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Forums - Sony - Activision threatens to "stop supporting" Sony consoles.

gergroy on 19 June 2009

wow, so much hate for activision as a publisher. They do make a lot of big games, lets not forget the blizzard or infinity ward studios.

While some of you dismiss this as an idle threat, you do realize that activision controls guitar hero, which is probably one of the biggest movers of hardware out there. This would be a big blow to sony.

I don't think it will happen though, because sony's forecast pretty much confirms a price cut. It's just kind of sad that actibliz president has to put out such a negative statement to fuel the flames of the console war. I'm pretty sure he just doesn't like sony.



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heruamon on 19 June 2009
Ail said:
heruamon said:
gebx said:
markers said:
stop supporting a console you sold an estimated 13.55 million games on?

http://vgchartz.com/games/index.php?name=&keyword=&console=PS3®ion=All&developer=&publisher=14&genre=&boxart=Both&results=50&order=Hits

how bout making something great before you stop supporting a console that sells your crappy games.

 

That's 13.55 million copies over 29 games (467,000/game), and if you take out the top three games (CoD4, GH3, GHWT), the average drops to 235,000 copies/game

Q - So what if Activision just deciced to drop everything except for GH and CoD?

A - They probably make more Profit, because the developers would not be making these statements if they were HAPPY with the PS3.

 

 

 

Just to compare to the 360

38.04 million over 39 games (975,000 copies/game)

Take out the top 3 game and that's 23 million over 36 games (638,000 copies/games)


Plus a key point he made was that it was more difficult to develop for the PS3, as compared to the 360.  Eventhough others have said, it's not more difficult, it's been mostly from people who are exclusive to that console.  The bottomline is ROI...I'm sure they aren't losing money, but they can get better returns by working on other projects...that's the bottomline. 

That's not really the case for a company whose stated strategy is to to work on a very limited number of titles with the goal for each of those titles to be megablockbusters like Activision have been stating for the last 2 years...

Working on more project would just be counterproductive with that.

 

Fact is Activision CEO should stop talking out of his ass and realize that his statement may be aimed at Sony but it's bound to anger fans that are PS3 owners and angering your fans for no reason is never a good move....


So...you think his comments are just nonsense...I mean...the guy IS the CEO, not just some talking head.  He's the one who would makes the decision here...he must have some point he's trying to make...very publicly, and very explicitly.  He clearly stated that ROI is key here.



"...You can't kill ideas with a sword, and you can't sink belief structures with a broadside. You defeat them by making them change..."

- From By Schism Rent Asunder

HappySqurriel on 19 June 2009

I highly doubt they would stop supporting both platforms entirely, the fact that they're saying this makes it likely that they (and other publishers) would cut back on support; and this makes Microsoft's "Money Hatting" far more dangerous



heruamon on 19 June 2009
HappySqurriel said:

I highly doubt they would stop supporting both platforms entirely, the fact that they're saying this makes it likely that they (and other publishers) would cut back on support; and this makes Microsoft's "Money Hatting" far more dangerous


If I was M$...I'd pounce on it and get some timed exclusives locked on 360...QUICK!



"...You can't kill ideas with a sword, and you can't sink belief structures with a broadside. You defeat them by making them change..."

- From By Schism Rent Asunder

monlosez on 19 June 2009

it's time to boycott Activision.



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Akvod on 19 June 2009
monlosez said:
it's time to boycott Activision.

PC fanboys started that, not PS3 =/



Ail on 19 June 2009
heruamon said:
Ail said:
heruamon said:
gebx said:
markers said:
stop supporting a console you sold an estimated 13.55 million games on?

http://vgchartz.com/games/index.php?name=&keyword=&console=PS3®ion=All&developer=&publisher=14&genre=&boxart=Both&results=50&order=Hits

how bout making something great before you stop supporting a console that sells your crappy games.

 

That's 13.55 million copies over 29 games (467,000/game), and if you take out the top three games (CoD4, GH3, GHWT), the average drops to 235,000 copies/game

Q - So what if Activision just deciced to drop everything except for GH and CoD?

A - They probably make more Profit, because the developers would not be making these statements if they were HAPPY with the PS3.

 

 

 

Just to compare to the 360

38.04 million over 39 games (975,000 copies/game)

Take out the top 3 game and that's 23 million over 36 games (638,000 copies/games)


Plus a key point he made was that it was more difficult to develop for the PS3, as compared to the 360.  Eventhough others have said, it's not more difficult, it's been mostly from people who are exclusive to that console.  The bottomline is ROI...I'm sure they aren't losing money, but they can get better returns by working on other projects...that's the bottomline. 

