BREAKING: Weird happenings at Infinity Ward

[gh4chiefs]

Well we got crucified in the press over this as they referred to it bonsuses. But it's not a bonus, it's compensation for going above and beyond our normal workload.

Banker by any chance...if so its the fact that when the company makes losses some of those people who were behind it still get it...reward for failure

Not too mention the size of bonuses too high and that alone encourages stupid risk taking.

Nope, not banking. Quasi-governmental agency. Didn't have anything to do with "risk taking." Strictly about pay for performance over above our peer group. But let people hear the word "bonus" and you might as well talk to a pile of rocks from that point on, because the shitstorm is on, and facts no longer matter.

I hope nobody here ever has to go through being smeared in the press, because I'm here to tell you, it ain't fun.

But that's off topic. I only brought it up to point out that "bonuses" aren't always what they seem.

 

[firehawk12]

Update: seems like West and Zampella have signed on with EA and created "Respawn Entertainment".

 

[Skywalker]

I was just on my way to "report" the same. I think we all knew that was going to happen, I can't wait to see the exodus from IW continue so they can come back and beat the tar out of Activision in the future.

And I love the name.

 

[firehawk12]

Yeah, you already had two other design leads ditch the company. Contemporary Conflict 3 must be on the horizon now.

 

[Skywalker]

I dunno, EA already has two modern warfare franchises in Battlefield: Bad Company and Medal of Honor (which is being rebooted with a modern-day entry this year), maybe Respawn will do something different.

 

[firehawk12]

Given that they wanted to ditch MW all along, I imagine they'll try something different. And you know, with Halo done this fall, there's now a big hole in the "giant man in robot suit" shooter subcategory now.

 

[Aragorn]

How about a Civil War shooter? Fire... reloading.... reloading... reloading... reloading... fire!

 

[firehawk12]

Or American Revolution? You can be a CIA agent in Boston trying to incite a riot: "Remember, colour is spelled with a "u"".

 

[BigFoot]

Respawn Entertainment I love it.

 

[Arrqh]

Technically they haven't exactly "signed on" with EA; they're an independent studio being backed by EA through the EA Partners Program. EA probably has the option for publishing rights to anything they do but considering how things went down at Activision it's almost certain that West and Zampella have sole ownership of both the studio and any IP that they create.

 

[firehawk12]

Yeah, there's a Eurogamer interview out there. They will not sell the studio and will keep ownership of the IP. It's just a publishing deal but with a few more benefits to help them get started up faster than usual.

 

[Ryan]

I still think silent protagonists in FPS games are idiotic, yet Gordan Freeman is the "best video game character ever" or whatever.

I know Freeman's supposed to be a stand-in for the player but I still find his silent treatment and everyone's fawning over him creepy.

 

[firehawk12]

Yeah, they never work for me. It even reared it's ugly head in MW2, when Soap wouldn't shut up when he was a "character" but didn't say a thing when you were playing as him.

 

[TheBrew]

I'm thinking of applying for shits and giggles to work for Respawn.

 

[PKerr]

looks like a few more have jumped ship at I.W.

http://www.bluesnews.com/s/109311/more-infinity-ward-departures

 

[captcalhoun]

i thought everyone knew Master Chief was the Best Video Game Character Ever.

talking of characters talking (lol), Serious Sam is so mis-named. he's never bloody serious at all!

 

[V'ger]

there area load of developers and other people leaving Infinity Ward
what is going on over there

 

[Rincewiend]

Lead designers Zied Reike and Steve Fukuda, as well as programmer Rayme Vinson, have left ailing Modern Warfare 2 developer Infinity Ward, according to "sources close to the studio" speaking with Kotaku. Additionally, lead artist Chris Cherubini is confirmed to have left the studio. And yes, folks, this is the second story we've written today about developers exiting the Activision-owned dev house, bringing the number of employee departures since studio co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella were fired up to nine in total.

As with other developers that left IW recently, little information has been given as to where everyone will end up -- none have been confirmed as moving to West and Zampella's newly formed Respawn Entertainment as of yet. Regardless, if previous reports about low studio morale and unpaid royalties were true, we wouldn't be surprised to see quite a few more IW departures in the near future

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/13/report-four-more-infinity-ward-employees-leave-studio/

Hm...

 

[PKerr]

Yeah they are up to 11 now, here is the full list

http://golgotron.com/2010/04/infinity-ward-is-falling-apart-respawn-entertainment-will-rise/

 

[Skywalker]

I'm seeing an awful lot of department leaders on that list...