A source close to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 developer just informed me that a "bunch of bouncer-types" just showed up outside of the Infinity Ward offices unannounced. When approached by employees, the non-uniformed "bouncers" were unwilling to disclose why they were there.
"Everyone is on edge," said my source.
Infinity Ward studio heads Vince Zampella and Jason West reportedly met with Activision this morning and have not been seen by Infinity Ward staff members since. My source did not delve into specifics, but described the relationship between Infinity Ward and Activision lately as "tense."
The mood around the Infinity Ward offices is currently described as "freaked out" and "confused."
Who is Patrick Klepek? Exxy?Wow, I haven't heard that name in years.
He's a "journalist" now.
Treyarch will be making Call of Duty games for life!
I wasn't implying he hasn't accomplished anything, but working for G4 as a games "journalist" is just that - a fake journalist. I don't judge him either way.
I wasn't implying he hasn't accomplished anything, but working for G4 as a games "journalist" is just that - a fake journalist. I don't judge him either way.
He's at G4 now? Dude moves around a lot...what was it, 1up, then MTV, and now this?
I wasn't implying he hasn't accomplished anything, but working for G4 as a games "journalist" is just that - a fake journalist. I don't judge him either way.
He's at G4 now? Dude moves around a lot...what was it, 1up, then MTV, and now this?
"Activision…did not want Modern Warfare," Infinity Ward chief creative officer Vince Zampella told Britain-based Official PlayStation Magazine in an interview, relayed by UK gaming site CVG. "They thought working on a modern game was risky and [thought], 'Oh my god you can't do that, it's crazy!' They were doing market research to show us we were wrong the whole time."
Call of Duty project lead Jason West went on to note, "We had to fight for everything. They wanted it to be World War II. Again."
In fact, Zampella said that Infinity Ward was ready to leave the WWII setting after the original Call of Duty, which received glowing reviews upon its release for the PC in 2003. Notably, Activision announced that it had acquired the Encino, California-based developer for an undisclosed sum one day after the original COD shipped in October of that year.
"With Call of Duty 2, we were dead set against it being World War II," Zampella said. "But Activision really wanted it, the compromise sort of being that we'd get some dev kits for consoles in exchange for doing a World War II game. We always wanted to be on consoles and Activision saw us as more of a PC developer."
We always wanted to be on consoles and Activision saw us as more of a PC developer.
so...the guy was likely fired for trying to get IW to finally make something other than CoD games?I wonder if ACTI freaked out over the whole DICE/Mirror's Edge floppage. "NO, you must make COD."
well that sucks. now he has to start over again.
Perfect example of what I'm talking about.
Nobody knows the inside story unless they were there. That much is obvious.
I can say from first hand experience the role of the publisher is to try to keep as much power as they can and lock you into a box as a dev. Your job as a dev is to still try to create good stuff whether the publisher is forcing you or not.
I'm not arguing anything, just saying that the IW dudes are liars and whores.
I'm not arguing anything, just saying that the IW dudes are liars and whores.
I don't really care whether they are saints or sinners. All I care about is getting new games. Getting good games. They ran the studio that created the games I liked. if they leave and IW still creates games I love. Then Cool. If they go off and do something else and it's awesome. We'll thats cool too. I have faith in them based on their track record and body of work. That's all I care about.
UPDATE 11:20 PM: It turns out Activision may have showed their hand in this matter earlier today.
In an SEC filing made earlier today, Activision cited a human resources investigation into "into breaches of contract and insubordination by two senior employees at Infinity Ward."
Based on the information we currently have, at least one of those employees may have included Infinity Ward CTO Jason West. It's possible Vince Zampella is the other unmentioned employee.
"This matter is expected to involve the departure of key personnel and litigation," read the Activision's filing. "At present, the Company does not expect this matter to have a material impact on the Company."
Whoa this is... unexpected.Because they won't work on the 2011 best selling MMOFPS. For publishers it's always about the next big thing and this cuntrag of human waste doesn't have a fucking clue what he's doing outside of making games worse for everyone.
Why would Kotick fire the guys responsible for 2009 best selling game?
My money's on THQ sweeping them up.what about ubi? I'd imagine they could have some success with an arcadey tc game.
That post is largely incoherent.
