IW denies West/Zampella fallout

By Robert Purchese Published 26 March, 2010

Studio is "focused on DLC".

Infinity Ward's vocaliser Robert Bowling has told Eurogamer that "no", he wasn't personally affected by the whole Jason West and Vincent Zampella saga of three weeks ago.

"I mean what we're doing here is focusing on the DLC and getting that out the door," said Bowling, flanked by Activision PR. "Our main focus is making the games we love for the people we love to play them."

When asked whether floods of staff poured out after their former masters, he answered: "No - I mean the whole team here is focused on DLC and that's what we've always been focused on."

Those events have left a question mark lingering over Infinity Ward and its future regarding the Call of Duty series, and the publisher is still reluctant to say whether Infinity Ward will be developing the planned "COD 2011" game.

"We wouldn't have any information on that so stay tuned," answered an Activision PR when we asked Bowling.

Besides "COD 2011", Activision has two other Call of Duty games on the cards: one by series regular Treyarch for autumn 2010, and another - an action-adventure spin-off - by new studio Sledgehammer Games. The latter has no release date.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (30) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • kangarootoo #1 2 years ago

    "I mean the whole team here is focused on DLC and that's what we've always been focused on"

    That wasn't strictly the question asked. The question was "did people leave", not "what the people still there up to".

    Pedantic I know.

  • GamesConnoisseur #2 2 years ago

    If there wasnt indeed anyone else leaving in wake of the incident few weeks ago, then that would seem to indicate that for most staff Activitson was mostly on the right side of the argument?

    Personally rooting for Zamp and West, but then again what do we really know about all this?!

  • Xerx3s #3 2 years ago

    Yeah right. What a load of pr bollocks.

  • matrim83 #4 2 years ago

    Were you able to see a tiny red laser dot on his forehead while he was saying this stuff?

  • VicViper #5 2 years ago

    No wonder that DLC cost so much, if EVERYONE IN THE SUDIO *cough* that hasn't left *cought* is working on it thats a lot of wages.

  • Shakey_Jake33 #6 2 years ago

    @GamesConnoisseur - Perhaps, but it could also be because they have families to feed and thus can't afford to leave, at least not until West and Zampella rumoured new studio is actually established. Ultimately, who knows.

  • EgbertoTheGreat #7 2 years ago

    GamesConnoisseur,

    Because they haven't immediately left doesn't mean they aren't planning or want to leave. It's the long term effects that will be telling.

    You are right that we shouldn't assume the staff will be behind the directors though. I'm sure we've all worked at places where we'd love to see the boss booted out.

  • GamesConnoisseur #8 2 years ago

    True that may be the case, and still too early to tell at this time how the situation would be played out internally and externally.

  • Xerx3s #9 2 years ago

    The problem that these guys have is that they can't leave because activision hasn't paid out the bulk of the money that is due yet.

  • Lotos8ter #10 2 years ago

    West/Zampella: One out, all out brothers!
    Bowling: But Bobby says that if I bite more pillows, I get paid big.

  • Rob_B #11 2 years ago

    @GamesConnoisseur

    As mentioned, people may not be able to leave for financial reasons.
    Considering the rumour is that they will forfeit long-awaited bonuses if they leave (ie the thing that seems to have kicked of this whole thing in the first place) they don't really have a choice.
    Edited by Rob_B at 26/03/10 @ 10:17

  • RobotRocker #12 2 years ago

    "Flanked by Activision PR"

    Oh'er, I wonder if they have cattle prods that shock Bowling every time he makes a statement like his old Treyarch baiting ones.

  • geeza2020 #13 2 years ago

    concentrating on DLC, eh?

    /trades in MW2 for BFBC2

  • dloob #14 2 years ago

    Was he glancing nervously at the PR hacks while talking before being led away by them?
    Edited by dloob at 26/03/10 @ 11:09

  • 00.00.01 #15 2 years ago

    "No - I mean the whole team here is focused on DLC and that's what we've always been focused on."
    .
    Yeah, sure. This guy sounds more and more lika an Acti-bot. And if ''the whole team'' is focused on getting the DLC out, why the fu$!ng hell does it take you 5 months to launch it (6 months for PC/PS3!!)
    *is thinking Bobby K. might be Robert B's dominatrix?...*

  • evilrobot #16 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 22:12:53 08-05-2012

  • CHACK #17 2 years ago

    Of course no ones left yet, they're still waiting on the big bag of ca$h that's due in the form of a royalty payment. Even Alistair Darling could make a better job of screwing them for cash than Activision has done.

  • kimchibaka #18 2 years ago

    Robert Bowling will say anything to keep his job. Probably wise as he wouldn't get a comparable one anywhere else.

