Activision to sell game cutscenes as movies for $20-$30

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has said this week that the company will begin to sell video game cutscenes as full-length movies in the near future.

The company plans to sell the movies for "$20 or $30," making them more expensive than the average Blu-ray disc.

Speaking at the Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference, Kotick says games like StarCraft II have such spectacular in-game cinematics that the publisher could edit them into a single full-length feature film which would then be distributed digitally to fans.

Kotick expects to begin selling said films within 5 years.

"If we were to take that hour, or hour an a half, and take it out of the game and we were to go to our audiences, who we have their credit card information a direct relationship, and say to them 'Would you like to have the StarCraft movie?," the CEO asked.

Continuing, Kotick says (via IGN): "My guess is unlike film studios that are really stuck with a model that goes through theatrical distribution and takes a signification amount of the profit away, if we were to go to an audience and say 'We have this great hour and a half of linear video that we'd like to make available to you at a $20 or $30 price point,' you'd have the biggest opening weekend of any film ever."

"Within the next five years, you are likely to see us do that. It might be in a partnership with somebody or alone, but there will be a time where we'll capitalize on the relationship we have with our audience; deliver them something that is really extraordinary and let them consume it directly through us instead of theatrical distribution.

"If we were to deliver a film digitally this way, I'd say an extremely high percentage would then go to the theater and watch it again."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Sep 2010 4:21

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21 comments

KillerBug

OMFG...there are so many things wrong with this that I just got a headache. The WORST part of activision games are the cutscenes...these are the worst part of most games. The only thing worse than a cutscene is an unskippable cutscene. Well, there is one thing worse...a movie based on a video game...no, there is something even worse than that...a collection of cutscenes that cost more than a movie, where no attempt has been made to make them anything except a few bits of material designed to bring some sense of reason to a terrible plot...a plot that will be at least 1/2 missing for lack of the gameplay.

Activision needs to close their doors. Clearly no hint of anything worthwhile is left there, with the possible exception of the building maintenance staff. There will be a time not far away when Activision goes bankrupt while blaming piracy...and everyone who saw this day will know the real reason.

18.9.2010 06:07 #1

KSib

Reminds me of the first DVD release of Advent Children. I say first because I hear there is another version of it that's actually better? Like the Blu-Ray version? Not sure.

I'll hand it to Kotick. He knows how to milk those customers. I can't even be mad. If people will (happily) buy it, why not do it?

I wanna hear it here first. How well or poorly do you think this will go, KillerBug? I'm thinking unless one of their next games seriously flops then it will be a moderate success ESPECIALLY if he sells it digitally as well as in-store. Keep in mind, these are probably the same kind of people who bought that MW2 map pack for how much again? That's right. Think about it.

18.9.2010 06:34 #2

kikzm33z

Can't you just YouTube the cutscenes?

18.9.2010 06:50 #3

xboxdvl2

if you own the game and had the right software couldn't you just rip/copy the cutscenes to a computer and turn it into a movie???Also pointing a video camera or cell phone at your tv screen during the game and taping the cutscene would work.

PS2 with 12 games.
pc-windows 7,intel core quad Q8400,4 Gb ddr2,WD 500 GB hdd,ATI Radeon HD 4550 graphics,AOC 22inch LCD moniter.

18.9.2010 07:57 #4

Mysttic

The major reason this isn't going to work is that some game companies actually include special options menu that allows you to play cut-scenes as one movie after you finish the game or do something "Special" to unlock it. This is retarded, I mean at first I could kind of see it being done, but at their asking $ tag hahahah no.. It will hit the bottom of Wal-mart's bargain bin in no time flat

18.9.2010 08:05 #5

Hyasuma

Just go download it....or play the damn game yourself -_-;

18.9.2010 11:26 #6

mleach07

They have clearly lost their minds,that`s more expensive than a full length Blu-Ray disc,and besides it will be distributed over P2P for free anyway!!!

18.9.2010 11:44 #7

biglo30

This is the reason why games are sucking these days. Developers are spending to much time focusing on the cutscenes then the actually game.

18.9.2010 12:14 #8

slackdast

I'd be down to pay $20 less for a game without the cutscenes.

18.9.2010 12:46 #9

Tristan_2

This is MADNESS(sorry couldn't resist) another way this can be done plus with right equipment is record the game footage like a Walkthrough or record the Game cutscenes with a theater option(If it has it on your game) post it on youtube or just for your viewing pleasure and their ya go.

18.9.2010 16:40 #10

Hopium

Originally posted by slackdast: I'd be down to pay $20 less for a game without the cutscenes.

lmao you stole my idea :S

18.9.2010 17:21 #11

Link2205

Originally posted by KillerBug: OMFG...there are so many things wrong with this that I just got a headache. The WORST part of activision games are the cutscenes...these are the worst part of most games. The only thing worse than a cutscene is an unskippable cutscene. Well, there is one thing worse...a movie based on a video game...no, there is something even worse than that...a collection of cutscenes that cost more than a movie, where no attempt has been made to make them anything except a few bits of material designed to bring some sense of reason to a terrible plot...a plot that will be at least 1/2 missing for lack of the gameplay.

