After famously quipping such endearing lines as, “The goal that I had in bringing together a lot of the packaged goods folks in Activision about ten years ago was to take all the fun out of making videogames,” even Activision CEO Bobby Kotick himself is aware he can sometimes (as he put it at DICE earlier this year) “come off as a dick.” It turns out Double Fine founder and Brutal Legend creator Tim Schafer agrees.
Speaking with Eurogamer at the Develop Conference, Schafer was asked about his thoughts on the controversial CEO in light of the history between Activision and Double Fine (Activision was originally supposed to publish Brutal Legend, until they merged with Blizzard and dropped the game from their slate only to later sue Schafer for the rights). “His obligation is to his shareholders,” Schafer began…and he held back no punches from there. “Well, he doesn’t have to be as much of a dick about it, does he? I think there is a way he can do it without being a total prick. It seems like it would be possible. It’s not something he’s interested in.”
When then asked by Eurogamer why Schafer thinks Kotick should care more, he elaborated: “Well, he makes a big deal about not liking games, and I just don’t think that attitude is good for games in general,” he said. “I don’t think we’re an industry of widgets. I don’t think we can approach it like we approach bars of soap, where you’re just trying to make the cheapest bar of soap.
