Dude is proud to have pushed for cross-play and e-commerce. Yeah, golly gee..... here lets walk to this back alley I got a present for you. I'm sure PS5 gamers would be very proud to play with PCMC (PC Master Cheat) or prop up the dying Xbox ecosystem. These fuckers will do anything for a dime and virtue signal like no tomorrow.
Is it really that surprising that it had so many iterations and missed so many deadlines. A look at DICE shipping BF:BC2 and BF3/4 to now.....so simple back then. Ship the title with a short campaign, a number of maps - between 8-12, then do some maps as DLC. Now they can't get a toaster right, despite being in the business of shipping the same title for decades.
But this is the problem when a game is wholly built and shaped around a GAAS monetization model. They spend more time on this BS and trying to fit the content on the puzzle that is the model itself. It's all about how they can best fuck you without you noticing and having you being happy you're getting fucked - the dopamine fix. COD/Destiny/Fornite.... A lot of these gamers... that's all they play, every freaking day. Playing with many of them you go to their trophy list and all you see is a couple indies played + either COD/Fornite/Destiny. Fucking sad.
But anyway, one thing you can never say of ABK is that they're incompetent with their cow COD, as opposed to EA.
How the fuck do you fuck up shipping the same shit over and over again?
It's like Sony with MLB. It gets churned out every year, very little fuck ups. It's the same shit, different coat of paint. What's added on top goes to market the title as the "big new thing" and entice you to spend your money beyond the $60. Trivial.
The model has become so warped that such thing is not trivial anymore, but the very foundation of a title itself (GAAS).
I can only imagine how the suits at all these publishers feel every time they see Fortnite numbers and revenue/profit released. Head's boil, and after that they go to bed to dream of it. It's the perfect wet dream for any of them - have a title that never dies and literally prints billions with no end in sight. What's is there to work for? All of your managerial problems get "instantly" fixed.... the bonuses guaranteed, as are the cheers for being the guy. So many personal incentives..... is it any surprise then?
They would sell even their mamma just for a Fornite level hit....you better believe it.