Activision CEO Bobby Kotick wanted to play Battlefield 3 at E3 2011 yesterday. Only one problem: he had to get past EA.
A senior informant has told CVG of how they witnessed Kotick's PA discuss Bobby's chances of a hands-on trial of the military FPS with EA reps on the door of the publisher's non-public presentation.
Her request was reportedly stewed over for a minute in private, until an EA rep re-emerged on the public show floor. He then explained that senior management had been consulted about the Activision chief's request, but that "it would not be possible".
[Update: Activision has denied that the incident took place. Spokesperson Dan Amrich said on Twitter: "Okay, checked here, and as I thought, the whole "Bobby denied" thing is not true. Did not happen. Someone is pulling your leg, folks." Our very senior source remains very adamant that it did.]
Kotick's company is showing off BF3 competitor Modern Warfare 3 at E3 - a presentation which is also invite-only.
Seriously, though. Beyond amazing.
EA's Battlefield 3 will be released on 360, PS3 and PC on October 25 in the US and three days later in Europe.
Activision's Modern Warfare 3 will hit the same formats on November 8 worldwide.
Comments
53 comments so far...
metallicorphan on 9 Jun '11 said:
CVG,...you are using that picture again..i thought we had a deal???
pRM8 on 9 Jun '11 said:
Maybe Bobby is starting to get a little worried about the competition.
Or maybe he was just being a little cocky to see what he could get away with at E3
Imaduck on 9 Jun '11 said:
To be fair, I wouldn't let that guy in anywhere. He's creepy as f**k and twice as irritating.
Random Hangman on 9 Jun '11 said:
She could've at least grabbed a goody-bag for him. I'll wager Bobby's looking for a new PA...
rbt2 on 9 Jun '11 said:
Some people say Bobby Kotick's 2 faced but I say NO!
Afterall, if he was then why does he always wear the ugly one?
casshern09 on 9 Jun '11 said:
^^ This. he really has one of those faces you want to damage.
roynluc on 9 Jun '11 said:
Bobby Kotick. The love child of Tony Blair and Napolean Dynamite. Grade A asshole to boot.
I would love to know what the actual response was behind closed doors. Instead of the watered down 'no' that was given to the female PA, I want a word for word press release on this, CVG.
El Mag on 9 Jun '11 said:
If your names not down you're not coming in
http://www.accidentadvicehelpline.co.uk/news/Compensation-claim/post/image.axd?picture=2010%2F10%2Fbouncer-500.jpg
boskersrevenge on 9 Jun '11 said:
I have the misfortune of working with execs and I tell you, I can almost hear him dismissively waving his PA over expecting nothing but a yes. I don't envy the person one bit.
TheLastDodo on 9 Jun '11 said:
He looks like this guy but without the makeup.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee277/Gaysofla/Ronald_McDonald_Comes_Out.jpg
Headsrinker on 9 Jun '11 said:
I had no idea what Kotick actually looked like until now, no wonder people think he's evil.
As if there gonna let the only competition to the FPS crown come and play the game. I know its a little late to start copying sh*t now, but even so, it takes the p*ss really. I bet Kotick knew they'd say no anyway, he was probably just trying to wind them up.
monkeyd_93 on 9 Jun '11 said:
" NO SOUP FOR YOU"
thank you EA for everything you are doing for battlefield 3, it really does seem like Activision is quaking in their boots now, and although i'd love to see it kill CoD, i'm happier for the snotty kids to stay with CoD and not come ruin the BF experience
oh p.s could we have more bagging CoD in BF3?
AegisK on 9 Jun '11 said:
He's one of the big CEO's that's holding back the world. Next to Steve Jobs the guy single handedly would have us playing on last generation technology if he had his way. Too much business guy, not enough gamer.
MrRage on 9 Jun '11 said:
If I was EA I would have let him see it. Then if there were any good ideas in MW3 claim that he stole them from your presentation.
