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Author Topic: There's a Story Here, Somewhere.  (Read 162446 times)
ForumBot 0.8 beta
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on: March 01, 2010, 10:00:18 PM

There's a Story Here, Somewhere.

Blah blah, facebook is everywhere, blah blah.

Moby Games for Jason West.

gg man, gg

Updated with:

gg man, gg
« Last Edit: March 01, 2010, 10:05:32 PM by schild »
schild
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Reply #1 on: March 01, 2010, 10:01:28 PM

Also, you like this.

What.
schild
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Reply #2 on: March 01, 2010, 10:08:39 PM

Full employee list. Assuming this isn't isolated to executive staff, it's going to look like Faces of Death in a day or two:

http://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&company=Infinity+Ward
Azazel
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Reply #3 on: March 01, 2010, 10:10:43 PM

Wonder if we will see an IW exodus and reformation, a la 2015?


http://azazelx.wordpress.com/ - My Miniatures and Hobby Blog.
Ard
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Reply #4 on: March 01, 2010, 10:13:08 PM

This doesn't even make any sense.  Despite bitching, pc problems, and mediocrity, how does sacking a team that JUST made you many millions make any rational business sense?
Azazel
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Reply #5 on: March 01, 2010, 10:14:13 PM

nod.

http://azazelx.wordpress.com/ - My Miniatures and Hobby Blog.
waffel
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Reply #6 on: March 01, 2010, 10:14:43 PM

This doesn't even make any sense.  Despite bitching, pc problems, and mediocrity, how does sacking a team that JUST made you many millions make any rational business sense?

Yeah, I'm not sure what Activision thought would happen with the release of MW2, but didn't it sell a whole boatload of boxes regardless of how shitty it was?
Mosesandstick
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Reply #7 on: March 01, 2010, 10:17:04 PM

From wikipedia:

"On March 1, 2010, head members Vince Zampella and Jason West were said to be "missing in action" and the office is said to be under heavy security. It is reported to happened when Zampella and West were heading to a meeting with Activision. However, it is believed by many gamers to be a publicity stunt due to Battlefield: Bad Company 2's release."

Hehe.
Velorath
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Reply #8 on: March 01, 2010, 10:27:39 PM

This doesn't even make any sense.  Despite bitching, pc problems, and mediocrity, how does sacking a team that JUST made you many millions make any rational business sense?

If I had to come up with wild speculation based on no evidence at all, I'd guess that IW felt that based on their recent successes they were due more than what Activision was giving them (be it money, or creative freedom, or whatever), went down to Activision for some hardball negotiations, and had it backfire, with Activision figuring that the franchise is more important than the team making it given that even Treyarch can sell 11+ million copies with their previous entry.
Rendakor
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Reply #9 on: March 01, 2010, 10:29:44 PM

 Popcorn

"i can't be a star citizen. they won't even give me a star green card"
schild
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Reply #10 on: March 01, 2010, 10:34:43 PM

« Last Edit: March 01, 2010, 10:42:13 PM by schild »
caladein
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Reply #11 on: March 01, 2010, 10:42:28 PM

Publicity stunt?  IW getting sacked?  Either way it's win-win for me and my Popcorn.

"Point being, they can't make everyone happy, so I hope they pick me." -Ingmar
"OH MY GOD WE'RE SURROUNDED SEND FOR BACKUP DIG IN DEFENSIVE POSITIONS MAN YOUR NECKBEARDS" -tgr
Azazel
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Reply #12 on: March 01, 2010, 11:00:24 PM


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tgr
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Just another victim of cyber age discrimination.


Reply #13 on: March 01, 2010, 11:14:46 PM

Popcorn

Cyno's lit, bridge is up, but one pilot won't be jumping home.
UnSub
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Reply #14 on: March 01, 2010, 11:22:46 PM

How hard would it be for Jason West to find another job / set up a new studio? I'm guessing "Not very."

