Is ATVI the next MICROPROSE?
March 02, 2010
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RELATED TICKERS: ATVI
Varchild is thinking of DUMPING his entire stake in ATVI tomorrow.
I hope to convince myself NOT TO by typing about a topic no Stock Analyst dares to tread:
This could be titled, "Management versus Creative Freedom," because analysts tend to favor Management Style over Creative Freedom (unfortunately).
Is ATVI the next MICROPROSE?
First.. MICROPROSE did not operate like Activision (ATVI). I'm not saying that...
But, I have to mention here that well known game developer and his co-workers fell into some bad blood with Microprose many many moons ago. This well known game developer went by the name of: "SID MEIJER"
Whose SID MEIJER? Civilization, Alpha Centauri, The SIMS..... You know .... THAT!!! Sid Meijer making up much of (ERTS)'s earnings today!
If SID MEIJER were walking along the street and I actually knew it was him... I'd have CDs of Civilization and The SIMS and Alpha Centauri + a SHARPIE ready to get Sid's autograph!
Sid Meijer is the man..... Sid is the ultimate example of "CREATIVE GENIUS."
Publishing company's don't just let go or fire or lay off their "Creative Geniuses" willy nilly....They don't do that lightly....
So it was a huge SHOCK throughout the entire video game industry when the announcement was made my MICROPROSE that they let Sid Meijer go....... Sid Meijer went ahead with his co-worker(s) to create "FIRAXIS GAMES."
The first game created by "FIRAXIS GAMES" was an instant classic known as "Alpha Centauri."
At that time it received some of the highest ratings for a video game in video game history by many top game critics.
MICROPROSE.....slowly over the next year(s) completely eroded....slowly but surely.... it died.
THERE IS NO MORE MICROPROSE ANYMORE!!!!
And while YES.. there is no more FIRAXIS GAMES anymore..... There is still Sid Meijer churning out SIMS games and expansion packs for Electronic Arts.
In the end.. The Death of MICROPROSE was POOR MANAGEMENT... RESTRICTING CREATIVE FREEDOM.
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But in just 1 year (ATVI) dumps Infinity Ward's Jason West and Vince Zampella.... The "CREATIVE GENIUSES" of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 1 & 2. Furthermore, they have basically yanked the entire franchise out of the hands of INFINITY WARD..... This after previously DUMPING RED OCTANE and sending that company to non-existance after a dismal Music Genre Sales Year.
It never was RED OCTANE's fault that Guitar Hero / Music Genre failed in 2009. It was always Bobby Kotick to blame and my calls for a No Confidence Vote on Bobby Kotick were in part because of his mismanagement of the Music Genre and over reliance on Share Buybacks to drive up the share price rather than "Organic Growth."
*sigh*
When it comes to promoting "CREATIVE FREEDOM" there just isn't much of any at (ATVI).
They want to churn out "Spiderman," "Transformers," and yet another "Call of Duty," each and every year it seems.
Every game made by ATVI is treated like a John Madden's Football.... And while I have praised this approach from the standpoint that it is a less volatile business model with higher rates of return, revenue, and so on.. and I still praise it today.... This is stability for a publisher so brand new titles can be tried....Such as Prototype.
BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At some point you have to wonder...... Is (ATVI) another MICROPROSE??? *KILL* Creative Freedom to the point there isn't anymore freedom and the Business Climate throughout all of the company's underneath ATVI and even at BLIZZARD partnered with ATVI goes downhill??? and downhill fast???
One of the last games MICROPROSE made before they died was a very buggy....buggy....buggy... adaptation of Magic The Gathering. Alas.... Poor Microprose and Poor ATVI...
When no one feels safe and secure in their jobs as TOP EXECs of Development Houses underneath BOBBY KOTICK then Game Quality and Development and Everything deteriorate.
You won't know the end of ATVI is Nigh... until you witness the world's worst adaptation of
CALL OF DUTY arrive followed by the world's most buggiest and broken adapation of
GUITAR HERO.
Look at it this way.......
Who has BOBBY KOTICK actually pleased lately???
He's upset off the Rock bands that allowed the use of their image in the Guitar Hero Games.
He's upset RED OCTANE
He's upset Jason West and Vince Zampela of INFINITY WARD
He's upset INFINITY WARD
Whose next? As a shareholder all you can do is *wince* every single time another Press release arrives because you don't know whose going to get *FIRED* or what LAWSUIT Threat might come.
And personally..... So far.... I'm failing to convince myself to hold even 1 share of ATVI.
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