Say what you will about their games, but know that Activision/Blizzard isn't in the business of exploiting you...as long as you're a hardcore Ghostbusters or 50 Cent fan. The unceremonious dumping of both games, plus several others, that followed the merger of both companies struck many as odd choices for the axe. Their crime? Too original, and untested, apparently as CEO Bobby Kotick explained the lack of marketing potential of such things:
"[these games] don't have the potential to be exploited every year on every platform with clear sequel potential and have the potential to become $100 million dollar franchises. ... I think, generally, our strategy has been to focus... on the products that have those attributes and characteristics, the products that we know [that] if we release them today, we'll be working on them 10 years from now."
This coming from a company that pinches off sequels and spin-offs faster than Panera bakes bread. A few thoughts after the jump...
On one hand its tempting to roast the company (honey-glazed barbeque, if you don't mind) for comments like this, which seem rather insensative to those wanting completely original, non-sequential titles in their interactive adventures. But let Kotick finish his thought and we'll see their methodology in action:
"You still need to have production of new original property but you have to do it very selectively... the focus at retail and for the consumer is to continue to be o the big narrow and deep high profile release strategy... We've had enough experience that I think the strategy we employ is the most successful."
The videogame industry is, after all, a business and Activision/Blizzard is in it to make money. SCADS of money. This is how the combined might of both companies help them sail past EA to become the largest publisher last year. Still, with multiple releases year after year and countless spin-offs, some would argue that its precisely this type of 'exploitation' that's been partly responsible for much of the stagnation within the industry, not to mention wringing every lost drop of interest from potentially interesting franchises.
How many versions of Guitar Hero and Call of Duty does the world need...delivered like clockwork each and every year? How many Spiderman-themed games have been released just this year? Its interesting that Activision's largest competitor - EA - has begun a massive campaign towards releasing more original IP recently, in stark contrast to years of sucking their most popular franchises dry.
Its worth noting that the article also mentions that Atari Games will be publishing both Ghostbusters and the new Riddick-themed games , while THQ picked up 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. Now if they can only guarantee the games will be any good...
Thanks to MTV Games for not exploiting us!
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