EA Slams Activision, Hints CoD Will Suffer Guitar Hero's Fate
See Full ImageIt's like a political campaign. It's only a matter of time before the dirt starts to fly.
EA has often spoken about their upcoming clash of titans, where DICE's Battlefield 3 faces off against kingpin Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. But now, publisher CEO John Riccitiello has taken everything a step further: he told IndustryGamers that he wants to see CoD "rot from the core." Activision boss Eric Hirshberg fired back at GamesCom by saying such verbal attacks were "bad for the industry." EA's response? Well, it came from corporate communications representative Jeff Brown:
"Welcome to the big leagues Eric -- I know you're new in the job but someone should have told you this is an competitive industry. You've got every reason to be nervous. Last year Activision had a 90 share in the shooter category. This year, Battlefield 3 is going to take you down to 60 or 70. At that rate, you’ll be out of the category in 2-3 years. If you don't believe me, go to the store and try to buy a copy of Guitar Hero or Tony Hawk."
...yeah, that's gonna get things going. Perhaps the big question doesn't revolve around Brown's comment concerning CoD and its longevity, but whether or not such mud-slinging really is bad for the industry. We've got a fair amount of time before we can put all this behind us; things are bound to get even nastier. Maybe the gamers will eat it up, though.
Tags: battlefield 3, bf3, ea, mw3, call of duty
8/19/2011 9:01:16 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (48 posts)
Lawless SXE
Friday, August 19, 2011 @ 9:41:49 PM
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I get that BF3 is going to be good, you don't need to tell me. But they've got a new NFS coming up too, why not talk about it. I'm honestly sick to death of the BF/CoD argument already and am starting to wish that both games would just go away...
9 up, 1 down
Cpt_Geez
Friday, August 19, 2011 @ 9:47:22 PM
0 up, 0 down
Neo_Aeon666
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 5:42:19 PM
He might just be getting them on his side showing he's a badass and how much SELLING GAMES IS JUST LIKE WAR. EA AS NO MERCY B****!!! JOIN OUR RANKS!
I guess you get my general picture lol.
2 up, 1 down
BikerSaint
Friday, August 19, 2011 @ 9:44:42 PM
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.....(Homer voice)....MMMMMMMMM bacon!
5 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 1:04:09 PM
Enjoy
Great bacon recipes
http://www.kunzler.com/recipes/search-results.asp?collection_id=1
My favorite?
"Chocolate Bacon Bark"
MMMM..."Burp"
Chocolate Bacon Bark
Ingredients
12 oz. good-quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
7 strips of Kunzler's EXTRA-THICK bacon
Directions
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and set aside for now.
Cook Kunzler extra-thick bacon according to package directions… fried until crispy.
Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in one-minute increments until melted, stirring after every minute to prevent overheating.
While the chocolate is melting, chop the Kunzler bacon strips into small bits. Set aside approximately one-third of the bacon to be used to top the bark.
Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, stir in the remaining two-thirds of the chopped Kunzler bacon, and stir until the bacon bits are well-incorporated.
Pour the chocolate onto the prepared baking sheet, and with an offset spatula or a knife, spread it into a thin layer about 1/4” high.
While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the top evenly with the reserved chopped bacon and press down gently to adhere it to the surface.
Refrigerate the bacon bark to set the chocolate, about 30 minutes.
Once set, break it into small uneven pieces by hand, and serve immediately.
Chocolate Bacon Bark can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
2 up, 0 down
LimitedVertigo
Friday, August 19, 2011 @ 9:49:09 PM
Reply
5 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, August 19, 2011 @ 10:19:51 PM
5 up, 0 down
Qubex
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 1:07:41 AM
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
0 up, 0 down
Cpt_Geez
Friday, August 19, 2011 @ 9:49:11 PM
Reply
11 up, 2 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, August 19, 2011 @ 10:18:10 PM
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But, from my own perspective as an amateur media analyst this is a pretty safe place for EA to go now. Early on they played it very safe and showed the game, then talked up the engine, then showed off the gameplay at events, then started talking about the competition. And now that everyone who wants to buy BF3 over MW3 has pretty much made the decision I think it is beneficial for the business insofar as it will further hype up the fans who will in turn force their friends to buy this game.
