Activision To EA: We Can Get More Fans, You Know
See Full ImageActivision and EA continue to exchange barbs; some subtle, others not so subtle.
During a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Activision boss Eric Hirshberg addressed EA's attempts to steal away valuable Call of Duty market share when Battlefield 3 launches on October 25. Said Hirshberg:
"It’s not a new strategy for challenger brands to try to get themselves mentioned in the same breath as leader brands. Coke didn’t do the Coke challenge, Pepsi did the Pepsi challenge. It’s a tried and true strategy to try and get yourself mentioned as much as possible in the same breath as the leaders so people start thinking of you in that context."
Translation: we're the leaders. Just try and catch us. Hirshberg also talked about the concept of "market share" itself; i.e., why isn't it possible for Activision to create an even bigger share (via more fans)? Why is there only a limited group?
"What about creating market share? I feel like [EA's comments] comes from a place that assumes that there’s a finite number of gamers in the world. If we as an industry act like there’s a finite number of gamers in the world, and just beat each other up to get access to them, I think that will come true. On the other hand, if we act like we can constantly pull people into this passion, which is what has happened – the industry has grown exponentially – then I think that we can bake a bigger pie instead of fighting over a bigger slice of the existing one."
We all know that Modern Warfare 3 will emerge victorious in the sales battle; it could very well become the biggest game of all time. But EA already knows this, and they're only interested in narrowing the gap. And they just might do that.
But that will only cause the mud to fly through the air at higher velocity.
Tags: activision, ea, cod, battlefield 3, mw3, modern warfare 3
8/30/2011 8:35:48 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (44 posts)
Riku994
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 @ 9:25:43 PM
Reply
3 up, 7 down
Alienange
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 @ 9:48:04 PM
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 @ 10:13:34 PM
9 up, 3 down
Riku994
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 @ 11:04:49 PM
1 up, 4 down
Godslim
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 4:28:35 AM
or folks who just enjoy playing the games and dont care about all these silly rivalries
7 up, 0 down
Zorigo
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 7:09:40 AM
Theyre not bad games per se, but most people getting into those don't really get into the seriously good games.
Im basing that on the fact that i hear loadsa people talk about COD or B3 now too, but never anything else really. Not even the old school big ones like GT or whatever.
Last edited by Zorigo on 8/31/2011 7:09:47 AM
2 up, 0 down
Alienange
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 @ 9:42:13 PM
Reply
2 up, 4 down
LimitedVertigo
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 @ 9:56:36 PM
2 up, 1 down
LimitedVertigo
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 @ 10:15:50 PM
The MW series has "dumbed" down the FPS like the Wii did to consoles.
11 up, 4 down
johnld
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 @ 11:07:27 PM
1 up, 4 down
aaronisbla
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 3:10:16 AM
2 up, 2 down
Underdog15
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 8:24:35 AM
But I'm not sure how you can look at one and then the other and say CoD is the best quality.
Personally, I don't care which one wins. I know my friends will almost certainly get CoD no matter what. They love it so much so, that when I refused to buy blops last year, they bought it for me. (I would gladly buy and play ANY other multiplayer game with them for once...) I'm not a huge FPS fan, so I doubt I'll be getting BF3. The only way I'm getting MW3 is if they do something stupid and buy it for me again. I'm having a baby around that time... maybe I'll pull the "I'm having a baby" card and try to weasel in some other game...
0 up, 0 down
LimitedVertigo
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 @ 9:43:35 PM
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4 up, 2 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 @ 10:12:27 PM
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Ah, anyway, this is a strange thing to say. CoD is going to create gamers out of non-gamers now? Well, since that's what casual gaming is for maybe CoD is right on track to do that. Add peer pressure to do what everybody else is doing and there you have it.
But you can still only squeeze a franchise so much until it dies.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 8/30/2011 10:14:28 PM
3 up, 0 down
LimitedVertigo
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 @ 10:17:54 PM
BTW I hope you're getting the new CounterStrike coming to the PS3, I'm going to get it for PC (of course) and I'd love to own you and fellow PSXE members online.
