Are you a bad enough dude to save the presidents (of IW) This is kinda crazy but why the media show? was it really required to do this so dramatically?
I've got a strange feeling that Sledgehammer games, ( the new Activision studio in SF) will absorb the MW3 development. They announced that they would be working on an established Activision IP so I wouldnt be surprise if they were working on MW.
With the news about Infinity Ward's contract expiring, it would make sense that Activision would want to take on the development of the franchise internally without the risk of a fallout with Infinity Ward.
It's heartbreaking to hear such news, but this industry is no stranger to intrigue
I've got a strange feeling that Sledgehammer games, ( the new Activision studio in SF) will absorb the MW3 development. They announced that they would be working on an established Activision IP so I wouldnt be surprise if they were working on MW.
With the news about Infinity Ward's contract expiring, it would make sense that Activision would want to take on the development of the franchise internally without the risk of a fallout with Infinity Ward.
It's heartbreaking to hear such news, but this industry is no stranger to intrigue
I wish all the best to our fellas at IW!
If that's the case, I will never buy another Activision game... That is complete BS, the best COD games were made by IW. Actually, I think the COD series is the ONLY games I own by Activision haha.
You don't say FU to the company(IW) that just made one of the biggest grossing entertainment products in history. Usually you give them a big fat slap on the back and keys to do whatever they want next. I don't care how much money or control Activision has in IW, you cut off the head of a chicken and it dies. We'll see if IW can continue success now or if they'll fold into a blur of sequels.
I feel bad for (newly)past and present employees, of course, this is without knowing any real details, just speculation.
You don't say FU to the company(IW) that just made one of the biggest grossing entertainment products in history. Usually you give them a big fat slap on the back and keys to do whatever they want next. I don't care how much money or control Activision has in IW, you cut off the head of a chicken and it dies. We'll see if IW can continue success now or if they'll fold into a blur of sequels.
I feel bad for (newly)past and present employees, of course, this is without knowing any real details, just speculation.
I totally agree. The COD series is huge. Whether you officially own the studio or not, you don't treat someone like IW like they are just some disposable blim of a company, "insubordination" hahaha.
Regardless of what went down or why, the IW guys don't have anyone to blame for getting into this situation. How many times have we seen studios sell their rights or giving control to a publisher, only for that publisher to later kick out the guys who made the studio worth buying in the first place? When EA started canceling Origin projects and essentially pushed a gaming legend like Richard Garriott out the door, the lesson should have been learned. Ten years later, it's damn near expected. You sell your shop like IW did, you're giving a guy like Bobby Kotick control of your future.
At any rate, I'll wait to hear the details before I decide who the douchbag in this story really is. Quietly forcing a resignation is one thing, but it sounds like the IW guys were fired and for cause. If that's the case, Activision has to have some legal basis for it - CCO/CTO types generally have contracts, and you can't fire them without some sort of reason.
*edit*
Just read elsewhere that West and Zampella were under contract with Activision through October of this year. That means they definitely had to have done something in violation of their contract to get canned. Not good. On the other hand, lots of places are saying that IW employees haven't seen a penny in royalty payments of the eleventy jillion dollars that Activision pulled in for MW2. Not sure if that's related, but obviously not good if IW employees are owed that and have been expecting to get paid.
If that's true, then it's insane. Do Activision have Don King levels of treachery?
In regards to your first paragraph, I do think it's a shame that many dev studios seem to take the somewhat short sighted option of a buyout. The money and security is obviously appealing, but in most cases they almost certainly lose a huge amount of creative control and decision making.
I know whats happened the MW2 was so bad they fired him thats all..
whats the drama ppl in the industry get fired at thousands on the same time and no one cares. whats the big deal whit this guy :S
I know whats happened the MW2 was so bad they fired him thats all..
whats the drama ppl in the industry get fired at thousands on the same time and no one cares. whats the big deal whit this guy :S
you're pretty ghetto dude. Or a bro (brah). Or southern. I'm not sure which.
