Comments on: Nicodemus slams Activision CEO

By: What is Kotick thinking? If at all… at Kill Ten Rats

What is Kotick thinking? If at all… at Kill Ten Rats — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:20:49 +0000

[...] I read about Kotick’s comments here and then commented on the insanity here I was still pretty stunned for a few days, as were a lot of other people I know in the game [...]

By: MMOG Nation » I Done Heard Some People Talking

MMOG Nation » I Done Heard Some People Talking — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 05:50:34 +0000

[...] idiotic remarks from folks like Kotick prove that the above point about platforms is not something everyone gets. There are a lot of [...]

By: Nicodemus

Nicodemus — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 18:09:08 +0000

I’m certainly not a self appointed leader, but I am a professional in the industry and his comments directly affect me and make my job harder.

I don’t see where you get that I feel that people should follow my lead, by default or otherwise by my last paragraph. I simply called him out on his outrageous comments, and demanded a clarification or apology. I didn’t demand a boycott of Activision or a petition against them or anything.

//shrug//

By: alex

alex — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 13:17:24 +0000

If you aren’t intending to speak for everyone then I have no problem with the post. The post in general – and the last paragraph in particular – read to me as if you felt anyone in the industry should follow your lead *by default*. I can’t stand self appointed leaders, and seeing as how nobody else called you out on it (at least here in the comments), it’s probably me just prematurely bristling.

BTW, I’m not in any way related to the accused.

By: Nicodemus

Nicodemus — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 04:13:23 +0000

Who am I? That isn’t really relevant, and I don’t claim to be the sole defender of MMORPGs, nor do I claim to “speak for everyone”. However, I have an opinion (and a valid one at that), plus a forum to express it.

I certainly haven’t conscripted anyone in the industry into marching behind me or my banner.

In case you haven’t noticed, I am making a stand, hence my comments. If you don’t want to join in, then either offer a reasoned and logical counterpoint or go play in another sandbox.

By the way, if you work for Activision or Kotick, you should disclose that before jumping on my post with righteous indignation. Kotick’s comments were unbelievable enough to start with, and completely inappropriate and disingenuous in the forum they were given. Like I said, I’d like to see him clarify what he meant, or at least back up his point of view.

Finally, this has nothing to do with Indie Game Studio Producers or PR. Kotick’s comments are damaging to the game industry on a number of levels and he needs to be called on it. Otherwise, the mass media is just going to parrot his comments and mislead many decision makers and financiers.

By: alex

alex — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 03:55:58 +0000

“Kotick, I think you owe us an apology and a retraction or at least a damn good (and detailed) explanation at why you think it would take $500-$1B to compete with WoW, and why you think MMORPGs are an “insurmountable product category”.”

Who are you? The sole defender of Real MMORPGs? Do you gain a magical ability to speak for everyone if you get angry enough?

Your comments are mostly right, but that’s no reason to just.. conscript the rest of the industry into marching behind your banner of Indy Game Studio Producers for Better PR. Make your stand and hope people join in.

By: Cameron Sorden

Cameron Sorden — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:02:56 +0000

Maybe I’m just a cynic, but it sure seems to me like those comments are definitely intended to be trash talk and a foil against potential threats to WoW. :P

“Don’t even try to compete with what we’ve got, man! It would cost you, like, at least half a billion dollars! And you’d probably still lose!”

By: Graktar

Graktar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:18:29 +0000

Wow, that’s . . . special. $1 Billion to develop an MMO? That’s what, 20 times the budget WoW had? How is that even a remotely reasonable estimate? That’s like saying, “To make a movie to compete with Titanic we’d have to spend six billion dollars!!!!! Zomg! I’m a moron!!”

Sigh.

By: BugHunter

BugHunter — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:07:24 +0000

Shouldn’t he have to disclose in the same breath that he is the CEO of the 800 lb gorilla that he says is impossible to compete against?

CEO of Microsoft – “It’s impossible to compete against an OS like Windows. Don’t even try.”

CEO of WalMart – “It’s impossible to compete against a retail chain like WalMart. Don’t even try.”

See the problem here?

By: Openedge1

Openedge1 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:06:47 +0000

Look at the money tree Blizzard grows for WoW…
The more money you get…the less creative you are with what you got…
All of that cash would equal…big stinker in my opinion…there would just be no love in the product..

@Nick
quoted
“Fantasy Dragon Quest ONLINE!

-Guilds!
-Monsters!
-Quests!
-Sucky Crafting!
-PVP!!!!!!

(And often… far too often)
-BASED ON BOOK X, MOVIE Y, or GAME Z! What more do you need?”

I played that game…it’s actually called LOTRO!