Activision: We treat our developers extremely well

Activision: 'We treat our developers extremely well'

April 16, 2010| 4:25pm

Ever since Activision Blizzard Inc. fired two top developers of its blockbuster Call of Duty game franchise in March for alleged "insubordination," the word on the Web is one of sympathy -- for the developers.

The former employees, Jason West and Vince Zampella, were heralded as heroes for suing Activision, while the company's executives were branded as "dimwitted morons" for dismissing the two from their jobs at Infinity Ward, the studio that makes Call of Duty games.

Last week, Activision struck back with a countersuit that tried to reverse the popularity tide, accusing West and Zampella of being "self-serving schemers" by trying to start their own independent studio while still working at Activision. But aside from terse statements and lawsuits, Activision executives have largely tried to maintain a safe distance from the fallout at Infinity Ward.

Until this week.

On Thursday, Thomas Tippl, Activision's chief operating officer and chief financial officer, broke the silence to answer some questions regarding the future of the Call of Duty franchise, which has so far generated more than $4 billion in retail sales worldwide since it launched in 2003.

Here's an edited transcript of the interview.

Q: With two high-profile lawsuits underway, do you think you'll have trouble persuading talented developers to work for you?

Tippl: If you put yourself in the developer's shoes, the ability to work on the biggest franchise in the industry and bring your creative product to an audience the size of the Call of Duty franchise is an opportunity many would crave.

Q: A few days ago, Infinity Ward lost two other top developers, Todd Alderman and Francesco Gigliotti. Should fans be worried about the future of the Call of Duty franchise now that four of its top developers have either quit or were fired?

Tippl: It's not a secret that Call of Duty has been one of the most successful franchises in the industry. The franchise plays an extremely important role within the overall plans for Activision. A couple of weeks ago, we announced we will get more focused with a dedicated Call of Duty business to rally the best talent of the company against the opportunity that Call of Duty presents for the company. We've had multiple studios working with the franchise so we can come up with innovative, new content every year. Nobody should be surprised that we will continue to focus disproportionately against the franchise.

Q: How many studios do you have working on Call of Duty games now?

Tippl: Today, we have three studios working on Call of Duty. We have Infinity Ward, which made Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Then we have Treyarch, which will be releasing a Call of Duty game in the fall of 2010. Treyarch also developed Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty 3. And, most recently, we've added Sledgehammer in the Bay Area. We haven't yet announced the content of their game, but it's going to be an innovative take that will further broaden the audience for Call of Duty.

Q: What's going to happen at Infinity Ward? Word on the street is that the studio lacks leadership and direction.

Tippl: We have interim leadership in place. We have two senior execs currently: Steve Pearce, our chief technology officer, and Steve Ackrich, who is the head of production for the company. We are currently in the process of configuring the new leadership team there. Infinity Ward still has nearly 100 people. They've built a deep bench, and the change of guard will provide an opportunity for some of the rising stars to put their own stamp on the Call of Duty franchise. In addition, we will provide them with all the resources internally and recruit talent from the outside.

Q: There's a lot of sympathy out there for West and Zampella expressed on fan sites and gaming sites. But Activision is being painted as a greedy corporate overlord. How does this sit with you?

Tippl: We treat our developers extremely well. We have an independent studio model that provides them a lot of creative freedom while we take care of the back office stuff so they can focus on making games. If their games are successful, they are compensated better here than anywhere else. We've been paying our talent millions of dollars for their work. Our setup provides a win-win opportunity. We ensure your work will reach a wide audience. Therefore, we have attracted, and we will continue to attract, the top talent in this industry.

-- Alex Pham

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/04/activision-infinity-ward-call-of-duty-lawsuit.html

LOL, I don't know what to say

this was coming from the same guy that previously said he liked to take the fun out of developing games?

this was coming from the same guy that previously said he liked to take the fun out of developing games?

dragonfly110

this was coming from the same guy that previously said he liked to take the fun out of developing games?

dragonfly110

We haven't yet announced the content of their game, but it's going to be an innovative take that will further broaden the audience for Call of Duty.

Yikes.... super casual fun time inc?

oh I didnt read them introducing who it was, i just skipped straight on down to the Q&a portion.

still like you said though, if hes good enough to move up the ranks for kotick, I highly doubt he's the nicest guy in the industry.

We haven't yet announced the content of their game, but it's going to be an innovative take that will further broaden the audience for Call of Duty.

