Activision Decapitates Infinity Ward

[SuperBeatBoy]

I don't think it will be too bad, Call of Duty: Aerosmith has a lot of potential. I'm thinking it'll be a kart game.

Its already been done. Revolution X.

[Neon Ignition]

So, from the wording of that text we're likely going to get within the next 18 months:

-Call of Duty 6 Map Packs x2-3
-Call of Duty 7
-Call of Duty 8
-Call of Duty Online
-Call of Duty Action Adventure Title

The second they started this stuff with Guitar Hero it began a downwards descent of sales and this is going to go the same way. Like I said a bit back, Activision are a big ass company but they'll never hold on to their no1 position as they've achieved it through luck more than sound business decisions. They bought a handful of popular franchises and are set on burning them out.

[saturn-gamer]

So basically, the next CoD will feature an Uzi peripheral? I hope my Guncon 3 works in that case. Give it some love!

[Tig]

I don't think it will be too bad, Call of Duty: Aerosmith has a lot of potential.

I'd even say it has the 'potential' to be exploited every year on every platform... with clear sequel potential and the potential to become a $100 million dollar franchise!


hooray!

[Number45]

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/37827/IW-devs-sue-Activision

IW hit back. If that's true it's utterly despicable, it seems like a calculated attempt by Activision to shaft them of their royalties.

[Flabio]

Was always going to turn into a sue and counter-sue thing this. Could drag on for a while.

[fishbowlhead]

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/37827/IW-devs-sue-Activision

IW hit back. If that's true it's utterly despicable, it seems like a calculated attempt by Activision to shaft them of their royalties.

Calculated in every sense. A team of lawyers brought in pre bonus time to find cracks in there contracts so that they could be got rid of.

If i were those two, id walk into that office, drag every member of my team and do one to either MS or Sony as an exclusive 1st party developer. After cod2, mw1 and 2 there guaranteed a job pretty much wherever they want.


That or they could burn activision to the ground. The pyromaniac in me much prefers this option

[Number45]

I hope they can re-establish IW under a new name, but with the original setup. Ideally be self-funded, or at least maintain control of whatever IP they generate. By all means sign up with a publisher for the cash if needed, and guarantee them a couple of games in whatever new IP they come up with.

I've always had the impression that they like to try different things, it would be great if they had the support and control to be able to do that.

[Paddy]

Activision don't seem to be carrying a good reputation as of late. Why such heavy-handedness? If they were entitled to the bonuses, why not pay them given how much money they've already made for you?

It's people that cast aside others that actually help them in this manner that end up getting heavily stung in the end.

[abigsmurf]

Activision want to be the new EA. Unfortunately they're doing this by taking EA's worst practices of the last 10 years to the next level.

I also suspect they're now looking at Hollywood accountancy (A film cost $100mill to make and market, brought in $200mill, they say it made a loss so no 'gross of the profits' royalties get paid out).

[Number45]

At the moment I'm just happy I didn't pay the £5 tax on MW2.

[Brad]

They pretty much made the best Medal Of Honour game for EA (Allied Assault) and then went and made the whole Call Of Duty series, leaving the MOH in their dust. Activision must be worried they'll do it again.

[Brats]

Calculated in every sense. A team of lawyers brought in pre bonus time to find cracks in there contracts so that they could be got rid of.

I don't believe for a second that the two IW heads were ousted purely because Activision didn't want to pay them. Getting rid of the heads of your biggest asset will have an immediate detrimental affect on share value and potentially hit future income. The bonuses will have been pre-agreed and based on final income for the game, so if IW were due to be paid big wodges of cash, it's only because Activision have also made even bigger wodges of cash.

Even if you believe big corporate comapnies are Satan, they just don't act like this. Witness the bank boards threatening to resign unless they pay their big earners huge bonuses.

I believe the timing of this has been 'fortunate' for Activision, but they certainly believe that the IW bosses have been very naughty for some reason.

[sj33]

Not sure on the validity of this but...

http://i45.tinypic.com/2eqe89g.jpg

[abigsmurf]

Bear in mind the nature of lawsuits is that any slight issue is always amplified:

one staff member came out of an interview with reddened eyes = The interviews were so horriffic staff would come out crying!

Nothing that's technically a lie but twisting the truth a bit.