Activision May Stop Support For PS3

[Superhero 101]

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/996/996314p1.html

Activision May Stop Support for PlayStation 3
Kotick makes controversial claim. Updated with Sony's response.
by Martin Robinson, IGN UK

UK, June 19, 2009 - Activision Blizzard, the games industry's single biggest publisher, has stated that it may stop support for Sony consoles due to the PlayStation 3's bloated price-point and the inflated cost to develop for the console.

In an interview with The Times, Activision Blizzard's CEO Bobby Kotick said 'I'm getting concerned about Sony; the PlayStation 3 is losing a bit of momentum and they don't make it easy for me to support the platform. It's expensive to develop for the console, and the Wii and the Xbox are just selling better. Games generate a better return on invested capital on the Xbox than on the PlayStation.'

Kotick made similarly caustic remarks about the PlayStation 3's price, which currently stands at 299.99 GBP in the UK. 'They have to cut the price,' he said, 'because if they don't, the attach rates are likely to slow. If we are being realistic, we might have to stop supporting Sony.'

 

[hippie_hunter]

Maybe if Activision actually cared about making good games, I'd give a damn

 

[Tron Bonne]

There's a thread about this already in the multiplat. board

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=325850

 

[Nathan]

But it's about Sony, so what is it doing in the Multiplat. board?

 

[Tron Bonne]

I don't know, but it is

 

[hippie_hunter]

I'll allow it because there is no such thing as too much Activision bashing

 

[Tron Bonne]

Maaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnn f**k Activision

 

[hippie_hunter]

That's the spirit

 

[Havok83]

Tecmo is also asking for a price drop. Difference is they did it with more class and tact than Activision with their threat and ultimatum

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=218823

CEO of the newly-formed publisher Tecmo Koei, Kenji Matsubara, has said he "would welcome a price cut for PS3", and has made his request known to Sony in past meetings.

"Whenever I discuss this with Sony reps I always ask them: 'Please cut the price', but I don't have a clear view on Sony's situation," Matsubara told CVG during an interview.


"Yes, from a publisher's point of view we would welcome a price cut for PS3, and we are waiting, definitely," he added.

"It's definitely a way of boosting the PS3 market, but it's Sony's strategy and I don't know their cost structure. Sony introduced cutting-edge technology in the PS3, that's why people in the industry accept that the PS3 cost is so high, but we'd welcome a price cut."

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

A year ago, I might have cared.

Now that I own a PS3, i honestly...don't give a ****.

 

[Electro UK]

I want the price to drop actually. A lot of my friends that went ahead and got 360's really want PS3s now that games like MGS4 are cheap, and awesome stuff like Uncharted is well established with great sequals coming. Plus they're all n00bs that thing FF13 is still exclusive (don't tell em). Heck, a PS3 slim would be a lot easier for me to take to Uni in a few months than my big hunk o' plastic anyways.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Tecmo is also asking for a price drop. Difference is they did it with more class and tact than Activision with their threat and ultimatum

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=218823

Well, that doesn't sound like an ask, more like a not so subtle 'Hey, guys, you know it'd be cool if you do that, but no rush bro, do what you gotta do, but you know it'd be cool'.

 

[StrainedEyes]

There has to be a price cut soon, by the end of the year at most.

 

[Havok83]

There has to be a price cut soon, by the end of the year at most.

I think most definetly by November

 

[Superhero 101]

Or when the Ps3 slim launches

 

[Fading]

Sony needs to price drop this year. However, IMO this was a very irresponsible statement for a CEO to make. Currently the PS3 is at like 23 million and the 360 at about 29-30 million. So while a price drop would help, it's not like the PS3 has a tiny user base. Stopping support for the PS3 would be shutting out 23 million customers....I just don't see it.

While games do sell better on the 360, they still do sell well on the PS3 as well. COD4 sold 4-5 million copies. I'm not sure of Guitar Heroes exact sales, but it's doing well on the PS3 as well. I just don't see them dumping 4-5 million in sales per big game just because the PS3 is trailing behind the 360 by about 7 million consoles.

I guess I'm saying that I understand Activisions stance that they want a PS3 price drop, most developers and customers do. I also understand they'd like increased profits. However threatening Sony is not the way to go. Dropping PS3 support would actually be a loss in money for Activision.

IMO, it's an empty threat.

