Fire Bobby Kotick (The Jimquisition)

A real question now, I don't mean it sarcastic: What can we, as customers, do about it? Should we just not buy Activision Blizzard games anymore or does that just hurt the "little people", developers and such. Or should we just all take our voice to all social media outlets and make loud our complains? Because I feel like neither of those options would make a difference. Or ... well, if everyone would stop buying games from Activision Blizzard, of cause they would feel it, but so would thousands of innocent people who have a job there. The question is meant more generally because I don't really buy Activision Blizzard games. The only ones I own from buying them myself, are Diablo and shamefully the last COD one because I thought the BR mode was fun (even though I haven't reinstalled it since the first weeks after launch).

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<a href="https://youtu.be/HqbBkZFdzp0" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/HqbBkZFdzp0</a>

I agree with you. I haven’t bought a console in over a decade as well. Though I do buy pc and Mac games, I primarily buy indi titles and very, very rarely something from the AAA contingent. I only support those independent or established companies who’s push for quality and support their employees.

Trey Pylon

Yep. This is why I haven't bought a video game or system in over a decade. I can play them at friends' houses just fine on my days off, and you'd be amazed how many people will just give you their old system for a song when they get a new one. I'm not contributing diddly to these soulless companies thanks.

Trevor Bond

Been watching and listening to you for a long time. But I finally subbed due to this and your previous Jimquisition video. Thanks for finally making the jump and really getting to the heart of the issue here—our economic system at its core. We need more of this. Can’t promise I’ll be able to keep up the donations long term but I just wanted you to know that people DO notice and appreciate what you’re doing man. Thank you, keep it up.

Honestly, that would be wonderful. :) Sad that such a scenario sounds more like a dream than even a plausibility at the moment. :(

Perpetual Noob

Off topic somewhat: Jim, is the big "J" background in the intro / outro skits gone forever?

James Jackson

It seems like what we need, all the way around, is a "AAA" game company that is privately founded and funded, not publicly traded, driven by sustainability rather than growth, with the goal of satisfying customers and achieving a cushion of liquidity. Such a company would not only be a breath of fresh air- there's reason to believe it could take the market by storm. Imagine a games company that sold its products for a base price without any of the hateful bait-and-switch and gambling tactics. That sold games that were complete, when they were ready for market, rather than as shells that made the pre-order crowd into unwitting beta-testers. That maintained a consistent group of coders, artists, musicians and designers who were receiving a decent base salary and a small profit share, secure in the knowledge that they'd have a job tomorrow. That had the freedom *not* to always be chasing the latest trend. Is there any reason to believe that such a company, well-managed, couldn't attract some of the best talent on the market? Inspire the love and loyalty of burned-out gamers tired of lootboxes and season passes? Sell games in the millions and put the money towards making sure an 8/10 wouldn't mean mass layoffs?

Kraken

From watching the video, I kept asking myself, "Does Bobby Kotick have antisocial personality/psychopathy and if so, why is this being rewarded? Is the general populace that uneducated in psychology or science in general to where this thought does not come through their minds?" There should be a mental/psychology test a person has to go through before being promoted to CEO or some high executive position. I know psychopathy is a spectrum, but I'm morbidly curious to see if Kotick would go far to kill someone if no consequences were involved. <br><br>As for your anecdote, what kind of company did you work for? I do not need a name or anything. It would be hard for me to not walk out of the room and yell invectives at the CEO's direction. That is not someone who I want to work for.

noxamillion

AMEN

Freya Northman

You're not wrong. Why stop with Kotick? Why stop at the game industry? Every CEO who doesn't act like Iwata-san or Miyamoto-san should be fired. But to be a CEO (99% of them), you have to be a clinical psychopath. Or at best, a sociopath. And thanks to the system put in place by these psychopaths, the only people who can call for the firing of a CEO are the shareholders and it's the company's board who gets the final say. Shareholders can (this is somewhat dependent on each corporation's bylaws) call for the firing of a CEO but the board can ignore that and leave the CEO untouched. Heck, that applies to all executives. And it is a bullshit system made by rich, white guys for rich, white people (since there are female CEO's and surprise, they are just as soulless (Anecdote: My former CEO on her rise to power once said out loud in an internal company meeting (paraphrasing since this was years ago) "Due to struggles in our industry, we are going to be letting some of you go but thank you for promoting me to Executive Vice President." No exaggeration, she said both of those things in THE SAME SENTENCE. About a year later she was made CEO.) Anyway, yes, Bobby Kotick should be fired. Might want to fire the whole executive team at all of these major publishers (looking right at you EA and Unisoft). And unionize developers. Both things should happen and maybe the AAA games industry will reach a steady state finally. Maybe. Anyway...Another great video Jim. Thank you for keeping up this fight. :)

Perpetual Noob