Yikes.... super casual fun time inc?

Espada12

Activision: "We've had multiple studios working with the franchise so we can come up with innovative, new content every year."

lagos4u2c

Lol

[QUOTE="Espada12"]

We haven't yet announced the content of their game, but it's going to be an innovative take that will further broaden the audience for Call of Duty.

Yikes.... super casual fun time inc?

Miroku32

Im still hoping for a mix with haloe I can see it now

"Halo: Call of Reach"

[QUOTE="Miroku32"][QUOTE="Espada12"]

We haven't yet announced the content of their game, but it's going to be an innovative take that will further broaden the audience for Call of Duty.

Yikes.... super casual fun time inc?

dragonfly110

Im still hoping for a mix with haloe I can see it now

"Halo: Call of Reach"

[QUOTE="dragonfly110"]

[QUOTE="Miroku32"] Call of Duty: War at Space or perhaps World of Duty. Miroku32

Im still hoping for a mix with haloe I can see it now

"Halo: Call of Reach"

its a bad pun, I woulda done one with something multiplat but I couldnt think of anything.

http://hothardware.com/News/Activision-Blizzard-CEO-Bobby-Kotick-Talks-Gaming-Hates-Happy-People/

"[Bobby Kotick's] long-term vision, in his own words, is to instill the corporate culture with "skepticism, pessimism, and fear...We are very good at keeping people focused on the deep depression."

this was coming from the same guy that previously said he liked to take the fun out of developing games?

dragonfly110

Well, they don't kidnap employees like Nintendo does....Willy105

Pessimism. Skepticism. Fear.

Edit: Dammit Brownesque beat me to the quote :(

[QUOTE="dragonfly110"]

this was coming from the same guy that previously said he liked to take the fun out of developing games?

Fightingfan

Well, they don't kidnap employees like Nintendo does....Willy105

brownesque linked the story for me, I got it mixed up, it was activisions CEO that said that.

Well, they don't kidnap employees like Nintendo does....Willy105

They treat their developers well, yet they shut down Luxoflux, Shaba Games, RedOctane, Sierra Entertainment, and Underground Development since 2008 alone. This also doesn't take into account the number of layoffs they have had in recent years. Sorry, but I don't buy their story at all.

[QUOTE="Fightingfan"] [QUOTE="Willy105"]Well, they don't kidnap employees like Nintendo does....Willy105

[QUOTE="Willy105"][QUOTE="Fightingfan"] Link, i have to read that.Fightingfan

I agree, I also figured that candy and raises were involved as well...

Activision: 'We treat our developers extremely well'

April 16, 2010| 4:25pm

Ever since Activision Blizzard Inc. fired two top developers of its blockbuster Call of Duty game franchise in March for alleged "insubordination," the word on the Web is one of sympathy -- for the developers.

The former employees, Jason West and Vince Zampella, were heralded as heroes for suing Activision, while the company's executives were branded as "dimwitted morons" for dismissing the two from their jobs at Infinity Ward, the studio that makes Call of Duty games.

Last week, Activision struck back with a countersuit that tried to reverse the popularity tide, accusing West and Zampella of being "self-serving schemers" by trying to start their own independent studio while still working at Activision. But aside from terse statements and lawsuits, Activision executives have largely tried to maintain a safe distance from the fallout at Infinity Ward.

Until this week.

On Thursday, Thomas Tippl, Activision's chief operating officer and chief financial officer, broke the silence to answer some questions regarding the future of the Call of Duty franchise, which has so far generated more than $4 billion in retail sales worldwide since it launched in 2003.

Here's an edited transcript of the interview.

Q: With two high-profile lawsuits underway, do you think you'll have trouble persuading talented developers to work for you?

Tippl: If you put yourself in the developer's shoes, the ability to work on the biggest franchise in the industry and bring your creative product to an audience the size of the Call of Duty franchise is an opportunity many would crave.

Q: A few days ago, Infinity Ward lost two other top developers, Todd Alderman and Francesco Gigliotti. Should fans be worried about the future of the Call of Duty franchise now that four of its top developers have either quit or were fired?

Tippl: It's not a secret that Call of Duty has been one of the most successful franchises in the industry. The franchise plays an extremely important role within the overall plans for Activision. A couple of weeks ago, we announced we will get more focused with a dedicated Call of Duty business to rally the best talent of the company against the opportunity that Call of Duty presents for the company. We've had multiple studios working with the franchise so we can come up with innovative, new content every year. Nobody should be surprised that we will continue to focus disproportionately against the franchise.