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Hellfire Games


Reply #15 on: March 01, 2010, 11:26:48 PM

This doesn't even make any sense.  Despite bitching, pc problems, and mediocrity, how does sacking a team that JUST made you many millions make any rational business sense?

LK
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Reply #16 on: March 01, 2010, 11:34:24 PM

I wonder how much of a headache was made from having stirred shit with Microsoft, Sony, and Valve simultaneously with all the support calls and bad press that has resulted from their design decisions with the game.

I can't help but feel a little better knowing some heads are rollling at Infinity Ward.

"Then there's the double-barreled shotgun from Doom 2 - no-one within your entire household could be of any doubt that it's been fired because it sounds like God slamming a door on his fingers." - Yahtzee Croshaw
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Hellfire Games


Reply #17 on: March 01, 2010, 11:43:29 PM

Oh, hi, Activision 10-K filed yesterday, how ya doin.

Quote
In November 2009, the Company released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a game developed by one of the Company's wholly-owned studios, Infinity Ward. As noted above, Modern Warfare 2 was the best selling console title in the U.S. and Europe in 2009. Consistent with past practice, the Company intends to release a Call of Duty game in 2010 developed by another wholly-owned studio. 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.
schild
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Reply #18 on: March 02, 2010, 12:20:58 AM

So, a handful of people.

Also, insubordination. Why would anyone work for a gaming company that even invokes such trash?

Edit: YEA, FIRING THE LEADER OF JUST SHORT OF A DECADE WON'T HAVE AN IMPACT. I swear to god, trained monkeys could replace 90% of the executives in America.
« Last Edit: March 02, 2010, 12:22:46 AM by schild »
Margalis
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Reply #19 on: March 02, 2010, 12:22:08 AM

This doesn't even make any sense.  Despite bitching, pc problems, and mediocrity, how does sacking a team that JUST made you many millions make any rational business sense?

Pretty much all founders eventually get sacked once they sell out to someone bigger. There's no evidence that Activision sacked the team, just a couple of higher-ups. Which is not particularly surprising.

And anyone expecting a mass exodus of other employees in protest is probably going to be disappointed. Given the current economic situation I wouldn't expect anything more than a slow brain drain at best.
« Last Edit: March 02, 2010, 12:24:21 AM by Margalis »

vampirehipi23: I would enjoy a book written by a monkey and turned into a movie rather than this.
schild
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Reply #20 on: March 02, 2010, 12:23:28 AM

This doesn't even make any sense.  Despite bitching, pc problems, and mediocrity, how does sacking a team that JUST made you many millions make any rational business sense?
Pretty much all founders eventually get sacked once they sell out to someone bigger. There's no evidence that Activision sacked the team, just a couple of higher-ups. Which is not particularly surprising.
There's situations like that sure, especially when the leader is a sack of ass. As far as I know, the heads of IW were well-loved and cool people. This is NOT the sort of situation that has no "material impact."
Azazel
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Reply #21 on: March 02, 2010, 12:26:41 AM

re: insubordination
I can't figure out why most otherwise-intelligent people over a certain age stay in the games industry, considering how they're often treated by the publishers and management.

It's also possible (aka I've seen it speculated) that they were getting a bit big for their boots given the success of CoD4/MW2, and that Bobby didn't like that and wanted to put them in their place (see: insubordination). OTOH, perhaps they just weren't balanced for lean.

http://azazelx.wordpress.com/ - My Miniatures and Hobby Blog.
Margalis
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Reply #22 on: March 02, 2010, 12:32:01 AM

Perhaps they actually were guilty of rampant insubordination. You never know. There have been rumored strains for a long time and IW employees have been openly shitting on other Activision dev teams.

Honestly I'm surprised it took this long. When I first saw different dev teams at Activision bickering I figured someone was going to get fired then. I don't really know how people can expect to get away with actively hurting the bottom line of their owning company by bashing other games in their portfolio.

I'm not going to say that that's why these guys were let go but at many places that sort of behavior would not fly at all, nor should it.