You know, guys, regardless of whether infinity ward was doing something awesome or not, if your employees do not do what you say but in fact do something else you said not to do you kinda have to fire them. Even if what you said was retarded. If there is insubordination here (there probably is, or activision would be afraid of getting sued for breaking the contract) then this is not bad management at all.
!WARNING the following contains traces of WILD SPECUMOLESTATION!
I guess the latest hoopla is that they were not technically owned by Activision but under contract and somehow still maintained some small legal hold on the CoD:MW name. It sounds like Activision tried to move development of the next game "to free up IW to work on new ventures" and in doing so might have pulled some crazy stuff. Including saying no to their new venture but still moving development?
I guess if they really where just under contract how could they be let go. Did Activision do some maneuvering inside the company to get these two ousted so they could cement their grip on the franchise?
I just hope he gets his fill before he sticks his fangs in Blizzard. You don't drink unicorn blood no matter how thirsty you are...
You know, guys, regardless of whether infinity ward was doing something awesome or not, if your employees do not do what you say but in fact do something else you said not to do you kinda have to fire them. Even if what you said was retarded. If there is insubordination here (there probably is, or activision would be afraid of getting sued for breaking the contract) then this is not bad management at all.
That goes both ways-- I'm wonder if Activision ever intended to pay them royalties, or if they thought they could play some accounting shell-game and handle the rest with lawyers.
That goes both ways-- I'm wonder if Activision ever intended to pay them royalties, or if they thought they could play some accounting shell-game and handle the rest with lawyers.
Indeed it does. And hopefully if there was wrongdoing by activision the mw2 can get past their phalanx of lawyers and earn some kind of restitution.
But no amount of mitigating circumstances or other examples of kotick being evil change the fact that a manager has to deal with insubordinate employees. If these IW guys really did something, they had to be fired for it, and probably expected to be fired for it if caught.
But on the other hand, if Activision really haven't paid IW any royalties out of the billion they've grossed for MW2 (and they were supposed to, contractually) - then the senior guys at IW kind of had a right to be insubordinate, if they weren't getting paid what they were supposed to.
But on the other hand, if Activision really haven't paid IW any royalties out of the billion they've grossed for MW2 (and they were supposed to, contractually) - then the senior guys at IW kind of had a right to be insubordinate, if they weren't getting paid what they were supposed to.
They had the right to be insubordinate in that if they wanted to get fired, they could.
But no, not getting paid doesnt suddenly mean you're employee of the year no matter what you do. You should probably quit and maybe sue your boss, but it has nothing to do with insubordination.
Using company money to do your own thing is not okay in some 'two wrongs make a right' sense. I'm not trying to vilify the guys, but if they breached their contract, no wonder they got fired. If activision mistreated them beforehand, they should probably take legal action against activision, but still -- no wonder they got fired.
film studios are known for buying the rights to films and not cough up after distribution.. its not just the small fry guy that get burned too .. the english patient was one such victim.
the producers had to go to legal
sucks butt that this kind of shit happens..
It seems immoral but Ive seen guys higherup nickel and dime legitimate ventures that they have a stake in (so they already make money out of it) and twist and squeeze every last penny out of it.. its actually fucking discraceful..
I do think it's a shame that many dev studios seem to take the somewhat short sighted option of a buyout. The money and security is obviously appealing, but in most cases they almost certainly lose a huge amount of creative control and decision making.
I would imagine, with the cost of operating a studio, the buyout option isn't quite as short-sighted as you would think. I would guess that in quite a number of cases it's more of a matter of shuttering your doors or not.
I would imagine, with the cost of operating a studio, the buyout option isn't quite as short-sighted as you would think. I would guess that in quite a number of cases it's more of a matter of shuttering your doors or not.
Well in that case I guess you would have no choice
film studios are known for buying the rights to films and not cough up after distribution.. its not just the small fry guy that get burned too .. the english patient was one such victim.
the producers had to go to legal
sucks butt that this kind of shit happens..
