In February 2010, CEO and President of Activision Blizzard Bobby Kotick spoke at the DICE conference. DICE, short for "Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain," is an annual summit bringing together the top video game designers, developers and publishers to discuss the state of the industry. Bobby's talk covered his life as a young gamer and his journey as an entrepreneur and now CEO of a successful video game publishing company.
Bobby Kotick opened his talk by referencing his current reputation as a CEO of the video game publishing company Activision Blizzard:
"I don't know how this exactly happened, but all my life I was the rebel flying the Millenium Falcon or some X-Wing Fighter, and then suddenly I wake up and I'm on board the Death Star."
He noted how he was unsure how he became the bad guy, adding, "I am a single dad with three daughters." He addressed the often-asked question of why he doesn't play video games as frequently as in the past - noting that if he did, he would not be able to take care of his current responsibilities as a father and CEO. "I play from time to time," he indicated.
The common theme of the talk was a celebration of those creative and passionate game designers out there who, every day, help push video games to the next level. As a young software designer working out of his dorm room at the University of Michigan, Kotick experienced first-hand the excitement of true inspiration. He was so inspired that he dropped out of college to go design software for the Apple II.
In the late 1980's many investors believed that video games were simply a fad, but Kotick realized the potential for video games as a staple form of entertainment, on the same level with movies and television. He dedicated his life to allowing designers to create video games that would captivate their users and consistently push the envelope of how video games are perceived and experienced.
In his 25 year tenure as CEO of Activision, Kotick admits he has become detached from that creative process. "As the company has grown, I can't really get too involved in that process any longer. Mainly its because we have so many incredibly capable, talented people who do this."
He said that his main responsibility at Activision Blizzard is to make sure the resources are available for his game designers to thrive.
"Sometimes what ends up happening when you are 50,000 feet above what's going on is you can get insulated from seeing that creative passion - and I really thrive on that," Kotick lamented.
This detachment from the creative process, Kotick admitted, led to some of Activision Blizzard's biggest challenges and financial follies.
"A lot of times when you get caught up in a lot of the financial details of the business, it sometimes makes you overlook what's really important, which is 'Who's passionate?', 'Who's committed?', "Who's inspired?'"
Kotick ended his talk by thanking his "wonderfully passionate designers" at Activision Blizzard for their tireless commitment to the design of video games and to the field of video games as a whole.
Bobby Kotick opened his talk by referencing his current reputation as a CEO of the video game publishing company Activision Blizzard:
"I don't know how this exactly happened, but all my life I was the rebel flying the Millenium Falcon or some X-Wing Fighter, and then suddenly I wake up and I'm on board the Death Star."
He noted how he was unsure how he became the bad guy, adding, "I am a single dad with three daughters." He addressed the often-asked question of why he doesn't play video games as frequently as in the past - noting that if he did, he would not be able to take care of his current responsibilities as a father and CEO. "I play from time to time," he indicated.
The common theme of the talk was a celebration of those creative and passionate game designers out there who, every day, help push video games to the next level. As a young software designer working out of his dorm room at the University of Michigan, Kotick experienced first-hand the excitement of true inspiration. He was so inspired that he dropped out of college to go design software for the Apple II.
In the late 1980's many investors believed that video games were simply a fad, but Kotick realized the potential for video games as a staple form of entertainment, on the same level with movies and television. He dedicated his life to allowing designers to create video games that would captivate their users and consistently push the envelope of how video games are perceived and experienced.
In his 25 year tenure as CEO of Activision, Kotick admits he has become detached from that creative process. "As the company has grown, I can't really get too involved in that process any longer. Mainly its because we have so many incredibly capable, talented people who do this."
He said that his main responsibility at Activision Blizzard is to make sure the resources are available for his game designers to thrive.
"Sometimes what ends up happening when you are 50,000 feet above what's going on is you can get insulated from seeing that creative passion - and I really thrive on that," Kotick lamented.
This detachment from the creative process, Kotick admitted, led to some of Activision Blizzard's biggest challenges and financial follies.
"A lot of times when you get caught up in a lot of the financial details of the business, it sometimes makes you overlook what's really important, which is 'Who's passionate?', 'Who's committed?', "Who's inspired?'"
Kotick ended his talk by thanking his "wonderfully passionate designers" at Activision Blizzard for their tireless commitment to the design of video games and to the field of video games as a whole.
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