Maybe they can join Glen and Co and make a military horror shooter.
They left for Activision, seriously?
Well, I guess IW did too at one point.
God Activision sucks."Now all my life I've seen myself as flying an X-wing with the Rebellion. Then, one day I woke up and I'm on the Death Star."
I just can't understand how ANYONE could EVER think it is a good idea to leave your publisher for Activision. They will always inevitably fuck you over.
I'd love to see the whole Infinity Ward team jump ship and go elsewhere. Let Activision run Modern Warfare into the ground like they do with EVERY OTHER popular franchise they own.
I just can't understand how ANYONE could EVER think it is a good idea to leave your publisher for Activision. They will always inevitably fuck you over.
I'd love to see the whole Infinity Ward team jump ship and go elsewhere. Let Activision run Modern Warfare into the ground like they do with EVERY OTHER popular franchise they own.
Borys bringing the all out distinguished mentally-challenged. Again.
I just can't see what you must be seeing in MoH: Reboot.
This pretty much puts the nail in the coffin for CoD and opens the way for MoH/Battlefield to regain the FPS crown.
This pretty much puts the nail in the coffin for CoD and opens the way for MoH/Battlefield to regain the FPS crown.Hmm :D
This pretty much puts the nail in the coffin for CoD and opens the way for MoH/Battlefield to regain the FPS crown.Hmm :D
Maybe if next COD turns to be Rogue Warrior...
COD has an army of fanatics that play nothing except that,their gaming budget=60$ per year.
No other game can kill COD or Halo or Mario...those games can only be killed from inside and that would have to be a really bad bad bad bad game,but even then userbase will expect "return of the king"
Stoney is SRS BZNS™. Always.
This pretty much puts the nail in the coffin for CoD and opens the way for MoH/Battlefield to regain the FPS crown.Hmm :D
Maybe if next COD turns to be Rogue Warrior...
COD has an army of fanatics that play nothing except that,their gaming budget=60$ per year.
No other game can kill COD or Halo or Mario...those games can only be killed from inside and that would have to be a really bad bad bad bad game,but even then userbase will expect "return of the king"
In 2005 if you told someone that Call of Duty 4 would be more popular than Halo 3 they would've laughed at you.
This pretty much puts the nail in the coffin for CoD and opens the way for MoH/Battlefield to regain the FPS crown.Hmm :D
Maybe if next COD turns to be Rogue Warrior...
COD has an army of fanatics that play nothing except that,their gaming budget=60$ per year.
No other game can kill COD or Halo or Mario...those games can only be killed from inside and that would have to be a really bad bad bad bad game,but even then userbase will expect "return of the king"
In 2005 if you told someone that Call of Duty 4 would be more popular than Halo 3 they would've laughed at you.
Well in 2005 if you told someone that in 2010 360 will be ahead of PS3 in Europe...well,you get the picture...things changeThis pretty much puts the nail in the coffin for CoD and opens the way for MoH/Battlefield to regain the FPS crown.Hmm :D
Maybe if next COD turns to be Rogue Warrior...
COD has an army of fanatics that play nothing except that,their gaming budget=60$ per year.
No other game can kill COD or Halo or Mario...those games can only be killed from inside and that would have to be a really bad bad bad bad game,but even then userbase will expect "return of the king"
In 2005 if you told someone that Call of Duty 4 would be more popular than Halo 3 they would've laughed at you.
Analysis: Infinity Ward's Double-Edged Sword?
Every developer and every studio aims to be as globally successful as possible. With record-breaking hit titles comes acclaim, affluence, and often, special treatment from publishers in the form of favorable contracts.
For creating Grand Theft Auto franchise hits for Take-Two, Rockstar Games' top brass were able to negotiate a nearly unprecedented profit-sharing deal. Halo house Bungie earned its independence while still enjoying the benefits of a close relationship with Microsoft.
And Infinity Ward, creator of the multi-billion-dollar Modern Warfare branch in Activision's Call of Duty franchise, gained the ability to develop a new IP when it signed its newest contract with the publisher in 2008.
But amid this week's apparent standoff between Infinity Ward and Activision -- one that multiple sources confirm has seen the ouster of the studio's co-founders -- the publisher is accusing the studio of breaching that contract.