It seems immoral but Ive seen guys higherup nickel and dime legitimate ventures that they have a stake in (so they already make money out of it) and twist and squeeze every last penny out of it.. its actually fucking discraceful..
(sarcasm) and all for that extra bit of cash to pay for that Wooden trim finish in their bugati's , shame on them. "tut tut"
The report also states that the "insubordination" IW bosses Jason West and Frank Zampella appear to have been sacked for was caused by secret discussions with rival publishers.
Infinity Ward partially owns the rights to the Call of Duty IP, and the studio's contractual obligations to Activision end October 2010, the report pointed out.
Utterly false. ATVI owns them and all of their IP 100%
The two studio heads' contracts were up this year, and their personal renegotiation might have been what sparked this - threats like "give us more money, more creative control, or we walk and take our people and our tech with us." Taking people or tech could be insubordination, but it's all still speculation at this point.
Hope the best for ousted dudes. Sounds like a bummer to lose control of the ship you helped sail after 9 years. You know...unless he was using Activision's money to run an underground drug cartel. Then I guess that isn't cool.
Obviously it would be insane if Activision refused to pay royalties, and I tend to agree. It could be in the contract that the royalties are paid within a year etc.
Having generated a billion revenue from the game, I find it hard to believe that the dev costs haven't been recouped though, haha
I generally don't pay that much attention to "unnamed sources" too. Journalism is full of that, sometimes they are legit, sometimes not.
READ THIS: Its not the end of the quarter so the whole thing about royalties is null. If they are getting their royalties - and we've no reason to assume they wouldn't - it would happen when the quarter ends, so April'ish.
Relax about the royalties shenanigans, its typical fare.
So, their plans are to make a bajillion sequels, and probably try to either wring out some micro payment system or put people on a subscription model for multiplayer. I guess they saw how much money WoW was making them and thought that copying their business model was the way to go.
I love how Bobby gets up and gives a big speech about how we've made mistakes in the past and we shouldn't have taken Guitar Hero from Harmonix and we love developers and want them to be creative and passionate and oh look we're tearing apart our top studio.
I am going to predict the future here. Actard will barely squeeze out a profit for 2010 based almost entirely on SC2 and Diablo 3. In 2011 they will release their crappy COD spin offs right after every other company has released their own COD rip-off games, and take massive loses for the year. In 2012 they will find some way to make Blizzard branded shovelware and try desperately to stop their financial free-fall by selling any asset they own that is not nailed down.
Either that or Nibiru is going to flood the planet with radiation killing everyone.
Replies
I'd blame the twitoblogonets.
With the news about Infinity Ward's contract expiring, it would make sense that Activision would want to take on the development of the franchise internally without the risk of a fallout with Infinity Ward.
It's heartbreaking to hear such news, but this industry is no stranger to intrigue
I wish all the best to our fellas at IW!
If that's the case, I will never buy another Activision game... That is complete BS, the best COD games were made by IW. Actually, I think the COD series is the ONLY games I own by Activision haha.
Lest we discuss rumors and speculation as fact
You don't say FU to the company(IW) that just made one of the biggest grossing entertainment products in history. Usually you give them a big fat slap on the back and keys to do whatever they want next. I don't care how much money or control Activision has in IW, you cut off the head of a chicken and it dies. We'll see if IW can continue success now or if they'll fold into a blur of sequels.
I feel bad for (newly)past and present employees, of course, this is without knowing any real details, just speculation.
Oh I know it may not be true, but if it is, then thats how I feel (even though they won't give two shits what 1 person thinks :P)
I totally agree. The COD series is huge. Whether you officially own the studio or not, you don't treat someone like IW like they are just some disposable blim of a company, "insubordination" hahaha.
If that's true, then it's insane. Do Activision have Don King levels of treachery?
In regards to your first paragraph, I do think it's a shame that many dev studios seem to take the somewhat short sighted option of a buyout. The money and security is obviously appealing, but in most cases they almost certainly lose a huge amount of creative control and decision making.
http://www.life.com/image/3445355/in-gallery/26932/mike-the-headless-chicken
"According to some accounts, the day the ax fell, Mike slept with his head under his wing."
whats the drama ppl in the industry get fired at thousands on the same time and no one cares. whats the big deal whit this guy :S
you're pretty ghetto dude. Or a bro (brah). Or southern. I'm not sure which.
