Activision’s Amrich says the studio is “a really good place to be right now”
Infinity Ward will undergo significant change in the wake of ex-staffers’ bitter legal row with Activision, an insider claims.
Activision media manager Dan Amrich says that the ongoing legal row – pitting ex-studio heads Zampella and West against the publisher – will spur a revolution at the Modern Warfare studio.
“IW still exists,” he said. “[Though] obviously its identity and company culture are going to go through huge changes in the coming months and years.”
[TIMELINE - INFINITY-GATE]
Jotting down his views on a public Facebook thread, Amrich suggested that change means opportunity.
“When stuff happens and a situation changes, we all have the same core decision: Stay the course and reinvent, or move on to something else,” he said.
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“The people who stick at IW will have to reinvent the studio, but it may well be that some of these people who cut their teeth on MW and MW2 are now ready to step up with their own ideas.”
In this light, Amrich made it clear he thinks Infinity Ward – despite accusations of low morale and, at points, studio breakdown – the company remains a top place to work in.
“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,” he said.
“There are so many young and hungry designers, programmers, and developers out there, and I suspect some of them are already employed at IW, just waiting for their shot. When the dust settles, I expect to see some talented people step up and redefine the studio.”
Elsewhere in the discussion, Amrich prised Activision for giving developers their freedom, adding that there will be three new Call of Duty games released over the next two years.
Whenever something like this has happened at a previous job of mine most people that didn't move on kept there heads down. I was usually a contractor so I was an outsider looking in. So this person is either brave or stupid.
Interesting that Amrich states his employer has been gagged on the issue due to legal reasons.
Perhaps, one could speculate, Activision has no problem with his *personal* comments appearing on a public social network.
"Three new COD in the next two years" Come on is that really necessary! Activision has milked the G/DJ Hero franchise dry why should COD be any different! I for one will try to avoid Activision and COD after see how many others have left IW sense this all started. It just proves to me how little respect these Devs had for there employer.
Haha, love that last paragraph :)
I feel bad for the Devs who weren't getting what the feel they deserved, but at the same time I don't like the direction the CoD series is heading. Maybe Zampella and West will start up a new studio and rival whatever CoD titles Activision throws out.
Good luck to all of those who left.
