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Activision Exec: Our Developers are Treated ‘Extremely Well’
A top Activision executive, speaking late this week after mass defections from Modern Warfare studio Infinity Ward eviscerated morale there, defended the company’s treatment of its developers, saying they’re paid better under Activision than anywhere else. “We treat our developers extremely well,” Thomas Tippl (pictured), Activision’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer, told the…
By Owen Good Published April 18, 2010 -
The Studio Behind Modern Warfare Is “Dead,” Insider Says [UPDATE]
The mood at Infinity Ward, the studio behind 2009’s biggest game, is terrible and corporate parent Activision is unsure how to fix it, a source close to the development studio tells Kotaku. Infinity Ward, they said, “will continue to crumble.” The source is privy to the goings on in Infinity Ward this week, an eventful…
By Stephen Totilo Published April 16, 2010 -
No Doubt vs. Guitar Hero Publisher: Hella Good, Hella Bad
Things are looking good for rock band No Doubt. Less so for game publisher Activision. Last fall, the group sued Activision over a breach of contract. Activision’s Guitar Hero allowed players to unlock No Doubt avatars and turn the band into “virtual karaoke players.” As Kotaku previously posted, No Doubt said in a statement last…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 16, 2010 -
EA: Call Of Duty’s Publisher Shoots Race Horses (?)
How much you enjoy petty squabbles between large multinational companies will determine how much you enjoy the latest instalment of the increasingly public soap opera surrounding Activision, EA and Call of Duty developers Infinity Ward. Me? I enjoy them immensely Earlier today, Activision put out a press release boasting of the success of Modern Warfare…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 16, 2010 -
Today’s Update On The Great Modern Warfare Developer Bailout
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 developer Infinity Ward continues its slow crumble today with the departure of two more key team members, sources close to the studio tell Kotaku. Longtime Infinity Ward employees Mark Grigsby and Paul Messerly have both left the studio, the team’s lead animator and lead character animator, respectively. Grigsby had…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 14, 2010 -
Aerialbots And Stunticons Represent In Transformers: War For Cybertron
Aerialbot Air Raid and Stunticon Breakdown join the cast of warriors in Activision’s upcoming War for Cybertron today, both ditching their gestalt groups for a chance to shine in the solo spotlight. Back when the 80’s cartoon was airing, the Aerialbots and Stunticons were a big deal. Until then (with few exceptions), the Autobots were…
By Mike Fahey Published April 14, 2010 -
Modern Warfare Developer Sees More Key Departures Today
Call of Duty creators and Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward shrinks again today, as more key talent behind the billion first-person shooter franchise jumps ship. Sources close to the studio tell Kotaku of four new departures from the troubled developer. A pair of Modern Warfare 2’s lead designers, Steve Fukuda and Zied Reike, are said…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 13, 2010 -
Modern Warfare Team Loses Two More Veterans [Update]
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward is a little bit smaller today, as two more longtime employees have left the embattled studio. Veteran programmer Jon Shiring and designer Mackey McCandlish have parted ways with the home of Modern Warfare. Shiring announced his resignation from the Encino-based Infinity Ward via Twitter, as spotted by…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 12, 2010 -
Modern Warfare Publisher Unruffled By New Competitor
The new development studio formed by ousted Modern Warfare creators and its agreement with EA Partners comes as “no surprise” to Activision, flaunting Infinity Ward’s proven talent in a statement to Kotaku. Former Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vince Zampella’s conflict with Call of Duty publisher Activision is reaching legendary proportions, with accusations of…
By Mike Fahey Published April 12, 2010 -
Ousted Modern Warfare 2 Creators Respawn, Sign With Former Rivals
The drama involving the creators of one of the biggest franchises in gaming continues as Jason West and Vince Zampella, the fired former lead creators of Modern Warfare 2, have formed a new company, Respawn Entertainment. EA, their formal rival, is backing. [UPDATE: Check out Kotaku’s interview with West and Zampella about Respawn Entertainment.] The…
