Infinity Ward Lead Developers Axed Unexpectedly

RogueyWon writes "Kotaku is reporting that Infinity Ward, the development studio behind Modern Warfare 2, has been at the center of strange events recently. Jason West and Vince Zampella, two lead developers, have been fired by parent company Activision for 'breaches of contract and insubordination.' Speculation is rife as to the reasons behind this; following Modern Warfare 2's spectacular sales figures, it seems unlikely that the studio's performance could be to blame."

Comments

Activision

[sopssa]

It's Robert A. Kotick's business plan. Infinity Ward didn't want to work on more Modern Warfare games, as they previously stated, so Activision got angry as they obviously want to milk the cash cow more. It's even worse than how EA releases sports games every year (which still make sense to sports fans).

- business strategy focused on developing intellectual property which can be exploited over a long period, occasionally to the exclusion of creating new, risky or niche titles.
- he stated that focusing on franchises that "have the potential to be exploited every year on every platform with clear sequel potential and have the potential to become $100 million franchises"
- "We have a real culture of thrift. The goal that I had in bringing a lot of the packaged goods folks into Activision about 10 years ago was to take all the fun out of making video games." Kotick later stated he tries to promote an atmosphere of "skepticism, pessimism, and fear" in his company and, "We are very good at keeping people focused on the deep depression."

Yeah, Activision sounds just lovely. I just keep wondering why Vivendi doesn't put them in shape, but probably it brings money in now. I just hope Activision dies quickly. At least EA has started to bring some innovation again.

Earlier Activision gave trouble to Brutal Legend developers, and they said it good:

Getting mad at Activision for this kind of thing is like getting mad at an ape for throwing feces. It's just how the beast communicates.

Re:Activision

[fusiongyro]

The games industry as a whole treats their programmers like crap. As a matter of fact, every romanticized occupation with a ton of people lined up outside the door treats their employees poorly. Apple pays less than their Silicon Valley neighbors because they get more applications and the job has that mystique. Coveted jobs = lower pay, higher stress, worse working conditions, more hours, etc.

Re:Activision

[sopssa]

They're from the wikipedia article I linked, and it has the cites in it.

Re:Activision

[twidarkling]

Here you go: http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/14/activision-ceo-talks-console-less-guitar-hero-turning-fear-into/

Now for the promised strange and, yes, disturbing comments on Kotick's part. What may have been music to bean counters' ears still has ours ringing, as he described tailoring developer bonuses to "really [reward] profit and nothing else" and how an air of "skepticism, pessimism, and fear" is promoted within the company with the goal of "keeping people focused on the deep depression." You know, so they focus on profit and nothing else. It's all to plan, though, seeing as Kotick confided that, "The goal that I had in bringing a lot of the packaged goods folks into Activision about 10 years ago was to take all the fun out of making video games."

Re:Activision

[amicusNYCL]

It's pretty tough when he links to the page with all those quotes on it, isn't it?

Re:Activision

[assemblyronin]

- "We have a real culture of thrift. The goal that I had in bringing a lot of the packaged goods folks into Activision about 10 years ago was to take all the fun out of making video games." Kotick later stated he tries to promote an atmosphere of "skepticism, pessimism, and fear" in his company and, "We are very good at keeping people focused on the deep depression."

Well firing your top two devs will certainly help you with that goal. Imagine anyone's review, "You think you're *that* special? Shit son, we just fired our top two guys, now work 90 hours a week without over-time or you're out the door too!"

Sadly, since this is the gaming industry, this cheese wad Kotick will not only get away with this abusive behavior, but he'll be rewarded (like you said, it brings in money). In most other industries, when a CEO tries to create a similar culture, the good people jump ship right away (go to the competition, or start their own company), and the average people jump ship as soon as the economy improves, and this works to punish the company by losing a lot of brain power. However, in the gaming industry, all you have to do is license an engine, hire and teach someone from the endless supply of sucker.. er.. talented prospects, and you're right back on track - abusing the new employee.