Activision needs to close their doors. Clearly no hint of anything worthwhile is left there, with the possible exception of the building maintenance staff. There will be a time not far away when Activision goes bankrupt while blaming piracy...and everyone who saw this day will know the real reason. lol So true... XD +1

18.9.2010 18:42 #12

KillerBug

Originally posted by mleach07: They have clearly lost their minds,that`s more expensive than a full length Blu-Ray disc,and besides it will be distributed over P2P for free anyway!!! LoL...we probably will see torrents of the bluray of DJ Hero 2 cutscenes.

19.9.2010 12:31 #13

ZippyDSM

Ya UMD did so well doing that...... the price should be 5-10 and no more than that.... I hope they lose money on this they deserve to!

Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy!
Ah modern gaming its like modern film only the watering down of fiction and characters is replaced with shallow and watered down mechanics, gimmicks and shiny-er "people".
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/

19.9.2010 13:51 #14

ChiknLitl

Quote:My guess is unlike film studios that are really stuck with a model that goes through theatrical distribution and takes a signification amount of the profit away... What gets me is that he recognises that this would be cheaper to produce and market than traditional films yet wants to charge more than traditional films! That's GREEDY! ---Chikn

20.9.2010 16:02 #15

KillerBug

Originally posted by ChiknLitl: Quote:My guess is unlike film studios that are really stuck with a model that goes through theatrical distribution and takes a signification amount of the profit away... What gets me is that he recognises that this would be cheaper to produce and market than traditional films yet wants to charge more than traditional films! That's GREEDY! ---Chikn Yeah...but even he realizes that they will only sell a dozen copies...so the cost per unit will be very high.

20.9.2010 22:57 #16

ZippyDSM

Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by ChiknLitl: Quote:My guess is unlike film studios that are really stuck with a model that goes through theatrical distribution and takes a signification amount of the profit away... What gets me is that he recognises that this would be cheaper to produce and market than traditional films yet wants to charge more than traditional films! That's GREEDY! ---Chikn Yeah...but even he realizes that they will only sell a dozen copies...so the cost per unit will be very high. That is like saying game prices need to be 100$ because it sells to a smaller audience.....

21.9.2010 04:48 #17

KillerBug

Originally posted by ZippyDSM: Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by ChiknLitl: Quote:My guess is unlike film studios that are really stuck with a model that goes through theatrical distribution and takes a signification amount of the profit away... What gets me is that he recognises that this would be cheaper to produce and market than traditional films yet wants to charge more than traditional films! That's GREEDY! ---Chikn Yeah...but even he realizes that they will only sell a dozen copies...so the cost per unit will be very high. That is like saying game prices need to be 100$ because it sells to a smaller audience..... Yup...that is the logic behind the prices of PS3 games...they charge so much that it hurts sales and then they have to charge more. Instead of charging $40 per game like on PS2, they could have charged $20 per game and sold 10x more copies...but instead, they raise the prices to compensate for the sales lost to the high prices. I know it sounds silly; any 5-year old could spot the logic hole there...but corporations run on bureaucracy, not logic.

21.9.2010 06:02 #18

ZippyDSM

Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by ZippyDSM: Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by ChiknLitl: Quote:My guess is unlike film studios that are really stuck with a model that goes through theatrical distribution and takes a signification amount of the profit away... What gets me is that he recognises that this would be cheaper to produce and market than traditional films yet wants to charge more than traditional films! That's GREEDY! ---Chikn Yeah...but even he realizes that they will only sell a dozen copies...so the cost per unit will be very high. That is like saying game prices need to be 100$ because it sells to a smaller audience..... Yup...that is the logic behind the prices of PS3 games...they charge so much that it hurts sales and then they have to charge more. Instead of charging $40 per game like on PS2, they could have charged $20 per game and sold 10x more copies...but instead, they raise the prices to compensate for the sales lost to the high prices. I know it sounds silly; any 5-year old could spot the logic hole there...but corporations run on bureaucracy, not logic. Even PS2 games hit 50 now and then so 60-70 is the normal price for a console title while 40 is the non standard price.

IMO it should be the other way round all the crappy AAA stuff they shovel should be 40 and the party crap and other dimbulb stuff be 60-80$ maybe if they don't sell as many they will go back to putting qaulity first.....

Oh god I am such a game curmudgeon ><

21.9.2010 07:04 #19

favosys1

This guy Bobby Kotick has said the dumbest thing ever since Steve Jobs said that it was impossible to run flash on iDevices for a million reasons and it would never happen... except now they run flash !!! It's a miracle, or is it because Android is kicking their A$$...

Kotick resign then die... Activision / Ubisoft and now Blizzard your a shame to the Video Game Industry. I would include EA but hey... can't live without Bad Company 2 for PS3 :)

23.9.2010 06:41 #20

dabagboy

wow, this is beyond stupid, put down the pipe...

23.9.2010 15:30 #21

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