Q: How many studios do you have working on Call of Duty games now?

Tippl: Today, we have three studios working on Call of Duty. We have Infinity Ward, which made Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Then we have Treyarch, which will be releasing a Call of Duty game in the fall of 2010. Treyarch also developed Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty 3. And, most recently, we've added Sledgehammer in the Bay Area. We haven't yet announced the content of their game, but it's going to be an innovative take that will further broaden the audience for Call of Duty.

Q: What's going to happen at Infinity Ward? Word on the street is that the studio lacks leadership and direction.

Tippl: We have interim leadership in place. We have two senior execs currently: Steve Pearce, our chief technology officer, and Steve Ackrich, who is the head of production for the company. We are currently in the process of configuring the new leadership team there. Infinity Ward still has nearly 100 people. They've built a deep bench, and the change of guard will provide an opportunity for some of the rising stars to put their own stamp on the Call of Duty franchise. In addition, we will provide them with all the resources internally and recruit talent from the outside.

Q: There's a lot of sympathy out there for West and Zampella expressed on fan sites and gaming sites. But Activision is being painted as a greedy corporate overlord. How does this sit with you?

Tippl: We treat our developers extremely well. We have an independent studio model that provides them a lot of creative freedom while we take care of the back office stuff so they can focus on making games. If their games are successful, they are compensated better here than anywhere else. We've been paying our talent millions of dollars for their work. Our setup provides a win-win opportunity. We ensure your work will reach a wide audience. Therefore, we have attracted, and we will continue to attract, the top talent in this industry.

-- Alex Pham

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/04/activision-infinity-ward-call-of-duty-lawsuit.htmlThey

LOL, I don't know what to say

lagos4u2c

They treat their developers extremely well? Then I wonder what they have to say about this:

Following yesterday's Q4 earnings call, rumors started to circulate today that Activision is laying off employees from various studios. Rumors began when 3D Realms co-founder George Broussard tweeted the news. Sources told us that Radical Entertainment, makers of Prototype, had been reduced by as much as 50%. Neversoft is said to be eliminating the Guitar Hero team after completion of Guitar Hero 6 in April, and the franchise may move to Vicarious Visions. Finally, Luxoflux, known for licensed titles like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is reported to be closing completely.

Activision confirmed the rumors with a statement sent to the press. "Activision Publishing continually evaluates its resources to ensure that they are properly matched against its products and strategic goals," the statement read. "In 2010, the company's sku count will be smaller than in 2009 driven in part, by a decrease in the number of music-based games we will be releasing." The statement goes on to say that they are "realigning our resources to better reflect our slate and the market opportunities."

We did note yesterday that Activision would be drastically reducing the number of Guitar Hero games this year, but these layoffs still come as unfortunate news for the team at Neversoft. It's also odd for Activision to be cutting one of their most active developers of licensed games, after hearing yesterday of several licensed titles planned for 2010. We wish the best to all those affected by the layoffs, and hope they land on their feet soon.

1UP

Right Activision. I believe you. :|

I needed a good laugh. Thanks, Activision!

I believe it.

[QUOTE="Espada12"]

We haven't yet announced the content of their game, but it's going to be an innovative take that will further broaden the audience for Call of Duty.

Yikes.... super casual fun time inc?

Miroku32

Call of Duty Wars

I can't wait for Call of Duty: Guitar Hero!

Oh come on this is getting ridiculous of course they treat employees well... Why are Infinity Ward the only developer who was Victimized??? Because they violated their contract? (poor them) seriously and what else are they going to make another shooter? ghost392

Well, I doubt they beat them with whips or anything, but it's pretty obvious that Activision largely likes to be in control of the direction of their annually exploitable franchises. Especially when it comes to an IP as important as Call of Duty. Ask all the former Guitar Hero developers. Or Double Fine. Or the people of this entire damn ongoing situation. People who have been with a studio for eight years don't just up and leave if everything's peachy.

"We treat our developers extremely well. We have an independent studio model that provides them a lot of creative freedom while we take care of the back office stuff so they can focus on making games. If their games are successful, they are compensated better here than anywhere else. We've been paying our talent millions of dollars for their work. Our setup provides a win-win opportunity. We ensure your work will reach a wide audience. Therefore, we have attracted, and we will continue to attract, the top talent in this industry."

