Activision Blizzard CEO questions rhythm game royalties yet again
Last week, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick criticized complaints made by Warner Music exec Edgar Bronfman, who claimed the royalty rates for songs used in rhythm games such as Guitar Hero are "paltry." Kotick responded hastily, saying Bronfman's comment was "one-sided". Apparently unsatisfied with his single verbal riposte, Kotick brought the matter up yet again in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, in which he ponders whether music publishers who contribute to rhythm games should be paid at all -- even more, Kotick contemplates whether the music companies should be the ones to shell out the cash.
Kotick claims that rhythm games with licensed tracks have a "significant" impact on the record and ticket sales of contributing artists, causing him to wonder if developers "should be paying any money at all and whether it should be the reverse." He makes a somewhat valid point, though we humbly abstain from picking sides in this royalty rumble -- we'll leave that to you, our well-informed and judicious readers.
