Activision CEO: 'There will always be Call of Duty games'
Bobby Kotick also says he looks over his shoulder every day to fend off the competition.
The Call of Duty franchise is one of the biggest and most successful series in all of gaming. And it's not going anywhere. Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick said in a new interview that there will be Call of Duty games for as long as the sun shines, though the platforms you play them on may change.
"We've had Call of Duty games played on virtually every console for the last 14 years," he told Marketplace. "So the idea of having a game that centers around armed conflict through history...you never run out of ideas for Call of Duty games. There will always be Call of Duty games. And they'll be played on a variety of devices."
Kotick's comments came in response to a question about what the future looks like for historically console- and PC-focused franchises like Call of Duty and Warcraft now that smartphone gaming is becoming so popular. The executive went on to say that Activision is generally platform agnostic and will release games wherever fans are.
Activision is a major player in the console/PC market as well as mobile games sector, following its acquisition of Candy Crush developer King earlier this year.
Also in the interview, Kotick was asked if Activision, which is the biggest publisher in the world, keeps close tabs on what its competitors do. Kotick said he constantly feels a level of "insecurity" and explained why this insecurity is actually helping keep Activision on top.
"I look over my shoulder every day," he said. "There is a level of insecurity you have about being a leader in a business and without that insecurity, I think you get complacency."
Asked what keeps him up at night as it relates to Activision and fending off the competition, Kotick said he's very focused on hiring and retention. It's very important to create a corporate culture than encourages employees to stay as opposed to moving to a new studio. He's hoping to do this by better aligning rewards with performance, among other things.
The full interview is fascinating and in-depth, touching on Kotick's origins in the gaming industry, the first time he played Wii, and more. You can listen to the whole thing here.
One of Activision's next big releases is Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, which comes out in November.