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Update: Activision responds to Warner's music game royalties statement

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DVDBack23 @ Aug 15, 2008 17:34 | 10 comments

Last week we reported that large music studio Warner wanted higher royalties for use of their music in games such as Rock Band or Guitar Hero.

In a statement today, Activision Blizzard CEO Robert Kotick has struck back at Warner, calling the company disrespectful.

Kotick added that Warner Music's comments were not "respectful of how much we've done to bring new audiences into the market". Kotick also added that his company and others had to invest heavily to make the games "fun to play."

"I think his view was...that [Warner Music] should be compensated the way they might for a performance on iTunes. But this is an entirely different business that is very technically complex. We're going to favour those publishers that recognise and appreciate how much we can add value to their artists," added Kotick.

"We're introducing a whole new group of artists to new audiences that is resulting in their iTunes downloads being exponentially higher than they would otherwise be, [as well as] new album sales and new merchandising opportunities."

Kotick obviously has a logical point, but will Warner see it that way?

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Comments

Comment by: fgamer (Aug 15, 2008 19:01)

Well maybe they should drop business with Warner. I just will never understand the greed that exist in all ready rich companies.

Comment by: SProdigy (Aug 15, 2008 20:49)

So now we'll be paying twice as much for Guitar Hero or Rock Band, is what Warner is TRYING to get to by forcing the hand of these publishers. How dumb. I can see it now: you have to buy Rock Band for a couple hundred bucks and then spend $5 for each song. Great way to kill this product off Warner. I'm sure your suits are all giving "attaboys" in the office.

Comment by: H08 (Aug 15, 2008 21:50)

Originally posted by fgamer:
Well maybe they should drop business with Warner. I just will never understand the greed that exist in all ready rich companies.

they cant drop warner, thats the only way metallica will come to guitar hero!!!!!

Comment by: H08 (Aug 15, 2008 21:55)

Originally posted by SProdigy:
So now we'll be paying twice as much for Guitar Hero or Rock Band, is what Warner is TRYING to get to by forcing the hand of these publishers. How dumb. I can see it now: you have to buy Rock Band for a couple hundred bucks and then spend $5 for each song. Great way to kill this product off Warner. I'm sure your suits are all giving "attaboys" in the office.

lol, "attaboys" lol

Comment by: DXR88 (Aug 15, 2008 23:35)

Quote:
they cant drop warner, thats the only way metallica will come to guitar hero!!!!!

Not necessarily they could contact the artist directly, and ask THE ARTIST's that made the music in the first place, and see if they could cut some kinda of deal.

Comment by: varnull (Aug 15, 2008 23:41)

Who gives a toss about metallica? I sold my cd's on a boot sale at 50p a shot after they sided with the enemy..

Bunch of boring old fart has-beens living on the glories of 15 years ago.. just like gene and his bastard son whipping dog prince.. as Zappa put it "here Fido.. fetch the slippers"!!

as a musician I have to say.. guitar hero.. what a bag of wank! for £40 you can buy a serviceable guitar and small amp and learn to play for real... maybe even make some money off it one day.

Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work. An engineer with a single tool in his toolbox is an idiot, not an engineer

Comment by: DXR88 (Aug 15, 2008 23:50)

Originally posted by varnull:
Who gives a toss about metallica? I sold my cd's on a boot sale at 50p a shot after they sided with the enemy..

Bunch of boring old fart has-beens living on the glories of 15 years ago.. just like gene and his bastard son whipping dog prince.. as Zappa put it "here Fido.. fetch the slippers"!!

as a musician I have to say.. guitar hero.. what a bag of wank! for £40 you can buy a serviceable guitar and small amp and learn to play for real... maybe even make some money off it one day.

LOL.

Comment by: H08 (Aug 16, 2008 04:16)

Originally posted by varnull:
Who gives a toss about metallica? I sold my cd's on a boot sale at 50p a shot after they sided with the enemy..

Bunch of boring old fart has-beens living on the glories of 15 years ago.. just like gene and his bastard son whipping dog prince.. as Zappa put it "here Fido.. fetch the slippers"!!

as a musician I have to say.. guitar hero.. what a bag of wank! for £40 you can buy a serviceable guitar and small amp and learn to play for real... maybe even make some money off it one day.

......dude i dont want to start an argument here at the risk at me getting suspended but every album since the (1991)black album to St.Anger(2003)Has Gone #1, Its Kind Of Hard For Them To live In There Past When There Still Making #1's dont ya think. and there new album that comes out next month will too.

I also play guitar and you wouldnt even be able to get one of crapiest guitars and amps for 40 EU ON EBAY!!!

(/RETURNED/)
(/SOLD FOR PS3/)
(/PSP FAT/) 3.80M33/3.90M33/3.90M33-3

PSN: AMRamirez

Comment by: FreqNasty (Aug 24, 2008 11:25)

Typical. Warner haven't got much else to do these days so they have to stick their greedy noses into Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Its gone from complaining about p2p to internet radio and now video game royalties. What's next?

Comment by: DXR88 (Aug 24, 2008 14:51)

Baby taxing.