Re:Activision

[PopeRatzo]

It's always an interesting story when a big company decides to fire people who just made them a load of money.

When are game developers going to understand what the movie-making workers have known for many decades: That they need to be in a union.

Today, just about every body working on the movies you watch is organized. The writers, the directors, the cinematographers, the special-effects people. Notice that this has not "destroyed" the movie industry or even hurt profits one little bit. All it's done is provide some protection to the people who are actually bringing you the goods from the worst impulses of the flabby asses who sit in the boardrooms and CEO suites.

As we've seen with Germany, having the entire workforce unionized is not only good for the workers, but it's good for business and it's good for the entire country's economy. Germany is probably the country in the world with the most favorable labor laws and the strongest unions. Yet, they are also the NUMBER ONE EXPORTING NATION, with exports almost 300% of China's. They're also the country in the EU that has the biggest trade surplus and the most cash in the coffers. When they bail out Greece, it's going to be Germany that puts up the dough.

Here's my new political slogan:
"Socialism: It's Good for Business

Re:Activision

[Greg_D]

The higher your talent level is, the more likely you're going to enjoy your job, simply because you have more options.

I know being a fry cook is tough for you, but chin up, soon you'll be working the burger line.

Re:Activision

[NeutronCowboy]

He's working really hard to turn that joke into serious business.

Re:Activision

[Wyatt Earp]

300% of China?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_exports

People's Republic of China $1,194,000,000,000
Germany $1,187,000,000,000

Re:Activision

[Pojut]

Soon you'll be working the burger line.

You know what the funny thing about this stereotype is? Burger line workers at McDonald's make the most money, besides the shift managers. In fact, the money they make isn't bad considering what their job involves. When I worked at McDonalds when I was 16 (almost 10 years ago...geez) the sandwich line guys made something like $8.50 an hour. Keep in mind, that was between 1999 and 2000...

True, it isn't much...but it isn't bad, all things considered.

Re:Activision

[Pojut]

Oh, and also for the record, I LOVED working at McDonalds when I was younger. I was the only native English speaker in the store, so I got put on the "first" register for the drive through...that meant I got to sit in that little hole taking drive-through orders and taking money. It was AWESOME. Take money from the guy parked at the window while entering the next order. Didn't have to worry about putting food together, dealing with customers wanting extra stuff, dealing with a slippy floor or a hot kitchen...it really was a lot of fun. I only made $6 an hour, but all I needed the money for was putting gas in my truck and getting a little something building up for when I moved out.

I only worked there a little over a year, but it was a TON of fun. Having fun working there required nothing more than realizing that problem customers were bitching about cheese and french fries. CHEESE. AND. FRENCH. FRIES. How sad does your life have to be to complain about fast food? Obviously worse than working at McDonalds, ha!

Re:Activision

[spun]

Socialism is good for progress. In a climate of rapidly changing technology, a country has to be able to shift gears quickly. Whole outmoded industries need to be able to just die painlessly, without hurting the people in those industries. We need a social safety net so that people can leave old, obsolete careers without fear, and educational programs that will enable us to rapidly retool our society to take advantage of the next big thing.

Re:Activision

[jalefkowit]

Get a union.

Seriously!

Hollywood actors, screenwriters and directors all have strong unions. And when they strike (as the writers did in 2007), they are not easily replaced. If Joss Whedon walks off the set you can't just grab some random schmuck off the street to replace him.

Game developers are creative people too. They have just as much leverage as the showbiz creatives in New York and LA do. All they need to do to stop being treated like crap is to exercise it.

Re:Activision

[zapakh]

Can we call it a guild though (as the writers do)? Guilds are much cooler than unions.

Re:Activision

[magus_melchior]

The key difference between programmers and actors/screenwriters/directors is that big publishing houses like Activision probably regard them as expendable. I'm sure the bean counters figure if the geeks organize, they'll just fire them and hire cheap replacements in China/India.

