Video Game News and Miscellany
- Thread starter figmentPez
- Start date
I knew this was coming. Activision has been slowly exerting more control over its assets for the last year. Bungie was able to escape because they didn't let Activision buy them outright, instead doing a sort of partnership, but other companies have not been so lucky.
I knew shit was getting real when Activision forced out Mike Morhaime from Blizzard. They make it out like he was retiring of course but you could see it on his face at BlizzCon that he didn't want to go (it's why he is staying around as a consultant.) Of course once J. A. B took over as head they quietly removed "President and CEO" from the job title and and now it's just "President". Mike Morhaime was a staunch advocate of keeping Blizzard autonomous which is why he kept himself CEO of Blizzard, and making choices like removing unpopular features or even outright canceling games that didn't live up to standards.
The layoffs are just icing on the shit cake. Blizzard says all their layoffs were support and not dev staff, but it's still baloney when you are having a record year of profits.
I knew shit was getting real when Activision forced out Mike Morhaime from Blizzard. They make it out like he was retiring of course but you could see it on his face at BlizzCon that he didn't want to go (it's why he is staying around as a consultant.) Of course once J. A. B took over as head they quietly removed "President and CEO" from the job title and and now it's just "President". Mike Morhaime was a staunch advocate of keeping Blizzard autonomous which is why he kept himself CEO of Blizzard, and making choices like removing unpopular features or even outright canceling games that didn't live up to standards.
The layoffs are just icing on the shit cake. Blizzard says all their layoffs were support and not dev staff, but it's still baloney when you are having a record year of profits.
I imagine they require excessive prep, like cassava, Fugu, or grass pea, to the point where they're not worth it.
--Patrick
I am really starting to hate anything regarding executive culture or venture capitalism. I see so many companies go over how much fucking money they make but then they have to cut jobs or adjust features because "growth" isn't where it needs to be. I am dealing with that right now on Patreon because they keep making it out like they don't make enough money, when their entire business is basically taking a cut of the money from content other people develop. But nope, they were invested in by "venture capitalists" that want to see growth and high returns, so they are struggling and hint they need to develop new "monetary features" to make ends meet.
It's that shit that leads to people like Bobby Kotick tooting his own damn horn on all those records profits while then firing hundreds of employees because investors want more returns. You all know a lot of this is due to the Bungie loss too. Investors are going to see a loss of millions in possible revenue / profits from that split and so they are going to make up the future loss by restructuring all the other companies to cost less.
It's that shit that leads to people like Bobby Kotick tooting his own damn horn on all those records profits while then firing hundreds of employees because investors want more returns. You all know a lot of this is due to the Bungie loss too. Investors are going to see a loss of millions in possible revenue / profits from that split and so they are going to make up the future loss by restructuring all the other companies to cost less.
I am also one of those who will never understand the mentality that says you can't ever plateau, plateauing is Death, and that if you're not constantly fighting/straining to beat last year's numbers in EVERYTHING then you might as well just kill yourself because you're a waste of protein.
--Patrick
--Patrick
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The rainbow guns though. "Hey gamers, what if your weapons looked like your keyboard?"
AND YET
Blizzard won’t release any “major” new games in 2019
"Oh hey, Internet. So you wanna make a big deal about these layoffs and bonuses? Fine. We're going to hold all these nifty ideas hostage because you hurt our fee wings."
--Patrick
"Oh hey, Internet. So you wanna make a big deal about these layoffs and bonuses? Fine. We're going to hold all these nifty ideas hostage because you hurt our fee wings."
--Patrick
Did they even have anything planned outside of mobile Diablo anyways?
Hmm. A new console release of Call of Duty their CFO described as "the best Call of Duty ever built," an eSports Call of Duty league, and a mobile-based Call of Duty game developed by China's Tencent, who also says they are going to work to try to further monetize their eSports properties.
...so no, I guess they didn't really have anything planned.
--Patrick
Blizzard never releases constant yearly games.
But that isn't Blizzard.
Ya I honestly hated it when Activision changed their public name to "Activision Blizzard". They just wanted to feed off Blizzards popularity even though Blizzard itself is a subordinate company. It's like if EA changed their name to "Electronic Arts Bioware".But that isn't Blizzard.
figmentPez
Staff member
GasBandit
Staff member
EA may have left Burnout to rot for 10 years since Burnout Paradise, but now there's a spiritual successor coming in April - Dangerous Driving.
https://techraptor.net/content/burnout-spiritual-successor-dangerous-driving-coming-in-april
Oh... only mentions the Epic Game Store... well, piracy it is, I guess.
https://techraptor.net/content/burnout-spiritual-successor-dangerous-driving-coming-in-april
Oh... only mentions the Epic Game Store... well, piracy it is, I guess.
figmentPez
Staff member
GasBandit
Staff member
That's easy enough to make happen, all we have to do is STOP BUYING ACTIVISION GAMES.
"But... but... call of duty! Shiny!" - average gamer
I can't remember the last time I bought an activision game that wasn't Blizzard. And I've even quit blizzard games.
(though I know this won't stop the rest of the 'gamer' population that loves CoD)
Remember that "No Media March" protest a few years back? The kids were all "But... but... HUNGER GAMES!!"
I teach 12-14 year olds; can confirm.
They are dimly aware of anything outside of their immediate bubble, so they don't know a thing about layoffs, microtransactions, creative bankruptcy, etc. They just see some new game come out and have their parents buy it so they can play it instead of doing their fucking homework.
Dave
Staff member
GasBandit
Staff member
