More Infinity Ward staffers leave, join Respawn [update]

Activision just want's to bleed you.
Till you're just bone and hair.

Money money money...

"Now, let's all get drunk AND PLAY PING PONG!"

Who leeches off WoW's success?
Who puts out crap at their best?
We do! We do!

Who leaves EA in the dust
For evilest corp. since Enron's bust?
We do! We do!

Who makes another bad Rehash
Milking brands for loads of cash
We do! We do!

Who sues companies for a game,
Even if they threw it just away?
We do! We do!

Who calls paying due royalties absurd?
When money and lawsuits are preferred
We do! We do!

Who cans Leads that build things Fantastic
And rather shovel out crappy pieces of Plastic
We do! We do!

COMBO-BREAKER!!!

Mark my words:

First game from Respawn Entertainment during E3

"Future Warfare"

at trademark Activision doesnt own. Activision goes "fuuuuuuuuuuuuu..."

Ha ha, you're funny. "Will be missed"... ha ha...

Your avatar will haunt me until my dying day.

In a month Activision will anounce that they are folding IW into Treyarch. And then they'll briefly mention that because IW doesn't exist they will be "holding onto" the bonus pool for future COD games

Interesting theory. I wonder though, if the people left at IW merge with Treyarch, how would that affect the chemistry among the employees, and thus, the quality of the end product? I doubt Activision would care at this point since the Call of Duty brand has so much equity now.

From a PR perspective, it wouldn't be good to merge in my opinion. This would give fuel to the fire that they never had no intention to pay the bonuses in the first place. Their image would become one of shady/greedy/ doesn't care about ethics, etc. (even more so than now), which could also hurt their recruitment/talent pipeline.

For employees, wIth the nice paycheck from the big corporations, also comes the greed and the politics unfortunately.

According to Dan Amrich, those bonuses already got paid out, and bumped up by 33% since West and Zampella got fired.

So now the Respawn Entertainment stragglers are having their cake and eating it too. Well played, folks. gg.

I think I feel the worst for Amrich here. Like may game journos, he made the jump to the "famous dev/publisher community manager" position only to turn into a corporate mouthpiece for one of the most hated publishers in the industry. I suspect he'll be jumping ship soon as well, much like most of the Press Secretaries under G.W. Bush. Only, I don't think they'll want to take him at Respawn, and I doubt he'd want to go there either.

There's going to be one or two guys left holding out for their now-huge bonus checks. It will be like that Simpsons edisode with the Flying Hellfish.

honestly i would do the same, get my bonus, wait a week, then bounce to respawn!(of my own accord of course to avoid putting them in a legal pinch lol)

:AGREEMENT:

:continuation of agreement:

Random cop #1: Looks like IW is getting fragged.

Horatio: Well then it looks like it's time for them...

*Puts on sunglasses*

...to respawn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCMBkgHLrTI

Sorry posted before I could put; And this is a perfect analogy to what's happening.

YEEEAAAAH, Those sunglasses DO look good on you Captain Planet!

Captain, where the hell were you at Earth Day. We were supposed to celebrate you're birthday.

Peter Moore fcked it all up Michael. Hey said he didn't care about "no earf". There isn't enough fairy dust on this planet to make me feel any better.

I never knew what you guys were talking about with the sunglasses thing until I saw this... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mznsEcZlM2I&feature=related

Oh I'm sorry, Captain, Peter Moore is an asshole. We'll get him.

If it gives us more opportunities to make fun of Activision? YES!

I'd rather this than more posts about the Goddamned iPad.

I like knowing. It just makes the day that much better. :)

You're pointing out a lot of reasons that Activision shouldn't pay IW. If they're going to leave anyway, why pay them?

@ Acosta02

"Why pay them?"

Maybe it's because it would be the right thing to do. Unless, you don't have any morals, values, or you just like being a selfish, greedy bastard.

I mean what if this happened to you? What if you did really good on a project and you were told that you were getting a bonus but instead of gettin your promised bonus, you got fired... What would you do?

Regardless of the outcome, IW should get what's owed to them. Activision is suppose to be a professional gaming company. Not some gaming mafia...

Or maybe they want that reputation. I hate to wonder what Activision would of done to IW if MW2 flopped... Lol!

But from Activision's point of view, there's not a lot of incentive to pay people just to watch them take the money and run. I'm not saying it's morally just or unjust, it's just logical.

@ Acosta02

There is nothing logical about it.

There is a such thing as contractual obligation.

Not even going into the Zampella/West thing. Just the other 107 employees at Infinity Ward. Whether they leave or not, Activision is under contractual obligation to pay them all their due royalties.

You want logical, I'll give you the most likely outcome if they do not pay Infinity Ward/ex-Infinity Ward staffers their royalties for Modern Warfare 2. A class action lawsuit against Activision . . . a class action that Activision cannot possibly win.

Factor in due royalties, damages, plus legal fees, fines, any interest Activision earned on the royalty monies during the period of with holding them, etc., by the time the dust settles, Activision is going to wind up owing, by court order no less, an amount that could be double the royalty fees they owe in the first place.

You want logical? There is your logical right there. It's a helluva lot cheaper for Activision to simply just pay all Infinity Ward staffers their due royalties, and get on with their business. Right now they are working under the assumption they can bully Infinity Ward employees, and coerce them with promises of even larger bonuses, if everyone is patient and wait two or three years while Activision tries to successfully sue Zampella and West.

The tipping point is fast approaching, and I would not be surprised to see the remaining Infinity Ward employees, whether they leave Activision or stay, file a class action before E3, if those royalties are not forthcoming.

But if they leave, they lose the rights to get that money. Sure, Activision has to pay its employees, but it might as well wait until as many of those employees as possible are gone. All I'm saying.

I guess you win if you're the last one left. Bonus stage of coins at least?

The funny thing is one poor sap probably believes he will actually get part of that bonus pool. They never intended on giving that coin the remaining IW employees. That was a ruse to try and keep everyone from jumping ship.

This is how Activision plays musical chairs.

Except they do it with cash.

And will probably withhold the cash from the guy who wins.

instant promotion up a couple of pegs. then you can call yourself the surviving member of IW