In an entertaining interview over at Eurogamer, DoubleFine’s Tim Schafer has given his personal assessment of Activision’s Bobby Kotick.
DoubleFine and Activision have some lawsuit history, but Schafer says it’s pointless to direct any ire at companies because they are “a collective corporate structure, which is absolutely meaningless.” Individuals, though, are a different matter: “There are people over there I hate, don’t get me wrong.”
“Hopefully [Kotick] will go back to another industry soon” Schafer said. “He could go to an industry that makes more money … Weapons manufacturing?”
Kotick’s asset-stripping business philosophy was also a target for Schafer. “You can’t just latch onto something when it’s popular and then squeeze the life out of it and then move on to the next one. You have to at some point create something, build something.”
“I don’t think we can approach [the games industry] like we approach bars of soap, where you’re just trying to make the cheapest bar of soap.”
“His obligation is to his shareholders. Well, he doesn’t have to be as much of a dick about it, does he?” Schafer said. “I think there is a way he can do it without being a total prick. It seems like it would be possible.”
We’re not so sure it is, Tim.
To end on something a little more positive, Schafer confirmed that he has a (unnamed) publisher for the games he is currently working on and that “They’re going to announce the games pretty soon.”
