Activision reviews

3.7

69% would recommend to a friend

(369 total reviews)

Rob Kostich

59% approve of CEO

32% positive business outlook

Activision has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 369 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Activision employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Media & Communication industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

369 reviews
3.0
Apr 27, 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

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.

3.0
Feb 9, 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Activision has some very well-known titles, which can be good or bad. Sequel-itis guarantees you know there's a job waiting for you next year. I haven't seen many layoffs. Decent studio autonomy and royalty structure mean every developer is different and there's not a lot of mother ship influence. Compensation is fair.

Cons

The schedules are aggressive. Putting out a game every year has turned into closer to a seven-month development cycle, but in the right studio you won't work weekends. Way too many producers where I am, and more than half are frustrated art directors and game designers. There are too many cooks in general and it slows and confuses things. Weak tool development, and overly tight purse strings in some surprising areas like office equipment.

2.0
Jan 28, 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

fun jobs available, nice place to work for, nice environement and rewarding projects. Good products to develop, and good structure in terms of projects processes. CRM and available IT tools are up to scratch and usefull

Cons

Low salary, few promotions awarded. Fairness in promotion is not always insurred as only a few management positions are available for grab. Little or no communication between Management / Project managers / testers. Little or no trainning and average tenure is low

Viewing 361 - 363 of 369 Reviews

Glassdoor has 503 Activision reviews submitted anonymously by Activision employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Activision is right for you.