Activision Publishing Reviews

Current Employee – been working at Activision Publishing

Pros – Pros:
- #1 publisher, recognizable on the resume
- Enormous resources (if your project is deemed worthy)
- Motivation comes from working with dedicated people (in production, not sure of other depts)

Cons – Cons:
- milking the margins comes first. So, if you love games, be prepared to leave that love at the door
- the project you're on matters a lot more than it should, even if you're doing as much or less than someone on a less prominent title. recognition and reward follows the revenue-generators only.
- all other departments will get recognition before production (if production even gets recognized). it shows in the bonus/incentive structure. it shows in the promotion rate. it shows in all the company events that the executives speak in.
- it always felt like the execs just want to be in hollywood. they make frequent, huge expenditures to play with hollywood instead of investing it back into the company (new IPs?) or its employees.

Advice to Senior Management – you need to retain top talent through any 2 of the 3 (at least): compensation, growth opportunity, and security.

Current Employee – been working at Activision Publishing

Pros – You can sometimes play some amazing games, and have contact with studios that can work miracles. There is also a lounge where workers can go on breaks to eat and play video games. The area is also one of the best, with multiple restaurants to choose from within walking distance.

Cons – Activsion has great games, but a lot of people in charge don't seem like they should be. Most of the managers don't understand their own jobs, and usually want you to take steps that are wholly unnecessary. Add in a constant nagging feeling that they'll never really want you to advance, and you will be in a frustrating and boring position. No matter how good your work ethic seems to be, from finding advanced bugs or taking on the jobs of QA leads. You won't be appreciated and constantly nagged over "small" things that seem odd during late game releases.

Advice to Senior Management – Pay more attention to the workers that aren't already in a higher position. Watching a manager only walk down the hallway towards the restroom, or to speak with the Lead over "written" performance is discouraging. Take some time to get to know the workers, view them for yourself and see what they are doing.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Activision Publishing

Pros – This is a very high profile company to work for.

Cons – The company is too focused on quantity, not quality. It is constantly trying to push sequels out the door every year without much thoughts to innovation.

Advice to Senior Management – Upper management at the developer side are out of touch and are poor at project management. There is total disregard for quality of life outside of the workplace. They believe the only way to get a project done is to work ridiculous long hours for months at a time. Management needs to take a step back and realize the problem starts at the top. The actual people who are making the games are talented. It is the mismanagement of the projects that are making the people unhappy with their jobs.

Former Employee – worked at Activision Publishing

Pros – -Working on games
-Smart coworkers
-Good Benefits
-Exciting brands that people enjoy the world over
-2 weeks off during Christmas

Cons – -Growth is built off schmoozing and kissing upper management buttocks
-The company is built off a high school system. The more you drink the better your off
-There is no recognition for your hard work
-Working on the same brands over and over again
-Employees are an easily expendable commodity

Advice to Senior Management – Grow internally. Respect employees that care about the company and brand, not how much alcohol that can be consumed during company functions

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Activision Publishing

Pros – Create friends and build great networks. Free drinks-non alcohol.

Cons – Level of respect is low. Everyone fights for higher position and not by perfomance. It's all base on the people you know to advance.
The fear of losing job because it's a contract job.

Advice to Senior Management – Give permanent position to Testers.

Current Employee – been working at Activision Publishing

Pros – Good pay and great benefits.

Cons – Employees are not valued and seen as numbers. People are moved around internally quite frequently and talented people are often let go even though they are top performers.

Advice to Senior Management – Respect your employees and recognize and retain the individuals that are talented.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Activision Publishing

Pros – place is full of smart/capable people, great place to cut your teeth on games business, lots of people leave for promotions elsewhere,

Cons – hard hitting culture, long hours, poor performers are shunned, not "corporate" persay...but definitely a "business minded" culture

Advice to Senior Management – Keep investing in your best people, they're the ones creating the hit franchises

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Activision Publishing

Pros – Some really great games although getting much to into re-hashing old titles over and over again. Opportunity to work with good people, but more and more bad people joining since the merger. Losing all creativity, passion, and understanding of gaming.

Cons – No work-life balance. Management has no care or respect for employees. Mindset is to push boxes out the door with no care, regard, or knowledge of what is even being sold at times. More overhead since the merger. The company is getting fat and the management are arrogant.

Advice to Senior Management – Humility and passion - it's what made you number one. You have forgotten that and lost most of the talent that got you to the number one position.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Activision Publishing

Pros – Opportunity to work on major licenses and titles, witness development process, opportunity to improve game product, good processes, dedicated management

Cons – Too many temporary employees that can lack passion putting strain on other team members, recognition of professionalism and dedication is not given soon enough causing some stagnation, separation and disregard from "full time qa" toward their "temp" brethren who can be working hard to separate themselves from the rest, strange attitudes and strictness regarding breaks/lunch with little regard towards real-life emergencies and issues

Advice to Senior Management – Allow opportunity for lower rank staff to provided feedback to their managers in an unbiased and anonymous fashion, some of the "senior qa" have unprofessional attitudes and seem to think they are "Safe" with their position and can therefore be sarcastic and offer uncalled for, negative and unconstructive feedback

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Activision Publishing

Pros – Activision is a stable powerhouse built on a very conservative approach to making games. This means greater job security in tough economic times. Activision is also big enough to absorb some losses and find work for employees when a game tanks. If you're a good employee and you happen to get in with the right people you can move up quickly and draw a very competitive salary. The royalty structure is also a nice addition.

Cons – As Activision grows its becoming increasingly corporate in many ways. This may be a positive for some people, but most creative types I work with and myself find it increasingly stifling and stuffy. I think the growth has outpaced the competence of the management, and often bad decisions from the top seem arbitrary and counterproductive. Morale is really up and down at some studios. There is just a bit too much cronyism for my taste as well.

Advice to Senior Management – There are many creative and talented people working at this company, but for some reason the approach of management is to be fearful and and overly controlling of their employees. There also is a strain of immaturity and passive aggressiveness in the way management deals with personnel issues. I think greater top down transparency, a focus on fostering a open creative culture, and a concerted effort to battle the depersonalization of a growing work force would be great improvements to a strong company.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend