The real reason why Activision dropped Ghostbusters... [Archive]

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KingofOldSchool

12-09-2008, 10:45 PM

No not because the game sucks...

http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/11/05/why-activision-let-go-of-ghostbusters-and-50-cent-games/

Why Activision Let Go Of ‘Ghostbusters’ And ‘50 Cent’ Games
Posted by Stephen Totilo on 11/5/08 at 6:30 pm.

During today’s Activision Blizzard earnings call, a financial analyst asked the company’s CEO, Bobby Kotick, why the company didn’t keep all of Vivendi’s games when the two gaming companies merged.

The analyst didn’t name any games, but technically, he had to be referring to the likes of “Ghostbusters,” “50 Cent: Blood On The Sand” and the new “Riddick,” which all appear to have found new publishing homes.

So, Mr. Kotick, why not keep hold of these games which were deep into development and anticipated by gamers?

Kotick responded not by addressing any of the games by name, but by talking about Activision’s publishing philosophy. The games Activision Blizzard didn’t pick up, he said, “don’t have the potential to be exploited every year on every platform with clear sequel potential and have the potential to become $100 million dollar franchises. … I think, generally, our strategy has been to focus… on the products that have those attributes and characteristics, the products that we know [that] if we release them today, we’ll be working on them 10 years from now.”

Those of you out there who love new, original games and therefore may bristle at that Kotick quote should be mindful of the businessman’s follow-up: “You still need to have production of new original property but you have to do it very selectively… the focus at retail and for the consumer is to continue to be o the big narrow and deep high profile release strategy… We’ve had enough experience that I think the strategy we employ is the most successful.” He noted that the number of successful original games released in the last several years can be measured as a mere single-digit percentage of all games brought to market.

According to Kotick, Activision Blizzard plans to release “15 properties” next year across “more than 70 SKUs [versions].” That release slate will include “three, maybe four, exciting new intellectual properties.”

“50 Cent: Blood On The Sand” will be published by THQ in January. Variety reports that Atari will publish “Ghostbusters” and “Riddick.”

Hahaha wow.

Funky Fly

12-09-2008, 10:49 PM

In other words, kill creativity, dumb it down and rehash it for all it's worth. God damn. :(

Kane Knight

12-09-2008, 11:19 PM

I'm pretty sure people already knew that was the reason, but it's odd to hear it from an official source.

MONEY. MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY.

Xero

12-10-2008, 12:03 AM

KingofOldSchool

12-10-2008, 12:14 AM

Dorkchop

12-10-2008, 01:33 AM

I miss the Coach.

Disturbed316

12-10-2008, 05:03 AM

Yeah, I heard this a while ago, but still a kick in the nuts hearing it officially. Douche bags.

The Mackem

12-10-2008, 05:55 AM

He appears to be switched on.

Impeccable

12-10-2008, 06:00 AM

Yeah, read that some time ago.

Activisions loss is definately Atari's gain!

Kane Knight

12-10-2008, 08:50 AM

They're stupid if they think they couldn't make Ghostbusters 2K9.

Sepholio

12-10-2008, 12:38 PM

Seriously though, they could have made ghostbusters a a series with ease. It seems to me that it would fill the comedy/horror genre void. There would be very little real competition.

Xero

12-10-2008, 02:02 PM

They probably approached them about it but refused because they didn't want to lose control of the rights.

Honestly, it COULD be a series, but it'd probably get cheap and lazy after the third or so installment.

#BROKEN Hasney

12-10-2008, 02:43 PM

Honestly, it COULD be a series, but it'd probably get cheap and lazy after the third or so installment.

But that's the Activision way

Xero

12-10-2008, 03:54 PM

Ghostbusters III: Ghostbusters I

Go into business! Manage finance! Battle the EPA! With the all-new, ultra-realistic PKE Meter Add-on!

#BROKEN Hasney

12-10-2008, 04:15 PM

Pffft, I just finished Dangeresque 3 and that's not lost it's sheen

Kane Knight

12-10-2008, 04:18 PM

Seriously though, they could have made ghostbusters a a series with ease. It seems to me that it would fill the comedy/horror genre void. There would be very little real competition.

They could have, but they don't want to take the time or effort. Tossing out new sports titles requires little more than updated rosters, the occasional graphical update, etc.

A Ghostbusters game requires things like a plot, characters, and suspense/comedy. Those aren't as sure moneymakers. Even their other movie-based IPs are based on ongoing current series.

