A dispute has arisen between Call of Duty franchise owner Activision and its big rival, EA, regarding the release of the Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package. The centre of the dispute? One former head developer at Infinity Ward, Vince Zampella.
Accusations from the publisher state that Zampella purposefully delayed the release of the DLC map pack in order to assist sales of EA's own FPS competitor, Battlefield: Bad Company 2.
It has become part of the ongoing case between Activison and Vince Zampella and Jason West regarding their disruptive and hasty dismissal from former developer Inifinty Ward and their forming of EA signed studio Respawn Entertainment.
Activision has submitted emails to the courts regarding the supposed hold up of the DLC release, suggesting a direct collaboration between Zampella and EA's executives over the scheme and the delay of the map pack release.
One of the e-mails includes a message from EA's senior director of global marketing, Lincoln Hershberger, to EA executives including Battlefield executive producer, Karl-Magnuss Troedsson. Its contents read that:
"A couple months ago, I asked Vince to hold back their map pack until after we launched (he owes me one). Given that they've already made a billion, he was cool with that, obviously Kotick took it as being belligerent."
EA's Bad Company 2 saw release on March 2nd 2010, with Modern Warfare 2's Stimulus Package following in downloadable form on March 30th. Zampella and West being sacked from Infinty Ward was made public on March 3rd, supposedly the same day the above email was sent.
EA's Jeff Brown claimed the email was meant in jest and accused Activision of taking it too seriously. "This was obviously sarcasm," Brown told Gamasutra. "It's clear from the email this was a joke and they never spoke. We explained this to lawyers at Activision - who apparently don't have much of a sense of humor."
The case continues.
Source: Gamasutra via GI.biz
Accusations from the publisher state that Zampella purposefully delayed the release of the DLC map pack in order to assist sales of EA's own FPS competitor, Battlefield: Bad Company 2.
It has become part of the ongoing case between Activison and Vince Zampella and Jason West regarding their disruptive and hasty dismissal from former developer Inifinty Ward and their forming of EA signed studio Respawn Entertainment.
Activision has submitted emails to the courts regarding the supposed hold up of the DLC release, suggesting a direct collaboration between Zampella and EA's executives over the scheme and the delay of the map pack release.
One of the e-mails includes a message from EA's senior director of global marketing, Lincoln Hershberger, to EA executives including Battlefield executive producer, Karl-Magnuss Troedsson. Its contents read that:
"A couple months ago, I asked Vince to hold back their map pack until after we launched (he owes me one). Given that they've already made a billion, he was cool with that, obviously Kotick took it as being belligerent."
EA's Bad Company 2 saw release on March 2nd 2010, with Modern Warfare 2's Stimulus Package following in downloadable form on March 30th. Zampella and West being sacked from Infinty Ward was made public on March 3rd, supposedly the same day the above email was sent.
EA's Jeff Brown claimed the email was meant in jest and accused Activision of taking it too seriously. "This was obviously sarcasm," Brown told Gamasutra. "It's clear from the email this was a joke and they never spoke. We explained this to lawyers at Activision - who apparently don't have much of a sense of humor."
The case continues.
Source: Gamasutra via GI.biz
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Comments
gingineer 21 Jan 2011 13:22
1/2
Indeed that on the surface looks damning. but it would be interesting if it is backed up by Activision/Infinity Ward staff claiming how he blocked or delayed the release of the software...
Without that i don't think it proves anything.
Without that i don't think it proves anything.
DoctorDee 22 Jan 2011 08:00
2/2
I think it proves that you have to be careful what you write, even in jest. And who you send it to.
Big companies aren;t famous for the sense of humour, especially where billion dollar franchises are concerned.
Big companies aren;t famous for the sense of humour, especially where billion dollar franchises are concerned.