Which would be just as well, because the quality of the product and support will plummet, ensuring the death of the beast.

Re:Activision

[K. S. Kyosuke]

God I hate virgins.

Well - obviously - if you loved them, you would be praising Allah.

Re:Activision

[spun]

You do know the red states take more Federal money than they pay in taxes, right? Funny how people always like socialism that benefits them, isn't it? Funny how they can feed from the trough, and at the same time, claim it is immoral to feed from the trough, so no one else should.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/show/266.html

Look how well socialism worked to turn a subsistence level farming community into an industrial powerhouse in under fifty years:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondragon_Corporation

DeLorean? How was that remotely socialist?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeLorean_Motor_Company

The Kibbutzim? Okay, well, that was socialism, but the situation is complex, and the failures of the kibbutzim is not necessarily an indictment of socialism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kibbutz

That all being said, flamebait? Really? I hate it just as much when it happens to people I disagree with as when it happens to me. "Flamebait" and "Troll" are not synonymous to "I disagree." I don't need your help, reactionary mods, I can make my arguments just fine without your 'helpful' down-moderation of my opponents.

Re:Activision

[spun]

What is socialism, then? Look at most of the countries that consider themselves socialist democracies, and you will see they attempt to function as I've described. Socialism is not communism, it does not mean collective control over all resources, and it does not mean the state owns all property.

Re:Activision

[shutdown -p now]

Socialism is not communism, it does not mean collective control over all resources, and it does not mean the state owns all property.

Actually, the classic definition of socialism is precisely collective (which doesn't necessarily mean state - it would be commune in anarcho-socialism) ownership of means of production, and collective administration of resources.

Communism is much more than that - it's supposed to be a classless and stateless society where any such collective ownership does not have to be enforced, and is inherent in the behavior of all members of the society.

By definitions above, there is a line between "market socialism" and "social capitalism". The former is when some amount of free trade is permitted, but not with respect to means of production and natural resources. A typical showcase would be late Tito's Yugoslavia.

"Social capitalism" is where you can actually buy and sell factories and land, for example, but where all business transactions are regulated to ensure that they do not cause unacceptable harm to the society at large - this is what most Western countries today are.

By the way, while I'm at nitpicking the terms, there is a difference between "social democracy" (which is what most countries actually label themselves) and "socialist democracy".

The reason why I go into this kind of nitpicking is because, for too many people, socialism in its pure sense is unacceptable, and when you use the word merely to denote some socially conscious policies, you get an extremely negative reaction. Just look at some of the replies to your original post - I see someone has already brought up Cuba and North Korea...

Re:Activision

[PopeRatzo]

When I think of progress I think of North Korea, China, Cuba, and Venezuela socalism

Why do you ignore Germany, UK, France, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Israel, Italy and the many very successful socialist countries?

These are countries who have adopted various degrees of socialist policies and still maintain high levels of personal liberty, private innovation, and middle-class wealth.

Plus, nobody has to go broke and lose their homes just because a family member gets cancer.

Re:Activision

[abigor]

What about unions that artificially restrict labour supply? I have a friend who is a movie cameraman. He had to join the union or else he could get no work - no studio was allowed to hire him, even if he was the best cameraman in the whole world. Nor could the studios fire bad or lazy cameramen and hire him instead. That sort of lock on labour mobility is just plain wrong.

Re:Activision

[abigor]

It's important to note that while Scandinavia has an awesome social safety net, it does so by maintaining pretty much the lowest corporate tax rates in the Western world (personal taxes pay those bills). Low corporate tax rates don't sit well with many American socialists, who I find see corporations as enemies rather than partners.

Also, I can state from experience that there is a definite nanny-state feel to life in northern Europe. People who like a lot of freedom in life, whether it's home schooling of children, lower taxes, personal privacy, or whatever, won't like it there much.

Canada has a good balance - a decent safety net but lower taxes than the OECD average and tremendous personal privacy protection and personal freedom. It's not really a socialist country other than healthcare though, and even then, there is a parallel for-pay system. Union memberships are at an all-time low too.