I guess the latest hoopla is that they were not technically owned by Activision but under contract and somehow still maintained some small legal hold on the CoD:MW name. It sounds like Activision tried to move development of the next game "to free up IW to work on new ventures" and in doing so might have pulled some crazy stuff. Including saying no to their new venture but still moving development?
I guess if they really where just under contract how could they be let go. Did Activision do some maneuvering inside the company to get these two ousted so they could cement their grip on the franchise?
I just hope he gets his fill before he sticks his fangs in Blizzard. You don't drink unicorn blood no matter how thirsty you are...
That goes both ways-- I'm wonder if Activision ever intended to pay them royalties, or if they thought they could play some accounting shell-game and handle the rest with lawyers.
Interresting, appearently they haven't got a single dime of royalties from mw2.
9 years 3 month,
this guy already gained loyalty level and 95% paragorn level ...
i think this thing is not that simple ....
Indeed it does. And hopefully if there was wrongdoing by activision the mw2 can get past their phalanx of lawyers and earn some kind of restitution.
But no amount of mitigating circumstances or other examples of kotick being evil change the fact that a manager has to deal with insubordinate employees. If these IW guys really did something, they had to be fired for it, and probably expected to be fired for it if caught.
They had the right to be insubordinate in that if they wanted to get fired, they could.
But no, not getting paid doesnt suddenly mean you're employee of the year no matter what you do. You should probably quit and maybe sue your boss, but it has nothing to do with insubordination.
Using company money to do your own thing is not okay in some 'two wrongs make a right' sense. I'm not trying to vilify the guys, but if they breached their contract, no wonder they got fired. If activision mistreated them beforehand, they should probably take legal action against activision, but still -- no wonder they got fired.
the producers had to go to legal
sucks butt that this kind of shit happens..
It seems immoral but Ive seen guys higherup nickel and dime legitimate ventures that they have a stake in (so they already make money out of it) and twist and squeeze every last penny out of it.. its actually fucking discraceful..
I would imagine, with the cost of operating a studio, the buyout option isn't quite as short-sighted as you would think. I would guess that in quite a number of cases it's more of a matter of shuttering your doors or not.
Well in that case I guess you would have no choice
(sarcasm) and all for that extra bit of cash to pay for that Wooden trim finish in their bugati's , shame on them. "tut tut"
Anyone know if this is true?? I thought they were completely owned by Activision...
The two studio heads' contracts were up this year, and their personal renegotiation might have been what sparked this - threats like "give us more money, more creative control, or we walk and take our people and our tech with us." Taking people or tech could be insubordination, but it's all still speculation at this point.
Hope the best for ousted dudes. Sounds like a bummer to lose control of the ship you helped sail after 9 years. You know...unless he was using Activision's money to run an underground drug cartel. Then I guess that isn't cool.
Having generated a billion revenue from the game, I find it hard to believe that the dev costs haven't been recouped though, haha
I generally don't pay that much attention to "unnamed sources" too. Journalism is full of that, sometimes they are legit, sometimes not.
So yes, it is just speculation.
Relax about the royalties shenanigans, its typical fare.
http://kotaku.com/5484026/
More news coming, seems... incredibly political.
MILK IT!
So, their plans are to make a bajillion sequels, and probably try to either wring out some micro payment system or put people on a subscription model for multiplayer. I guess they saw how much money WoW was making them and thought that copying their business model was the way to go.
Gee, I didn't see that coming!
Action adventure ? Digital distribution ? Targeting the Asian market ? oh dear..
Wonder what is the fate of IW.
It's a bit surreal to the point of being a bad joke .
Sledgehammer will be making the next CoD.
I like the first guys post..
Either that or Nibiru is going to flood the planet with radiation killing everyone.