KK-Headcharge78 on 9 Jun '11 said:
Jesus it's like f**king Hello magazine in here, ooh maybe he's worried about the competition, what does he look like without make-up.......are you chaps really that bothered he's just another face of commercial enterprise.
silversun_111 on 9 Jun '11 said:
He could have got one of his minions to go in. "How much to buy DICE"?
rbt2 on 9 Jun '11 said:
If that's the face of commercial enterprise then commercial enterprise is really ugly.
And ginger.
Beebop10 on 9 Jun '11 said:
Apparently, all the PCs are marked "pre alpha",so it's kinda understandable. You don't want a PR savvy rival like Kotick slagging off multiple bugs in a build that's far from complete.
Codename4p on 9 Jun '11 said:
I think he has a right as any other CEO or Company head to play the game or give it a try! CoDMW3 is still in development and is nearing completion just like Battlefield 3. Both games will be riddled with bugs and flaws and Call of Duty playable at the event (at least it more than likely is somewhere.) I reckon he should of seen the game for himself, its good to have competition, I am rooting for Battlefield to win, however CoD is still a stronger contender simply because of sales worldwide every year.
PandyBear on 9 Jun '11 said:
Or he wants to see what set pieces he could rip off for the next CoD?
TimHotston on 9 Jun '11 said:
StonecoldMC on 9 Jun '11 said:
I dont get why EA didnt let him have a shot
?
Were only months away from being able to play both Games and no way are either of them going to miss there release dates.
I wonder what the comments would be like, if it was the other way round and Riccitiello got denied the chance to play COD: MW3?
Pretty sure ive read of Bungie playing Naughty Dog Games and vice versa at previous E3's.
This just smacks of pettyness from EA to me.
Ali_ on 9 Jun '11 said:
I'd have let him in, in exchange for the chance to kick him hard in the nuts, arrogant little sh*t.
Laughlyn on 9 Jun '11 said:
Can anyone really blame him? Battlefield 3 is looking extremely impressive whereas call of duty will more than likely just be a reskinned version of the last game. I'v ehad nothing but a bad experience with call of duty games i honestly dont see their appeal.
Clusks on 9 Jun '11 said:
When I was reading this, all I could think about was Alan Partridge and his PA Lynn...
The Reaper on 9 Jun '11 said:
EA won't be laughing when Kotick sends in his flying monkeys
nathar on 9 Jun '11 said:
Would you really pass up the chance to be petty with either EA or Activision? Personally I'd have said yes, but make him wait for a free slot to become available. Then finally when a slot became available, charge him a subscription fee. Then explain processing his payment will take 3-5 days.
nathar on 9 Jun '11 said:
Good god - i wonder what Kotick keeps in his drawer in the Travel Tavern?
TheLastDodo on 9 Jun '11 said:
No need for Riccitello to play MW3 when he can play MW2
.
And its not petty either, it was the rules set out by EA, behind closed doors and invite only, just like MW3 was also.
Headsrinker on 9 Jun '11 said:
StonecoldMC
This just smacks of pettyness from EA to me.
Well if Kotick had of played it, he would be in a position to comment on it. Do EA want there main rival being able to put the low down on there upcoming release? No. Kotick may have said something like 'yeah i was quite worried, but i've just played BF3 and its not as good as it looks'. Then people would start thinking, well maybe its great graphics and crap gameplay. Its best to leave your rivals to speculate in my opinion.
MPH on 9 Jun '11 said:
Good on EA I say... it was invite only and there's no way he should have been let in. Besides I think EA probably politely declined his request. To get all s**tty about EA turning him away is just ridiculous though. That's like some random asshole turning up to my party wanting to be let in. Would I go "Yeah come on in you random person"? No. Admittedly if it were Bobby trying to get into my party I would probably let him in... then string him up like a Piñata. I wouldn't hit him though... I'd let him hang from my ceiling and turn up the heating.
Gaseous Snake on 9 Jun '11 said:
Dammit EA! DO THIS!
Then kick him in the nutsack for good measure.
Heh, he looks a bit like a Hobbit.
dragonjim on 9 Jun '11 said:
Battlefield 3 is getting overhyped to the extreme, EA's marketing strategy is working brilliantly. Yes a marketing strategy, EA wants peoples money just as much as Activision does.