Re:Activision

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't know how much in taxes my employer has to pay, but here in Sweden, those taxes are only part of the picture.

My employer must give me 30 days paid holiday per year (since I'm on salary; otherwise they could get away with giving me only 25 days but then they'd have to pay overtime).

My employer must also provide paid parental leave; don't remember the exact duration, but IIRC it's 120 days for each new child (applies to both mothers and fathers).

My employer also pays a big chunk into my retirement and disability funds.

My employer also can't fire or lay me off without notice (90 days). In my case, since we were just acquired, the new owners must guarantee my job for at least 6 months following the acquisition.

I may be slightly wrong with regard to some of the exact figures, but that's the gist of it.

As for 'personal privacy', I don't see where that's lacking. It's true that anyone in the country can find out very easily where I live, my profession, employer, civil status, and income and tax information. It's just as true that I can find out these things about anybody else in the country -- if I want to know how much my boss or even the Prime Minister is worth, what kind of home he lives in, and how much he pays in taxes, a quick trip to Skatteverket (tax office) is all it takes.

There's none of that puritanical 'ZOMG you're gay/FSM/liberal/whatever' bullshit one has to endure in the US -- here, absolutely nobody cares who I sleep with (as long as she's at least 15 and it's consensual) or what my political or religious views are. THOSE things are considered private matters here, as well they should be.

(Actually, I'm hetero/Buddhist/Socialist. But you get the point.)

Re:Activision

[Ponyegg]

I would never join a union, because I don't want to be limited by the abilities of every other union member that works in my department. Unions seem to benefit people that are lazy/don't have the skills to get paid more than a decent wage.

So you won't mind handing back all those benefits and rights that Unions have fought for and won over the years, you know, like better working conditions, education reforms, paid holidays, healthcare etc. Do some research please before spouting off your baseless polemic, you sound like a throw back to the of 1800s. Really, this sort of me-me-me 'I'm alright Jack' attitude is indicative of a the selfish malaise that infects society. Lets see you get screwed over by a large company and see how you like it.

BOOM!

[hadhad69]

Double kill, nice

Tired of the BS I guess

[SuperKendall]

The head of Activision got tired of being P0wed by both Jason West and Vince Zampella using Danger Close with Scavenger and claymores.

Talk about "rage quitting"...

One of them

[adml_shake07]

probably whispered "union" and he and all his close contacts were immediately fired.

Good.

[Hatta]

These guys will have no problem getting another job, and they won't have to work under Activision anymore.

Re:Good.

[Tairgire]

Infinity Ward is in California, where non-compete clauses are automatically void. I believe (though I'm not an expert by any means) that they can get back to work immediately should an offer present itself.

Re:Good.

[Lumpy]

non compete clauses are not enforceable when the clause will cause you undue hardship.

I.E. you are a game programmer, and your clause says you cant program at a competitor. Well EVERYONE is their competitor, there fore the clause is 100% unenforceable.

Remember, just because it's in a contract or a lawyer says it does not make it real nor enforceable. I personally strike out any clause like that, initial next to my strike out and ten sign it. I have never signed a contract that I did not modify.

Re:Good.

[kimvette]

When you're fired, such agreements are usually considered null and void since the employees are acting in good faith but the employer is not.

So does that mean...

[Opportunist]

...that I can buy the next MW again and we'll get servers again?

(yes, I'm selfish)

wow, they even didn't try to hide main reason

[postmortem]

In a nutshell, developers had better vision for products and keeping niche on right track than management, so managmeent fired them.

Awesome!

[Kingrames]

Jason, Vince, if you can read this, form your own company and hire me - please!

Re:Obviously...

[CorporateSuit]

Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision, dies and goes to Hell. The devil greets him when he arrives and says "Bobby, out of all the people up there, you remind me most of myself, so I'm going to let you choose your punishment for your first thousand years."

