CODBUNKER

If you haven’t by now, Activision fired Jason West and Vince Zampella (Creators of Modern Warfare) from Infinity Ward on 3/1/2010. Then West and Zampella filed a lawsuit against the Activision, claiming that they (Activision) was withholding “substantial royalty payments” they were due for Modern Warfare 2, and want to take the MW brand name with them.

Then:
Activision filed a counter suit against West and Zampella. Activision accused them of delaying the development of games and secretly negotiating with EA while still employed with the IW (owned by Activision). It also charged the two with intentionally preventing Activision from paying bonuses to other staffers at the studio in an effort to make those employees “easier to poach” for the new studio.

Activision claimed: “West and Zampella’s misdeeds formed an unlawful pattern and practice of conduct that was designed to steal the IW studio, which is one of Activision’s most valuable assets, at the expense of Activision and its shareholders and for their own personal financial gain” .

Then:
With the backing of (You guessed it) Electronic Arts (EA) West and Zampella announced the creation of their new company “Respawn Entertainment.”

Since then the following have resigned from Infinity Ward as well:
Programmer Rayme Vinson
Lead Artist Chris Cherubini
Lead designer Todd Alderman
Software Engineer Francesco Gigliotti
Programmer Jon Shiring
Designer Mackey McCandlish
All of this transpiring within 2-3 weeks.

JEEZ, I hope fourzerotwo (Robert Bowling) doesn’t make such an unwise decision!

Here is a video created by PCGAMEUK to show you those that have left so far:

Here is CODBUNKERS take on “the Drama”
IMO, West and Zampella wanted more (greed or power) (maybe deservedly so, I don’t walk in their shoes, just my opinion) and like most Management they have loyal followers……hence the other lemmings that left.
So they decide to join with EA……….hmmmm. Let us compare EA to Activision. Activision has been around since the start of individual publishers (do you remember the 80′s, River Raid, Pitfall Harry), EA came along a lot later. If you follow the stock market you will also note that Activision has a history of meeting expectations while EA has been a huge disappointment of late. Activision is a 15 Billion dollar company, EA just of 6 Billion. Activision net income 112 Million, EA is -749 Million LOSS. Bottom line IMO is EA is a piss poor run company, while Activision is Gold Standard in the industry. IMO Activision will win the lawsuit, and West and Zampella will fade into mediocrity at best, while IW will replace (the replaceable) with new GREAT up and coming talent and continue on being the Gold Standard. I will have to give EA props for trying though, maybe they are going to turn the corner, I just don’t see it happening, especially in such a dramatic way.
What Say You……………….