IW situation is an "opportunity" for devs

By Tom Bramwell Published 19 April, 2010

Acti COO talks through COD situation.

Activision COO Thomas Tippl has said that far from discouraging talent from joining Infinity Ward, the changes at the Modern Warfare studio recently have created a void into which many developers would be happy to jump.

"If you put yourself in the developer's shoes, the ability to work on the biggest franchise in the industry and bring your creative product to an audience the size of the Call of Duty franchise is an opportunity many would crave," Tippl told the LA Times (thanks VG247).

Activision is currently "configuring the new leadership team there", Tippl explained, adding that Infinity Ward "still has nearly 100 people", despite the reported resignations among senior staff following the sacking of bosses Jason West and Vince Zampella last month and subsequent mudslinging.

"[Infinity Ward has] built a deep bench, and the change of guard will provide an opportunity for some of the rising stars to put their own stamp on the Call of Duty franchise," Tipple said. "In addition, we will provide them with all the resources internally and recruit talent from the outside."

"We treat our developers extremely well," he added. (Check out our interview with Jason West and Vince Zampella, who recently formed Respawn Entertainment, for more on the fallout from the IW sackings.)

Tippl also clarified the current situation regarding Call of Duty production, explaining that Treyarch is making this year's game (due in "fall of 2010", obviously), while Sledgehammer - a new studio founded by former Visceral Games men - is working on a title for beyond that.

"We haven't yet announced the content of their game, but it's going to be an innovative take that will further broaden the audience for Call of Duty," he said.

However, while Tippl noted that Infinity Ward "made Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2", he did not say what the studio was working on.

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About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (24) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • Flabio #1 2 years ago

    It's definitely fair point that there will be plenty of people at IW who will be seeing this as a chance to step up into a senior role on a proven franchise.

    It has always been thus in the games industry. A lot of people left Bullfrog to form Lionhead, many of the people that stayed behind were able to step up into senior roles and have made good on that over the years.

    It's never quite as cut and dried as the soundbites will make it seem.

  • JahB #2 2 years ago

    "We treat our developers extremely well," he added.

    it must suck if your job consists of telling lies that everybody knows about.

  • novakoala #3 2 years ago

    Activision is living on another planet. If they treated all their developers 'extremely well' none of them would have left after West and Zampella - and they can't expect the rank and file of IW to suddenly fill the shoes of the guys who've been running the studio for ten years. The fact that the next two Call of Duty games are apparently being made by Treyarch and then Sledgehammer isn't exactly a vote of confidence.

    When you get fired you always tell your friends it's not a problem, it's an opportunity. That's exactly what Activision is doing here.

  • spammage #4 2 years ago

    LOL. Speechless.

  • erp #5 2 years ago

    Hey Tippl, maybe people don't want to work for cocks?

  • cock #6 2 years ago

    If you assume that the evolution from MW2 to MW3 is going to be less than that from MW to MW2 - which I think is entirely likely, and it's not like they exactly innovated too much this time around - then I see no reason why the 'rank and file' can't deal with that perfectly competently. I think half the reason that things have gone down at IW the way they have is that Activision very much want them to continue gradually refining the same game rather than coming up with anything different.

    @erp - I resent that
    Edited by cock at 19/04/10 @ 09:35

  • paketep #7 2 years ago

    Another week starting, and we're still publishing the lies of Activision.

    Great. Just great.

  • darkmorgado #8 2 years ago

    Dave the Teaboy is currently tweaking his CV, hoping for promotion...

  • the_mtfr #9 2 years ago

    "Activision COO Thomas Tippl has said that [...] the changes at the Modern Warfare studio recently have created a deathtrap from hell filled to the brim with insanely smelly shite cursed by ghosts of Romanian gypsies into which many developers would be happy to jump."

    Fixed.
    Edited by the_mtfr at 19/04/10 @ 09:44

  • matrim83 #10 2 years ago

    "We treat our developers extremely well," he added.