In other words, now that everyone is decided, there is no risk in going hard partisan on the issue. It will only energize fans further, which is good for business.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 8/19/2011 10:20:38 PM
9 up, 1 down
556pineapple
Friday, August 19, 2011 @ 10:46:55 PM
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In the case of the Tony Hawk series, skateboarding games were nothing new, but they hit it big with the first Pro Skater. They insisted on releasing a new one every year, and it worked well for a while, but by the time we had entered the current generation, the series had seen a new entry on a yearly basis for 7 years. They decided to innovate and try to milk more cash out of their loyal customers at the same time by creating a "realistic" experience by requiring the use of a skateboard deck controller. This backfired on them since the controller barely worked.
With Guitar Hero, they greedily bought out Red Octane, the original publisher of the series so they could own the Guitar Hero name. They then let Neversoft (the skateboard guys) loose to mimic what Harmonix (passionate music guys) had done so well. They capitalized on the relatively new genre by milking it for all it was worth. Unfortunately, it was new and volatile, and due to a lack of innovation, combined with over-saturation, they managed to kill it off 3x as quickly as it took for them to poison Tony Hawk. Meanwhile, Harmonix took the time to innovate between releases and, although not doing as well as they once were, they still enjoy a loyal fanbase with Rock Band.
Activision, blind to the past, are doing the exact same thing with Call of Duty. Now FPSs have shown to be a staple genre in video games and will always retain some level of popularity, so I figure it will take a bit longer for CoD to die, but it eventually will. Some are beginning to notice that they are generally repackaging the same game in a new box each year which leads me to suspect the downfall is beginning, but there are others who will remain loyal to the franchise for years to come.
Now Mr. Riccitiello's comments are childish, but unfortunately, that's what a lot of gamers respond to (mostly in the pre-teen to teen range, but I'm sure there are some exceptions both ways.) And as World has said, most people have already decided which game they're going to stick with, so they really have nothing to lose by slandering the competition. As for me, I'm growing tired of the FPS genre in general and it would take a fantastic story to really draw me in again. I'm sure I'll rent BF3 sometime later this year to see if it lived up to the hype, but I already know from experience that CoD has not. The ball's in your court, EA. Handle it well.
Last edited by 556pineapple on 8/19/2011 10:53:03 PM
11 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, August 19, 2011 @ 11:04:36 PM
Take Sony for instance, I do like that they are classy when talking about MS but gaming often brings out the kid in me. Maybe that's not so attractive, but every now and then you want your team to just take off the gloves and slug it out when the competition is so damn smug.
And Activision IS smug.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 8/19/2011 11:05:30 PM
4 up, 1 down
556pineapple
Friday, August 19, 2011 @ 11:19:34 PM
"Real boxers don't fight like this." (Flails arms while whining.)
"I meam, come on, who wants to pretend their hand is a gun? What is this, 3rd Grade!?"
You just gotta hit back sometimes.
Last edited by 556pineapple on 8/19/2011 11:24:30 PM
3 up, 0 down
Qubex
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 1:12:27 AM
When facing adversity and criticism take it like a gentlemen and show up the childish antics of the company pointing the fingers and doing the criticising... the clever consumer will see through it and I think have a tendency to support the honorable firm.
Problem is it is difficult to find a really good honorable company to support...