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 @ 11:14:25 PM
0 up, 0 down
PSN French
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 @ 10:18:18 PM
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6 up, 2 down
Lawless SXE
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 2:34:32 AM
2 up, 0 down
Godslim
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 4:32:46 AM
not really true tbh as bored of blacks ops as iam after not playing it that much i think u have to remember the cod games are made by to different companies, tryarch basically copy the last cod game that came out....the actual difference between iw's cod4 and mw2 is actually quite a bit.....tho i do now feel cod needs a re boot.....and mw3 does look very much the same as mw2 looking at the spec ops trailer which is annoying
2 up, 0 down
dmiitrie
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 1:06:54 AM
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1 up, 1 down
Lawless SXE
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 2:24:00 AM
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EA just need to shut the hell up...
2 up, 0 down
Godslim
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 4:34:12 AM
0 up, 0 down
Zorigo
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 7:13:00 AM
At least half that are in poverty so thats down to about just over 3 billion
0 up, 0 down
PSTan
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 2:59:12 AM
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Besides, COD is popular because of brand recognition anyway; it's not the best FPS out there, but it's the most well known. I'm not interested in the mudslinging these guys are doing; rather, I want to see what BF3 has in store for us gamers.
As for me, I'm interested in both games, so I will probably get both, for the sake of enjoying them for what they are.
0 up, 0 down
Qubex
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 4:05:27 AM
Reply
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
0 up, 0 down
Lawless SXE
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 4:31:25 AM
0 up, 0 down
___________
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 5:43:19 AM
Reply
they have put everything into BF3, and they can see MW3 is just going to sail past them.
so only thing they can do now is sling mud hoping to effect antivisions image.
its official, EA are the new antivision!
i hereby dub EA the title of worst publisher in the video game industry!
2 up, 4 down
Underdog15
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 8:34:06 AM
2 up, 2 down
___________
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 10:41:41 AM
could of fooled me!
i was comparing the way antivision have been reacting to this to the way EA is.
antivision are at least acting professional, where EA are slinging mud like a freaking 7 year old after mom said no to that new toy.
1 up, 1 down
Underdog15
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 10:49:50 AM
1 up, 0 down
BigStack007
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 8:34:24 AM
Reply
Last edited by BigStack007 on 8/31/2011 9:01:27 AM
1 up, 0 down
Underdog15
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 8:42:44 AM
1 up, 1 down
Underdog15
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 8:41:59 AM
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Really. That's all.
Whatever.
BF3 will -probably- be a better product, but whatever. No one cares. Brand name Call of Duty will outsell. They don't need big production values... they don't need a new engine... they just need someone to write 5 pages worth of story, make some levels, and add cheap-o perks for multiplayer, and boom. Multi-billion dollar project.
There will be no surprises this year, just like there won't be surprises next year.
Get ready for more headlines like "ZOMG! MW3 IS THE BEZT SELLINGZ GAME OF AWL TIMEEEEEEZZ!"
Quantity over quality is the theme of this generation from console sales to software sales. Are we really surprised? Are we really unsure of what the headlines will be in November despite the huge quality coming out? It'll be CoD fever despite Uncharted 3, AC:R, and countless other titles.
Let these guys duke it out. No one -really- cares, because everyone already knows. All it will serve is making people happier about their purchase by reinforcing the fact that they are in the majority for liking CoD exclusively above all else.
Honestly, what other games are the 25 million gamers buying? Surely there's something else out there everyone loves as well. I'm ok with people liking CoD... but the CoD exclusivity is what really irritates me.
2 up, 2 down
ace_boon_coon
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 2:23:08 PM
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0 up, 0 down
Helghast
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 2:48:47 PM
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0 up, 0 down
Underdog15
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 @ 3:13:50 PM
Activision jabbed back the way any clever #1 would. The same applies to anything else in life from music to sports. If you're on top, NEVER talk about the Underdog like you're worried about them. If you need to reference them, talk about them half-heartedly as if they don't get it... as if you're competing for something greater than where they are.
Which is exactly what Activision is doing. They are competing, but they are making those goals beyond the underdog, thus making their jab the idea that they just aren't worried about the underdog... that they are after something greater.
Now, if their messaging was something like, "We just want to make the best game possible and please our fans while bringing in new ones" that'd be fine. But they aren't. They definitely have an air of superiority when they refer to bringing in more people to the industry... like they are doing the industry a favor... like they are so great, that they attract people who don't even like gaming that's how good they are.
I see that right away... but maybe it's because I'm more prone to picking that up based on my background... Who knows... maybe it's all in my head. lol
Last edited by Underdog15 on 8/31/2011 3:14:31 PM
1 up, 0 down
PasteNuggs
Reply
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 @ 9:24:07 PM