So it would probably be scrapped or simply dvolve into a CoD-esque sort of "story light" deal.

Ghostbusters III: Ghostbusters I

Go into business! Manage finance! Battle the EPA! With the all-new, ultra-realistic PKE Meter Add-on!

You kidding? By the third game, they'd be tossing in unrelated shits like tagging territory, a love subplot between slimer and Gozer, and an innovative "strut" system.

KingofOldSchool

12-10-2008, 07:29 PM

Hell if they wanted, I'm sure they could make a game based on The Real Ghostbusters cartoon series.

Xero

12-10-2008, 07:32 PM

"It's the same game, but it looks like a REAL CARTOON!"

KingofOldSchool

12-10-2008, 09:17 PM

"It's the same game, but it looks like a REAL CARTOON!"

"And you can play as SLIMER!"

Kane Knight

12-10-2008, 09:44 PM

Screw that. I want to play as Louis Tully.

KingofOldSchool

12-10-2008, 10:28 PM

I want a level where you can play as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

Xero

12-11-2008, 12:28 AM

I want a "Hot Slime" mod where Vego and Gozer fuck.

Gonzo

12-11-2008, 12:40 AM

I didn't know Activision merged with Blizzard? I can kind of see why they made these moves. I have never seen Blizzard put out a poor game. Everything is quality. The only game that you have to pay monthly is World of Warcraft, and they constantly add content and other things that keep the game worth the price you pay. Anyone who thinks its not about the money is simply daft.

Kane Knight

12-11-2008, 12:52 AM

LOL

Gonzo

12-11-2008, 12:58 AM

I don't know whats so funny. Blizzard doesn't put out a poor game. Activision may, but I don't really play many games. I've played every one of Blizzard's games and they're solid through and through. May not be everyones flavor but, so be it. I don't get why this is news to anyone? A company in it for the money? Go figure.

Xerzes

12-11-2008, 10:32 AM

I've played every one of Blizzard's games and they're solid through and through.

No and no. Death & Return of Superman sucked. Blackthorne was poorly thought out and had crap hit detection. Justice League Task Force was terrible, though pretty.

Kane Knight

12-11-2008, 11:43 AM

I don't know whats so funny.

That's part of what makes it funny.

Requiem

12-11-2008, 11:50 AM

It's funny because you think everything Blizzard puts out is quality, and then follow it up with 'they're in it for money'.

Blizzard is shit. Their games have polish.. but, they lack originality (past a certain point.. they're obviously original IPs, but the ideas -in- the games are unoriginal), technology (their tech sucks compared to other companies), etc.. They create games for a certain group of people who has followed them since the original Warcraft/Starcraft/Diablo days.. and guess what IPs they're still going with. Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo.

It's called milking the series'. They only come out with a certain degree of quality because they have the money to pay people to work long enough on the games to make them feel polished, where other companies simply don't have those kinds of resources.

Gonzo

12-11-2008, 12:00 PM

#BROKEN Hasney

12-11-2008, 12:38 PM

They need to put out a Lost Vikings sequel FFS

Xero

12-11-2008, 01:02 PM

Not only with sequels, but Warcraft is just a rip off of Warhammer anyway...

.44 Magdalene

12-11-2008, 02:12 PM

They need to put out a Blackthorn sequel FFS

Xero

12-11-2008, 02:17 PM

They need to put out a Rock n' Roll Racing prequel FFS

Jeritron

12-12-2008, 03:58 AM

Ghostbusters has gotten disrespect as a franchise for years. Columbia treated it like shit for years and now activision has, in a much smaller way, but still.

I think these suits who are out of touch with the pulse of american pop culture and the consumer are oblivious to the magnitude of Ghostbusters as a name brand. Especially among 20-30 year olds who grew up on it.
I've been frustrated for years on how under-realized the whole thing is. Its a classic and there still hasn't been any kind of special edition dvd with respectable features on it. There's the first gen print and thats it.
Every other movie has gotten a 2 disc special edition treatment and Ghostbusters hasn't.
It's been ignored by Columbia for development as a franchise.
Universal Studios canned it's attraction years ago thinking it was passe' and attendance of the attraction that replaced it (Twister) was far less. Now there's talk about making a new one.
The animated series took years to get on DVD and it's only available through True Life.

It's frustrating. Especially in an industry where they have over merchandising for everything, including FAR less popular and less marketable things.
Just the past year they've begun to wake up but the suits are CLUELESS to how much my generation loves it, and how much potential it has to connect with current and future generations of kids/teens/adults.

