More Infinity Ward staff take off

By Robert Purchese Published 13 April, 2010

Activision says "proven talent" remains.

Infinity Ward has lost a further two veteran staffers following Jason West and Vincent Zampella's controversial dismissal by Activision just over one month ago.

The resignations of programmer Jon Shiring and designer Mackey McCandlish come a week after software engineer Francesco Gigliotti and lead designer Todd Alderman walked. Shiring had spent six years at Infinity Ward, Gigliotti seven, and Alderman and McCandlish eight.

Whether the quartet will find a new home at West's and Zampella's new studio Respawn Entertainment - announced yesterday - remains to be seen.

But Activision isn't phased, and claims there's still "a deep bench of proven talent" at Infinity Ward ready to work on "exciting new projects", according to Gamasutra.

The publisher added that the formation of Respawn complete with publishing deal with EA was "no surprise".

"This agreement comes as no surprise to Activision given the myriad of improper activities detailed in the cross-complaint filed on Friday against Jason West and Vince Zampella," it said.

Jason West and Vincent Zampella are names synonymous with headlines in recent weeks. Eurogamer sat down with them yesterday for a chat.

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.

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

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Comments (78) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • matrim83 #1 2 years ago

    I'd be very surprised if they dont end up at Respawn. Infact I would be surprised if this doesnt turn into a mass exodus once things settle down at Respawn.

    Also if you work at IW in any sort of important position, start asking for a raise now. :p

  • monkman76 #2 2 years ago

    Fazed. Not phased.

  • CaptainQuint #3 2 years ago

    Vincent Zampella, Bobby Kotick, Jack Thompson and Keith Vaz should do an episode of Come Dine With Me.

  • sfp_noodle #4 2 years ago

    activision's tyranical reign is coming to an end. soon enough, the quality of their games will be so incredibly shit, theyll shut down or be bought out by EA

    *wakes up*

    my dreams never come true :(

  • Golgo #5 2 years ago

    A 'deep bench'? WTF?

    Anyway, suck on it Activision.

  • darkmorgado #6 2 years ago

    The very fact that they felt they needed to issue a statement about this, shows that Activision are shit scared about loads of their staff leaving. People are voting with their feet.

    Fuck you Bobby Kotick.

  • EvilBob_leeds #7 2 years ago

    I think that golden goose is pretty much dead now Bobby old son. You shouldn't have fucked it so hard.

  • menage #8 2 years ago

    I hope the well runs dry.

  • smernicki #9 2 years ago

    Rats. Ship.

  • Artemus #10 2 years ago

    If any IW vets are stupid enough to stick around after all this, Activision will just merge them with Treyarch, but keep the IW name. Then 'Infinity Ward' will be bringing us a new CoD game every six months.

  • adofessex #11 2 years ago

    Looks like the ship Infinity Ward has hit the 'iceberg' and the people with sense are jumping for the lifeboats.

  • CaptainQuint #12 2 years ago

    Bobby Kotick should be put on suicide watch.

  • Quint2020 #13 2 years ago

    Abandon ship! Iceberg ahead!

  • LHH #14 2 years ago

    Abandon ship! Iceberg ahead

    My thoughts exactly

  • Freek #15 2 years ago

    How to kill a studio in 5 easy steps...

  • JimWest #16 2 years ago

    Whilst losing some major staff from one studio will be a slight blow, every one seems to forget ActiBlizz have got loads of other studios and, more importantly, the cash cow that is WoW. I think the celebration of Bobby's demise is VERY premature and quite frankly ill informed.

  • cianchristopher #17 2 years ago

    Amazing that this has all happened so quickly.

    I remember last year when the price of MW2 was announced, that we all speculated as to the future of Activision. With the contempt that they so clearly hold for their customers, they fully deserve their impending fall.

    Guitar Hero has been milked dry. It's finished as a franchise.
    Tony Hawk died years ago.
    Call of Duty will now go the way Medal Of Honor did following the departure of 2015 to become Infinity Ward.
    All they've got left is World of Warcraft. Can't wait to see if they actually manage to fuck that up. (Blizzard must be regretting their current affiliation with Activision right now, in some way).

