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Forums - Gaming Discussion - 6 More Devs Leave Infinity Ward! Activision Can't Stop The Bleeding!

mibuokami on 26 April 2010
Kasz216 said:
mibuokami said:
Kasz216 said:
scottie said:
Kasz216 said:
 

No, it was the negotations before that did that.   It's pretty obvious they were done based on just the amazing speed in which this was done.  If they really cared about "creative control" they would of just started up their own company.   You don't think the guys who made MW2 couldn't get a loan?

 

Yeah, because bankers generally know heaps about video games :P

Now your REALLY stretching it to the absurd.  Bankers most definitly know Modern Warfare. Everybody knows modern warfare.

We made a brand worth 3 billion... yeah I think they'd get loans.

Why were they even negotiating in the first place? There is obviously some friction going on, with rumours of restriction on creative freedom, dislikable executive decisions that 'harm' the franchise (CoD's) image as far as West and Zampella was concern, talks of West and Zampella being IP nazi the REALLY did not like Activision giving their property for other devs to handle etc.

The point is West or Zampella would not have jumped ship if they were happy at Activision. The reason for their dissatisfaction is unknown (although more than likely its activision's handling of their IP) and the process by which they attempted to negotiation with Activision is also unknown.

It's irrelevent why they were disastisfied..  They broke the terms of their contract and therefore... deserve pretty much anything bad that happens to them.  If any NFL player hates his current team, and starts negotitations with another... it doesn't matter WHY he's going to get punished and rightfully so.  Who hasn't had a job they hated?  If you do, all you can do is sit it out until your contract is up. 

Fair enough. This does however enable a lot of sympathy vote from the little people. And yes, the law is not always right or fair.




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Kasz216 on 26 April 2010
mibuokami said:
Kasz216 said:
mibuokami said:
Kasz216 said:
scottie said:
Kasz216 said:
 

No, it was the negotations before that did that.   It's pretty obvious they were done based on just the amazing speed in which this was done.  If they really cared about "creative control" they would of just started up their own company.   You don't think the guys who made MW2 couldn't get a loan?

 

Yeah, because bankers generally know heaps about video games :P

Now your REALLY stretching it to the absurd.  Bankers most definitly know Modern Warfare. Everybody knows modern warfare.

We made a brand worth 3 billion... yeah I think they'd get loans.

Why were they even negotiating in the first place? There is obviously some friction going on, with rumours of restriction on creative freedom, dislikable executive decisions that 'harm' the franchise (CoD's) image as far as West and Zampella was concern, talks of West and Zampella being IP nazi the REALLY did not like Activision giving their property for other devs to handle etc.

The point is West or Zampella would not have jumped ship if they were happy at Activision. The reason for their dissatisfaction is unknown (although more than likely its activision's handling of their IP) and the process by which they attempted to negotiation with Activision is also unknown.

It's irrelevent why they were disastisfied..  They broke the terms of their contract and therefore... deserve pretty much anything bad that happens to them.  If any NFL player hates his current team, and starts negotitations with another... it doesn't matter WHY he's going to get punished and rightfully so.  Who hasn't had a job they hated?  If you do, all you can do is sit it out until your contract is up. 

Fair enough. This does however enable a lot of sympathy vote from the little people. And yes, the law is not always right or fair.

The law isn't... but contract law is.  I actually tend to side with NFL players because the NFL forces them to sign such things if they want to play pro football.  These two though... they didn't have to sign. 

They weren't under duress or threatened.  Nor were there no other videogame companies. They signed on the bottom line because they wanted to, and then wanted out as soon as they were unhappy.  That's ridiculious. 

You sign a contract, you live by it.  I have no sympathy for people who break the terms of a contract they willingly and knowingly signed.

 

 



Scoobes on 26 April 2010
Kasz216 said:
mibuokami said:
Kasz216 said:

It's irrelevent why they were disastisfied..  They broke the terms of their contract and therefore... deserve pretty much anything bad that happens to them.  If any NFL player hates his current team, and starts negotitations with another... it doesn't matter WHY he's going to get punished and rightfully so.  Who hasn't had a job they hated?  If you do, all you can do is sit it out until your contract is up. 

Fair enough. This does however enable a lot of sympathy vote from the little people. And yes, the law is not always right or fair.

The law isn't... but contract law is.  I actually tend to side with NFL players because the NFL forces them to sign such things if they want to play pro football.  These two though... they didn't have to sign. 