Activision confirmed via an SEC filing that its allegations of "insubordination" and breach of contract will likely lead to litigation. All of the tension and drama today raises one question: Can making a record-breaking franchise become a double-edged sword?
Only top brass at Infinity Ward and Activision are privy to the facts and particulars of the contract between them. But numerous sources close to the situation have told Gamasutra there's been tension between ousted Infinity Ward co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella and Activision leadership for some months now.
The pair hasn't gained a reputation for being easy to work with -- and some sources have told us that they first fell out of favor with bombastic Activision CEO Bobby Kotick when they refused to allow Activision to check up on Modern Warfare 2 milestones.
Modern Warfare 2 broke retail records, and a third installment could perform even better. With its music genre declining, sources say Activision is eager to have Infinity Ward start on Modern Warfare 3. Infinity Ward, on the other hand, would rather first finish the new IP its contract allows.
Numerous sources with knowledge of the situation have speculated to Gamasutra that the contract dictates that only Infinity Ward may make games in the Modern Warfare arm of the Call of Duty franchise (other studios, like Activision's Treyarch, may develop Call of Duty titles, of course).
That means Activision can't put another studio to work on the the third installment -- sources say the choice would be newly-founded Sledgehammer Games -- any more than it can force Infinity Ward to work on it now.
Another source suggests that West and Zampella could have tried to demand a larger share of profits to begin Modern Warfare 3 on Activision's schedule instead of their own -- and that it was their aims to re-negotiate or add to the current contract that prompted Activision's ire.
Some media reports noting that Infinity Ward's royalties remain unpaid incorrectly tie this fact to today's situation: Sources confirm Activision routinely pays royalties at the end of the next quarter after which they were earned, which will begin next month.
The major issue is that Activision's hands are tied by that contract, sources tell us -- and it may be the root of the "insubordination" allegation against Infinity Ward's stewardship.
Activision has a history of using legal muscle to get the better end of its agreements, as it did with its Brutal Legend spat with EA and the DJ Hero battle that caught Scratch developer 7 Studios in the crossfire.
The company also never hesitates to treat games as a business -- for example, now that Guitar Hero is no longer the cash cow it once was, it closed Red Octane and made cuts at Neversoft, despite the way those studios have performed for Activision in the past.
Another source with knowledge of the situation tells Gamasutra that although Infinity Ward is only about 75 developers strong, Activision brass demanded layoffs at the studio anticipating a refusal -- which they received, potentially opening the door for Activision to use that refusal as a way to launch a breach suit that would help it escape its contract.
Certainly, rumors and speculation will run rampant all over the dramatic exit of West and Zampella, and all eyes are watching the situation closely for the real facts to emerge.
But it makes clear one unfortunate downside to success: The game industry is a business, and when success is high, the stakes get higher. A sweetheart contract with a publisher might appear to be the ultimate reward -- but it may also turn out to be an ultimate weapon.
SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced new strategic plans for the Call of Duty® franchise, one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time.
The plans include the formation of a dedicated business unit that will bring together its various new brand initiatives with focused, dedicated resources around the world. The company intends to expand the Call of Duty brand with the same focus seen in its Blizzard® Entertainment business unit. This will include a focus on high-margin digital online content and further the brand as the leading action entertainment franchise in new geographies, new genres and with new digital business models.
"2010 will be another important year for the Call of Duty franchise," stated Mike Griffith, President and CEO of Activision Publishing. "In addition to continued catalog sales, new downloadable content from Infinity Ward and a new Call of Duty release, we are excited about the opportunity to bring the franchise to new geographies, genres and players."
The company expects to release a new Call of Duty game from Treyarch this fall. In addition, Infinity Ward is in development on the first two downloadable map packs for Modern Warfare® 2 for release in 2010.
The company is also for the first time announcing that a new game in the Call of Duty series is expected to be released in 2011 and that Sledgehammer Games, a newly formed, wholly owned studio, is in development on a Call of Duty game that will extend the franchise into the action-adventure genre. Sledgehammer is helmed by industry veterans Glen A. Schofield and Michael Condrey. Prior to joining Activision Publishing, Schofield was the Executive Producer of the award-winning game, Dead Space and Michael Condrey was the Sr. Development Director on the game. The Dead Space franchise has won more than 80 industry awards worldwide including the prestigious A.I.A.S. Action Game of the Year and two B.A.F.T.A.S.
