He has been called a heartless, devilish, carpetbagger. He is unapologetic about his mission to take the fun out of making video games. He has inspired neo-folk protest songs. He is Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision. This week, we discuss one of gaming's most infamous characters and his influence on the medium. We cover capitalism, sensational journalism, and some light conspiracy theory in an attempt to fight against the culture of "skepticism and pessimism and fear," perpetuated by everyone's favorite villain.Some discussion starters:
- How does Kotick's business philosophy affect your perception of Activision-Blizzard and the titles it publishes? To what extent are your more casually-interested friends and family aware of the business side of games?
- Which (if any) company executives make a positive impression on you? How do they do this?
- To what extent is Kotick simply playing a role for the public? Is this even plausible?
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Show notes:
- Run time: 27 min 50 sec
- "Why We Love to Hate Activision - And Might Be Wrong," by Leigh Alexander, published on Kotaku
- Music provided by Brad Sucks