    The difference between EA and Activision is that EA had Madden and FIFA, year-in-year-out, to guarantee themselves big sales, even as sales of their James Bond and Medal Of Honor games fell by the wayside.

    Activision don't, and all their franchises are dying (except World Of Warcraft). I'd love to hear that Blizzard are buying themselves out, and will become independent (like Valve). That'd be the icing on the cake...

  • CaptainQuint #18 2 years ago

    What next? The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

  • Eraysor #19 2 years ago

    I don't think Bobby will be going anywhere, but the quality of the IW CoD games will probably drop now. And I bet people will still happily buy them.

  • Davemanz #20 2 years ago

    "myriad of" is improper. It's just "myriad". I wish people wouldn't use words they don't know the meaning of just to sound smart. Also, Activision are twats.

  • Bremenacht #21 2 years ago

    But Activision isn't phased, and claims there's still "a deep bench of proven talent" at Infinity Ward ready to work on "exciting new projects", according to Gamasutra.

    The cleaners are still there, plus the doormen. The window cleaners solutionise the windows once a week. The sandwich van arrives every lunchtime. Where's the problem?
    Edited by 1 at 13/04/10 @ 12:03

  • sneetch #22 2 years ago

    "This agreement comes as no surprise to Activision given the myriad of improper activities detailed in the cross-complaint filed on Friday against Jason West and Vince Zampella," it said.

    Yeah, unemployed people seeking a new position is obvious proof of improper activities like an attempt to secure future employment. :/

    Proven talent means that guy they hired as an intern, you know, Tibor, the guy who doesn't speak English? :)

  • sneetch #23 2 years ago

    @Eraysor
    I don't think Bobby will be going anywhere, but the quality of the IW CoD games will probably drop now. And I bet people will still happily buy them.

    They'll buy the next one, but if it's poor quality I think the fascination will end there. To paraphrase an old saying: you're only as good as your last game.

  • BabyJesus #24 2 years ago

    "Vincent Zampella, Bobby Kotick, Jack Thompson and Keith Vaz should do an episode of Come Dine With Me."

    You win the thread sir!

  • icematt12 #25 2 years ago

    This stuff beats an episode of eastenders to me. I should come up with a catchy theme for the end of each report.

  • CaptainQuint #26 2 years ago

    Actually, word is Peggy Mitchell turns out to be Captain Price's old mam, in MW3.

    You heard it here first.
    Edited by 1 at 13/04/10 @ 12:12

  • trooperdx3117 #27 2 years ago

    I reckon watch this space as were going to see a lot of Infinity warders emmigrate to Respawn

  • jonsaan #28 2 years ago

    Modern Warfare: RIDE - confirmed.

  • MORZTAN #29 2 years ago

    Go to motherflippin' hell, Activision. Not a game from you I will ever buy again.

  • Spekingur #30 2 years ago

    So 'exciting new projects' must mean some Modern Warfare games - on iPhone, iPad, etc. And Modern Warfare 3, of course. Or Call of Duty: Zombies, where the gameplay is a blend of CoD and L4D.

    Even if all else fails Activision will still siphon money through Blizzard. And we know that Blizzard has a couple of important titles coming out - such as Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3. The latter will be so popular that it'll be just silly.

  • thesombrerokid #31 2 years ago

    for the record activision claim their contract with west and zampella includes an "can't hire ex staffers when you leave clause", i doubt such a clause would stand up if their contracts where intact but the fact that west and zampella claim activision broke the terms of that contract anyway would render the clause moot but it is a potential reason why iw staffers wouldn't move it's certainly a reason why they haven't moved over yet.

  • Findus #32 2 years ago

    It would be funny and somewhat ironic if Robert Bowling was told he's not wanted at respawn, leaving him at IW.

    Karma's a bitch

  • CaptainQuint #33 2 years ago

    Ha ha yes.

  • kinky_mong #34 2 years ago

    Activision says "proven talent" remains.

    The marketing department then.

  • GaryHoward #35 2 years ago

    Treyward or Infinity Arch? This is going to happen if more and more people keep leaving IW and (maybe) joining Respawn. IW doesn't get along with Treyarch, love to see them merge and see the fireworks haha.

