Activision-Infinity Ward row

[sharkey360]

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Activision is believed to have axed two Infinity Ward bosses following a human resources investigation into "breaches of contract and insubordination by two senior employees” at the Call Of Duty developer.

A source close to Infinity Ward told G4 that security personnel showed up at the developer’s offices unannounced yesterday and refused to disclose their intentions. Studio heads Vince Zampella and Jason West have reportedly not been seen by colleagues since a meeting with Activision yesterday.

"Everyone is on edge," the source said, describing the recent mood between Infinity Ward and Activision as "tense".

Activision said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday: “The company is concluding an internal human resources inquiry into breaches of contract and insubordination by two senior employees at Infinity Ward. This matter is expected to involve the departure of key personnel and litigation. At present, the company does not expect this matter to have a material impact on the company.”

An update to West's Linkedin business profile appears to suggest that he is no longer employed. He has held senior positions at Infinity Ward, including president and CTO, since January 2001.

We’ve contacted Activision for comment on the matter.

Source - Activision Axes Infinity Ward Bosses ? Report | Edge Online

Other updates

UPDATE: Security Appears At Infinity Ward, Studio Heads Missing, Activision Investigating "Insubordination" - G4tv.com

Infinity Ward Has Not Received Royalties for Modern Warfare 2|Binge Gamer Dot Net

[obemon]

I'm just purely speculating here, but it's probably the same old...


Publisher boss: We want to milk this hit franchise to the ground so I want you to make more sequels.

Developer head: Yeah about that, I want my guys to take a break from the franchise and try to do something else for our next game.

Publisher boss: That wasn't a request, that was an order.

Developer head: Well screw you then ginger! I'm outta here!

[murlock]

activision is the new Evil EA!! ahahaha

[sharkey360]

Today, Activision confirmed in a press release that Jason West and Vince Zampella—the executives behind the Infinity Ward studio that's responsible for the Call of Duty franchise and which Activision bought in 2003—are no longer with the company. The confirmation backs up that the two were ousted from the developer yesterday, after an Activision filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that said the company was investigating "breaches of contract and insubordination by two senior employees at Infinity Ward." Reports flew across the Internet last night that the executives were missing from the company, perhaps having been escorted out by Activision security.

The press release, copied below, gives a rundown on the future of Call of Duty series, saying that Infinity Ward is currently working on two downloadable map packs to be released in this calendar year for the incredibly popular Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Looking further ahead, Treyarch (which has had the development duties on many "off-year" releases, such as Call of Duty: World at War) is developing a CoD game for release this year. And the release also said that Sledgehammer Games—the Activision-owned studio formed by two former EA development executives behind the Dead Space series—was working on a new game in the CoD series due out in 2011.

It seems that Activision has been working on these moves for some time, because, while ousting executives can be a quick process in the scheme of things, mapping out the development of a major franchise across three studios isn't a hastily arranged process. You can bet there'll be much more on this topic over the coming months, and TeamXbox will bring you the details as soon as we get them.

Activision Publishing Reveals New Plans for Call of Duty(R) Franchise

--Company to Establish Dedicated Business Unit to Focus on Product Excellence and Brand Expansion
--Company Confirms New Call of Duty Game To Be Released in 2011
--Activision Publishing Plans to Launch Call of Duty in New Genres and Asia

SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 2, 2010 -- Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced new strategic plans for the Call of Duty(R) 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(R) 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(R) 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.

Source - Activision Drops a Sledgehammer on CoD Series - Xbox

[sharkey360]

Infinity Ward Founders Planned EA Defection?

As the legal battle between Activision and former Infinity Ward bosses, Vince Zampella and Jason West, intensifies, the world's largest publisher has supposedly requested internal documents that could prove the former studio heads were planning to defect to Electronic Arts.

According to G4TV, which cites an internal Activision memo obtained by a “source close to the company”, the accusations of in “insubordination” may be due to an attempt by Zampella and West to establish a new studio with any one of the publisher's competitors.

The memo says that Activision is looking for internal documents that mention any past, current or future projects, including Modern Warfare 3. More importantly the publisher is looking for “documents regarding any potential 'spin out' of IW,” and “documents regarding West and Zampella's communications with Activision's competitors, including but not limited to Electronic Arts.”

The importance of these documents to Activision's case may be why the studio was left under the supervision of the publisher's security shortly after the dismissal of Zampella and West.

Infinity Ward Founders Planned EA Defection? | Edge Online

[VampyR]

baga ug nawng nang mga head sa activision

[VampyR]

they would rather pay their lawyers than their devs