That's not really the case for a company whose stated strategy is to to work on a very limited number of titles with the goal for each of those titles to be megablockbusters like Activision have been stating for the last 2 years...

Working on more project would just be counterproductive with that.

 

Fact is Activision CEO should stop talking out of his ass and realize that his statement may be aimed at Sony but it's bound to anger fans that are PS3 owners and angering your fans for no reason is never a good move....


So...you think his comments are just nonsense...I mean...the guy IS the CEO, not just some talking head.  He's the one who would makes the decision here...he must have some point he's trying to make...very publicly, and very explicitly.  He clearly stated that ROI is key here.

He's been getting very cocky since the merger with Blizzard and the success of CoD and GH.

Fact is both his huge franchises are getting old and Activision needs to get some new IPs sometime soon and stop focusing 99% of their effort on milking franchises that are several years old...

I purchase 20 or so game a year and at most 2 are from Activision and it's not because I despise them. It's just that they are starting to suck big time at renewing their catalog...

If I had been a journalist I would have asked him ' why don't you lower the price of your games if you want to sell more units ?'

Just to see the look on his face....

I mean come on, You have a publisher making heaps off money selling games on a console that looses money and the guy asks the console makers to loose more money to help him make more... That's not even win-win in the long run....

 



PS3-Xbox360 gap : 1.5 millions and going up in PS3 favor !

PS3-Wii gap : 20 millions and going down !

TheThunder on 19 June 2009
Aiemond said:
TheThunder said:
Aiemond said:
TheThunder said:

if I were Sony I would call him on his bluff. He would be fired the next day if he did it. Seriously think about it.

Unless they think the money going to ps3 projects can make more profit if they are put on other ones, or they think they can get a deal to decrease the license fee they pay to Sony or if they think they can pressure a faster price cut. It could be all three as well. I don't know if they can make more money if they stopped ps3 support, but if their financials and models point to it being the case there is no reason for them to continue the support. Lastly, did you see CEOs being fired when they stopped GC support? If not why is this any different?

it simple really if you are going to drop a source of a profit (yes their games on PS3 bring profit big time) then you should find another source that replaces that gap you made or else shareholders are going to pissed. PS3 games may sell less than 360 but they still bring them great revenue and profit each year and they can't just say no to that it just won't happen. PSP on the other brings only like 1% of their revenue according to their financial report back in 2008

That's what I am saying. That they are going to replace the ps3 projects with ones that have better returns. They explain this to shareholders by using their models, graphs, figures etc that they used to come to this conclusion and then talk about how much more they will make with these investments. Also, coupled with the comments he makes, it seems they make less profit off a ps3 project than they would a similar 360 profit cause costs are higher.

From the times article: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article6531367.ece?print=yes&randnum=1245400825888

The target is Sony, the once-dominant hardware maker. “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,” he says

So, they say no to PS3 if they think they can take the money they are spending on it and put it to a more porfitable project.

 

This is prolly what happened to MW2 wii imo, even though it makes me sad to admit it.

you have a point but let's look at this from a smart business stand point. Now the PS3 brings less profit than the 360 sure but it is still PROFIT that's one. Second, what would you do keep pumping highly recognized titles that will sell and sell or element 22 million potential shoppers to focus on bringing less recognized titles to an even smaller base than you had before ?? I think you see where am I going with this.

they really would not cut the PS3 from the COD and GH it just won't happen. Less profit than another platform yes but it's still some biiiiiig chunk of profit and those new projects you have have got to sell almost as good as you current Big blockbusters just to return the profits you lost potentially on the platform you cut earlier

Bottom line a big FAT empty threat that's all.



Akvod on 19 June 2009
TheThunder said:
Aiemond said:
TheThunder said:
Aiemond said:
TheThunder said:

if I were Sony I would call him on his bluff. He would be fired the next day if he did it. Seriously think about it.

Unless they think the money going to ps3 projects can make more profit if they are put on other ones, or they think they can get a deal to decrease the license fee they pay to Sony or if they think they can pressure a faster price cut. It could be all three as well. I don't know if they can make more money if they stopped ps3 support, but if their financials and models point to it being the case there is no reason for them to continue the support. Lastly, did you see CEOs being fired when they stopped GC support? If not why is this any different?

it simple really if you are going to drop a source of a profit (yes their games on PS3 bring profit big time) then you should find another source that replaces that gap you made or else shareholders are going to pissed. PS3 games may sell less than 360 but they still bring them great revenue and profit each year and they can't just say no to that it just won't happen. PSP on the other brings only like 1% of their revenue according to their financial report back in 2008

That's what I am saying. That they are going to replace the ps3 projects with ones that have better returns. They explain this to shareholders by using their models, graphs, figures etc that they used to come to this conclusion and then talk about how much more they will make with these investments. Also, coupled with the comments he makes, it seems they make less profit off a ps3 project than they would a similar 360 profit cause costs are higher.