They weren't under duress or threatened.  Nor were there no other videogame companies. They signed on the bottom line because they wanted to, and then wanted out as soon as they were unhappy.  That's ridiculious. 

You sign a contract, you live by it.  I have no sympathy for people who break the terms of a contract they willingly and knowingly signed.

 

 

I'm no lawyer, but we still don't know if they breached their contract. They may well have been in communication with EA but that doesn't mean they were going jump ship and steal work whilst under contract with Activision. There contracts were going to run out. Is it against the law to prepare for the future?




Get your Portable ID!

Kasz216 on 26 April 2010
Scoobes said:
Kasz216 said:
mibuokami said:
Kasz216 said:

It's irrelevent why they were disastisfied..  They broke the terms of their contract and therefore... deserve pretty much anything bad that happens to them.  If any NFL player hates his current team, and starts negotitations with another... it doesn't matter WHY he's going to get punished and rightfully so.  Who hasn't had a job they hated?  If you do, all you can do is sit it out until your contract is up. 

Fair enough. This does however enable a lot of sympathy vote from the little people. And yes, the law is not always right or fair.

The law isn't... but contract law is.  I actually tend to side with NFL players because the NFL forces them to sign such things if they want to play pro football.  These two though... they didn't have to sign. 

They weren't under duress or threatened.  Nor were there no other videogame companies. They signed on the bottom line because they wanted to, and then wanted out as soon as they were unhappy.  That's ridiculious. 

You sign a contract, you live by it.  I have no sympathy for people who break the terms of a contract they willingly and knowingly signed.

 

 

I'm no lawyer, but we still don't know if they breached their contract. They may well have been in communication with EA but that doesn't mean they were going jump ship and steal work whilst under contract with Activision. There contracts were going to run out. Is it against the law to prepare for the future?

Yes, in fact it is.  If you sign a contract not to.  Which they did and was part of their contract and why they are getting countersued.  Just how it's illegal for Lebron James to talk to any NBA teams other then the cavs while under contract in cleveland.



shio on 26 April 2010

It's not over yet, 3 more people just left Infinity Ward:

Joel Emslie - Lead Artist
Ryan Lastimosa - Artist
Brad Allen - Artist

This increases to 24 the number of people who left Infinity Ward recently!!! Activision is in deep crap on this one.



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Seece on 26 April 2010

That's like 28% of their workforce!

"“More people will probably go too, looking for new situations. Maybe they will join Respawn, maybe not. I’m confused, because by leaving, they are giving up their bonus — and the more people that leave, the bigger the bonus gets for the people who stay.”"

What would you do?



 

NiKKoM on 26 April 2010

That's crazy.... Dropping West & Zampella ok, we don't know what really happend between them & Activision.. but then losing 22 others.. that's a big F you..



 

Face the future.. Gamecenter ID: nikkom_nl (oh no he didn't!!) 

MARCUSDJACKSON on 26 April 2010

bleeding! like a shot to the heart.



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mibuokami on 27 April 2010

Add Robert Field (lead programmer) and Kristin Cotterell (recruitment) to the list... 26 now?

@Kasz216 I'm pretty sure part of the stipulation for their contract is the handling and approval of the CoD MW IP... Rumour has it that Activision was pressuring them to relinquish the IP to other developer within Activision which one of the key reason for the animosity between developer and publisher.

If Activision was trying to strong arm them into relinquishing their IP this could be the result... again I don't know the detail so I won't add anything further than some mild speculation.




IllegalPaladin on 27 April 2010

Kotaku says the total is up to 26 now.

http://kotaku.com/5525152/eight-more-leave-modern-warfare-developers-bringing-total-to-26

"The exodus from Modern Warfare developers Infinity Ward continues at a breakneck pace, with news today that a further eight employees have left the studio in the wake of the "Legal Warfare" showdown.

In addition to the five men who left on Friday, we've learned that three more - level designer Keith Bell, designer Charlie Wiederhold and level designer Preston Glenn - also packed up and left the Activision-owned Infinity Ward at the end of last week.

Adding to these are five more, all of whom left yesterday: lead character artist Joel Emslie, weapons artist Ryan Lastimosa, artist Brad Allen, lead programmer Robert Field and our first non-developmental one of the bunch, HR/recruitment specialist Kristin Cotterell.

That brings us to a staggering 26 employees in total to have left Infinity Ward since the drama began, a tally which constitutes the bulk of the studio's creative and programming "brains trust".

There's no official word yet on where these ex-employees have ended up, but...yeah."