Pirates Ahoy!: Create even more bubbles than normal with the Bubble Hull

In Pirates Ahoy, there is a lot to be said for its showboating factor (no pun intended, really) due to the game's pseudo 3D graphics and animation. This is exactly why you see a lot of "Special Effect" items in the game like the brand new Bubble Hull.

Attach this neon green hull to your ship for 15 Playfish Cash and your ship will leave massive bubbles in its wake. Wait, doesn't your ship already leave bubbles behind it by nature? Well, consider these extra bubbles.

Honestly, the Flaming Trail Hull that came before it was much cooler, but for a less cool 17 Playfish Cash. Bubbles are fun and all, but my ship already has those, thanks. Why not make a frosty trail hull or one that spouts rainbows or something? Now, that would be intense.

Look, Activision, do you want to make Facebook games or not?

Seriously, it's not a hard question. And yet, the omnipotent games publisher continues to flip-flop on the subject of social games. In October, Activision Blizzard (Call of Duty ring a bell?) CEO Bobby Kotick told Los Angeles Magazine that, while the company is at a point where it's ready to invest in Facebook games, it doesn't expect much to come of it. Here's an excerpt from Kotick's conversation:

    As of October Activision chief executive Bobby Kotick still wasn't ready. "If we can't put a creative foot forward, it's not interesting to us," he told me at the company's headquarters, which is tucked in an office complex on Ocean Park Avenue. In assessing Facebook, Kotick says he's been "trying to figure out what we could do that's different from what's being done. So now that they've gotten a large enough audience and we've done enough analysis of the opportunity, we can commit capital." He adds, however, "We don't have huge expectations."

Um, just curious ... what's the point then? Since then, Kotick spoke with Bloomberg, seeming refreshingly bullish on the prospect of Facebook games. Over the summer--before either interview--the Activision chief admitted that the company was into social games. But shortly after, other executives within the company made points to denounce Facebook gaming. What gives?

Here's the thing: If you're not going to go full bore into the social games space, then you're not going to get anywhere. Just look at EA, for instance. It's cost the company upwards of $2 billion in acquisitions to hit second place on the charts with 56.9 million monthly players, and that's not even close to the industry leader Zynga's 218 million. If Activision doesn't have "huge expectations" of its efforts in Facebook games, why even spend the cash? Hell, the publisher's own former game creators may beat it to the punch.

Activision Blizzard 'methodically investing in mobile and social gaming'

Can this love-hate relationship between veteran games publisher Activision Blizzard and Facebook games end now? VentureBeat reports that, during an analyst meeting, Activision CFO Thomas Tippl said that the company is "methodically investing in mobile and social gaming projects." Tippl also went into how the publisher could make a whopping $1.25 billion from new projects that seek new, non-traditional sources of revenue like micro-transactions and in-game purchases. You know, like Facebook and mobile social games?

However, there seems to be a major disconnect in the company's overall ideology between executives, unless Activision is simply telling the right folks what they want to hear. Recently, Activision Publishing boss Eric Hirshberg said, "Valuations of some of the companies in that space are out of whack," to Bloomberg at this year's Gamescom event in Cologne, Germany. In the very same interview, Hirshberg hinted that the Call of Duty (pictured) pusher is looking into social games.

And before then, Hirshberg said during the 13th Annual Pacific Crest Global Technology Leadership Forum that, "Call of Duty has more players who pay-to-play online than any Facebook game, and our players pay more per player on average than any Facebook game."

What's even better is that before Hirshberg came to hardcore gaming's defense, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick outright revealed that "a lot of work is being done on Facebook games" within the company. Now, it's completely fine for traditional publishers to get into new distribution models than your tried, true and tired retail stores--just look at, well, everybody else.

However, it seems that at least some Activision Blizzard folks are entering Facebook and mobile games kicking and screaming, based on what Hirshberg has been saying compared to his colleagues. (Though, neither Kotick nor Tippl sound particularly thrilled about the whole ordeal, either.)

That said, the publisher would definitely benefit from a more unified--and a little more chipper, eh?--message if it wants to convince Facebook and mobile gamers to hop on board. And based on the way Activision Blizzard has been talking about its social game efforts, we just can't wait to see these games.

Are you excited or worried to hear that Activision Blizzard is getting into social games "officially?" How do you think the company will fare with the likes of EA and Zynga. Sound off in the comments. Add Comment