EA: Activision Went And Shot Their Triple Crown Horse

Things are rough for Activision and Infinity Ward and although you've heard what journalists have to say, you haven't heard what the competition has to say...

EA has inked a deal with ex-IW bosses Vince Zampella and Jason West to publish games from Respawn Entertainment, the new studio founded by the freshly fired duo. And up until now, EA hasn't really commented on the whole Activision/IW snafu. However, now that Infinity Ward has lost a grand total of 13 employees - many of them key members - most are beginning to see this as a negative occurrence for Activision. According to Industry Gamers, EA director of corporate communications Jeff Brown at first said they didn't "have time" to offer a comment on the issue at hand. But now that Activision has raised its fiscal outlook due to the immense success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Brown just couldn't help himself; he said:

"This is kind of like announcing: the race horse I shot last month has won the Triple Crown!"

Oh come on, you got a laugh out of that. We sure did. Although Activision is currently riding high on the success of MW2, EA has got to be snickering a bit at the recent falling-out because it seems as if they're bound to benefit. It's difficult to imagine that new games from Respawn Entertainment would fail, what with the talent and publishing power behind them. The future will be interesting, that's for sure.

4/15/2010 9:07:46 PM Ben Dutka

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Comments (56 posts)

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The_R0gue_Ninja
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 9:49:12 PM
Reply

That is hilarious!!!

1 up, 0 down

Kowhoho
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 9:52:10 PM
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Awesome, awesome quote. On th subject of this whole legal debacle, I've seen Activision trying to put most of the bad rap on their two employees, but I personally think there was foul play at both ends. It takes a lot to motivate someone to start talking to a competitor of their company (allegedly). Did the employees at IW even get payed yet?

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:04:35 PM

Those two big shots haven't gotten the money they say there were owed yet. Erm, um allegedly...

1 up, 0 down

frylock25
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:04:47 PM

i would guess if they didnt get paid by the time all that happened, they probably still did not get paid

4 up, 0 down

Kowhoho
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:12:00 PM

I didn't just mean the two that were in the lawsuit. I thought that NOBODY had been paid yet.

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:16:01 PM

If they haven't that explains why they left, lol. Or they just love their bosses and team.

0 up, 0 down

The_R0gue_Ninja
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 9:52:32 PM
Reply

Also, this leaves me feeling very optimistic about the games Respawn Entertainment will be able to develop.

3 up, 0 down

frylock25
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:02:41 PM

yeah maybe they will pump out something bad ass for EA. then maybe it will break the record set for mw2. (not likly but we can hope)

3 up, 0 down

Naztycuts
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 10:26:20 PM
Reply

They'll laugh even harder if MoH sells more than the NEW CoD, I personally cant wait it sounds like they really are gunning for the MW crown. I dont think the BFBC-MW comparison is fair theyre pretty different in terms of gameplay. BF has huge maps and vehicles everywhere, MW has killstreaks and goofy unlimited running/really fast movement/Stab 50 ft perks. Im hoping MoH is the perfect balance of MW and BF with a peek from cover feature. I wonder how well that peek feature will work online?

1 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:06:09 PM

I was upset that we lost the cover feature online in KZ2.

3 up, 0 down

Kowhoho
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:20:23 PM

Somehow I don't think cover would have worked well in Killzone 2's online. Particularily like the Vektan airship map. Only one guy could take a corner...

1 up, 0 down

ace_boon_coon
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 8:23:44 AM

the cover online in KZ2 would have been horrible. it would end up like gears of war. people just stayin in cover

0 up, 0 down

BTNwarrior
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 10:40:56 PM
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I'm placing bets that the next franchise that Activision is going to ruin will be starcraft. Any competition?

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:06:59 PM

one might say the series is already ruined by Web of Shadows but as interesting as the new Spiderman looks, it could really turn out bad if they aren't careful.

0 up, 0 down

Kowhoho
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:17:12 PM

I thought Spiderman 3 was awful. It may have had some subtitle or something, but you played Spiderman and Venom seperately...? Yeah it was really bad. There was a DS (or maybe even GB?) version that sucked even worse. Can't really remember the whole title though... Now it's gonna bother me.

Last edited by Kowhoho on 4/15/2010 11:17:55 PM

0 up, 0 down

JackC8
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 6:42:51 AM

I'm kind of looking for World of Warcraft monthly fees to start increasing. Gotta make money somewhere.

0 up, 0 down

Snaaaake
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 10:45:20 PM
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Activision done it, now all that's left is paying the price for it.

0 up, 0 down

BikerSaint
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 10:46:30 PM
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Anti-vision has continually shot itself in both feet with all these lawsuits over the last year or so.
It serves them right that they become cannon fodder for whomever wants to fire a shot or two or few dozen more right across anti-vision's bow.

Hey Boobie K, after you're all done drowning in lawsuits, don't forget to visit Davey Jone's Locker.