Ha, they don't attract talent, they buy them out. What was the last big franchise that Activision launched? All their big franchise we're started outside Activision and then bought up: Guitar Hero, Call of Duty, Warcraft, Diablo.

I think Tim Shafer put it best (see my sig).

how can you call yourself a gamer if you support this evil company?forza420

[QUOTE="ghost392"]Oh come on this is getting ridiculous of course they treat employees well... Why are Infinity Ward the only developer who was Victimized??? Because they violated their contract? (poor them) seriously and what else are they going to make another shooter? InsaneBasura

Well, I doubt they beat them with whips or anything, but it's pretty obvious that Activision largely likes to be in control of the direction of their annually exploitable franchises. Especially when it comes to an IP as important as Call of Duty. Ask all the former Guitar Hero developers. Or Double Fine. Or the people of this entire damn ongoing situation. People who have been with a studio for eight years don't just up and leave if everything's peachy.

Well thats good because they ummmm idk bought them, fundraise them , and advertise them

[QUOTE="InsaneBasura"]

[QUOTE="ghost392"]Oh come on this is getting ridiculous of course they treat employees well... Why are Infinity Ward the only developer who was Victimized??? Because they violated their contract? (poor them) seriously and what else are they going to make another shooter? ghost392

Well, I doubt they beat them with whips or anything, but it's pretty obvious that Activision largely likes to be in control of the direction of their annually exploitable franchises. Especially when it comes to an IP as important as Call of Duty. Ask all the former Guitar Hero developers. Or Double Fine. Or the people of this entire damn ongoing situation. People who have been with a studio for eight years don't just up and leave if everything's peachy.

Well thats good because they ummmm idk bought them, fundraise them , and advertise them

Buying out a studio doesn't mean you run them into the ground. The best companies know that you leave creative freedom with your developers and allow them to work at their own pace, so you avoid burnout, fatigue, and disgruntled employees.

And this is exactly what Activision did. They were on IW's ass to crank out more CoD games, despite their desire to move to a different project and try to create a new IP. As a result, Activision made a contract with West and Zampella stating that they would makde MW2, then be allowed to work on any new IP they wished afterward. (Among other things)

So, as soon as they're done making MW2, they're suddenly fired, and the reason is they were looking at leaving Activision to form their own company? They had over $30 million in royalties coming to them, and a guarantee that they would be allowed to work on a new IP. Why the hell would they try to break off with Activision all of the sudden?

We all know you love Activision, but come on, let's bee realistic. Bobby Kotick is a douchebag of the highest order, and even if West and Zampella weren't completely innocent in this whole situation, everything does point to them getting the short end of the stick.

You know, I was getting worried about this whole Activision:evil: scandal, but now that Activision has said they treat their employees well, I feel a lot better.

*sits in chair and stares at TV eating Cheetos*

[QUOTE="ghost392"]

[QUOTE="InsaneBasura"]

Well, I doubt they beat them with whips or anything, but it's pretty obvious that Activision largely likes to be in control of the direction of their annually exploitable franchises. Especially when it comes to an IP as important as Call of Duty. Ask all the former Guitar Hero developers. Or Double Fine. Or the people of this entire damn ongoing situation. People who have been with a studio for eight years don't just up and leave if everything's peachy.

Greyfeld

Well thats good because they ummmm idk bought them, fundraise them , and advertise them

Buying out a studio doesn't mean you run them into the ground. The best companies know that you leave creative freedom with your developers and allow them to work at their own pace, so you avoid burnout, fatigue, and disgruntled employees.

And this is exactly what Activision did. They were on IW's ass to crank out more CoD games, despite their desire to move to a different project and try to create a new IP. As a result, Activision made a contract with West and Zampella stating that they would makde MW2, then be allowed to work on any new IP they wished afterward. (Among other things)

So, as soon as they're done making MW2, they're suddenly fired, and the reason is they were looking at leaving Activision to form their own company? They had over $30 million in royalties coming to them, and a guarantee that they would be allowed to work on a new IP. Why the hell would they try to break off with Activision all of the sudden?

We all know you love Activision, but come on, let's bee realistic. Bobby Kotick is a douchebag of the highest order, and even if West and Zampella weren't completely innocent in this whole situation, everything does point to them getting the short end of the stick.

How do you know the details of the contract or are you going by the guys who have had a history of trouble with publishers?

