Ex-Activision CEO Bobby Kotick Unintentionally Criticizes Geometry Wars

Today, a video clip featuring Bobby Kotick, the former CEO of Activision Blizzard and a somewhat notorious figure in the gaming community, is making waves. In a chat on a video podcast hosted by Kleiner Perkins, with ex-EA executive Bing Gordon, Kotick shares an amusing moment of forgetfulness about a not-so-great acquisition. He stumbles through his recollection, stating, “We actually had a bad acquisition. The company that was, um… in Manchester, that did the driving game for Xbox, and it was called, um…”

If you’re curious, you can catch the full episode around the 8-minute timestamp. Honestly, not the finest moment for his memory. But hey, when I hit that age of [checks Wikipedia] 62, I doubt I’ll remember everything I did at [checks calculator] 44, which is close to my age now, so it definitely hits home. Whether or not I’ll recall writing this piece remains a mystery. However, what sticks in my mind vividly is the phenomenal game from Bizarre Creations that my family still enjoys today.

Not talking about Blur, though I give major props to its fans, nor the “driving game for Xbox”—shout out to Project Gotham Racing enthusiasts. What I’m really talking about is Geometry Wars, a game that helped redefine console gaming on Microsoft’s powerful second console, the Xbox 360. It became arguably the standout launch title for that console.

Geometry Wars initially appeared as a mini-game within Project Gotham Racing 2 on the original Xbox. It’s a straightforward twin-stick shooter: navigate your ship with the left stick, and fire with the right. That’s all it takes! Back when I was just starting out in the video game journalism world at Joystiq (may it rest in peace), I covered the Xbox 360’s launch before it hit the market in November 2005. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, the high-def version on Xbox Live Arcade, stood out immediately. I even wrote, “If [Project Gotham Racing 3] isn’t the highlight of the 360 launch, Bizarre’s other creation surely is!”

As time passed, my colleagues and I at Joystiq were both astonished and thrilled to observe the global leaderboards. The scores reached were astounding. The fact that a retro-styled game could thrive on a new high-definition console interconnected with the internet was a hint of what gaming had in store for the future—an exciting look ahead. We often celebrated high scores (kudos, Striker and xTHeDoGgx!) and enjoyed friendly rivalry on the leaderboards.

Fast forward to today, and Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved still holds a special place for my family on the Steam Deck. Its quick sessions and a dose of father-son competition remind me of its timeless appeal, even after nearly two decades. So, even if you can’t recall the developer’s name or its base city—Liverpool, just so you know—you should remember Geometry Wars. Although Activision shut down Bizarre Creations in 2011, following Blur’s release, some team members regrouped and launched Lucid Games. They brought Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions into the world in 2014, marking its first installment on PlayStation.

For those who’ve missed out on playing it, you’re in luck! You can still get the original game on the Xbox store for the same $4.99 it was priced at in 2005, or grab it on Steam for just $1.99—cheaper than a gas station coffee! If PlayStation is more your vibe, Geometry Wars 3 is available for $14.99, which is about the cost of a fancy coffee these days (don’t quote me on that).

I’d love to hear if any of you share my love for this gem—feel free to drop your thoughts in the comments. See you on those leaderboards! 👀