KieranTC on 9 Jun '11 said:
It does seem slightly petty on EA's side. If they were that confident about Battlefield 3, they'd have loved to have rubbed it in their rival's face.
almanac2015 on 9 Jun '11 said:
Gotta say good on Kotick for trying.
Good on EA for refusing though. Invite-only means invite-only.
aawells07 on 9 Jun '11 said:
He could been just trying to be friendly you guys are all assuming it was meant as a bad jesture i couldnt see him going in there by himself with EA guys all around him and trash talking it. I think it was childish that they didnt let him in.
almanac2015 on 9 Jun '11 said:
Why childish? I don't assume he would have badmouthed it, no doubt he was interested in the competition. But invite only is invite only. It would have been different if they had an open doors policy, but if you're not on the list, you're not on the list.
gmcb007 on 9 Jun '11 said:
He was probably carrying a video camera with 'MW3 ideas' labled on it.
Red Deer01 on 9 Jun '11 said:
I lol'd at the article. Good on EA.
At the end of the day he's their rival, the same guy who'd smack talk them right after the presentation in order to make his product look better. If he wants to see it sure, he can provide them with an extra sale come October 25th. You can't let your main rival in on your secret sauce, doesnt make sense.
Especially seeing as once they do see it; as soon as they can they'll come back with your secret sauce plastered with their label on it.
Sideys on 9 Jun '11 said:
Quite right. Make that c**t wait for a shot of it like the rest of us.
RandyChimp on 9 Jun '11 said:
Lol. Nice.
fps_d0minat0r on 9 Jun '11 said:
I bet if it were the other way around (EA being rejected to see COD) it would still be Kotick getting the hate with other random excuses like "har har ha the game is so s**te they dont want anyone to see it"
and you know im right about that.
aawells07 on 9 Jun '11 said:
I see what your saying and i agree with ya. It just seems like people wanna hate him just to do it yeah he has done some things that people didnt agree with but the negativity just gets old after awhile the same goes for Micheal Pachter people hate on him so bad for no "real" reason i dunno i guess im fighting a losing battle lol.
TheCrimsonFenix on 9 Jun '11 said:
Right move by EA, if they'd let this guy play it you'd be seeing a CVG article this week quoting him as saying something a long the lines of, "We like what they're doing but it's not the direction we want to take with our multi million selling franchise that's loved the world over and is number one each year".
Personally if I was the guy to come out and answer his request, I too would be stewing over the chance to either make him wait 15 minutes or just lean into the devil himself's face and say, "urrrrm.. no".
monkeybiscuit on 10 Jun '11 said:
Honestly I never thought I'd be cheering for EA but..
OneOfSwords on 10 Jun '11 said:
Sorry, not a true story after all.
Toninho deZoete on 10 Jun '11 said:
Haha! Or this guy without the make-up.
http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/motion-capt ... n-gone-blu
veato on 10 Jun '11 said:
That video makes me sex wee. I was going to get this on Xbox/PS3 but now I'm thinking I'm gonna pick up Win7/Parallels and run it on the new Mac.
anytime on 10 Jun '11 said:
Thats the official story, word has it booby kotick went up to the EA guys and asked politely to get in. After a quick pat down they discovered a hidden camera just sticking out from between his zipper. A fight broke out with bobby knocking 1 of the 3 burly EA execs out before sprinting away.
HeavenlyGamer on 10 Jun '11 said:
They should have slapped him as well for making the gaming industry even more money hungry than it was before!
trgmr on 10 Jun '11 said:
I heard they actually agreed to let him in, as long as he joined the end of the 6 hour long queue.
But with Activision denying it ever happened who knows what to believe.
charlyd on 11 Jun '11 said:
love that kotick photo but could someone who has photoshop please stick a mullet on him and handlebar moustache cos i think he will look less like a creepy uncle and more like an upmarket red neck / hick please someone do this
slimify d on 12 Jun '11 said:
he could preorder it at game/gamestation for a fiver