They were fired for not wanting to work on MW3 when Activision pays the bills and decides what their project will be

I do not love Activision but I respect them and

SEE!!!! Everyone needs to chill out!!! Activision's got this. They treat their employees well.

[QUOTE="forza420"]how can you call yourself a gamer if you support this evil company?Willy105

[QUOTE="Espada12"]

We haven't yet announced the content of their game, but it's going to be an innovative take that will further broaden the audience for Call of Duty.

Yikes.... super casual fun time inc?

Miroku32

[QUOTE="ghost392"]

[QUOTE="InsaneBasura"]

Well, I doubt they beat them with whips or anything, but it's pretty obvious that Activision largely likes to be in control of the direction of their annually exploitable franchises. Especially when it comes to an IP as important as Call of Duty. Ask all the former Guitar Hero developers. Or Double Fine. Or the people of this entire damn ongoing situation. People who have been with a studio for eight years don't just up and leave if everything's peachy.

Greyfeld

Well thats good because they ummmm idk bought them, fundraise them , and advertise them

Buying out a studio doesn't mean you run them into the ground. The best companies know that you leave creative freedom with your developers and allow them to work at their own pace, so you avoid burnout, fatigue, and disgruntled employees.

And this is exactly what Activision did. They were on IW's ass to crank out more CoD games, despite their desire to move to a different project and try to create a new IP. As a result, Activision made a contract with West and Zampella stating that they would makde MW2, then be allowed to work on any new IP they wished afterward. (Among other things)

So, as soon as they're done making MW2, they're suddenly fired, and the reason is they were looking at leaving Activision to form their own company? They had over $30 million in royalties coming to them, and a guarantee that they would be allowed to work on a new IP. Why the hell would they try to break off with Activision all of the sudden?

We all know you love Activision, but come on, let's bee realistic. Bobby Kotick is a douchebag of the highest order, and even if West and Zampella weren't completely innocent in this whole situation, everything does point to them getting the short end of the stick.

hmmmmmmm

I would just like to point out 2 small things here that prove to me that CoD is truly dead

Q: A few days ago, Infinity Ward lost two other top developers, Todd Alderman and Francesco Gigliotti. Should fans be worried about the future of the Call of Duty franchise now that four of its top developers have either quit or were fired?

Tippl: It's not a secret that Call of Duty has been one of the most successful franchises in the industry. The franchise plays an extremely important role within the overall plans for Activision. A couple of weeks ago, we announced we will get more focused with a dedicated Call of Duty business to rally the best talent of the company against the opportunity that Call of Duty presents for the company. We've had multiple studios working with the franchise so we can come up with innovative, new content every year. Nobody should be surprised that we will continue to focus disproportionately against the franchise.

Im all for constant new content, but releasing a full game, especialy a shooter, is just sad. yet thet continue

Q: How many studios do you have working on Call of Duty games now?

Tippl: Today, we have three studios working on Call of Duty. We have Infinity Ward, which made Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Then we have Treyarch, which will be releasing a Call of Duty game in the fall of 2010. Treyarch also developed Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty 3. And, most recently, we've added Sledgehammer in the Bay Area. We haven't yet announced the content of their game, but it's going to be an innovative take that will further broaden the audience for Call of Duty.

First and foremost, there is yet anoher CoD next year.

but between treyarch and IW we are already getting yearly releases, with sledgehammer we are going to see releases almost at a guitar hero scale (compared to the average shooter frachise anyway)

its quite sad really, to see my once beloved franchise be reduced to this

Microsoft is worse. All the studios they have bought were either dissolved or in dire times. Just look at Ensemble Studios (dissolved), the guys that made Flight Simulator (dissolved), and Rare (lost a lot of popularity).Willy105

Yeah, they need to take a look at EA's experience with that.

I cannot even count the amount of incidents that contracdicts his statements....

[QUOTE="Willy105"] Microsoft is worse. All the studios they have bought were either dissolved or in dire times. Just look at Ensemble Studios (dissolved), the guys that made Flight Simulator (dissolved), and Rare (lost a lot of popularity)._Tobli_

Yeah, they need to take a look at EA's experience with that.

Rare's games being are great and if you feel their bad I dont know why you blame MS because they give them the Dev time they need...

[QUOTE="lagos4u2c"]

Activision: "We've had multiple studios working with the franchise so we can come up with innovative, new content every year."

Lol

[QUOTE="lagos4u2c"]

Activision: "We've had multiple studios working with the franchise so we can come up with innovative, new content every year."

Lol