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 10:46:48 PM
Reply

You reap what you sow, Activision deserves no less than to be doomed for their hubris.

5 up, 0 down

MysteriousMagus
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 10:59:12 PM
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hahahah... fail or win?

Damn, Activision screwed up badly now... >__<

2 up, 0 down

frylock25
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:00:26 PM
Reply

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

good.

1 up, 0 down

Kowhoho
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:13:13 PM

Beeeeeedoobop I am a robot.... Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha good beeedoobop....

1 up, 0 down

booze925
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:01:30 PM
Reply

damn.
lets hope all the IW employees join respawn. if EA gets BFBC, MoH, and a kickass new IP from ex- IW employees, activision is screwed.

0 up, 0 down

tes37
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:02:21 PM
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It's funny how the History channel is running a show about greed today. Maybe Activision should take a peek.

3 up, 0 down

Alienange
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:07:45 PM
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13 and counting I'm sure.

Hey Activision, in the words of many a CoD player, "You got pwned."

7 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:14:54 PM

and teabagged... by the tea party, and Mr. T.

Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 4/15/2010 11:15:09 PM

8 up, 0 down

leatherface
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 12:29:56 AM

@ World, hell yeah!! like Dale's drums in the movie Stepbrothers.

6 up, 0 down

SvenMD
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 9:18:17 AM

Hell yeah, it's the fu**ing Catalina Wine Mixer!

2 up, 0 down

Alienange
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 12:11:38 PM

I wish I could teabag in MW2. People don't always check the killcam to see that you were right behind them the whole time.

0 up, 0 down

Hezzron
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:21:23 PM
Reply

It's funny because it's true.

I don't usually find it classy when someone takes a cheap shot at their competition, but in this case I'll gladly make an exception.

I hope EA reminds them on a regular basis that they got raped....and it's their own fault.

4 up, 0 down

BikerSaint
Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 11:26:48 PM
Reply

LOL World,
And by Lipton Tea, Salada, Tetley, Bigelow, Nestles, and a few dozen more refreshment companies I can't think of at the moment

Last edited by BikerSaint on 4/15/2010 11:27:16 PM

0 up, 0 down

jaybiv
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 1:51:41 AM
Reply

Why all the Activision hate? EA is just as greedy and heavy-handed when it comes to their games. If Bad Company ever gets into a market leading position, you can kiss those free map packs goodbye. They are only giving them away now to get people to buy the game and steal MW2's thunder.

0 up, 5 down

aaronisbla
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 2:59:40 AM

Thats not true at all, those map packs are free to those who buy the game new, used owners have to pay for them. Its one of the things EA is doing to combat gamestop and other outlets that sells used games since they get no profit from used games.

So no, it won't stop as it gives gamers an good reason for buying new. They did this with Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2, not just BFBC2

Last edited by aaronisbla on 4/16/2010 3:00:45 AM

7 up, 0 down

Jawknee
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 11:47:51 AM

Not the biggest fan of EA but you can't deny they are a way better company then Activision. I bet your going to buy that $15 map pack for MW2 aren't you?

0 up, 1 down

Imagi
Sunday, April 18, 2010 @ 3:33:29 PM

If you don't know why their is hate for Activision then you should do your homework.

0 up, 0 down

___________
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 2:15:59 AM
Reply

they did?
12 million sales say otherwise!
as if they care, as long as it brings in the cashola thats all that matters!
and clearly it certainly did that, not to mention the 2M downloads for the first DLC pack in the matter of 7 days.
if said it once, twice, three times and ill say it again.
activision could make a game of a goat taking a sh*t and it would sell millions as long as it has the call of duty name slapped on the front!

its amazing how blindly the sheep will follow a brand name these days! kinda, no extremely pathetic!

2 up, 5 down

aaronisbla
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 3:06:20 AM

you totally missed the point of the comment, try truly reading it again.

He isn't saying it sold badly, he is saying that the team that earned them all that money is damaged right now, with 13 members gone and probably more to follow. Quite a few of those are key members also who are probably more loyal to the 2 fired members more than to Activision.

Its a hole in a large dam and if Activision doesn't do something in their favor fast, its only gonna get worse. thats the point of his comment

Last edited by aaronisbla on 4/16/2010 3:07:54 AM

5 up, 0 down

___________
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 8:04:28 AM

i dont think its going to effect them that much.
as i have said many times people buy games on name brand alone so the title call of duty modern warfare will be more than enough to carry them along.
sure it will hurt them, but as long as activision still contains the IP than they will be fine.
if Respawn Entertainment end up getting the IP, than thats a whole different kettle of fish.

0 up, 2 down

Jawknee
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 11:49:23 AM

Sure it will affect them. Whats a jelly donut if you take all filling out? its just a regular donut.

