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[kenta]

Wait a minute. So at Activision:
Low output, poor/moderate success = termination
High output, great success = termination
How does anyone keep their jobs?

This is a very good point

 

[Wthermans]

I guess IW demanded dedicated servers for MW3 and Activision cockblocked again?

Seriously, in the long run this could be great news. Fuck Activision and start a fresh new IP with a decent publisher.

Given the older news that IW was possibly going to skip on MW3 development, I would not be surprised if the studio heads wanted to get out of the MW scene (or COD/FPS altogether) and Activision didn't want to fund a new project by them. Given IW's admittance that they wanted to drop WW2 after COD1, it would not surprise me to see them only want to develop one game per setting despite Activision's wishes. Perhaps they felt they were compromising by making two games per setting (COD1/COD2 and MW1/MW2) and when Activision wanted them to do MW3, the heads said "no way Jose" and were let go. All of this is conjecture based on previous articles, but it would not surprise me in the least.

 

[Lostconfused]

Next on the calendar: M. Bison, Tuesday

:lol :lol :lol

 

[fernoca]

The thing is, that for all we know..Infinity Ward might still exist..just the high-ups were let go.

If that's the case, either someone already in there will be appointed as new president..or someone new..just "cut the fat"..

 

[thedrizzle34]

Today feels like Homer Simpson traveling back in time and sitting on the animal coming out of the primordial ooze to change reality as we know it.

"I wish I wish I hadn't killed that fish"

 

[bhlaab]

Activision should be more worried than Blizzard, to be honest. Blizzard's titles are evergreen and they print money.

But see, what if Blizzard wants to make World of Starcraft instead of World of Warcraft 2? That's a crazy, unproven idea that may never work!

 

[Loxley]

What about Blizzard, are they next? :\

It's been said before but Activision has zero power over Blizzard.

I'm curious though, if West is actually fired, I wonder how many IW employess will simply quit as a result (similar with what happened at Gamespot with Jeff). This is one weird night...

 

[speedpop]

Activision should be more worried than Blizzard, to be honest. Blizzard's titles are evergreen and they print money. Activision, on the other hand, has killed some of the most successful franchises in gaming history with uninspired sequels.

Blizzard will jump off the Vivendi wagon soon. If I was Activision, I'd start looking at why Acclaim and Midway are where they are now.

What about Blizzard, are they next? :\

Activision have no say over what Blizzard do. They have as much control over Blizzard as they do over your need to use the toilet.

 

[ghst]

Yes, and top it off by hiring the guy that built COD.

What a story would it be though.

if ea hired the severed talent from infinity ward to lead the next medal of honor i think the world might just implode from the cyclical irony.

 

[bloodforge]

That's what I want to know now, who's minding the shop? Ugh, not a good sign for that series.

Treyarch would probably take over. That is until Activision finds another dev willing to work faster and cheaper, then Treyarch will be put out to pasture. Rinse, repeat.

 

[Turk]

Western developers are on fire, but I swear to god that western publishers are run by retards.

that's a disservice to retards

 

[Evlar]

http://twitter.com/patrickklepek

I can confirm Infinity Ward's Jason West's Facebook update is true. More developments from Infinity Ward. http://bit.ly/d6gDjd

 

[Toki767]

It's like last week's episode of the Bonus Round knew something was happening.

 

[Gary Whitta]

Activision have no say over what Blizzard do. They have as much control over Blizzard as they do over your need to use the toilet.

Blizzard has quite a lot of control over that. Talk to some hard-core WoW players, these are people who keep a bucket under their desks so they don't have to get up to piss during raids.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Someone else took a LinkedIn screenshot, taken from the Kotaku forums:

See, I'm not crazy. ;P

 

[Dresden]

So what kind of relationship does Blizzard have with Activision, anyhow? Partners? If they want to leave, can they do so? Or would they have to leave behind everything but the people?

 

[sdornan]

Original story updated.

http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/702911/Security-Appears-Unannounced-At-Infinity-Ward-Studio-Heads-Missing-Staff-Freaked-Out-.html

 

[akilshohen]

Maybe the terrorist level got them in more trouble then they thought....

 

[Kapura]

if ea hired the severed talent from infinity ward to lead the next medal of honor i think the world might just implode from the cyclical irony.

+1

I was just thinking to myself "huh. I remember when EA was known for chaining their employees to their desks and using whips."

 

[golem]

wow, crazy wtf is going on

 

[Vic]

Someone else took a LinkedIn screenshot, taken from the Kotaku forums:

See, I'm not crazy. ;P

whatisthis

 

[FilosopherStoner]

This is bullshit. So I ask you GAF, what do we do?

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

http://twitter.com/patrickklepek

DUDE!!!!!!!!

Fuck Activision. Fuck them up the ass. Here me when I say this: I am done! I am done with it. They ain't getting a single penny outta me. Trading in MW2 tomorrow and putting that money towards my BF:BC2 preorder.

 

[fernoca]

Though I kinda doubt that "the guy that created COD" ..that was probably fired because "he wanted to stop making COD games"...

Is just going to go to another company..and do the same thing all over again "Oh look, here I am..making Battlefield 3...and Battlefield 4 two years later..and Battlefield 5"...

 

[SapientWolf]

Blizzard has quite a lot of control over that. Talk to some hard-core WoW players, these are people who keep a bucket under their desks so they don't have to get up to piss during raids.

