As Close to an AmA as We're Likely to Get? (Destiny)

by Kahzgul, Monday, September 29, 2014, 16:45 (3949 days ago) @ Psyrixx

I used to work for Activision, and this sounds exactly like the sort of shenanigans that the shareholders demand from the developers. The fact of the matter is that 99% of Activision's employees want to put out an amazing game, first and foremost. The 1% that muck it up are, unfortunately, the top brass: CEOs, Presidents, and major shareholders, all of whom care only about money and not a whit about quality. Few, if any of them, will ever play the games their company makes. If the developer isn't good about couching their decisions in some sort of market research or scientific study which proves it will make more money (instead of cost more money), then those decisions will be supplanted by some very sort-sighted investment planning. IE: A shareholder would rather make 10% profit *now* while burying the reputation of the developer than wait a year for 5% profit and a loyal fan base for the developer. There will always be more developers to exploit.

I really think this is a systemic flaw in our corporate publisher model, and I'm glad that both Xbox and PS4 are moving to allow more indie devs to self-publish on their systems. It's not as good as the venerable PC is, but it's getting better all the same. I had hoped that the Destiny IP deal had allowed Bungie to maintain its true independence, but if this reddit poster is to be believed, that's clearly not the case.