Activision… Why? Why Not?

Dear Activision:

This is basically me just ranting about why Activision frustrates me.

Recently Activision held a Quarterly meeting in which they discussed their finances.  Turns out those guys are loaded.  They are out of debt, and with investments and games they are well into the billions.  They have almost one dollar for each person on the globe.

Year after year Activision pumps out Call of Duty.  It holds the most successful MMO in the market, even after 1.3 million subscribers bailed.  They’re left with somewhere around 8 million subscriptions a month. 

My problem started just as a consumer, I got tired of the annualized CoD series.  Didn’t like what I read with the departure of the higher ups of Infinity Ward.  Not paying people what they’re owed after giving them legs to stand on.  Once that happened I stopped buying Activision games. 

Once I heard of the numbers these guys are comfortably sitting on, BILLIONS, I did some digging.  Thanks to twitter I’m now aware that Activision gives annually to the “CODE” (Call of Duty Endowment).  Initially I thought this was great, and felt it put me in my place, thinking “well they do give back, I just wasn’t aware”.  Now my internet sleuthing is sub par, but in the last 3 years they’ve donated 5 million to the CODE. 

Double Fine Productions have given around 1million a year with humble bundles and other game developers have done the same.  So now I’m thinking “these other studios are nowhere near the size and scale of Activision” yet, they’re donating around the same dollar amount every year.

I have yet to see Activision give the gaming community any hand-outs as a thanks for all the support and money.  Not giving back to the gamers who put you there is a little sad and frustrating.  Not giving back to the sad state of our education right now is confusing.  Not giving all that you can afford to give to the already overwhelmed soliders who’s trying to learn to live normally again… that’s embarrassing.

As it stands right now, Activision is just doing enough to say they’re giving back.  Maybe even getting a tax break for charity, who knows at this point.  What I do know is my money won’t be paying for any of those guys’ vacations any time soon.  Until they start giving back to the gaming community or helping monetarily with vets, sick children, and the uneducated on a competent level with their financial success.  I won’t be playing Destiny, Call of Duty, or WoW. 

It’s not like I personally want hand-outs, I don’t.  I don’t deserve them, I’ve given them very little if any of my money.  I think they need to do what’s right.