-dev-head-leaves-company
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Fear will keep the local studios in line?
Pretty much....you show that the big boys are not safe, and the smaller owned devs will never speak up for themselves.
I mean Kotick practically runs that place out of fear.
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AvP, Endless Ocean Blue World.... All I can think of. Plus we get to see if NSMB Wii continues it's domination of the charts and if DarkSiders has any legs. Bayonetta too, I guess. Oh, and Bomberman BioShock 2, of course.
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White Knight Chronicles
Bioshock 2
[strike]Hank's Hellatorium[/strike] Dante's Inferno
Sins of a Solar Empire
Ace Attorney Investigations
Tropico 3
Aliens Vs. Predator 3
Socom PSP 3
Heavy Rain
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
Of thise, probably Bioshock 2 and Hank's Hellatorium have the best chance to chart.
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True, though it came out at the tail end of the month.
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It's like the creative industry that is supposed to be the most jovial has suddenly, at least within the last decade, become the most cut throat and harsh. Even as they outpace other entertainment industries in growth. It might not be as big as the movie or television industries overall (what with licensing and what not) - but still, the investment to profit ratio is bananas. Makes no sense to me.
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So there's possibly gonna be a non FPS CoD game.
edit:
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Hey, I bought Endless Ocean Blue World too. Haven't opened it up yet due to trying to finish up Fallout 3 and my new policy of only focusing on 2 games at a time - one on DS, one on Wii or PC (and EA Sports Active doesn't count on Wii). I just don't see it charting, no matter how good it is.
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Hell yeah, time to exploit the hell out of these IPs!
Shit, at least it's a new-ish idea. I'm thinking like a Full Spectrum Warrior, or maybe even an Uncharted type game?
Wait, what's that Dubai Sand thing Greg Kasavin is working on? Spec Ops The Line? Something like that.
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Cause...Neversoft is getting dissolved?
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No, they just got downsized a bit when the Guitar Hero zerg rush ended and Activision gave the license to Vicarious Visions.
http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/702930/Internal-Activision-Memo-Says-Infinity-Ward-Central-To-Call-Of-Dutys-Future.html
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From what I understand, all the people not actively working on GH6 got downsized and all the people actively working on GH6 get to finish it and then get downsized. So, Dead Studio Coding.
I mean, even from a cold, unfeeling business standpoint they're all a big bucket of stupid.
What this has to do with shit I don't know. It just sounds cool and the conversation made me think of it for some reason.
A shame, too, I was considering DJ Hero now that it's a decent price in some places.
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That's a bad goal to set themselves to. Blizzard's only genre leap was making Warcraft an MMORPG from an RTS. More to the point, they created game universes that are all fiction. Call of Duty is based on the real world to many degrees and I don't think they're going to do themselves any favors by trying to expand it to a Warcraft-like scope. Also, if they try to MMO it, they're gonna get what's coming to them.
Unless they put Blizzard in charge of making it, which will be bad news bears for Blizzard.
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/27482/Analysis_Infinity_Wards_DoubleEdged_Sword.php
I disagree with the writer though, since I think pretty much every publisher but Activision are smart enough to realise that gutting a hugely profitable studio is bad for business. Then even mention some examples of that, with the Microsoft/Bungie and Take 2/Rockstar scenarios.