Ah, yes. Poopsocking. Another fine gaming tradition.

 

[tsigo]

Err... If hiring the devs, milking the series and after making gazillions; getting rid of the dev team in it's entirety is not being "killed" then yes... it's indeed a strong word.

Both are happening with Red Octane and Infinity Ward.

Re-read what I said.

 

[ghst]

+1

I was just thinking to myself "huh. I remember when EA was known for chaining their employees to their desks and using whips."

you know about the circumstances that surrounded infinity ward's founding, right?

 

[MattKeil]

Is it really that hard to say if it's good or bad? In exactly what sort of situation would having security and bouncers show up be good? Maybe Activision is turning Infinity Ward into the hottest new night club in town?

It depends who took what initiative and how amicable/not amicable the situation ends up being. Security presence during the layoff/termination of high level staff is not unusual in any way, the question is what happens to IW overall, what happens to the CoD brand, what happens to the IW folks who leave/are fired.

 

[monchi-kun]

For a guy this awesome I can't believe he only has 1 LinkedIn recommendation...

of course if that 1 recommendation was from Jesus Christ then i guess 1 is enough :lol

 

[SolidSnakex]

if ea hired the severed talent from infinity ward to lead the next medal of honor i think the world might just implode from the cyclical irony.

EA seems like they would be up for it. Riccitiello seems really set on taking down Call of Duty. So hiring the big guns from IW would go a long way in doing that.

 

[Wthermans]

Yes, and top it off by hiring the guy that built COD.

What a story would it be though.

Grant Collier left IW years ago.

 

[NomarTyme]

Don't particularly like shooters but I do appreciate people making good games. Good luck to Infinity Ward ex-employees. Also Fuck you Kodick.

 

[JeffGrubb]

How does Microsoft not swoop in and employee the entire IW team? Or at least all of the brass and team leads?

This is Guitar Hero/Harmonix/Rock Band saga all over again.

Activision clearly didn't want to lose these guys, but there must have been a huge difference of opinion.

The money men run the industry and are going to happily run things into the ground.

 

[mugurumakensei]

This is bullshit. So I ask you GAF, what do we do?

Add activision.com to the list of banned sites.

 

[Rapping Granny]

This is bullshit. So I ask you GAF, what do we do?

We trade in our MW2 copies for BC2 tomorrow.

 

[thedrizzle34]

DUDE!!!!!!!!

Fuck Activision. Fuck them up the ass. Here me when I say this: I am done! I am done with it. They ain't getting a single penny outta me. Trading in MW2 tomorrow and putting that money towards my BF:BC2 preorder.

Doesn't that mean you already bought MW2 and gave them your money?

 

[XiaNaphryz]

whatisthis

Err, a screenshot of the LinkedIn profile I was talking about around an hour ago or so in this thread? :lol

 

[TheFLYINGManga_Ka]

I'm reading that some think this is just a publicity stunt to get attention for the new DLC, to maybe take away some hype from BFBC2.

If it is, it's a stupid way to get attention.

 

[Anticitizen One]

so now we will never find out if Price/Soap capture/kill Makorov?? I wanted Infinity Ward to complete their tale

 

[Mandoric]

Activision have no say over what Blizzard do. They have as much control over Blizzard as they do over your need to use the toilet.

You -are- saying this in a thread full of people shitting themselves over what Activision is doing. :lol

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Today feels like Homer Simpson traveling back in time and sitting on the animal coming out of the primordial ooze to change reality as we know it.

"I wish I wish I hadn't killed that fish"

PS3's 4D Cell processor sent alot of folks back to 1999. They changed things... As soon as they were back in present, everything changed!

Jokes aside: FUCK ACTIVISION!!!

 

[rollingstart]

Doesn't that mean you already bought MW2 and gave them your money?

but by trading his copy in, another kid will that used copy from Gamestop, thus preventing Activision getting money from a new copy. The enemy of my enemy is my ally...or something. Gamestop is the hero here.

 

[Frank "Trashman" Reynolds]

I'm reading that some think this is just a publicity stunt to get attention for the new DLC, to maybe take away some hype from BFBC2.

If it is, it's a stupid way to get attention.

Yeah right.

 

[Animator]

Doesn't that mean you already bought MW2 and gave them your money?

It also means someone else wont after buying that used copy.

 

[Y2Kev]

This is bullshit. So I ask you GAF, what do we do?

We will buy MW3 used!!!*

*unless not available used

 

[firehawk12]

Ah man, poor Kotick.

Yesterday it was killing a fan project and now killing IW. He'll need several more DICE summits to redeem himself.

 

[RainbowByte]

IW are very expensive to run, and there's some squabble re: unpaid royalties.
Now if one assumes these things are true, easiest way to cut cost is to kill off the management and reduce workforce+benefits/bonus/perks/etc to increase profitability and not needing to payout royalties.

 

[Toki767]

How does Microsoft not swoop in and employee the entire IW team? Or at least all of the brass and team leads?

I was thinking more that maybe Square-Enix would do something along those lines as their way of breaking into the western market past Final Fantasy.

 

[Sloane]

Horrible.

At least, the last Activision game I've bought was Star Trek: Elite Force 2 back in 2003 or something, so it's not my fault! What about you guys?

 

[Vic]

Err, a screenshot of the LinkedIn profile I was talking about around an hour ago or so in this thread? :lol

Oh, the unemployed date... my bad.