By Stephen Totilo Published April 12, 2010 -
Call Of Duty: Battle Of The Activision Logo [Update]
The courtroom drama unfolding over the Call of Duty franchise is in many ways big, and important, and heavy, but it’s not entirely without petty crap. Take Modern Warfare 2’s use (or, not) of the Activision logo, for example. Seems that while a wrangle was going on behind the scenes prior to Modern Warfare 2’s…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 12, 2010 -
Modern Warfare 3 Being Held Up By Legal Confrontation
The legal stoush between publishers Activision and former Infinity Ward bosses Jason West and Vince Zampella isn’t just giving us all some entertaining reading. It’s also holding up development of Modern Warfare 3. The court documents surrounding the case, released earlier today, show that one of Activision’s main complaints is that West and Zampella’s attempts…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 10, 2010 -
Modern Legal Warfare Court Documents Got That Boom Boom Pow
We know court documents aren’t generally very entertaining, but the Activision Cross-Complaint against Infinity Ward’s West and Zampella is so three-thousand and eight, while others are two-thousand and late. Yes, this very well might be the only video game lawsuit court document containing a quote from a Black-Eyed Peas song, and for that, we are…
By Mike Fahey Published April 9, 2010 -
Crysis 2 Writer on Modern Warfare 2 Story: ‘Jesus, What Have You Been Doing?’
In November, British sci-fi author Richard Morgan said he was hired by Electronic Arts to write stories for three upcoming titles. Today, EA revealed one of them to be Crysis 2. Morgan took the occasion to rip Modern Warfare 2 “I thought Modern Warfare 2 was an immense disappointment,” Morgan told CVG. “It was a…
By Owen Good Published April 9, 2010 -
Axed Call Of Duty Creators Return Fire At Activision, Plan To Reveal ‘Creative Future’ Soon
Mega-publisher Activision filed its counter-suit against two former top Modern Warfare game developers today, claiming that the pair purposely delayed Modern Warfare 3 and had designs to “steal the [Infinity Ward] studio.” What does the other side have to say? The attorney representing Infinity Ward founders Jason West and Vince Zampella call Activision’s allegations “false…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 9, 2010 -
The Biggest Break Up In Video Game History
Intrigue, backstabbing, secret messages and double agents: Reading the world’s largest game publisher’s counter-suit against the top people in charge of creating one of the biggest video game franchise in history is like dropping into one of their Modern Warfare video games. Told from the perspective of Activision, the publisher didn’t take lightly the firing…
By Brian Crecente Published April 9, 2010 -
Modern Warfare Publisher Had “Good Reason” To Fire Top Modern Warfare Makers
If you play Modern Warfare 2, you just might be busy racking another kill. But the people who made the game are in another round of their own combat. Activision, the game’s publisher, tells Kotaku this battle was necessary. On the heels of filing a lawsuit accusing Jason West and Vince Zampella, the recently-fired former…
By Stephen Totilo Published April 9, 2010 -
Ousted Modern Warfare 2 Makers Counter-sued By Activision
A little more than a month after the two top men behind Modern Warfare 2 were fired by their publisher and sued because of it — that publisher, Activision, is suing back, the Los Angeles Times reported today. The paper reports details of an Activision lawsuit against former Infinity Ward bosses Jason West and Vince…
By Stephen Totilo Published April 9, 2010 -
Infection Vs. Resurrection: The New Science of the Zombie
Where once they shuffled, now they run. Initially born of forbidden voodoo rituals or the sign of a religious apocalypse, for the past decade zombies have slowly metamorphosed into the by-products of something else entirely. Science now, not the supernatural, is most often to blame when loved-ones become something less than human and begin to…
By Brian Crecente Published April 9, 2010 -
Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package Arrives for PS3, PC in Early May
Modern Warfare 2‘s five-map, fifteen-dollar “Stimulus Package” will arrive for both PS3 and PC in North America on May 4, the game’s studio just said via Twitter. Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling said Australia and Europe gets the PS3 version of the downloadable content on May 5. The PC release date of May 4 is global.…
By Owen Good Published April 8, 2010