Kotick: "We're not doing anything to suppress used games today"

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has said the company is not planning on implementing a Project $10 any time soon to curb used game sales.

Speaking in an interview with Joystiq, Kotick believes the tactic EA and others are using is detrimental to the players.

"I think we've probably done more to try and create innovative ways for people to pay for their games," said Kotcik. "We're not doing anything to suppress used games today. What we've tried to do is to really support our audiences and, you know, when you talk to players, they like the idea of having a currency. They like the idea of being able to take a game they no longer want to play and use it to get a credit to buy new games.

"We can do some of these things that EA and others have done, [but] we actually don't think its in the best interest of the gamer, and so we've chosen not to.

"I think we've generally tried to do things like encourage our customers to used-game sales, probably more so than our competitors. But you know, we're very mindful of what's happening macroeconomically and I think that that plays a role when we're thinking about the price of our content."

Instead of forcing a new games sale incentive at consumers, Activision instead uses downloadable content to make up for some of its financial loss from used games.

"From a financial perspective you look at it and say, 'Okay, well the retailer is not paying us anything for the privilege of doing it and you know we invest all this capital in making a game and we are not getting any credit, any return on their resale of the game,' but, you know something, the best way to keep people engaged in your game experience is keep giving them more great content," he explained.

"As business models evolve, as the way you distribute content evolves, as the ability to do things online changes in terms of pricing or trial or sample. I think we've definitely always been out in front of the rest of our competitors. But I think you always need to be sensitive to that relationship and not crossing the line to a place where the customer feels like they have been taken advantage of.

"Our customers need to be satisfied that there is a price-value relationship that they feel great about.

Back in August, Activision announced the Call of Duty franchise as a whole had sold over $20 million worth of Map Packs, with the Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package selling over 2.5 million units in its first week on sale for $15.