Xero

12-12-2008, 08:34 AM

Well, I'm sort of glad they haven't completely over-whored the franchise (in the last fifteen years, anyway). Yeah, I'd like to see more love for it, but I also don't want to see it treated like shit just for a few bucks.

Kane Knight

12-12-2008, 01:32 PM

I guess maybe my standards aren't just as high then. I enjoyed Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, Starcraft and WoW. Do they lack originality after multiple installments? Yeah, but I was still entertained. :shrug:

Your standards must be pretty low if you think all their games are "solid through and though."

And yes, it's amazing that Activision isn't a not-for-profit organization. Really. I'm not just mocking a strawman.

Requiem

12-12-2008, 04:55 PM

They don't just lack originality after multiple installments.. they lack originality on gameplay mechanics. WoW is one of the worst things, and the best things to happen to the MMO industry since it started. It is a good thing, because it introduced millions to the genre. It's a bad thing, because it did -nothing- new. Its gameplay mechanics are all taken from other games, and they put them together and made the graphics easy to run. They had a steady following from battle.net, and that made them successful.

The game is a piece of shit, and because of its popularity, companies all over the place saw the money potential and are churning out clone after clone of it. It's absolutely horrible for the industry. Of course, they don't care, because they've made billions off of it.

Fuck, even adding those millions of players to the genre wasn't really that great of a thing, because it added a lot of complete idiots to the MMO world. It might sound elitist, but as someone who has played MMOs since the first Big 3, I -hate- the group of people that WoW introduced. Bunch of immature kids with no attention span who cling to internet trends and want their games to be spoonfed to them. It has ruined the genre for people who actually liked the way things were, and could have been when developers gave a shit.

Seriously. Fuck Blizzard.

Funky Fly

12-12-2008, 08:08 PM

I know pretty much nothing about MMOs. What are those big 3 you alluded to?

Requiem

12-13-2008, 01:36 AM

Kane Knight

12-13-2008, 01:50 AM

Everquest, Ultima Online, Asheron's Call.

Meridian 59 doesn't really count because it wasn't mainstream, so those three games are often referred to as the Big 3. WoW pretty much has taken an assortment of ideas from games, applied the gameplay mechanics to their Warcraft IP, and made a game with simple cartoony graphics in order to make it easily accessible to everyone.

Seriously don't hate any game more than I hate World of Warcraft.

Sweet Jesus, I remember when people were all arguing over which was better...Everquest or UO. Do they even still run? I could probably just google them I guess, but...

I guess Blizzard is kind of like Apple. They didn't make the first MP3 player, but they make them shiny enough to saturate the market.

I don't know. I can't hate Warcraft or WoW, because I don't care enough about MMOs to bother. But this Blizzard/Activision mentality is poison to gaming, and eventually will come back to bite even them. Even WoW will almost certainly falter eventually, and at that point, the lack of new titles and ideas to prop them up will be disasterous.

Requiem

12-13-2008, 01:58 AM

Yeah, EQ and UO are still around, as is AC. And yeah, Activision/Blizzard runs a good business, but only for themselves. As for the market, they are going to destroy it. As it is, their success is creating a series of attempted clones that are failing time after time, and adding nothing new to the genre. The only good thing the company has going for it is that they have enough money to pour into a game to make it appear polished, and to market it properly. They don't care if they're adding something new.. as long as it makes them money.

I'd say that's pretty obvious by the article in the original post, too.

Funky Fly

12-13-2008, 05:10 AM

Everquest I know. The others :?:

.44 Magdalene

12-13-2008, 06:03 AM

Ultima Online, I think.

.44 Magdalene

12-13-2008, 06:04 AM

And my absolute hatred for MMOs is the stuff of legends. I don't even want to try and get into it here. I'd be here all night and probably have half the forum trying to eat my face off.

Kane Knight

12-13-2008, 09:13 AM

I just hate douchebag companies who are so shortsighted as to put their profits before anything else...Including their own potential future wellbeing.

Requiem

12-13-2008, 11:56 AM

Everquest I know. The others :?:

The original Ultima Online was put out by a company called Origin, now owned by EA. Asheron's Call (my personal favorite for years), was published by Microsoft, and developed by Turbine (the company who created Lord of the Rings Online).

All are pretty much shit companies now, but those original three are the ones that in some way have guided future MMOs.

The next generation consisted of Dark Age of Camelot, Anarchy Online.. and I believe that's it really for mainstream. After that, WoW, EVE Online, LotRO, etc..