Kasz216 said:
Afterall they aren't going to some cool independent developer or starting up their own company. No they're going to EA. Why? They are going to pay the best. They probably won't end up with any more "creative control" it was just an excuse to move their entire staff so they could get paid more.
West and Zampella were upset because they decided to sell right before Modern Warfare became huge... heck, they haven't really even refuted any of Activisions claims.
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You're wrong on that point as they're part of the EA Partners scheme:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/respawn-entertainment-and-ea-partners-interview
"Q: Why did EA's deal stand out over the other companies that approached you?
Jason West: We looked at the deals and opportunities that we had and the EA Partners deal really seemed like it would allow us the freedom and independence to do whatever we wanted. They respect the culture we want to create, and we would own our own IP and control our own destiny and remain completely independent.
David DeMartini: What were were looking to do was, it would be as if Wayne Rooney all of a sudden became a free agent – how quickly would Chelsea try and chase after him if they could sign him up? We were just trying to provide some level of sanctuary for these guys so they could get back to doing what they love the most, which is making the games."
They would keep creative control and even own the IPs they create. They're effectively an independent studio with a deal with EA so EA publishes there projects. I believe Valve and Crytek have similar deals.
Also, the fact that Activision have said they're redistribute the wealth to those who remain stinks of them forcing people to remain at the studio to plug a skills leakage. The people who leave will have put in immense amounts of work, and they should be paid there royalties even if they choose to leave as the work has already been done and the profits made. They've put time and effort into a game that's already been released and haven't been paid for it. Whether West and Zampella get the money or not is not even an issue, the others who weren't fired should get paid.