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When Jason West and Vince Zampella were fired from Infinity Ward by Activision, the former studio leadership were also losing out on substantial bonuses from development on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. There's a ongoing lawsuit about that money, but Activision social media manager (and former games writer) Dan Amrich told Facebook users in an anti-Activision group the bonuses owed to West and Zampella would be "redistributed" throughout Infinity Ward.
"Vince and Jason had very large bonuses; those bonuses are being redistributed to everybody else, to the people who did not allegedly attempt to steal company secrets," said Amrich, referencing allegations made within lawsuit. "Activision is not pocketing that bonus money; it's still going to the people who work at IW. But you have to work at IW to get it, see? :) I don't want to see talented people screwed out of a paycheck any more than you do."
Since Zampella and West moved on to form Respawn Entertainment, a steady drip of veteran employees at the developer have turned in their resignations. The departed have not announced where they're headed yet, but it's likely some will rejoin Zampella and West over at Respawn.
Amrich believes more staff will leave Infinity Ward before the bleeding ends, but couldn't understand why folks would want to leave the studio, given the potential future bonus payout.
"More people will probably go too, looking for new situations," he said. "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. I'd think if you are young and hungry and have a vision for a new game, IW would be a really good place to be right now."
As it stands, it seems the fate of Infinity Ward remains to be written.
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miningguy
This line really made me laugh.
"... I don't want to see talented people screwed out of a paycheck any more than you do."
honestly if I'm at Infinity Ward its "oscar mike" for me
Canid117
Seriously Activision, there is a real difference between making a point and just being dicks.
JDarkley
Activision: "Oh my, like, twenty some odd people have left IW since this whole debacle started. How do I make sure that the whole team doesn't leave? Hmmm...bribery? Bribery, that's it! But I will I make it not look like a bribe? Hmm..."
Anybody else have that come to mind?
Cryptomaster420
blizzard is awsome no doubt great customer support and yes there like IW/branch of activision im deducting theres more to this story than just breaches of contracts activision must have another reason for canning
west and zampella hmmmm! my dear watson what do you think on this situation between activision and Infinity Ward?-lolz sherlock holmes rules wish they made a game combining all the books
Fyzban
Anyway people are stupid and 2.4 millions of map pack download is aproof. Nest CoD wills till be succesful.
Fyzban
Besides CoD , what Activision have? Guitar Hero is dead by thei fault and Dj Hero isnt popular. Of course they will bride remaining IW employees, they dont have anything else lol. Activision is so pathetic blizzard should split from them.
Cryptomaster420
@ DreamDarklyRobin dont bring obama into this and yes im an obama supporter
gaming and government politics should stay seperate and second IW lost my trust as soon as they negative xp glitch happened again 2-3 months ago they kept saying we will patch it dont worry its like 2-3 months later and still no live update i lost faith in infinity ward and MSoft not taking out the jtagging trash P###es me off letting a german f-# get away using a jtag by jumping extremly high up and noob tube ppl which was 2 months ago and hes still active on live after several complaints by me and 4 other players even a My xbox call/complaint and no avail he even posted on his profile i have a xenon jtag he was last signed on april 22 3:19 est/ my time i own both a wii,ps3 and 360 as well as a pc-4years old but still good just need to upgrade the gcard and processor im sticking with BF:BC 2 never play #1 though but 2 is awsome so far
the_big_king_jdowg
Yeah Activision is going to pay through the ass when people aren't buying thier Call of Duty games anymore. They lost way more than they ever would have by keeping Vince and West and instead of firing them, had just paid them each thier twenty-million dollar bonus. Now watch the figures go way down and regret in thier eyes. It happened to coach Leach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, he was fired on alligations of misconduct towards a football" player", wont say his name look him up if you want to know; one day before he was to get a 2 million dollar bonus. Anyway just an example of what happened here I think.
Skithee
"...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. I'd think if you are young and hungry and have a vision for a new game, IW would be a really good place to be right now."
Wow. This is why they're leaving, dude. For starters, I really doubt any of them are starving right now, unless you just haven't paid them at all yet. And, ultimately, you seem to be baffled by the idea that some one would want to work in a friendly environment over the environment that just shovels money at them in the hopes that they shut up and ignore the awful crap going down around them.
TL;DR You sound like a bonerjam, and no one wants to work for a bonerjam, no matter how much hush money you give them.
P.S. No offense, Bonerjam.
The Monkey King
This is public news is all a PR move. In reality, Activision is only trying to bribe the [remaining] IW employees into staying. Clearly it isn't working. I hope every single employee from IW leaves and goes to Respawn, and West & Zampella gets the MW IP.
nikolijobes
I just think that it would be funny if everyone talented left Infinity Ward, and just one goof who no one wanted at "Respawn" ends up with the Warfare Windfall.
CaptainSHOOK
"I'm confused, because by leaving, they are giving up their bonus . . ."
Do you know why you are confused Amrich? Because you are just a SUIT who looks at this whole situation with a dollars-&-cents mindset, and that's it. People and their principles escape your business-heavy brain. Perhaps I'm wrong about Zampella and West, perhaps they are just as greedy and money-driven as you are and they WERE looking to EA prior to this whole debacle, but the fact that they (and many others) ARE giving up these "very large bonuses" to pursue work with companies allowing them more freedom with their work supports my initial hypothesis.
My Hypothesis: Acitivision is a money/control-hungry giant that has been scorned from losing arguably some of the best game developers in the industry and are trying to justify every action using a collective brain that cannot comprehend anything outside a money-calculating-robot's capabilities.
Matt731
i really hope respawn can get the rights to MW3. i dont want some other new group making it.
Reaper24683
Ouch. Slap in the face.
blueboykc
sounds like thy are trying to buy their workers loyalty..
gravy666
They get the bonuses nearly six months after the game comes out? Nice way to bastardize your former employees, Activision.
Purplehasiso
This is actually a win for us gamers, see. If all the real developers and artists and whatnot leave to join Respawn and all of the greedy ones stay behind for the money, then we know which company is going to have WAY better employees and thus produce the better game.
Stivius
The kid that made the coffee every morning is gonna be rich i tell you.
The way things are going he or she might be the next big shock defection.
Lil Lotte
@ PersonaShin (reply never works for me, dunno why)
Unfortunatly, if you get fired from a job and you didn't use your vaction time, sick pay or whatever bonuses you might have had coming to you, they are gone. It isn't right but it is how things work in the real world. Unless it was written in a contract that they would get it, no matter what, I doubt they will.
PersonaShin
Activision continues to do nothing but disgust me. That's the money promised to West and Zampella. Just because they were fired they don't get their pay anymore? That's crooked play, Activision. Oh, and the reason why people are leaving? Because they care more about the freedom of making games they want instead of the money. Way to show your true colours.
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