    Tell that to all the studios you closed down and all the developers you laid off, you fucking cock. Start with the people who made Prototype, a game that sold over a million copies.

  • geeza2020 #11 2 years ago

    I think any dev that sees this as an opportunity deserves it, and all the ass rammings activision and kotick will give them as a result.

    "Whats that, you want to change something about the franchise? Innovation? Renovation? what are these things? This will not help us make a billion dollars from this game so im afraid its a no, just keep churning out the same game every year for the next ten years and you'll keep your jobs"

    Exciting opportunity within the creative industry eh, Acti? No thanks.

  • macmurphy #12 2 years ago

    I'd love the opportunity and it's really exciting. But I can't program for shit. All the people that could have left because you treated them like muppets.

    Good luck spinning this fucknuts. But I'm pretty sure the old axiom applies: 'You can shear a sheep many times but skin it only once.'

  • metalangel #13 2 years ago

    Yes yes, but you don't get to bring your creative product out, you bring out what a bunch of cunts in suits have told you to - and be honest, MW3 will be more by the numbers than a connect the dots puzzle.

  • Flabio #14 2 years ago

    Only the very top studios have any real say in the kinds of product they get to make. The vast majority of people working in the industry don't beyond choosing who they apply to work for.

  • kimchibaka #15 2 years ago

    "Dave the Teaboy is currently tweaking his CV, hoping for promotion... "

    I think we can be more specific than that - useless twonk of a Community 'Relations' Manager Robert Bowling (aka incompetent tea boy) is currently learning how to write a CV, safe in the knowledge that he's probably a shoe-in for new studio head, given all the real talent left will also be shortly doing one.
    Edited by kimchibaka at 19/04/10 @ 11:17

  • sneetch #16 2 years ago

    @darkmorgado
    Dave the Teaboy is currently tweaking his CV, hoping for promotion...

    He's currently applying for position of Chief Beverage Officer, he'll be responsible for all aspects of beverage procurement and distribution and also directing graphic design.

    /fingers crossed

  • Shikasama #17 2 years ago

    Comments thread filled with people making categorical statements based on which press releases they like best. Wonderful.

  • Retro_ #18 2 years ago

    Yes, a nice opportunity for a few people, it certainly won't hurt their future prospects. You see, Out of bad always comes good.

  • stuarty_2003 #19 2 years ago

    If any one thing can unite gaming fans worldwide, it's the universal hatred for the way in which Activision treats its employees and then continues to lie about it in the press.

    Also, Activision have some job offers up, all of which read:

    "Do you want to work solidly on the next 10 iterations of a global franchise?"

    Take your pic as to which you'll be applying for...Guitar Hero, Tony Hawk, or CoD.

    Edited by stuarty_2003 at 19/04/10 @ 13:16

  • cobaltfram #20 2 years ago

    The desperate art of post-clusterfuck PR.
    Edited by cobaltfram at 19/04/10 @ 17:32

  • tobsen #21 2 years ago

    The "Procter & Gamble veteran" has spoken. What is this guy doing in the games industry again?

  • RocKtheCasbaH #22 2 years ago

    So activision cuts the head of it's cash cow and they tell us it's still producing the goods? Wait and see 2 years from now. Sure they have the MW ip to develop and will probably nuture it well but what's next?

    They've just let the best brains in the business walk out of the door so I doubt we'll see it it's like again at Activision.

  • CalmHorizons #23 2 years ago

    Here folks, eat this turd sandwich. Yes, yes, it looks, tastes and smells like shit, but those are just the accouterments of ripening opportunity.

    I accept cash or cheque.

  • PixelPlayground #24 2 years ago

    Isn't Tipl the guy who until recently was the Chief Finance Officer (CFO)? If thats the case then I doubt bean counters are really that aware of whats going on at a dev studio anyway and he's just reeling off a PR speech to try and douse the flames.