  • tachometer #36 2 years ago

    50,000 people used to work here, now it's a ghost town

  • Grievous1976 #37 2 years ago

    Does this mean Activision are going Spawn Killing. Lol!

  • CaptainQuint #38 2 years ago

    @tachometer

    LMAO!

    Winning thread is full of win.
    Edited by 1 at 13/04/10 @ 12:33

  • sneetch #39 2 years ago

    @Findus
    It would be funny and somewhat ironic if Robert Bowling was told he's not wanted at respawn, leaving him at IW.

    Karma's a bitch

    Given the amount of unbridled hatred the community have for him (regardless of whether or not he deserves it) I doubt he'll be welcome, at least not as a community manager.

    Edit: the MW2 community I mean, especially the PC crowd.
    Edited by 1 at 13/04/10 @ 12:35

  • macmurphy #40 2 years ago

    @Davemanz

    [link url=http://www.th efreedictionary.com/myriad
    ]http://www.th efreedictionary.com/myriad
    [/link]

    You can use myriad as a noun or adjective - so 'There was a myriad of reasons' and 'There were myriad reasons' are both correct. If you're going to be a gobshite pedant, at least do it well.

  • MeBrains #41 2 years ago

    can we have an article on what exactly happened, what the lawsuit and countersuit is? what's this "insubordination" about really?

    ...

    or is there an overview somewhere already? - in which case: linky thankski chapskis.

  • CaptainQuint #42 2 years ago

    Anyone kind enough to brief me on the alledged hatred of Bowling, I'm not too clued up on MW politics, being a Halo and BFBC2 player.

    Cheers.

  • cianchristopher #43 2 years ago

    Bowling's a cunt...

  • Lotos8ter #44 2 years ago

    Not sure about the Bowling hate. He's the mouth of Sauron and used as such by Activision as much as IW. There's lots of complaints that he doesn't personally reply to every e-mail and twitter he receives, like "ZOMG, when are u going 2 nerf da n00bt00bs biatch?" sort.
    At the end of the day, he's the public face of the company and he's just doing his job.

  • munki83 #45 2 years ago

    For some crazy reason I've decided to apply for a job with them, with no experience and living in Scotland I think my chances are good :p

  • CaptainQuint #46 2 years ago

    Ta Lotos8ter.

    I was under the impression that Bowling had actually said something deritive or made an unpopular change to the game, causing the hatred.

  • Kerome #47 2 years ago

    *laughing very loudly*

    That's what happens when you don't look after creative talent, and your attitude towards rewarding them is just to screw them in search of another 1% profit. That 'proven talent remains' quote at the top of the page is starting to look rather hollow and desperate.

    But the main question is, will the game-buying public abandon the MW franchise? I suspect they won't, and that the next MW will sell 50-70% of the last one, and that it will take several painful - but for activision relatively profitable - installments before it's relegated to B-game status.

  • floros69 #48 2 years ago

    Take that Activision! :-P
    ( http://ww w.youtube.com/watch?v=CZrr7AZ9n... )

    I hope Respawn create an fps , because it's my favorite genre.
    And maybe they use idTech 5 and not the over-used Unreal 3...

  • drumbaby #49 2 years ago

    Yes Activision, but alot of proven talent has left, make no mistake about that.

  • lockload #50 2 years ago

    Shot self in foot, activi$ion have handled this terribly :-)

  • sneetch #51 2 years ago

    @CaptainQuint
    Anyone kind enough to brief me on the alledged hatred of Bowling, I'm not too clued up on MW politics, being a Halo and BFBC2 player.

    Cheers.

    He's basically, as Lotos8ter said, the mouth of Sauron. He said a lot of unpopular things to the PC community (because that is his job, to push the company line) but most of the hatred seems to come from the fact that he hasn't communicated with the community since before launch (with the PC community anyway, apparently he does talk to the Xbox 360 guys, maybe the PS3 ones too, I'm not sure). They say he hides behind twitter and does not address any complaints or queries on the forums. I don't know what he could actually say it's his job to say what they tell him to.

