While Activision hasn’t exactly been strapped for cash of late, its reputation has taken a hit among core gamers. Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg says he’s aware of this, and likens it to a similar situation he was in with Sony.
“I have Google, just like everybody else, and I’m of course aware of what the reputation is amongst core gamers, and there s a narrative that I think has taken over reality to a certain extent,” said Hirshberg. “I think there s definitely some disconnect between the perception and the reality. I would give you a couple of thoughts on that. If you go back in a time machine and read the general tenor in the blogosphere a couple of years ago about Sony PlayStation, it sounds a lot like what people are saying about Activision today. There’s a lot of disappointment in the PS3, and it was overpriced, and they ve given up on the core gamer, and Sony Blu-ray all those complaints were out there. It takes time sometimes to win peoples hearts and minds. I was a part of helping them turn around that image through the marketing of PlayStation, but also perception caught up with the reality. The reality is they put out a pretty great product and the versatility has become one of the key selling points, even with core gamers. My point is you ve got to stay on the train, because the scenery changes.”
“I think that some of Activision s reputational challenges are not based in the reality of the company that I ve experienced here so far,” continued Hirshberg. “I would love to be a part of closing the gap between perception and reality, and I also like working in an industry that has such an engaged fan base that keeps you honest and keeps you focused on the right things. There s no success in this business without delivering for gamers. I invite that; I love that. There was a pretty vocal community of people who commented on the advertising business as well, and I think that s really good for creativity, ultimately, because the values of the people who are the most vocal you might agree or disagree with what they re saying at any particular moment, but I think it s pretty clear that everybody in the core gaming community wants great games.”
Source: IndustryGamers {link no longer active}
