Infinity Ward has finally put out official word on the incoming DLC pack for Modern Warfare 2, entitled the "Stimulus Package." The pack will launch worldwide on March 30 for Xbox Live. It will later be coming to PC and PSN down the line of course.
There's no word on what maps will be included in the package, but rumors suggest it will include five maps, which may include some familiar locales.
The hubbub of Infinity Ward and Activision is huge. Call of Duty creators Vince Zampella and Jason West have supposedly been speaking to other publishers. Lawsuits are in order, the two are now gone from Infinity Ward, and Activision may be searching for incriminating documents, alleging communication between Infinity Ward and other publishers, specifically EA.
But why would they do that? They left EA, created one of Activision's most popular franchises, and just released one of the biggest blockbuster titles to date. Doesn't that make Activision and Infinity Ward the best of partners?
Apparently not. When Infinity Ward's creators initially left EA, the current #2 gaming publisher in the world was in a similar position to Activision: at the top of their game, raking in the big bucks, and selling some of the hottest games around. But they were also controlling, and ended up making Zampella and West decide to leave, presumably because they are artists and creators, not marketers and moneymakers.
With that mindset in hand, they went to Activision and created Call of Duty, which became a smash hit and single-handedly killed the Medal of Honor franchise. Not only did it make bring Infinity Ward into the limelight, it helped propel Activision to the status they currently have now: videogame publisher supergiant. Ironically, Infinity Ward's success has been their curse. Each new game they bring pulls in so much money and demand that the publishers step in to make sure no mistakes are made.
So who's at fault? Activision can't be blamed; as a publisher, it's their job to do whatever it takes to ensure the games they publish make the most money. Infinity Ward, on the other hand, put themselves in harms way, for the second time. It's no coincidence that the two largest game publishers have taken advantage of the popular developer to make money, and the pattern is repeating now.
If Infinity Ward is indeed looking to EA for future projects, it makes sense. EA has for the last three years been very generous to their developers, and has also helped create quite a few new IPs. Activision, however, won't just let the developer go, and has a vice-grip stronger than any competitor today. Our only message to Zampella and West: make sure Activision doesn't find anything compromising. We don't want to see you go just yet.
[Update] It looks like CEO and founder of Infinity Ward, Vince Zampella, and co-founder, Jason West, have officially left Infinity Ward according to their LinkedIn pages. In regard to working for Infinity Ward, both LinkedIn pages now have an end date of March 2010. The reason behind the departure is still unclear aside from what was mentioned in the SEC filing Activision submitted.
Yesterday some news landed that some intimidating "bouncer-type" men had showed up at the offices of Call of Duty developer Infinity Ward. These men were tight lipped concerning the reasons why they were at the building which, understandably, caused some confusion and worry. Later, senior developers Jason West and Vince Zampella were noticably absent from the premices and following some news that the two developers had met earlier that day with Activision, in addition to an update to Jason West's Facebook status (posted by Kotaku) and LinkedIn profile, it appears the two developers have been released from Infinity Ward.
According to an SEC filing Activision submitted yesterday morning, a human resources investigation had been cited by the publisher concerning "breaches of contracts and insubordination by two senior employees at Infinity Ward." It appears one of those employees is Jason West, but at this time its unconfirmed if Vince Zampella was the other.
From within the report:
"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."
Details are sparse as to what sort of insubordination or breaches in contract took place here. Considering Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 is a money maker for the publisher you have to wonder what would of had to take place for Activision to cut out two of the developers behind the game. There could be a perfectly legitimate reason why these guys were shown the door, but little is known at this time.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is less than a couple weeks out, and the fists have started flying. EA has come out and said outright that DICE, the developer of Bad Company 2, is in a league of its own when it comes to online multiplayer. According to the publisher, Infinity Ward and Treyarch can't compete with it.
"DICE is at the forefront of defining the multiplayer and online vehicle warfare space and has substantial pedigree in this area following many years of success," EA product manager Will Graham told MCV. "We genuinely believe there isn't a developer out there that competes with DICE in this space, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is going cement that.
"The use of vehicles in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 sets it apart from the competition and no one else in the industry does this better.
"This is also something the core are very excited about: DICE's history of delivering a multiplayer experience utilizing vehicles is something that sets it apart from anything else in the market. It's also an element that fits with the increasing emphasis on multiplayer for gamers in general."
[via CVG]
It's almost been three months since the release of Infinity Ward's record-breaking game Modern Warfare 2. Now that we are all sober, I would like to assess the current state of the game truthfully. (more...)
The new patch for Modern Warfare 2 that was issued yesterday is currently undergoing testing for PS3 and Xbox 360, according to Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling.
"These fixes [listed after the break], excluding the ones I've labeled as (PC-ONLY), are currently in test for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions as well," Bowling wrote on his blog. "Before you ask why there is a delay from PC to consoles, it’s because we can update IW-NET directly and therefore the fastest. The console versions require additional testing through their respective manufacturers."
More Infinity Ward rumors! This time, Destructoid reports that "industry sources" say Infinity Ward is working on an MMO, but it doesn't end there. These sources also indicate that IW is hiring people from MMO extraordinaires Sony Online Entertainment, one of which just might be the lead designer on EverQuest II. Allegedly, the developer is also getting assistance from World of Warcraft creators Blizzard.
It's unclear if this new MMO will be related to the Call of Duty universe or something entirely new, but it wouldn't be the first time a CoD MMO was hinted at.
Neither Infinity Ward nor Activision have yet responded to our inquiries regarding this rumor.
According to a VG247 source, Infinity Ward is not working on another Modern Warfare. Instead they're working on something "completely new." This shouldn't come as a huge surprise, however. In October, the voice of Infinity Ward, Robert Bowling, said, "Right now, we don't have a clue what our next game is going to be, and we won't know what it will be until we finish with Modern Warfare 2, which won't be for a while."
We also know that Modern Warfare 2 is getting add-on content, which will be timed exclusives for the Xbox 360.
Obviously we cannot confirm the validity of VG247's sources, nor will Activision or Infinity Ward comment on such speculation. In the meantime, take this as it is, a rumor.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has to have one of the best accompanying soundtracks I've ever heard in a game. There's no doubt that legendary composer Hans Zimmer did a stellar job, which is why it's exciting to hear that the Modern Warfare 2 soundtrack will be releasing soon. There was a noted on Zimmer's Facebook page that reads:
Last month, CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 - featuring a score by Hans - shattered video game release records, grossing over $300 million in just the first few days. A soundtrack album is in the works!
Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling also tweeted the note, saying, "Looks like we might be closer to an official #MW2 Soundtrack release from Mr. Hans Zimmer than I first expected."
This is great news because now fans can listen to the excellent soundtrack without playing the shite campaign!
Edging out Assassin's Creed II, FIFA 10 and Wii Sports Resort for the Holiday week in the UK is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. For the seventh consecutive week, Modern Warfare 2 has been the highest-selling game in the country. FIFA 10 is a sure contender, however, as it fell just 2,000 copies shy of Infinity Ward's FPS last week after it experienced an 18% jump in sales.
How long can MW2 hold on? Of course, part of the reason it's held on for so long is because there haven't been any big titles recently. With Mass Effect 2 right around the corner, it probably won't hold out much longer.
BNG Crew