The two start at a short hallway labelled "First Timers" and stop at the first door. Inside is an old man, screaming, having his skin peeled off in 1 inch strips. The devil explains "At the beginning of the day, his flesh is renewed. By nightfall, he is nothing but a pile of organs hanging onto a skeleton. This is the only punishment where you get a few hours rest every night." Bobby feels a bit nervous about the long future ahead of him.

They walk to the next door. Inside is an even older man, screaming louder than the first man, and he's slowly being lowered into a vat of acid. The devil explains "This punishment lasts all day. It starts at the toes and works its way up. When you are completely burned away, it starts over. Some say that after the first 800 years, though, it feels more like a massage than a punishment. I suppose it's not so bad if you really enjoyed hot tubs when you were alive." Bobby starts sweating at the thought of his eternal reward.

They come up to the third, and last door of the hallway. Inside is an EXTREMELY old man, screaming at the top of his lungs. A gorgeous young woman, chained to him by the ankle, is giving him a passionate blowjob. The devil grins "This punishment may look like fun, but after the first few hours, you get tired, but you may never rest; not for a thousand years. This punishment is one of endurance. Now that you've seen your choices, which one will it be?" Bobby Kotick doesn't take long to decide which of the punishments he'll undergo.
"I'll take the last one. The blowjob one."

The devil accepts Bobby's choice with a nodded bow, and opens the third door. He enters in, unlocks the chain on the woman's leg and whispers in her ear "Your replacement is here, you've been relieved."

Re:Crypto-news-ology

[Quiet_Desperation]

I thought ego was the middle finger of the invisible hand.

Re:WTF?

[nschubach]

http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=10/03/01/0536236 Enjoy... and learn to search next time.

Re:Why is this news?

[Anonymous Coward]

They are not programmers or lead developers.
They were co-founders and Chief Technology Officer/President and the Studio Head/Chief Creative Officer of the company.
Which I guess means they were in charge of everyone at Infinity Ward, or pretty high up anyway.
Before they were acquired, that would make them senior management. Afterwards, middle management.
Since their titles included "game director" I guess that means they also liked to dabble with the design when time permitted.

Anyway, the fight is less likely about TPS cover sheets and more likely about the allegation that Activision has made $1 billion in revenues from the studios game and not paid a penny in royalties.
And of course the original Activision (before Kotick bought the brand name and got rid of the company) was founded because Atari didn't give their people no respect...

You can go from fry cook to executive management

[sideshow]

In fact, the money they make isn't bad considering what their job involves

Plus, McDonalds is one of the few places you can start out at the bottom and work your way practically to the top.

My brother-in-law started out as a fry cook as recent immigrant with practically no English skills. 20 years or so later, he's a director responsible for 500+ stores.

OK

[koan]

Here's hoping the pair were trying add a dedicated server mode in addition to IWNET, or that Activision is going to implement dedicated servers, or that someone at that company actually cares about the end user.
Otherwise, one of the best games I've played in terms of playability, weapons load out, and graphics is hobbled by IWNET, "migrating Host", no admin, no kicks, to many hacks (PC side) no end user mods, the list goes on.

Re:OK

[Lehk228]

from what i hear, bad as the hacking is on the PC side, it's worse on console.

Re:OK

[koan]

I don't use consoles so not up on that, I have heard rumors of hacking occurring using the IWNET style connection.
The constant interruption in game play is what I can't tolerate, choppiness, never play with the same group of guys, lousy VOIP set up (see Quakewars for a good VOIP setup). to make it short FRUSTRATED.

Re:You can go from fry cook to executive managemen

[Jeremi]

My brother-in-law started out as a fry cook as recent immigrant with practically no English skills. 20 years or so later, he's a director responsible for 500+ stores

Much like the NBA... anyone 'can' get to the top. Also like the NBA, most won't. There simply aren't enough positions at the top to allow more than a fraction of a percent to get there, no matter how hard everyone tries.