It seems that John Riccitiello, often pictured in industry discussions, earned quite the reputation as a challenging figure in gaming leadership. Bobby Kotick, the former head of Activision Blizzard and himself a notable, sometimes contentious leader, shared candid thoughts on the Grit show. He mentioned that he would have gladly ensured Riccitiello’s tenure as EA’s CEO if he could, considering him perhaps the least effective leader in the video game world. This conversation unfolded with Bing Gordon, a former top creative mind at EA, present alongside Kotick.
Kotick didn’t hold back during the dialogue, emphasizing, “I’m not just saying this because [Gordon is] sitting right here,” as noted by GameSpot. Even commenting with a mix of humor and rivalry, he added, “Our biggest worry was always that Bing might end up running EA. Seriously, we would’ve been thrilled to have Riccitiello stay in charge forever… we honestly thought he wasn’t doing a great job.”
These competitive sentiments aside, EA and Activision Blizzard did flirt with the idea of joining forces on multiple occasions over the years. Kotick reminisced about those times, saying, “[EA] tried to acquire us several times. There were definitely discussions about merging.” He recognized that, in some respects, EA’s operational prowess outshone even that of Activision Blizzard.
Riccitiello’s journey with EA began in 1997, where he initially took on the roles of president and COO. After a brief departure, he returned in 2007 to serve as CEO, only to step down in 2013 when EA wasn’t meeting its financial expectations. He then took the helm at Unity, a prominent game engine company, but departed in 2023 amid a swirl of controversy.
Just prior to his exit from Unity, Riccitiello made headlines with an interview on PocketGamer.biz, where he didn’t mince words, referring to some developers as “the biggest idiots.” Quite a character, it seems!