The Call of Duty business unit will be led by Philip Earl, who currently runs Activision Publishing’s Asia Pacific region and previously served in senior executive positions with Procter & Gamble and Nestle. Activision Publishing veterans Steve Pearce, chief technology officer and Steve Ackrich, head of production, will lead Infinity Ward on an interim basis. Jason West and Vince Zampella are no longer with Infinity Ward.
Lastly, Activision Publishing announced that the company is in discussions with a select number of partners to bring the franchise to Asia, one of the fastest growing regions for online multiplayer games in the world.
From the looks of that press release, it sounds like we're going to get three Call of Duty games within one year - maybe more digital download stuff (subscription model?) on top of that. Totally ridiculous. :lol
Oh well, the franchise had a good run. Unless Treyarch knocks the next one out of the ballpark, I'll probably be sticking with DICE and existing Call of Duty titles for my fragging fix.
Still, kind of surprised Activision would let it go down like this. I give it about three years until all these people are fired, after Call of Duty: Kart Racing tanks and the series is in the shitter. Because milking a series dry has always worked for them in the past!
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/27482/Analysis_Infinity_Wards_DoubleEdged_Sword.phpQuoteAnalysis: Infinity Ward's Double-Edged Sword?
Another source with knowledge of the situation tells Gamasutra that although Infinity Ward is only about 75 developers strong, Activision brass demanded layoffs at the studio anticipating a refusal -- which they received, potentially opening the door for Activision to use that refusal as a way to launch a breach suit that would help it escape its contract.
Damn. Kotick is one ruthless motherfucker.
Do you think Activision could kill World of Warcraft next?
Is there ANY WAY for Blizzard to get AWAY from Activision after this merger?
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/27482/Analysis_Infinity_Wards_DoubleEdged_Sword.phpQuoteAnalysis: Infinity Ward's Double-Edged Sword?
Another source with knowledge of the situation tells Gamasutra that although Infinity Ward is only about 75 developers strong, Activision brass demanded layoffs at the studio anticipating a refusal -- which they received, potentially opening the door for Activision to use that refusal as a way to launch a breach suit that would help it escape its contract.
Damn. Kotick is one ruthless motherfucker.
Wow. "General, you have done an excellent job in our war against the enemy. Now as we consider our next strategic step in the battle, please put a portion of your army to death."
"I refuse."
"'Refuse'? WHAT IS THIS INSUBORDINATION?!"
Is there ANY WAY for Blizzard to get AWAY from Activision after this merger?
the relationship is obviously beneficial to them or else they wouldn't have done the merger to begin with. Blizzard isn't under Activision's control, as far as I know.
but of course, forumites think the game industry runs on emotions and that the honorable thing would be for Blizzard to split from Activision on principle...
Is there ANY WAY for Blizzard to get AWAY from Activision after this merger?but of course, forumites think the game industry runs on emotions and that the honorable thing would be for Blizzard to split from Activision on principle...
Well, Japanese developers are the only ones who run on the honor system. I mean they have the samurai code and we don't.
Is there ANY WAY for Blizzard to get AWAY from Activision after this merger?but of course, forumites think the game industry runs on emotions and that the honorable thing would be for Blizzard to split from Activision on principle...
Well, Japanese developers are the only ones who run on the honor system. I mean they have the samurai code and we don't.
Maybe it's on a WRPG good and evil scale. When a company does something like this, everyone immediately assumes that the situation is totally black and white and that the big evil Bobby Kotick is 100% wrong and that the clean pure Infinity Ward guys are 100% right. Bobby Kotick chose the option at the bottom that was in red letters.
then come the fair weather calls for boycotts and in a year, most people won't care, aside from a few guys who stuck to their guns. but the fact that they stuck to their guns seems strange and crazy to the normals who think action-adventure CoD looks alright. Their tiny yelps will be ridicule-fodder on Starcraft 2's launch day or WoW's next update.
I think that smart people know that nothing is black and white in life.But that doesn't mean that we can't have fun... :D
then come the fair weather calls for boycotts and in a year, most people won't care, aside from a few guys who stuck to their guns. but the fact that they stuck to their guns seems strange and crazy to the normals who think action-adventure CoD looks alright. Their tiny yelps will be ridicule-fodder on Starcraft 2's launch day or WoW's next update.