Edit: In case someone doesn't know what I'm talking about:

http://www.gamestooge.com/2008/11/08/infinity-ward-vs-treyarch-round-one/
« Last Edit: March 02, 2010, 12:36:21 AM by Margalis »

vampirehipi23: I would enjoy a book written by a monkey and turned into a movie rather than this.
schild
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Reply #23 on: March 02, 2010, 12:33:56 AM

Yea, because rampant insubordination is something worth chasing down when they have the best selling game of the year and their employees like them.

Please. This isn't the military. Kotick is just a raging asshat.

Edit: This whole thing strikes me as a way to get shares of stock back without having to buy them. I'd love to be a fly on the wall, but honestly - you own Infinity Ward? Give them money and let them do their thing.
tgr
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Reply #24 on: March 02, 2010, 12:46:56 AM

I suppose that it could be argued that they might have been going too far in pissing off their PC customers with their actions, although given the way every developer and their dog seems to be heading towards consoles with In love faces the last 1-2 years, that seems to be a bit of a stretch.

It could also just be that there are huge personality clashes that have finally come to an end. People have been sacked for less.

Cyno's lit, bridge is up, but one pilot won't be jumping home.
schild
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Reply #25 on: March 02, 2010, 12:54:54 AM

Quote
It could also just be that there are huge personality clashes that have finally come to an end. People have been sacked for less.

I can't imagine anyone on Earth having a personality conflict with Pope Kotick.
Velorath
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Reply #26 on: March 02, 2010, 01:24:13 AM

Edit: In case someone doesn't know what I'm talking about:

http://www.gamestooge.com/2008/11/08/infinity-ward-vs-treyarch-round-one/

Robert Bowling still seems to have his job, so I doubt that's it.
Outlawedprod
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Reply #27 on: March 02, 2010, 06:30:31 AM

http://twitter.com/TimOfLegend/status/9865403393
Tim Shafer: "Getting mad at Activision for this kind of thing is like getting mad at an ape for throwing feces. It's just how the beast communicates."

He's right too.  They shipped MW2 already so what leverage does the studio heads have?  Queue Activision curb stomp time.  West should be given props though he obviously had a position and was not willing to compromise or toe the line that Activision laid down.  Although really why should he since it was probably made patently obvious to him awhile back they that wanted him gone.
« Last Edit: March 02, 2010, 06:37:17 AM by Outlawedprod »
Outlawedprod
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Reply #28 on: March 02, 2010, 06:59:24 AM

Speaking of Activision laying down the law.

Anyone else notice they shut down that King's Quest fan project?
http://www.tsl-game.com/
Sky
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Reply #29 on: March 02, 2010, 07:00:26 AM

I swear to god, trained monkeys could replace 90% of the executives in America.
Very charitable of you. I wouldn't have thought they'd need training.
Kovacs
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Reply #30 on: March 02, 2010, 07:23:09 AM


My first thought when I saw HR inquiry was sexual harrassment.  Guess not. 

I have a feeling breach of contract and insubordination in this context are really just "creative differences" writ large and the press release was crafted to support possible future litigation more than it is to accurately report the situation.
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Reply #31 on: March 02, 2010, 11:01:39 AM

That wasn't a press release, that was their SEC-mandated 10-K filing.

"Point being, they can't make everyone happy, so I hope they pick me." -Ingmar
"OH MY GOD WE'RE SURROUNDED SEND FOR BACKUP DIG IN DEFENSIVE POSITIONS MAN YOUR NECKBEARDS" -tgr
LK
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Reply #32 on: March 02, 2010, 11:12:28 AM


"Then there's the double-barreled shotgun from Doom 2 - no-one within your entire household could be of any doubt that it's been fired because it sounds like God slamming a door on his fingers." - Yahtzee Croshaw
Outlawedprod
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Reply #33 on: March 02, 2010, 01:31:46 PM

Outlawedprod
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Reply #34 on: March 02, 2010, 01:55:57 PM

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