  • paketep #19 2 years ago

    Could we please stop posting articles based on what fourzerotwo says?. He is a proven liar, thus whatever he says is basically worthless.

  • Retro_ #20 2 years ago

    Have made a concience decision to boycott the 'majority' of future Activision Games. Id like to say Id boycott 'all' future Activision releases but that would be a little too short sighted of me.

  • Artemus #21 2 years ago

    As if he was going to say anything else.

  • VibratingDonkey #22 2 years ago

    Robert Bowling would probably be on a short leash after the mess he talked about Activision last year. Also he oversaw Infinity Ward's PR what with the grenade spam, dedicated servers and everything. In fact I'm kind of surprised he hasn't been fired as well already.

  • Akuma #23 2 years ago

    "Our main focus is making the games we love for the people we love to play them."

    Well the people they love to play them are 12-15 year olds....so does that mean they love 12-15 year olds?

  • TitusCrow #24 2 years ago

    Robert Bowling marched into the small grimy press room, deep within the labyrinthine bowls of the Activision command centre. His newly shorn head, shone pinkly under the harsh lighting. Flanked by a burly, heavy jawed man, he sat down at the rickety desk opposite the press gallery.

    He licked his thin lips and managed to plaster a death’s head grin on his sallow face, the heavy jawed man, his complexion ruddy, smiled a genuine smile at this. He seemed to be enjoying himself. He motioned to the assembled detritus in the press rows and signalled a beginning to proceedings.
    A small weasel like man, with a badly disguised receding chin spoke first. He had a gasping oratorical way of framing his questions which set other’s ill at ease.
    “Mr bowling, is it true, that you were individually affected by the recent dismissals of Jason west and Vince Zampella?” He looked at bowling expectantly.
    Bowling grasped desperately to keep his smile in place, the net effect being somewhere between someone grimacing on the toilet and a madman’s grin. To the assembled pressmen; people who sniffed out lies for a living and many whom were far more adroit at the art, than bowling would ever be, the smile stood out like a wooden horse in a charge. They sensed blood, they sensed cover-up.
    With a quick glance, noted by all, at his overlord’s representative. Bowling summoned up his best jocular “I’m just one of the kid’s who got lucky” manner. “I wasn’t personally affected, I mean they are great guys and man I learned so much even working with them. But those guys are like visionaries and maybe they will always be seeking the next great thing, you know. Like only being the best in one thing bore’s them and they seek new challenges or something”

    As he smiled to punctuate his last point in a friendly light, a trickle of sweat slowly ran down his brow. Trickling slowly down the left side of his nose to gather on his upper lip. He was intensely aware of it and wondered if he should wipe it, or try to not call attention to the fact he was sweating profusely. Sighing raggedly he unconsciously wiped his hand back over his head. The stress of the situation telling – and being noted.
    Fuck! Did I just say that the two best guy’s in the company left because they needed to find a better challenge than they get here? Oh shit!

    Bowling quickly glanced at the burly Activision representative; he noticed a quick tightening of the eyes on the pugnacious heavy jawed face. The effusive smile beforehand had turned to one of amused tolerance; bowling new the amusement was feigned, he hoped the tolerance was not.
    Hastily he went on “I mean what we’re doing here is focusing on the DLC and getting that out the door” He glanced very quickly at the large man again trying to gauge his reaction; he seemed to be on the right track now. “Our main focus is making the games we love for the people we love to play them” He grimaced inwardly at this saccharine sentence and noticed some amused glances from the press.

    Nice one you chump, what the fuck was that? Keep it believable at least... Man I can’t think with this guy staring at the side of my head like he wants to punch a hole in it.

  • S0L0man #25 2 years ago

    No point leaving untill you get your bonus. If there thinking of joining the bosses, then no point leaving until the lawsuits over and they can set up a studio.

  • metalangel #26 2 years ago

    Titus Crow wins the comments sections, now and forever.

  • TitusCrow #27 2 years ago

    *bows*

  • Xerx3s #28 2 years ago

    "Have made a concience decision to boycott the 'majority' of future Activision Games. Id like to say Id boycott 'all' future Activision releases but that would be a little too short sighted of me. "

    Heh, same here. The only thing remotely taking my fancy are the blizzard games and they are way off.

  • Quixz #29 2 years ago

    LOl @ focusing on DLC. I'm sure that "DLC" took a day to put together.

  • Notorious_LRO #30 2 years ago

    @Kangarootoo

    That´s not being pedantic, that´s wanting to ask proper follow up questions when someone dodges (successfully in this instance).