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
I decided some time ago, that I won't buy Modern Warfare 2, at least not new or full price.
ReplyDeleteYou might call that a little personal boycott.
However, I don't think that many people outside the "hardcore" gaming community know too much about the business side of games, most people probably won't even know the answer if you asked them what company puplished MW2.
I'm just wondering if this is actually a good or a bad thing?
Sometimes ignorance is a blessing, I mean we people seem to have such a different view on games than most people and this view often seems to(unecessarily?) complicate something formerly known as "it's just a game, so who gives a shit?" ;)
@Christian
ReplyDeleteIgnorance can be bliss, but that doesn't necessarily justify it as ethical.
I hear what you're saying though: sometimes it is nice to talk to folks that are not as deep into the gaming scene. It helps keep the relative importance of things in perspective.
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