Activision boss, Bobby Kotick has slammed Double Fine boss, Time Schafer for calling him a "prick".
Speaking in the latest issue of Edge magazine, Kotick claims he made the right decision to axe Schafer's game, Brutal Legend from the publisher's schedule, because it didn't turn out "particularly good".
"I never had any involvement in the Vivendi project that they were doing, Brütal Legend, other than I was in one meeting where the guys looked at it and said, 'He's late, he's missed every milestone, he's overspent the budget and it doesn't seem like a good game. We're going to cancel it."
"And do you know what? That seemed like a sensible thing to do. And it turns out, he was late, he missed every milestone, the game was not a particularly good game..."
This summer Schafer called the Activision CEO both a "prick" and a "dick" in a sensational dressing down of the exec.
When asked in an interview whether Kotick can really be blamed for wanting to make as much money as possible, Schafer replied: "Well, he doesn't have to be as much of a dick about it, does he?"
"I think there is a way he can do it without being a total prick. It seems like it would be possible. It's not something he's interested in."
For the full interview buy Edge issue 220 online and have it delivered to your door.
Comments
30 comments so far...
KMakawa on 27 Sep '10 said:
3 articles in quick succession surrounding Kotick, why do you actually have to post this stuff CVG?, if I make a background which is the same as CVG's, and then add a medal at the top left ANTI-KOTICK WEBSITE, will you abide to it and use it?, because quite frankly we don't give a s**t as to what he has to say.
Durp.
Mark240473 on 27 Sep '10 said:
Right, that's enough now CVG, we get the picture!
Any chance we can read an interview with a games developer, rather than the money bags? That would actually be a lot more interesting for gamers. Like us.
I've got nothing against Kotick, but I find his interviews extremely boring as he rarely talks about the games themselves. And that is why we are here. Not to read the opinions of a business man.
StonecoldMC on 27 Sep '10 said:
He's behind you
.
SWiscool on 27 Sep '10 said:
Kotick IS a prick!
I honestly think this is all deliberate, though. He probably believes there is no such thing as bad publicity. As long as he makes stupid comments and they're posted somewhere, he's happy.
I've just realized he's the world's biggest troll!
c3dpo on 27 Sep '10 said:
the game does suck lol.
Anyway, CVG more Goldeneye news please
p
ffcoppolla on 27 Sep '10 said:
http://senecacountyblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/marx_bros.jpg
Harpo, Groucho, Zeppo, Chico and...
http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Games/images-2/bobby-kotick.jpg
t**tto.
(c) Lord Magnos
judgecartman on 27 Sep '10 said:
He said "dick" . . . hur hur hur
judgecartman on 27 Sep '10 said:
I only actually made my last post because apparently I'm 6% from "Kudos" levelling up on the C&VG forums. Woot woot
theaface on 27 Sep '10 said:
Kotick seems to fail to address the point that they then tried to block the game's release, after opting not to publish it. Wonder how he'd explain that one.
That aside, everyone else here is right, CVG. Get your house in order, and stop posting the same cycle of COD, Pachter, Halo, Kotick articles. We all like games, so how about some proper gaming news?
jimsondanet on 27 Sep '10 said:
boo hoo cvg keeps posting kotic articles. Heres a tissue.
Now back to the matter at hand.
mr kotic, brutal legend done well criticly (apparently) but not so well sales wise and if gameinformer is correct the division was due to activisions desire for brutal legend to be warriors of rock. Tim disagreed hence the split.
But who really knows. office politics suck.
judgecartman on 27 Sep '10 said:
. . . although in every photo I've seen of the man, he definately looks like his first name could be "Richard". And "Brutal Legend" was an ok game (I've got it but haven't finished it), but aren't so many of them now-a-days, and they don't get slagged off quite as voraciously as Kotick seems to like to about this one? At least it was an original concept.
kimoak on 27 Sep '10 said:
5 more articles left CVG
only_777 on 27 Sep '10 said:
"Kotick slams Tim Schafer"
And I thought this was going to be a story about man love!
ffcoppolla on 27 Sep '10 said:
I thought he was going to clothesline him next.
Farribond on 27 Sep '10 said:
headline is very misleading
Although CVG is milking the non interesting stories Nobby Cockick these days, Schafer is spot on, He is a PRICK!!
richm74 on 27 Sep '10 said:
GAH!!!!
Oooooh you ass Stone! You nearly made me crap myself ya git. You know i'm on tranqs because of my mortal fear of Kotick!
Think of the t**taknobphobia sufferers (aka Kotick syndrome) before pulling pranks like that again.
..........phew ............ I think I need a sit down now.
lordirongut on 27 Sep '10 said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSzCwFu1dYY
metallicorphan on 27 Sep '10 said:
i loved Brutal Legend,but as its Kotick saying this,i wont feel to out of touch with liking it
El Mag on 27 Sep '10 said:
Kotick's not actually a total prick....he's just a tiny prick. To get him to total prick you need to buy the two prick map packs for £10 each and sacrifice your first born child.
martinawatson on 27 Sep '10 said:
Barca Azul on 27 Sep '10 said:
Hmmmm, I know who i think more of.
The Bossman on 27 Sep '10 said:
Brutal Legend was only just OK so I sort of agree with Kotick here, first time ever. RTS sections were laughable, just let us smash in peoples faces with axes and drive a fast car and run sh!t over. Too many articles with this man in.
pRM8 on 27 Sep '10 said:
Technically Schafer didn't actually call him a dick
He did call him a pr!ck though, so I tip my hat to you Schafer and immediately turn to give you the fingers Kotick.
Winterlightsnow on 27 Sep '10 said:
Here's a radical solution: IGNORE Bobby Kotick, give him NO PRESS COVERAGE...and REFUSE to mention his name in forums - he'll soon get bored and go away - by publicising EVERYTHING he says...you play into his hands!!
kirkscanlon on 27 Sep '10 said:
Calling Kotick a dick is an insult to all dicks. He seems to be something much worse and sinister i just don't know What yet.
shadowsblaze on 27 Sep '10 said:
Brutal Legend may not have been fantatsic, but it was still a good game and highly enjoyable. It's certainly better than 95% of the crap Activision releases every year.
kirkscanlon on 27 Sep '10 said:
Kotick, can anyone handle a prick that big?
dannyhulse on 27 Sep '10 said:
Innuendos FTW!!
The Sandbag on 27 Sep '10 said:
Kotick is the Hitler of the gaming world. Think about it: when playing Nazi Zombies you're actually killing his former colleagues, who he decided to screw over to get to the top. If you look carefully, you could probably spot Jason West and Vince Zampella wearing swastikas on their shoulders.
Anyway, time for a spot of poetry:
Schafer's a genius
Kotick's a dick
So when war ensues
Who will you pick?
tbomb on 28 Sep '10 said:
They say it took 6 women to give birth to Bobby Kotick...