(updated) G4TV reports Infinity Ward studio heads missing

[VU Staff]

Patrick Klepek, a reporter for G4TV's "The Feed" posted a report just under two hours ago regarding some kind of incident going on at Infinity Ward.

Reportedly, a source from the development studio has informed him that a "bunch of bouncer-types" arrived outside the studio offices unannounced, and are unwilling to disclose the reason for their presence. Meanwhile, studio heads Vince Zampella and Jason West had a publisher meeting with Activision this morning, and haven't been seen since.

Activision has been contacted for comment on the situation, more on this story as it develops.

<b>Update</b>: Modern Warfare 2 game director and Inifnity Ward president Jason West's Facebook page and LinkedIn profile both indicate that he is no longer working at Infinity Ward, as of March 2010. It's no secret that Activision has no compunctions against slamming their owned studios, but it's a surprising move with Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare games bringing the value of the Call of Duty series into the billions.

<b>Update 2</b>: Earlier today (Monday) Activision made an SEC filing citing a human resources investigation into "breaches of contract and insubordination by two senior employees" at Infinity Ward.

"The matter is expected to involve the departure of key personnel and litigation," read Activision's filing. "At present, the Company does not expect this matter to have a material impact on the Company."

At present, it seems like those two employees might well have been Jason West and Vince Zampella.

[Source] <a href="http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/702911/Security-Appears-Unannounced-At-Infinity-Ward-Studio-Heads-Missing-Staff-Freaked-Out-.html" target="_blank">G4TV</a>

[Alidar]

Let me guess: Activision fires IW leads because they refuse to give them creative freedom (instead forcing them to do MW every year for the next 435 years). Other IW people upset, leave. Everyone forms a brand new studio with basically the same people with every other publisher ready to throw money at anything they want to make. Activision continues to pimp out CoD every year with different developers, but quality lags and eventually that well runs dry. IW creates a new IP and rakes in the cash with their new publisher.

It's like the whole Medal of Honor thing all over again!

[DJ_Lae]

What a weird 24 hours. PS3s temporarily bricked, IW heads gone, Valve's bizarre viral Portal stunt...

[Alidar]

There's unconfirmed reports that top IW people are due some very big royalty checks at the end of the fiscal year... if they're still with the company. Sounds like they're trying to fire people with cause over nitpicky things.

[AnonymousBroccoli]

Fuck Activision extra hard if that's true.

[KittyKat]

They should jump on board something else, say maybe the team that's doing MAG, or I had heard Medal of Honour might come back (who owns that one?) and just leave COD to dry up.

Hell it would be great if most of Infinity Ward left Activision and they made their own new company. They would get picked up by another publisher ASAP.

[Stalfos]

Originally Posted by KittyKat

They should jump on board something else, say maybe the team that's doing MAG, or I had heard Medal of Honour might come back (who owns that one?) and just leave COD to dry up.

Hell it would be great if most of Infinity Ward left Activision and they made their own new company. They would get picked up by another publisher ASAP.

EA owns Medal of Honor and it is indeed coming back in a Modern Warfare type vibe, there have been trailers showing gameplay.

[Alidar]

Apparently, on Monday Activision filed a Form 10-K with the SEC, which is basically an overview of the company's financial condition, and includes any information that could possibly affect that condition. This filing states, "In November 2009, the Company released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a game developed by one of the Company's wholly-owned studios, Infinity Ward. As noted above, Modern Warfare 2 was the best selling console title in the U.S. and Europe in 2009. Consistent with past practice, the Company intends to release a Call of Duty game in 2010 developed by another wholly-owned studio. The Company is concluding an internal human resources inquiry into breaches of contract and insubordination by two senior employees at Infinity Ward. This matter is expected to involve the departure of key personnel and litigation. At present, the Company does not expect this matter to have a material impact on the Company."

[KittyKat]

Originally Posted by Stalfos

EA owns Medal of Honor and it is indeed coming back in a Modern Warfare type vibe, there have been trailers showing gameplay.

This could bode well for EA then...

[Alidar]

Originally Posted by KittyKat

This could bode well for EA then...

And the irony is that Infinity Ward essentially created Medal of Honor - there was friction with EA back in the days they were, well, what Activision is today, so they left and made CoD for Activision to specifically compete with MoH.

Man I'm hoping for mass resignations. A good developer out of Activision's iron grasp can only be a good thing.