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[I AM JOHN!]

the kind with people at the top that like bags of money, some climb to the top not because they love games, but to make money and cash out

 

[teekun]

I think the better analogy would be that they kept the horse and fired the rider.

Or the trainer.

 

[PEZIX]

Someone jumped the gun on the april fools joke,..

 

[Kapura]

Part of me is wondering wtf is going on, while part of me is asking if this is a publicity stunt. If it is, then I for one will be butthurt.

 

[VOOK]

So are they going to be called infinitesimal-ward now?

 

[fry - unused account]

I really am curious to know what caused the marriage to get sour in the last month. I also would like to know if IW was strictly taking orders regarding the PC version of MW2 or not. Perhaps this info will eventually come out?

It has probably been souring well beyond the past month. IW probably wanted more control of the brand, to take it in a different direction, and to stop releasing Call of Duty yearly.

 

[firehawk12]

What developer will willingly sell themselves to Activision after this? :lol

I still remember how Activision bought 7 Studios just to can half the staff a few months later... all to keep the DJ Hero competitor off the store shelves.

 

[DogWelder]

Wait. If IW is CA based, why are they there this late? Still, I hope everything comes out alright.

7 PM isn't really late...

 

[Campster]

Wait. If IW is CA based, why are they there this late? Still, I hope everything comes out alright.

This is the videogames industry we're talking about.

Exploitation of your labor comes with part of the job description.

 

[Xeke]

Yeah, if not even Infinity Ward is safe then nobody is safe from Activision. Perhaps not even Blizzard.

ACTIVISION HAS NO POWER OVER BLIZZARD.

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

I don't understand... Why would Activision shut down a studio that's making them a boatload of money? They must just be putting IW under new management, right?

 

[zenbot]

When I last got laid off, I got plastered with a bunch of my fellow laid off coworkers.

This has to be the most common response when a bunch of people are laid off, I'm certain. I can only imagine getting straight to the job hunt if I were the only person laid off.

 

[DidntKnowJack]

Activision more likely did something like this...

(image removed)

Was that really necessary?

 

[RainbowByte]

Wait. If IW is CA based, why are they there this late? Still, I hope everything comes out alright.

breaking news: not all GAFers realize people work overtime+work late at night in the game industry quite often. :lol

 

[Wthermans]

I was more suggesting with that first post that somewhere up in the higher management, resources for the PC version could have been mandated to be small. And I could be wrong, but it wouldn't shock me. That's all, along with people saying that they deserve to lose their jobs over is dumb.

3 smilies will suffice even for the biggest LOL.

It's entirely plausible what you're saying is true. I just don't find it likely given that the code for the features we're discussing were (and still are) in the game. I won't put it past you that some higher up didn't realize that there would be little resources used for said features and cut the strings anyways. :shrug:

As for your second point, I'll be sure to consider that when I find something in the future that is LOLworthy to the tenth power.

 

[Jet Grind Radio!]

7 PM isn't really late...

Wouldn't it be 10PM?

This is the videogames industry we're talking about.

Exploitation of your labor comes with part of the job description.

Yea, that's true, but I figure if there was going to be a big announcement it would have been in the morning.

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

I don't understand... Why would Activision shut down a studio that's making them a boatload of money? They must just be putting IW under new management, right?

The IP is worth more.

 

[SolidSnakex]

UPDATE: It appears that studio head Jason West has been let go from Infinity Ward. West's LinkedIn account now lists his position as "past," and shows that the position ended in March 2010. In addition, one of our own sources inside Infinity Ward has said that Activision is "flexing their muscles" against the studio, attempting to "push back against change." More as we hear it.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3178175

 

[Manos: The Hans of Fate]

There's a bit more to it than that. I think he didn't like how they were spending all of their time comparing it to COD 4 instead of talking about their own game.

Yeah, but after the shithose story MW2 delivered they lost all rights to complain. WaW was an excellent theatrical World War II FPS. MW2 was something Golan and Globus would think up for Cannon films after snorting a ton of coke and watching Invasion USA with Chuck Norris. :lol

 

[DogWelder]

Wouldn't it be 10PM?

Yea, that's true, but I figure if there was going to be a big announcement it would have been in the morning.

Yes, right now it would be. But it was posted 3-4 hours ago.

 

[Mandoric]

Wouldn't it be 10PM?


Yea, that's true, but I figure if there was going to be a big announcement it would have been in the morning.

Get a full day's worth of work, then roll in the goons and start the desk-cleaning.

 

[vireland]

Wait. If IW is CA based, why are they there this late? Still, I hope everything comes out alright.

Games are not a 9 to 5 job. In crunch time at the end of projects I've worked 36 hours straight before, just napping during recompiles. Early to regular evening still at work is not uncommon.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Wouldn't it be 10PM?