Is there ANY WAY for Blizzard to get AWAY from Activision after this merger?but of course, forumites think the game industry runs on emotions and that the honorable thing would be for Blizzard to split from Activision on principle...
Well, Japanese developers are the only ones who run on the honor system. I mean they have the samurai code and we don't.
West's involvement appears to have been confirmed by a Facebook status update he published after the meeting, which stated: "Jason West is drinking. Also, no longer employed."
More cold-blooded shit goes down at my company every day of the week. I don't know why game-makers think they can somehow survive in a corporate environment without playing along. If you want to play by indie rules, don't cuddle up with billionaires.
More cold-blooded shit goes down at my company every day of the week. I don't know why game-makers think they can somehow survive in a corporate environment without playing along. If you want to play by indie rules, don't cuddle up with billionaires.
Yeah, guess what, as soon as you're using someone else's money to make your game, they get a say in what and how you make it. It may be a shitty say full of fucking fail but you can't just DO WHATEVER YOU WANT and make them foot the bill.
Are Activision being cocks? Sure, yes. But it's not their job to be nice. It's their job to sell games and make money. They calculated that this will save them money and sell more games - and good and evil, correct and incorrect are two separate axes.
Are Activision being cocks? Sure, yes. But it's not their job to be nice. It's their job to sell games and make money. They calculated that this will save them money and sell more games - and good and evil, correct and incorrect are two separate axes.
I'm going to go ahead and guess there was an exodus in the plans if such and such didn't happen, and Activision just decided to nuke the whole lot early before they had to fund anything else.
Kotick has to be a republican.Well, he is rich and successful, so yes, he probably is Republican.
Non-IW CoD games suck and will sell less and less over time.
I know, girlfriend! I forgot my /sarcasm tag; I thought :teehee was good enough thar.:teehee
Yeah, there's no subterfuge in Japanese history.
I was kidding!
But they'd totally seppuku a bitch cause they're all ninjas.
I really liked World at War, but I was not a big fan of Call of Duty 3. Still, it proves that Treyarch can make a good Call of Duty game and I'm willing to give their next one a shot.
... but if Activision plans on doing spin-off titles and saturating the marketplace, I'm going to jump ship.
More cold-blooded shit goes down at my company every day of the week. I don't know why game-makers think they can somehow survive in a corporate environment without playing along. If you want to play by indie rules, don't cuddle up with billionaires.
I meant that in a 'use people to make you rich and then fire them cause they make too much money' kind of way. Not all rich people are republicans, just the selfish assholes.Kotick has to be a republican.Well, he is rich and successful, so yes, he probably is Republican.
(http://i47.tinypic.com/35jze5w.jpg)I don't think so, man. Infinity Ward had hyper successful games, but they were always a studio that existed at the behest of Activision.
"Next up, Blizzard."
(http://i47.tinypic.com/35jze5w.jpg)I don't think so, man. Infinity Ward had hyper successful games, but they were always a studio that existed at the behest of Activision.
"Next up, Blizzard."
Whatever Blizzard's relationship to Activision may be, I'd be pretty shocked if Bobby Kotick or anyone else would be able to exert any sort of antagonistic control over Blizzard.
Yes, yes he is: http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/neighbors.php?type=name&lname=Kotick&fname=RobertKotick has to be a republican.Well, he is rich and successful, so yes, he probably is Republican.
HOLY SHIT that is an awesome search tool.Yes, yes he is: http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/neighbors.php?type=name&lname=Kotick&fname=RobertKotick has to be a republican.Well, he is rich and successful, so yes, he probably is Republican.
Jason West and Vince Zampella File Lawsuit Against Activisionhttp://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jason-west-and-vince-zampella-file-lawsuit-against-activision-86295312.html (http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jason-west-and-vince-zampella-file-lawsuit-against-activision-86295312.html)
LOS ANGELES, March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- O'Melveny & Myers LLP today filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court a lawsuit against Activision Publishing, Inc., on behalf of video game developers Jason West and Vince Zampella. West and Zampella developed two of the most successful videogames in history – Call of Duty and Modern Warfare – at the Infinity Ward studio, a company they co-founded in 2001. After its acquisition by Activision in November 2003, West and Zampella served as president/game director and CEO, respectively. Activision terminated their employment weeks before they were to be paid substantial royalty payments as part of their existing contracts for Modern Warfare 2.
