Schappert "disappointed" by MW2 lawsuit

By Ellie Gibson Published 10 March, 2010

EA exec takes a pop at Activision.

Electronic Arts executive John Schappert has had a bit of a dig at Activision over the Infinity Ward lawsuit.

He was speaking at the Game Developers Conference in a Q&A session with Alex Pham of the Los Angeles Times. On the subject of developer independence Pham said, "If you value creative freedom you don't go work for a big publisher, or maybe you do?"

"Maybe you don't pick publisher that likes to litigate that much or look at their legal team as a revenue generating team," said Schappert, clearly referring to the recently filed lawsuit against the Modern Warfare developer.

"There are two sides to every story and I'm not passing judgment," he continued. "I'm just disappointed on a couple of fronts - I'm disappointed because Jason [West] and Vince [Zampella] on are two great guys, they've done great things and I think they're two of the best creative leaders in our space.

"They're going to be spending their future dealing with litigation and lawyers rather than crafting the next great experience. I don't think that's a win for them, I don't think it's a win for our industry, I think it's a disappointment.

"I hope that they find a way to continue to make games and focus on that during this period," Schappert concluded.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (28) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Shikasama #1 2 years ago

    EA!?

  • ChthonicEcho #2 2 years ago

    Brilliantly said. I'm surprised.

  • Cataferal #3 2 years ago

    EA seem to be the good guys thesedays.

  • Freek #4 2 years ago

    /Watches for flying pigs....any moment now.....

  • Asrill #5 2 years ago

    I hope West and Zapella win the lawsuit and decide to bin MW2 instead of rehashing and making MW3. I loved MW, and I think MW2 is a brilliant addition to this series but I'm ready for something new now.

  • polaris70 #6 2 years ago

    In other words "Come on home boys". I admit that EA under Riccitiello has improved its image and good luck to them. With risky new IP's like Mirror's Edge and Dead Space, and high quality titles Bad Company they are justly getting some respect. Also they seem to be giving their in-house teams a lot more freedom with their own identities. Good luck to them, they were seen as the ugly side of games and are trying to do something positive about it, while Activision seem to be ten times worse than EA ever were and are getting lower.

  • Sharzam #7 2 years ago

    I wonder why they left EA in the first place, i dont think it was because EA tried to control them but rather they followed the money which Activion promised them.

    Hmm would be intreasting to find out why/how 2012 became Infinity Ward. In regards to how EA handled themselves.

  • VandelayIndustries #8 2 years ago

    Give them a job EA! See if that will wipe the smirk from the poison dwarf's face.

  • Bloodhunter #9 2 years ago

    What he left out was "I hope that they find a way to continue to make games and focus on that during this period...with us"

    I'm liking EA at the moment.

  • gjgjg #10 2 years ago

    wow, some shift in the bad cop good cop of publishers. EA were the baddies, now atvib are worse than ever ...so does that mean in about 2015 EA will be taking out hit contracts on staff and acti will be santa clause?

    wait there is no santa

  • Spekingur #11 2 years ago

    I'm guessing it's pretty cold in Hell right now :o

  • Emmit_Assassin #12 2 years ago

    @gjgjg

    You fucking moron. No santa....you twat.

    Who the fuck do you think puts the fucking presents under the tree? Don't they teach you kids nowt at school these days?

  • AphoticCosmos #13 2 years ago

    EA has probably pulled off the best bit of PR reworking ever seen in the gaming industry. They have gone from being universally reviled to respected and applauded. People complained about the DRM, so they removed it. People wanted more Dead Space, so they'll get it. People don't want good studios like DICE and BioWare tampered with, so EA goes hands-off . . . and it's working.

    A fair few of my favourite games of the last 3 years have been from EA and it's owned studios. I wouldn't have been saying that 4-5 years ago. It's good to see that publishers can change.

    Activision has also changed. From a mediocre middleman a few years ago to Orwellianesque tyrannical regime hell-bent on destroying the gaming industry and corporatising it. Go West! Go Zampella!

  • polaris70 #14 2 years ago

    @Spekingur
    I'm not sure if you are refering to Dante's Inferno. I haven't played it but by all acounts it seems to be a mediocre game. But that comes with the territory of trying to develop new IP's I think. They took a risk and based a game on a centuries old poem that may not have worked. I did play Mirror's Edge, another new IP, and found it one of the most refreshing games in years, and I've played games for years :/ So it's hit and miss with new IP's, and that's not just EA it's every new IP.

    Now look at Activision, they have already said they want to pump out a COD game every year and also pump out other games based on the franchise. Who is taking the risks? And before you say look at EA sports, there is only so much you can do with FIFA or any sports game, you can't exactly make an action-adventure out of it, just refine it and they have done ok with the license the last few years.
    Edited by 1 at 10/03/10 @ 23:30

  • bad09 #15 2 years ago

    "EA seem to be the good guys thesedays. "

    I did agree with this...then they messed with DS2 on PC. Come EA stay nice.

  • hiddenranbir #16 2 years ago

    Should have gone to specsavers.

    I mean EA...

  • thesombrerokid #17 2 years ago

    This is clear angling to pick them up.

  • Eraysor #18 2 years ago

    EA certainly seem to have a much better grip on things these days, especially after they rescued Brutal Legend from death in the ActiBlizz merger.

    Honestly, what were Blizzard thinking? I remember reading an article at the time with a Blizz exec saying they "chose" Activision rather than the other way round, but I really don't believe that for a second.

  • GamesConnoisseur #19 2 years ago

    Brilliant piece of wisdom that says a lot of things but yet within the appropraite boundary. Sure EA is getting all the love and credits to them.

  • Slipstream #20 2 years ago

    Hahaha Call me cynical but the undertones of this statement are as clear as day! Still, I couldn't think of a better publisher to house a reformed IW considering the complete freedom they have given past aquisitions.
    Edited by 1 at 11/03/10 @ 07:06

  • Spekingur #21 2 years ago

    @polaris70: I guess you have heard the term of Hell freezing over. It was often used in relation with EA during their 'Dark Ages'.

  • munki83 #22 2 years ago

    IW really shouldn't go back to EA. EA may of changed a little over the years but they are still the same company that they were when the founding members of IW left to form EA. However I'm not sure there are many publishers out there who can give them the funds to make the huge budget games they create and that may rule out becoming there own publisher as well

  • dr_shambles #23 2 years ago

    Good points well made. Go EA!

  • Brianstorm #24 2 years ago

    tango sucka

  • Invisible_Cow #25 2 years ago

    So what's next? Valve start charging for DLC and Nintendo release a Saw game? I don't know what to think any more.

  • Distributor #26 2 years ago

    EA will pick these guys up when the dust has settled. A no brainer really....

  • FladgeMangle #27 2 years ago

    fucking hell Emmit_Assassin, chill out.

    I don't think gjgjg actually believes in Santa any more than he believes that EA will be taking out contracts on people.

    It's just a metaphorical turn of phrase you're too uptight to appreciate. You sound like you've only just found out about who leaves the presents under the tree yourself and are showing off.

  • irve77 #28 2 years ago

    I hope the rest of the team at IW move to whatever studio these guys set up.

    But the public don't care they will buy call of duty 86 and whatever better game these folks make will be second fiddle for the next couple of years.