A while ago, Brütal Legend developer Tim Schafer called Activision CEO Bobby Kotick a prick, following the former publishers attempts to block Electronic Arts from releasing his game. Today, the flame-maned demon prince of videogames has hit back, and he's hit Schafer where it hurts -- the work ethic.

"Tim Schafer. The guy comes out and says I'm a prick. I've never met him in my life -- I've never had anything to do with him," explains the nefarious businessman. "I never had any involvement in the Vivendi project that they were doing, Brütal Legend, other than I was in one meeting where the guys looked at it and said, 'He's late, he's missed every milestone, he's overspent the budget and it doesn't seem like a good game. We're going to cancel it.

"And do you know what? That seemed like a sensible thing to do. And it turns out, he was late, he missed every milestone, the game was not a particularly good game ..."

Oh Bobby, you're the only brutal legend we'll ever need.

Kotick Slams Tim Schafer [CVG, taken from Edge magazine]