    Community manager is not an enviable job, especially when unpopular decisions are made by the company. :)

  • Xerx3s #52 2 years ago

    'ready to work on "exciting new projects"'

    Wouldn't exactly call working on MW spin-offs until the end of time "exciting new projects".

  • attacanteblue #53 2 years ago

    I love how it looks more and more likely like the IW-two *did* do dodgy stuff to warrant being fired - and yet they are portrayed as freedom-fighters for creativity, whereas Activision are once again framed as the evil overlords.

    Way to keep those blinkers on, chaps.

  • Spekingur #54 2 years ago

    It won't be called Modern Warfare 3. It will be a Call of Duty game. Since that's what Activision can be sure on they legally own.

    Also, it is always difficult to be a Community Manager when the community is pretty much being awful and putting all the blame on you as if you were running the whole operation.

  • hulahoops #55 2 years ago

    Fazed.

  • The_Sonic_Mole #56 2 years ago

    This is all very amusing. Won't be the end of Kotick though, unfortunately.

    PS @Davemanz

    Myriad can be used as a noun or an adjective so please climb down off your high horse. ;)

  • MightyMouse #57 2 years ago

    love how it looks more and more likely like the IW-two *did* do dodgy stuff to warrant being fired - and yet they are portrayed as freedom-fighters for creativity, whereas Activision are once again framed as the evil overlords.

    Any link to back that up? Signing up for EA after they've been sacked does not mean that they were trying to jump ship for a while.
    Edited by 2 at 13/04/10 @ 13:56

  • darkmorgado #58 2 years ago

    They were allegedly in talks with other publishers because the exclusivity deal with Activision was ending. Assuming this is true, how the fuck is that dodgy in any way? You think it is ok that Bobby Cuntick was effectively holding a gun against their heads telling them they were not alowed to leave despite them having no contractual obligation to stay?

  • FireMonkey #59 2 years ago

    @attacanteblue - If you were in a situation where you were hired into a great company by 2 people you really liked, that company gets bought and then the buying company treats you like shit and sacks the 2 guys that originally hired you who then form another company what would you do? Stay at the old company being treated like shit, or jump ship and join the guys that originally hired you at a new company? I know what I would do. No one would have needed to ask me before hand or do any 'dodgy stuff'

  • Jackface #60 2 years ago

    How on earth does alleged "improper activities" have anything to do with a couple of guys that have been fired going off and sorting themselves out a new job? Fucking Activision.

  • LazyNinjaUk #61 2 years ago

    By Activision saying "they're not surprised",are they not surprised the people they sacked under false pretenses have gotten themselves new jobs? Or that other staff members who were friends with the people sacked under false pretenses, got new jobs?

    Doesn't really take a six figure salary or hefty legal team to work that one out, good on Jason West and Vincent Zampella.

  • The-Bodybuilder #62 2 years ago

    For those asking whether the public will abandon the MW IP for whatever respawn makes...
    Once upon a time, we all wondered whether the public would bandon the "championship manager" title for the true successor "Football Manager".

    I can't even remember the last time someone uttered "championship manager" to me.

  • Collymilad #63 2 years ago

    Oh activision you really are in denial.

  • busboy33 #64 2 years ago

    @MightyMouse:

    Acti claimed in their filings that West and Zampell were meeting with EA while still Acti employees, actively arraigning to set up new jobs in anticipation of leaving Acti, and presumably planning on taking al the talent and bankable IPs they could carry.

    It certainly is possible that all that is a lie, and that out of sheer coincidence after being fired from Acti West and Zampella innocently did exactly what they were accused of planning to do . . . but it's not stretch to say this all gives some credence to Acti's claims.
    Also, remeber over the 09 summer when there was some confusion about what exactly MW2 was going to be titled? Acti kept refering to the game as "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" and IW kept refering to it just as "Modern Warfare 2". The issue seemed silly and trivial at the time, but in retrospect it looks like an attempt to stake a claim to the MW name. Acti owns Call of Duty without question, but if MW2 had shipped without the CoD branding they might have been able to argue that the MW IP belongs to them and not Acti. It still would have been a hard argument to make (since the IP was generated while they were Acti employees), but at least they could have had an argument to make.