The news story initially broke out 3 hours ago.

 

[Wthermans]

They can go back to Medal of Honor series and rescue it!

And the cycle is complete.

:lol :lol :lol

See Madman I took your advice!

 

[SapientWolf]

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3178175

Are they getting their updates from this forum? :lol

 

[Truespeed]

I wonder if Vince Zampella is going to be there tomorrow.

 

[Kusagari]

Are they getting their updates from this forum? :lol

GAF > Internet > GAF

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

The IP is worth more.

Maybe that's it. But if this is Activision's reward for wild success, I'd hate to see their punishment for dismal failure.

 

[silentmac]

Was that really necessary?

Oh come on. It wasn't that bad. IW's games are more explicit than that.

In any case. Be prepared to see Modern Warfare 5 in a few years. If they can only figure out how to milk it more than Guitar Hero Activision will be happy.

 

[Rapping Granny]

The faster that Activision loses talent, the better it is for everyone.

I hope IW can pull a bungie and get the hell out of there.

 

[Gomu Gomu]

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3178175

GAF -> Internet -> GAF

It seems this thread is indeed the main source of information on this matter.

 

[Eteric Rice]

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3178175

And people laugh when I saw I don't buy Activision games. This kind of shit is why.

 

[Toki767]

Are they getting their updates from this forum? :lol

I'm sure someone's over there spamming F5 as we speak.

I'm sure this is real, but part of me wishes it really was a publicity stunt since I'm not a fan of people losing their jobs.

 

[Nirolak]

I really am curious to know what caused the marriage to get sour in the last month. I also would like to know if IW was strictly taking orders regarding the PC version of MW2 or not. Perhaps this info will eventually come out?

In one of the other threads Rayme mentioned they had to argue with Activision to even get a PC version made.

 

[I AM JOHN!]

Maybe that's it. But if this is Activision's reward for wild success, I'd hate to see their punishment for dismal failure.

Well, Neversoft is getting closed down this year, too.

 

[Psychotext]

Wow. Dark day indeed.

A possible CODTASTROPHE to follow the APOCALYPS3?

(sorry!)

 

[bhlaab]

Correct. One of my favorite topics with my wife: "Would we have gotten married, and would we live in Southern California if Troika hadn't gone out of business? Because I think I'd still want to be working there... and you said you'd never live there."

Man, don't make me start playing the 'what if Troika hadn't gone out of business' game. I can't stomach that sort of emotional stress.

 

[vireland]

note to developers

When Bobby Kotick comes by and brings cash give him the ASCII "No Thank You" and be on your merry way.

Word.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

So EA went through this sort of thing and now Activision seems to be primed for their downturn.

 

[monchi-kun]

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3178175

Par for course for activision.

I had a buddy who worked at Red Octane before Guitar Hero 1 blew up and he was there when it did. When Activision bought them a lot of folks at Red Octane thought they'd get promotions, especially the people involved in the beginning.

But Activision middle management wanted to flex their muscle and instead of promote these people they decided to add another layer of management on top of them.

....

Now this with IW...and after Bobby Kotick's speech at DICE trying to make himself look like the nice guy. :lol

AAA publisher drama!

 

[Wthermans]

I hate to break this to you, but I'm not sure a lot of IW employees would be willing to move to Sweden.

I don't know. I hear the women there are pretty hot.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

I hope employees leave en masse, and start a new independent company.

Selling out to a publisher always ends up being a terrible idea.

 

[SapientWolf]

I'm sure someone's over there spamming F5 as we speak.

I'm sure this is real, but part of me wishes it really was a publicity stunt since I'm not a fan of people losing their jobs.

Publicity stunts aren't done covertly in the middle of a Monday night. This sounds more like assassination.

 

[Windom Earle]

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.

 

[Loxley]

Okay GAF, so what's this one going down in the history books as? Westgate? IWgate?

 

[Shaheed79]

I just wanted to post in this topic so that I could tell my grandchildren "I was there at the fall of Arcadia........" as they gaze at my old wrinkled topography in poorly disguised amazement.

 

[sdornan]

Well, Neversoft is getting closed down this year, too.

Not closed, but many employees were laid off.

 

[speedpop]

More wood to be thrown on the fire in the "western publishers have no fucking idea what the hell they are doing" debate.

 

[Firestorm]

Okay GAF, so what's this one going down in the history books as? Westgate? IWgate?

just another day at activision

 

[Jonnyram]

Are they getting their updates from this forum? :lol

Unlikely. Klepek and a bunch of others are actually local and at the scene.
GAF is just getting its news from everywhere else anyway, unless you think someone here is actually on Jason West's friend list :lol