Activision boss says rival’s hope to create studio independence is futile
Electronic Arts’ bid to satisfy its developers’ need for autonomy is doomed to fail, says the boss of the firm’s closest rival.
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick went as far as saying that EA’s biggest challenge is as simple as it is devastating: “Great people don’t really want to work there.”
EA has in the last two years aimed to give its studios more autonomy – to foster greater creative ownership within its development outfits.
Kotick, whose company has championed this model, believes EA’s plan simply won’t work.
“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," he said in an exclusive interview with Edge.
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“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.“
Interspersing his attack with a kind word to say about the Madden team, Kotick continued:
“It’s like, if you have no other option, you might consider them. The team that makes Madden is a really great team, it’s been able to manage, capture and keep some good people. But we have no shortage of opportunity to recruit out of EA – that’s their biggest challenge: its stock options have no value.
“It’s lost its way. And until it has success, and hits, and gets that enthusiasm back for the company, it’s going to have a struggle getting really talented people, which is going to translate into less-than-great games.”
It is odd that Kotick would attack EA's stock value since last I checked, and since I have money in both companies I check often, one stock of EA is worth more than Activision's. Add that to the fact that Blizzard is a part of Activission and there is literally no reason they should only be 10 a stock. Just shows that Kotick doesn't know that when you point a finger, 3 point back at you.
So the guy who completely blew it with his second biggest money making team next to blizzard (I'm talking about Infinity Ward here)is saying EA doesn't no how to satisfy it's talent. Kotick, you are a dick, simple as that, everyone in the gaming world hates you.
he said the guys who made madden are good? ok what about the guys who make BATTLEFIELD BAD COMPANY 2? because that games takes much more skills to make then MW2. the levels are 20 times bigger fully destructive an it has all kinds of vehicles. the team behind BFBC2 has more talent then anyone working at activision. an he said no one wants to work at EA? lol whats those two guys name the left activision an took the hole MW2 team with them? this guy needs to STFU he made a few million for him self from mw2 an now hes wants to start talking.