0 up, 0 down

Highlander
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 12:18:08 PM

Having a IP is one thing, having a good development staff is another. Take Naughty Dog as an example. They didn't own the Crash Bandicoot IP, and when Naughty Dog moved on and Universal went on to have Crash games developed by a third party, how good where they? They weren't able to hold a candle to the originals, consequently they sold like the dogs they were.

Acivision may (or may not) retain the rights to CoD, but without the key developers it's like having the a 350Z keyring. It looks like you have a 350Z, but in fact all you really have is a Dodge Neon.

0 up, 0 down

___________
Saturday, April 17, 2010 @ 7:29:38 AM

i know im not saying it wont effect them, but i dont think it will effect them that much.

a jelly doughnut without the jelly is still a doughnut.

and the crash games sucked for one simple reason.
the developers making them plain out sucked!
IW still has quite a few skilled veteran developers, as long as they have those they should be fine!

0 up, 0 down

Imagi
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 3:34:34 AM
Reply

That's funny. I really wish Activision were to fold as a company, it would only be good for gamers, shame it will not happen.

0 up, 0 down

little dreamer
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 3:54:21 AM
Reply

lol this is funny

0 up, 0 down

Dancemachine55
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 4:23:27 AM
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Here's hoping the lawyer's fees will send Activision into a downward spiral towards bankruptcy.

And it's not like Tony Hawk or their "Hero" games are selling any better. Call of Duty really was their AAA title, and now their poor decisions and management has caused the developers of their most successful game series to seek other employment.

If I were the head of Activision (Kotick), I'd take a real hard look at myself in the mirror and think of what I've done. Then, I'd resign and allow someone good-hearted and capable to take over Activision, restore it to its former glory.

Why hasn't the Activision board fired this guy already?!?!?! Kotick is clearly getting bad press, pushing franchises to the point of extreme staleness and driving the company slowly into bankruptcy with no long term plan!!!

It'll be interesting to see how the next bunch of Call of Duty games fare against Bad Company 3, MOH and Respawn's next project. If they still sell like hotcakes, it will clearly be driven by product name only, that a shooter with "Call of Duty" stuck on it will sell highly at first until people realise the competition is far better.

3 up, 0 down

LightShow
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 6:53:09 AM

your last paragraph reminds me of when harmonix separated from activision, went to EA, and announced rock band. just about everybody who paid attention to the situation declared that all the talent was out of guitar hero and, therefore, it would crumble.

but name loyalty has kept it alive until today. they still sell. i suspect the same will happen with CoD

0 up, 0 down

JackC8
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 6:39:22 AM
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Hey Kotick, how's that whole "creating an atmosphere of skepticism, pessimism, and fear" at the company going?

0 up, 0 down

Kiengo
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 7:39:46 AM
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Very stupid move on Activision's part.

2 up, 0 down

SvenMD
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 9:19:00 AM
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I just love how their new studio is called "Respawn Entertainment" - that's great.

0 up, 0 down

YesterdysRising
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 10:58:47 AM
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It was definitely a dumb move by Activision but at the same time, there are so many people out there that are completely uninformed and won't have any idea that this all went down. The next COD will come out and most people will still go run out and buy it on the first day whether it's still a solid title or not. That team of people gave COD the fan base it has and I think Activision will still profit from it in the future even without those employees. Maybe not as much, but still a ton. I guess it depends on how they decide to manage the franchise, although I don't have a lot of confidence in Activision's decisions...

0 up, 0 down

Jawknee
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 11:50:59 AM
Reply

Good riddens. Activision has been up to nothing but jackassery this generation. Humility can hit you in the face like a ton of bricks and Activision just got hit with a whole dump truck full of them.

Frack em'.

1 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 2:05:38 PM

<English Nazi mode>

"Good riddance" :)

1 up, 1 down

Jawknee
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 2:12:25 PM

lol i even googled it before hand. Guess Google is just as bad as i am. lol

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 3:05:05 PM

it's okay, I feel bad correcting people but the English major in me fights me tooth and nail.

1 up, 0 down

Jawknee
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 4:57:11 PM

By all means, correct me anytime. As a non-English major I sometimes get irked when i see poor grammar and spelling on the internets.

1 up, 0 down

Mornelithe
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 1:01:55 PM
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Activision's had this coming for awhile now. I'm not so sure Bobby Kotick's sitting all that pretty in his seat anymore. Sure, he got some serious profibility the last several years...and also managed to put a bullet in the head of one of the studios that made that happen lol.

0 up, 0 down

StangMan80
Friday, April 16, 2010 @ 7:41:35 PM
Reply

I hope that MOH killz Mw2. I was hoping that bfbC2 would of done it but they are just to different. I think Mw2 was way overrated and not woth the dust that sits on it on my self.
I have a budy that can get this game for free bc his aunt works for them and he dont want it, But I loved the first one the second was just semmed rushed bc they new how popular it would be.

1 up, 0 down

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EA: Activision Went And Shot Their Triple Crown Horse

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