Fri, Jun 19, 2009 | 15:38 BST

Acti Sony threat – “Of course Bobby’s bluffing,” says Pachter

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Activision boss Bobby Kotick’s bombshell threat to drop Sony formats earlier today is nothing but posturing, Wedbush Morgan’s Michael Pachter has told VG247.

“Of course Bobby’s bluffing, and good for him,” said the analyst in a phone call.

“I think Bobby’s obviously interested in Sony selling as many PS3s as they possibly can, and he’s not happy with their penetration so far. I think he favours a price cut, and would rather see one sooner than later.”

Pachter said that he expects Sony to react to Kotick in the same way it did when he said Sony was “ripping off consumers” with its PSP Go pricing: by saying it’s offended.

“I think they’ll say to Bobby, ‘You hurt our feelings.’ And Bobby will say, ‘Who cares?’ It’s interesting. Bobby’s very much feeling his power, and he’s exercising it.

“He’s saying what a lot of people think, which is, ‘We’d really like to see a bigger installed base.’ And, ‘We, Activision, will sell more copies of Modern Warfare 2, and Guitar Hero 5 and DJ Hero if there we more PS3s out there.’ And that’s just true.”

Pachter went on to say that he thought “the PSP price is intended to subsidise the PS3 price cut.”

Sony price PSP Go at $250/€250 at E3, dating the machine for October 1.

Kotick told a UK paper this afternoon that he’ll consider dropping support for Sony hardware formats unless PS3′s price comes down.

30 comments

#1

sennasnit
19/06/09, 3:41 pm

Yes, cos 22million is just not enough, the stupid bastard.

#2

Razor
19/06/09, 3:41 pm

Didn’t take him long to dream up something did it.

Sigh…

#3

Blerk
19/06/09, 3:41 pm

“he’s not happy with their penetration so far.”

Matron!

#4

G1GAHURTZ
19/06/09, 3:42 pm

I read that whole quote in an Pachters accent.

#5

Robo_1
19/06/09, 3:44 pm

I actually think he’s right about the new PSP pricing offsetting the cost of a PS3 price cut. I can think of no other reason Sony would have priced it at such an inflated level.

#6

Razor
19/06/09, 3:44 pm

“‘We, Activision, will sell more copies of Modern Warfare 2, and Guitar Hero 5 and DJ Hero if there we more PS3s out there.’ And that’s just true.”

And Sony should just say, “well, we’ll go bust if we reduce the price, then they’ll be no more PS3′s to sell to.”

#7

G1GAHURTZ
19/06/09, 3:48 pm

Sony will NOT go bust if they drop the price.

#8

Razor
19/06/09, 3:50 pm

Yeah, but it doesn’t hurt to exaggerate does it :mrgreen:

But they’ll still be losing a shed load of money if they do cut the price.

#9

locus2k1
19/06/09, 3:53 pm

True, but if they have the PS3 down as a 10 year life cycle they’d get their money back wouldn’t they?

#10

Psychotext
19/06/09, 3:53 pm

Oh Pachter you scamp. :D

#11

G1GAHURTZ
19/06/09, 3:54 pm

LOL!

Yeah, they will lose more money, that’s for sure…

They could also find other ways to make it though, as they seem to be trying to do with the new PSP.

#12

theevilaires
19/06/09, 3:54 pm

if kotick thinks i’m gonna buy a xbox360 for MW2 then pay a monthly fee to play the game on xbox live then he’s on crack.

#13

theevilaires
19/06/09, 3:56 pm

the assassin creed 2 psp/ps3 thing is clever sweet. I will be picking up both. Activison should take notes instead of crying.

#14

G1GAHURTZ
19/06/09, 3:57 pm

He’s bluffing TEA.

He wants a price drop before MW2 comes out, so that there will be a whole lot more people buying it.

#15

Lutz
19/06/09, 3:57 pm

Why not TEA?
360 Prem, plus COD, plus 3 years XBL service, all for the same price as a PS3.

#16

G1GAHURTZ
19/06/09, 3:58 pm

Oh, don’t start…

#17

theevilaires
19/06/09, 4:00 pm

i know g1ga but he is just making an ass out of himself, and will cause an unnecessary boycott for his company. which could lead to stock loss.

#18

RoyBrown
19/06/09, 4:00 pm

What an absolute load of shit.

Go for it Activision, drop an install base of 272 million customers. PSP 50 million PS2 200million PS3 22million

Go for it.

I’ll sit here an laugh.

Why would they even care about the price of a PSP?

It has an install base the size of PS3 and 360 combined.

Yet it wants more PSP sales?

What a load of shit.

This is just extorsion.

Simple as that, Sony will prob send them a few free dev kits or something.

#19

theevilaires
19/06/09, 4:00 pm

lutz i know you are psychotext so quit the act

#20

theevilaires
19/06/09, 4:05 pm

i say we pirate activison’s next 3 big games to show kotick he is shit compared to the power of the internet

#21

Lutz
19/06/09, 4:08 pm

What? How am I Psychotext?
How daft are you?

#22

Psychotext
19/06/09, 4:08 pm

“lutz i know you are psychotext so quit the act”

Don’t start with that shit again TEA.

[Edit - There we go, two posts at virtually identical times. One of the site mods can even confirm different IP addresses. Actually, saying that... don't. I don't think I could take it if I found out my multiple personality disorder is playing up again. :D ]

#23

Gekidami
19/06/09, 4:09 pm

I dont really understand why Kotick mentions the PSP when its all about a PS3 price cut, how about boycotting Bravia TV’s and P!nk whilst your at it?

#24

No_PUDding
19/06/09, 4:12 pm

Kotick doesn’t. Pachter does, however.

He’s saying the money from the fucking rip-off (as he called it) PSP Go, will pay for the PS3 price cut.

#25

theevilaires
19/06/09, 4:13 pm

the timing is all the proof i need 4:08 at the exact same time. no way in hell you are two different people.

#26

Gekidami
19/06/09, 4:14 pm

Kotick also mentioned dropping support for the PSP over a PS3 price cut.

#27

theevilaires
19/06/09, 4:15 pm

the psp go won’t pay for the ps3 price cut because no one is going to buy a psp no

#28

easyian
19/06/09, 9:12 pm

Well sony is losing money on every PS3 that is sold already. I am not surprised that they don’t drop the price. But anyway Bobby Kotick needs to understand that he has screwed up big time with the dropping games like Ghostbusters and Brutal Legends, which seem to be hit games. Now he is going to tell someone else how to run their business to. This guy needs to get fired.

#29

JJPasadena
20/06/09, 10:13 pm

I’m right there with you G1GAHURTZ when you wrote:

“He wants a price drop before MW2 comes out, so that there will be a whole lot more people buying it.”

#30

semitope
23/06/09, 3:10 am

Tell him to reduce the price of his games then and see what he says. A cheaper console doesn’t guarantee better business for him but cheaper games definitely will get him there faster.

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