 

[Fading]

After I typed the above I thought I'd look up what others were saying on other sites. I ran across a bit of text I passed up in the thread here where he also mentions possibly dropping support for the PSP as well....WTF?

So he has a beef with PS3 coding and sales....and then says Activision will possibly drop PSP support because of it? Right after the PSP Go and all of this new PSP support is announced (which will probably surge PSP sales soon). I mean I somewhat understood his want for changes with PS3 pricing and such, but why toss in the PSP?



That's like saying you hate coding for the Wii so you're doing to drop DS support too....

 

[Havok83]

I guess I'm saying that I understand Activisions stance that they want a PS3 price drop, most developers and customers do. I also understand they'd like increased profits. However threatening Sony is not the way to go. Dropping PS3 support would actually be a loss in money for Activision.

IMO, it's an empty threat.

Which is exactly why this wont happen. Unless they are losing money developing games for the PS3, then it is an empty threat. They arent losing money; they just arent making as much as they want. Activision is a publicly owned copy. All the shareholders care about is making money. Bobby Kotick can say what he wants but there are people behind him that wont let this happen

 

[Tron Bonne]

Well, honestly, I think there's been a lot of reading too much into the whole situation. The word 'ultimatum' is getting tossed around quite a bit, but I don't think this is really what this is from Activision. There's definitely an underlining threat between the lines of his statement, but as mentioned by others, Activision is still making a profit off of PS3 software sales. No as much as the 360, but they are still getting a decent amount of money more back then they put back in. Remember this is just one guy, yes he's a top dog, but if he really pushed forward a move to take away potential profits, it wouldn't take long before the Board of Directors and shareholders of Activision-Blizzard had something to say to him. Sure, it's possible that as soon as they made the move everyone who was interested in their titles would sell off their PS3s and get 360 to compensate for those profit losses, but that would be a big gamble.

This whole statement, to me, was just a way of beating chests and bullying Sony into cutting the price as soon as possible, since more hardware sales = potentially more Activision software profits, and it's a pretty easy target to shot at. I think the guy realizes Sony is too egotist and arrogant to listen to just him and this little statement was made more to see if other companies would bite and do something similar. Obviously he wants the price cut and if other companies back him up, it'll put more pressure on Sony.

Seems Koei-Tecmo bite. We'll just have to see where it goes from there, but I really don't think there's a legit threat here of the PS3 losing Activision support, unless software sales start to dip or something.

 

[Superhero 101]

He's Just Bluffing so Sony can cut the Price for The PS3

 

[hippie_hunter]

BioWare calls Activision's comments "silly"

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=219357

 

[Havok83]

BioWare calls Activision's comments "silly"

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=219357

and Id have to agree

 

[Superhero 101]

That is so true COD4 and all the Guitar Heroes Sell really good it would be really stupid for them to do this.

 

[Havok83]

Rumor has it that the Slim PS3 will be packaged with Madden and Activision is pissed at Sony with going with EA over them with this marketing deal

We already heard numerous rumors about the leaked PS3 slim before, we even have a video snippet from the Philippines just last week. Now here comes another one from the latest 1UP podcast. David Ellis has revealed that the much awaited PS3 slim will debut this August and will be bundled with the upcoming Madden NFL 10 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PC, PS2).

Ellis said this might be the reason why Activision recently threatened Sony to abandon its platforms because they are tying the release with an EA title rather than Activision. Adding fuel to the speculation, Sony has already confirmed a massive press conference on August 18 for GamesCom but didn't give any details about the show. Madden NFL 10 is scheduled for release on August 14. So what do you think guys? Is the PS3 slim really on the way? Stay tuned.

http://www.qj.net/Rumor-PS3-Slim-bundled-with-Madden-NFL-10-coming-in-August-/pg/49/aid/133216

 

[Fading]

If true, Activision are a bunch of babies. Throwing a fit because they didn't get what they wanted. A fit that slightly dropped their stock and got ridicule from their peers and fans as well. It's funny to me how many companies let hurt feelings come out like this, it's not like a married couple having an argument and telling their friends about it.

Either way, IMO, getting more support from EA and the various games it publishes is a bit more important atm. Since they got Bioware, getting friendlier with EA could tempt them to bring over Mass Effect, or use EA's friendship with Valve to continue to bring over Valve games they wouldn't normally have ported themselves.