From the times article: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article6531367.ece?print=yes&randnum=1245400825888

The target is Sony, the once-dominant hardware maker. “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,” he says

So, they say no to PS3 if they think they can take the money they are spending on it and put it to a more porfitable project.

 

This is prolly what happened to MW2 wii imo, even though it makes me sad to admit it.

you have a point but let's look at this from a smart business stand point. Now the PS3 brings less profit than the 360 sure but it is still PROFIT that's one. Second, what would you do keep pumping highly recognized titles that will sell and sell or element 22 million potential shoppers to focus on bringing less recognized titles to an even smaller base than you had before ?? I think you see where am I going with this.

they really would not cut the PS3 from the COD and GH it just won't happen. Less profit than another platform yes but it's still some biiiiiig chunk of profit and those new projects you have have got to sell almost as good as you current Big blockbusters just to return the profits you lost potentially on the platform you cut earlier

Bottom line a big FAT empty threat that's all.

To add on, the reason someone threatens is to get something out of the other person. Lets say Activision follows through. They lose profit, and while Sony will have a huge blow on them, they're not going to commit suicide by cutting the price, and so Activision will be losing profit for nothing.



heruamon on 19 June 2009
Ail said:
heruamon said:
Ail said:
heruamon said:
gebx said:
markers said:
stop supporting a console you sold an estimated 13.55 million games on?

http://vgchartz.com/games/index.php?name=&keyword=&console=PS3®ion=All&developer=&publisher=14&genre=&boxart=Both&results=50&order=Hits

how bout making something great before you stop supporting a console that sells your crappy games.

 

That's 13.55 million copies over 29 games (467,000/game), and if you take out the top three games (CoD4, GH3, GHWT), the average drops to 235,000 copies/game

Q - So what if Activision just deciced to drop everything except for GH and CoD?

A - They probably make more Profit, because the developers would not be making these statements if they were HAPPY with the PS3.

 

 

 

Just to compare to the 360

38.04 million over 39 games (975,000 copies/game)

Take out the top 3 game and that's 23 million over 36 games (638,000 copies/games)


Plus a key point he made was that it was more difficult to develop for the PS3, as compared to the 360.  Eventhough others have said, it's not more difficult, it's been mostly from people who are exclusive to that console.  The bottomline is ROI...I'm sure they aren't losing money, but they can get better returns by working on other projects...that's the bottomline. 

That's not really the case for a company whose stated strategy is to to work on a very limited number of titles with the goal for each of those titles to be megablockbusters like Activision have been stating for the last 2 years...

Working on more project would just be counterproductive with that.

 

Fact is Activision CEO should stop talking out of his ass and realize that his statement may be aimed at Sony but it's bound to anger fans that are PS3 owners and angering your fans for no reason is never a good move....


So...you think his comments are just nonsense...I mean...the guy IS the CEO, not just some talking head.  He's the one who would makes the decision here...he must have some point he's trying to make...very publicly, and very explicitly.  He clearly stated that ROI is key here.

He's been getting very cocky since the merger with Blizzard and the success of CoD and GH.

Fact is both his huge franchises are getting old and Activision needs to get some new IPs sometime soon and stop focusing 99% of their effort on milking franchises that are several years old...

I purchase 20 or so game a year and at most 2 are from Activision and it's not because I despise them. It's just that they are starting to suck big time at renewing their catalog...

If I had been a journalist I would have asked him ' why don't you lower the price of your games if you want to sell more units ?'

Just to see the look on his face....

I mean come on, You have a publisher making heaps off money selling games on a console that looses money and the guy asks the console makers to loose more money to help him make more... That's not even win-win in the long run....

 


I'm with you...as I didn't even get the  latest COD, but  plan on getting MW2.  I DO give ALOT of money to Activision, since I support 2 accounts on WoW, one for me, and one for my nephews, but overall, I'm not a super fan of their catalogy.  We knoe SCII isn't going to consoles, but Diablo III could be possible...at least theoretically.  Wolverine was cool, but I was playing Fallout, and didn't get it, now I'm on Red Faction and Prototype, so chances are, I'm not going to get a chance at it. 



"...You can't kill ideas with a sword, and you can't sink belief structures with a broadside. You defeat them by making them change..."

- From By Schism Rent Asunder