"Activision has refused to honor the terms of its agreements and is intentionally flouting the fundamental public policy of this State (California) that employers must pay their employees what they have rightfully earned," said their attorney Robert Schwartz. "Instead of thanking, lauding, or just plain paying Jason and Vince for giving Activision the most successful entertainment product ever offered to the public, last month Activision hired lawyers to conduct a pretextual 'investigation' into unstated and unsubstantiated charges of 'insubordination' and 'breach of fiduciary duty,' which then became the grounds for their termination on Monday, March 1st."
"We were shocked by Activision's decision to terminate our contract," said West. "We poured our heart and soul into that company, building not only a world class development studio, but assembling a team we've been proud to work with for nearly a decade. We think the work we've done speaks for itself."
Zampella added, "After all we have given to Activision, we shouldn't have to sue to get paid."
Modern Warfare 2 is arguably one of the most successful games in history and together with Call of Duty, has generated more than $3 billion in sales for Activision. In addition, Activision seized control of the Infinity Ward studio, to which Activision had previously granted creative control over all Modern Warfare-branded games. The suit was filed to vindicate the rights of West and Zampella to be paid the compensation they have earned, as well as the contractual rights Activision granted to West and Zampella to control Modern Warfare-branded games.
The suit includes claims for breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, wrong termination in violation of public policy, and declaratory relief.
Real world Internet skills for all the naive "businessmen" out there:
X is the numerical value of how evil Bobby Kotick is
Y is the amount of distance - in meters - an Activision employee's office is from Kotick's all-seeing eye
C is the numerical value of how evil David Jaffe is
If X / Y > C, then that employee is deserved of being fucked.
Holy fuck wow :lol
Is Activision run by Dick Cheney? :lol
Head of Activision suffers fifth heart attack under attack from Infinity Ward Founders
Nazi Germany is alive and well it seems.
This is Dyack v Cliffy all over again. And just like with that thing, the threads will burn brightly with nerd passion for a few days, and then nothing.I don't even remember that happening. :lol
I doubt they're doing a modern combat shooter. Wasn't that exactly what caused all the tension with Activision in the first place - they wanted to work on something that was not Modern Wafare-related?
I doubt they're doing a modern combat shooter. Wasn't that exactly what caused all the tension with Activision in the first place - they wanted to work on something that was not Modern Wafare-related?
Lawyers on both sides are licking their lips for a guaranteed 6 years of active employment
So they'll do something outside of COD and it will suck ass.
ActiVision really need to fire Kotick.If/when the bottom line changes they will. If it doesn't they won't. Same as with any other businesss.
A pair of Modern Warfare 2's lead designers, Steve Fukuda and Zied Reike, are said to have left the Encino-based Infinity Ward today. Fukuda joined the studio in January 2002, according to his LinkedIn profile, after leaving 2015, Inc., the developer of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault and former home of Infinity Ward founders Jason West and Vince Zampella. Rieke had also been with Infinity Ward since the formation of the studio.
According to those same sources, programmer Rayme Vinson and lead artist Chris Cherubini have also left the studio. When reached via e-mail, Cherubini confirmed to Kotaku that he had resigned today.
That raises the question that even if EA is giving them "complete control" over their own IP's, will they also give them proper financial incentive whenever a game does really well?
Why are they leaving? Didn't Activision pay them enough? The devs probably expected major bonusses, but they didn't get any,When you make such an incredibly popular game which sells so consistently and for so long, I think you get to redefine "enough."
Longtime Infinity Ward employees Mark Grigsby and Paul Messerly have both left the studio, the team's lead animator and lead character animator, respectively.