    I'm no fan of Acti, and all the facts haven't come out yet . . . but the more the situation unfolds Acti's concerns are seeming more and more justified. If all West and Zampella did was talk to EA about looking for a new job/publisher, then I can't see how that would be a breach of contract. However, if W and Z were actively working and intentionally plnning to use Acti's resources to generate an IP that they intended to "steal" from Acti, then they might be in big trouble.

  • actionfitz #65 2 years ago

    "But Activision isn't phased, and claims there's still "a deep bench of proven talent" at Infinity Ward...
    ...who are still being held to ransom with unpaid bonuses.
    /fixed.

  • ignatiusjreilly #66 2 years ago

    I predict the Respawn guys will drop their claim to the Modern Warfare name (at this stage they seem to just want it out of spite) and probably drop their claim to the remaining royalties, with maybe some money changing hands in an out fo court deal.

    I don't see any of these suits or counter-suits actually going through to trial.

  • Xeopuppy #67 2 years ago

    I can see everyone (important) leaving Infinity Ward and joining Respawn...

    As Captain John Luc Picard would say "Make it so."

  • darkmorgado #68 2 years ago

    not a patch on dices BBC1/2

    DICE made BBC1 and 2? No wonder there's never anything decent on the telly.

  • TitusCrow #69 2 years ago

    "It would be funny and somewhat ironic if Robert Bowling was told he's not wanted at respawn, leaving him at IW."

    ^^This, i would pay money to sit in at that interview!

    If it so transpires I will even dramatize it :D *smiles*
    Feels kinda good for the creative community to stand up and realize its own strength. You cannot lock up creative capita it seems : )l

  • metalangel #70 2 years ago

    Meanwhile, busboy33's wife has left him after claiming that she's pretty sure she saw him talking to another woman.

    busboy33 is quoted as saying that her concerns that talking to another woman were but one step before full genital penetration in all three holes seem 'more and more justified'; and also wants to know if you have to take baked beans out of the can before eating them, having spent the last 45 minutes gradually cooking them with his 'new flat's' cigarette lighter. :p

  • beastmaster #71 2 years ago

    Most people who bought this won't know (or give a fuck) what's been going on at Activision. They will continue to buy the maps & the games,

  • busboy33 #72 2 years ago

    @metalangel:

    Actually my wife left me when she claimed I was just with her so I could work my way into dating her hot friend Beth. I told her she was crazy.

    Of course, the fact that a week after us breaking up I'm dating Beth is purely coincidental, and I'm shocked (shocked, I say!) that anybody would think otherwise.

  • metalangel #73 2 years ago

    *adds busboy to list of people in EG comments who deserve a pint*

    :D

  • Spekingur #74 2 years ago

    What ever the way is with this case; Activision have been recently behaving like egomaniac tyrannical trolls, IW under West and Zampella produced one of the most popular and successful games of the decade, West and Zampella are possibly very good at creating games and they might produce the next popular game. Or they might fail. Only time will tell.

  • Frandroid #75 2 years ago

    @thesombrerokidf or the record activision claim their contract with west and zampella includes an "can't hire ex staffers when you leave clause"

    I think you're referring to the non-solicitation clause which (allegedly) states that West and Zampella are not allowed to actively pursue current Activision staff. However, if Respawn advertises for staff there is nothing to prevent current IW staff applying.

  • abot #76 2 years ago

    Infinity Ward Loses Four More

    According to Kotaku, sources close to the studio have confirmed that lead designers Steve Fukuda and Zied Reike are gone.
    Additionally, programmer Rayme Vinson and lead artist Chris Cherubini are said to have resigned from the studio.

    So much for the "proven talent" that Activision says are remaining at IW. Everyone is jumping ship.

  • irve77 #77 2 years ago

    Said it before and i'll say it again ...

    The general public don't care who makes a game .. as long as it says call of duty on the box they will lap it up in their droves

    Activision could release a turd in a box ( not even polished ) and it'd sell by the truck load.

  • Silanda #78 2 years ago

    @irve77
    As has been mentioned, the experience with Championship Manager Vs Football Manager pretty much proves this isn't true. Champ manager used to be very popular yet the buyers followed the developers and not the name.
    Edited by 1 at 14/04/10 @ 22:39