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
0 up, 0 down
Danny007
Friday, August 19, 2011 @ 11:05:59 PM
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3 up, 0 down
Jdogtoocool
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 12:11:15 AM
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F*** battlefield 1, 2, and 3
6 up, 9 down
LimitedVertigo
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 12:20:43 AM
14 up, 7 down
Jdogtoocool
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 3:01:10 AM
3 up, 9 down
Lawless SXE
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 3:56:30 AM
6 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 3:50:29 PM
1 up, 0 down
LimitedVertigo
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 4:23:01 PM
Sorry, instead of 1 they used 1942. Get over it. :)
1 up, 0 down
PSTan
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 2:32:03 AM
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2 up, 1 down
Jdogtoocool
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 3:02:49 AM
0 up, 0 down
tayizfire
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 3:53:57 AM
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1 up, 2 down
___________
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 4:01:53 AM
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thats it, im buying BF3 used.
they wanna act like children, then thats fine there not getting any of my money.
my lord, if any CEO in any other industry spoke like this he would be fired so fast his head would spin!
imagine what would happen if John tott started saying these things about lambo!
as for them running every popular series into the ground, well EA are any better?
try go grab a copy of MoH or need for speed.
oh wait..........
Last edited by ___________ on 8/20/2011 4:04:31 AM
1 up, 2 down
A2K78
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 4:43:27 AM
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Now given the fact that EA is a company that have been seeing hard times(financially) ever 2007(they have lost a good amounts of market value), its obvious they would be compelled to knock on a company that is part of the ever successful media conglomerate Vivendi Group.
0 up, 1 down
Excelsior1
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 7:06:43 AM
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1 up, 0 down
DjEezzy
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 10:22:06 AM
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2 up, 1 down
Stang
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 10:48:03 AM
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1 up, 2 down
BIGRED15
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 11:30:13 AM
0 up, 0 down
Stang
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 11:40:44 AM
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0 up, 1 down
sirbob6
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 1:34:10 PM
-This was a PSA from sirbob6
0 up, 0 down
79transam
Wednesday, August 24, 2011 @ 6:50:15 AM
0 up, 0 down
BIGRED15
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 11:58:10 AM
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60 bucks for an expansion? Yea my money doesn't grow on trees so I would never do that. Clearly your playstyle is based off raw instinct and reflexes so of course BF isn't your kinda game. I'm a calculated type of player who enjoys endless options on the battlefield which is why bf > cod any day of the week for me.
2 up, 0 down
Laguna
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 3:40:57 PM
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one does not simply drop off from 20 million plus copies in one year!
0 up, 0 down
Bloodysilence19
Saturday, August 20, 2011 @ 10:07:40 PM
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1 up, 0 down
PANICinc
Sunday, August 21, 2011 @ 3:16:04 PM
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I'm gonna be busy with Resistance, Uncharted, and maybe Skyrim. I don't need another "cookie cutter" shooter. And don't attack me about Resistance being a shooter! I know that, but it's aliens! Crazy possibilities for the story to go, and confirmed split screen co-op! Features trump genre!
0 up, 0 down
Darwin1967
Sunday, August 21, 2011 @ 5:39:50 PM
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0 up, 0 down
MickaeL486
Sunday, August 21, 2011 @ 8:04:45 PM
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0 up, 0 down
Zorigo
Sunday, August 21, 2011 @ 8:39:18 PM
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thats good trash talking! i like it :D
0 up, 0 down
KJ_313
Monday, August 22, 2011 @ 9:04:15 AM
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Now all i hope is that EA doesnt buy out the competition like they did with football. Ever since EA bought the exclusive NFL license rights they have been lazy every yr with Madden. NFL 2k5 was creative and I couldnt wait for the next installment, but that never happened because EA muscled out the competition. I'm going to buy both shooters, just for the fact they are very confident in their work and both should be highest quality of gaming... I CAN'T WAIT!!!!
Last edited by KJ_313 on 8/22/2011 9:05:43 AM
0 up, 0 down
Helghast
Reply
Friday, August 19, 2011 @ 9:27:49 PM
Last edited by Helghast on 8/19/2011 9:28:49 PM