Senior designers Mohammad Alavi and Chad Grenier are out, along with programmer Chris Lambert and designer Jason McCord.
it was a hundred person team. if several dozen left then yeah the studio would just be a husk but the question is if the people who have left so far were more responsible for the good or the bad things about the call of duty series.
thinking about it, isn't this not that big of a problem for activision? realistically, the next game from IW would have been at least 2011. by then they already have two or three call of duty games from other studios. this new studio the old guys formed probably won't have a game for a long time, right? they're basically starting from scratch. didn't MW2 use their own engine? even if they use something else (like id tech 5, ue3, cryengine 3) it would still mostly be starting from the beginning. short term Activision won't stop pushing the franchise IW built, and long term, who knows if whatever respawn will do will be relevant in 2+ years.
Activision sued for up to $125 million by current, former Infinity Ward employees [updated]
April 27, 2010 | 2:22 pm
Activision's Call of Duty-related headaches just leveled up.
More than three dozen former and current employees of Infinity Ward, the Encino-based development studio that made the hugely successful Call of Duty: Modern Warfare video games for Activision Blizzard Inc., have sued the publisher claiming that they are owed between $75 million and $125 million in unpaid royalties and potentially more in compensatory damages.
The move by the 38 current and former staffers comes a little over a month after former Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vince Zampella were fired by Activision and filed their own $36-million lawsuit against the Santa Monica-based publisher over allegedly unpaid royalties.
Two weeks ago, West and Zampella formed a new development studio called Respawn Entertainment and signed a deal with Activision's chief rival, Electronic Arts, Inc.
Since West and Zampella left Infinity Ward, a number of other employees have left the studio, some of whom have joined Respawn. Of the 38 employees involved in the lawsuit, 21 are former employees of Infinity Ward; 17 still work there. Approximately 95 people worked at Infinity Ward on last November's Modern Warfare 2, meaning that about 40% of its employees at that time are now suing Activision.
The ongoing dispute puts the future of the Call of Duty franchise, one of the pillars of Activision's success, in doubt. Modern Warfare 2 was the most successful video game of 2009 in the U.S. It sold about 20 million units around the world and generated an estimated $1.3 billion in revenue.
The lawsuit says that Activision owes Infinity Ward employees a bonus pool of at least $118 million, of which $82 million is supposed to go to employees other than West and Zampella.
It alleges that the publisher has withheld royalty payments in order to keep them from leaving as their former bosses did, putting at risk the potentially hugely lucrative release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 planned for late 2011.
"Activision engaged in this inappropriate course of conduct in an attempt to force employees of Infinity Ward to continue to work at a job that many of them did not want just so Activision could force them to complete the development, production and delivery of Modern Warfare 3," the suit says.
It goes on to allege that Activision representatives told Infinity Ward employees that if West and Zampella had not been fired, the employees would have received bonuses approximately 2.5 times higher than what they were paid on March 26.
"Activision believes the action is without merit," a company spokesman said in response to the suit. "Activision retains the discretion to determine the amount and the schedule of bonus payments for MW2 and has acted consistent with its rights and the law at all times. We look forward to getting judicial confirmation that our position is right." [Updated at 2:35 p.m. with Activision response.]
The complaint filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court in Santa Monica is based in part on the same allegations contained in West and Zampella's suit. The plaintiffs' attorney has asked that the two cases be consolidated.
Activision is likely to close Infinity Ward following the completion of the second Modern Warfare 2 map pack.
That's according to Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey, who predicts that Modern Warfare 3 development will be handled by two other studios.
"Continued defections from their Infinity Ward studio have created meaningful uncertainty around the future of their Call of Duty: Modern Warfare franchise," he said in an investor note.
"We expect Infinity Ward studio will be essentially closed after their next map pack release, with development work on Modern Warfare 3 spread between two studios not historically tied to the franchise."
It would be interesting to see how mw3 would end up being like.The assets and net code is already there so I don't think we'll see a huge loss in quality.
It would be interesting to see how mw3 would end up being like.The assets and net code is already there so I don't think we'll see a huge loss in quality.
But the story wasn’t over. A person close to the company says that revelations about West’s erratic behavior at Activision, which came out during the depositions, upset Zampella. “Vince felt that Jason was sabotaging the company,” says the source. As the Respawn team scrambled to finish Titanfall, West was barely coming to the office. In March, he officially parted ways with his longtime partner, moving his family to North Carolina and leaving Zampella in control of Respawn. In an interview in April, Zampella refused to elaborate on what had separated them—except to say, “It’s hard to work with one person for 15 years.”