Modern Warfare's Future in Doubt?

[Reddawn36]

So I was surfing the net trying to find out some information on Battlefield Bad Co. 2 when I stumbled onto Gameinformer.com and came across this article
[url="http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/03/02/activision-announces-new-plans-for-cod.aspx"]My link[/url]

granted Treyarch is still pumping out the other ones (most recently World at War)

but I personally think this is a major blow to the Call of Duty MW Franchise

[theFRANCHISE]

Infinity Ward IS NOT being removed from CoD. That GameInformer article misinterpreted information that Activision later clarified.

I don't have a link handy, but here's what went down:

- Two of Infinity Ward's studio heads were removed for breach of contract and insubordination
- Sledgehammer Games will release a CoD game in 2011 that's more action-adventure oriented
- Infinity Ward will still continue to do the Modern Warfare series
- Activision has put their own guys in those vacant positions in the meantime

HOWEVER...Activision has stated that the Sledgehammer Games production in 2011 is SEPARATE from the Modern Warfare series, and that Infinity Ward is still projected to release Modern Warfare 3 in 2011. That means 2 different CoD games in 2011. This DOES NOT mean that Sledgehammer Games is taking over for Infinity Ward (yet)

Meanwhile, Treyarch will still release a CoD game this year in keeping with the alternating titles released yearly. Infinity Ward will still release downloadable map packs for MW2 as promised later this year.

[FerrariFan87]

I can't stand how IWNET uses individuals to host matches as opposed to a central host using their servers; it's absolutely terrible at times.

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='FerrariFan87' date='03 March 2010 - 12:44 PM' timestamp='1267638285' post='367577']
I can't stand how IWNET uses individuals to host matches as opposed to a central host using their servers; it's absolutely terrible at times.
[/quote]
I don't even know if it was Activision or Infinity Ward to blame for that. Part of me thinks Activision, only because they've gotten increasingly meddling with all their developers' games. Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has been continually villified by the gaming community for focusing more on the financial aspect of the industry than gamers' interests. I wouldn't put it past Kotick to have made that decision, as well as this particular decision to get rid of Infinity Ward's heads to have their own people in place.

[Reddawn36]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' date='03 March 2010 - 07:46 AM' timestamp='1267620398' post='367448']
Infinity Ward IS NOT being removed from CoD. That GameInformer article misinterpreted information that Activision later clarified.

I don't have a link handy, but here's what went down:

- Two of Infinity Ward's studio heads were removed for breach of contract and insubordination
- Sledgehammer Games will release a CoD game in 2011 that's more action-adventure oriented
- Infinity Ward will still continue to do the Modern Warfare series
- Activision has put their own guys in those vacant positions in the meantime

HOWEVER...Activision has stated that the Sledgehammer Games production in 2011 is SEPARATE from the Modern Warfare series, and that Infinity Ward is still projected to release Modern Warfare 3 in 2011. That means 2 different CoD games in 2011. This DOES NOT mean that Sledgehammer Games is taking over for Infinity Ward (yet)

Meanwhile, Treyarch will still release a CoD game this year in keeping with the alternating titles released yearly. Infinity Ward will still release downloadable map packs for MW2 as promised later this year.
[/quote]
ah, thanks for clarifying, just went with what I read/interpreted

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' date='03 March 2010 - 01:06 PM' timestamp='1267639588' post='367583']
I don't even know if it was Activision or Infinity Ward to blame for that. Part of me thinks Activision, only because they've gotten increasingly meddling with all their developers' games. Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has been continually villified by the gaming community for focusing more on the financial aspect of the industry than gamers' interests. I wouldn't put it past Kotick to have made that decision, as well as this particular decision to get rid of Infinity Ward's heads to have their own people in place.
[/quote]
I really don't know how I feel about this.... I wish they'd go on more about the insubordination that is mentioned... mainly because my work uses that as an excuse to fire/remove people all the time

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='Reddawn36' date='03 March 2010 - 02:57 PM' timestamp='1267646248' post='367651']
I really don't know how I feel about this.... I wish they'd go on more about the insubordination that is mentioned... mainly because my work uses that as an excuse to fire/remove people all the time
[/quote]
I bet that it was a case where the studio heads ticked off Kotick by saying that he was ruining the experience for hardcore gamers and Kotick probably flew off the handle. Kotick's got a general reputation for being a jerk, which is unfortunate given how many great games are under the Activision publishing umbrella. Kotick doesn't care about gamers, he cares more about the bottom line; this is opposed to a guy like Sam Houser, head of Rockstar Games, who actually cares about the gaming experience. That's why Activision is also known for churning out 50 billion different Guitar Hero games yearly and an inconsistent string of Spider-Man games.

[Reddawn36]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' date='03 March 2010 - 03:03 PM' timestamp='1267646614' post='367665']
I bet that it was a case where the studio heads ticked off Kotick by saying that he was ruining the experience for hardcore gamers and Kotick probably flew off the handle. Kotick's got a general reputation for being a jerk, which is unfortunate given how many great games are under the Activision publishing umbrella. Kotick doesn't care about gamers, he cares more about the bottom line; this is opposed to a guy like Sam Houser, head of Rockstar Games, who actually cares about the gaming experience. That's why Activision is also known for churning out 50 billion different Guitar Hero games yearly and an inconsistent string of Spider-Man games.
[/quote]
well it will be interesting to see how the MW franchise comes out

[Perfekt]

i think this will greatly effect the outcome of the series. hopefully they will create their own games with the players intrest in mind.

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='Perfekt' date='06 March 2010 - 06:00 PM' timestamp='1267916416' post='371547']
i think this will greatly effect the outcome of the series. hopefully they will create their own games with the players intrest in mind.
[/quote]
The opposite might happen; if the Activision-appointed studio heads are anything like Bobby Kotick, they'll care more about hashing out a new game as quickly as possible and focus more on withholding content to offer as DLC later. At least EA Sports' DLC isn't stuff that's taken out of the game, it's just stuff to give casual gamers a shortcut to content.

[Reddawn36]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' date='06 March 2010 - 06:44 PM' timestamp='1267919040' post='371568']
The opposite might happen; if the Activision-appointed studio heads are anything like Bobby Kotick, they'll care more about hashing out a new game as quickly as possible and focus more on withholding content to offer as DLC later. At least EA Sports' DLC isn't stuff that's taken out of the game, it's just stuff to give casual gamers a shortcut to content.
[/quote]


I don't know what I think about EA anymore... they do put out some good games, but it almost seems like publishers (isn't that what EA Activision Etc are?) are abusing the DLC by releasing it at time of release.... when you would think that would be part of the game anyway


however, I read somewhere that the 2 guys are suing Activision for millions & reinstatement..... if nothing else I hope they get the reinstatement.... I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT lol

[theFRANCHISE]

There is industry speculation now that the situation is getting worse by the day. According to Joystiq, Infinity Ward employees are not leaving the company simply because they are still owed royalties by Activision. Rather than a traditional salary-based reward system, employees at Infinity Ward were promised royalties as extra compensation but Activision has yet to deliver, having delayed payment for months. If the employees leave, they don't get the compensation they're owed because they'd no longer be under contract. Remember, Activision (as the publisher) owns Infinity Ward (the developer) and is responsible for all pay and compensation to the studio. Not only were the employees getting nickeled-and-dimed, but they had average or low salaries to begin with. ([url="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/12/rumor-infinity-ward-employees-not-leaving-due-to-unpaid-royalti/"]LINK[/url])

Company morale is reported to be extremely low for obvious reasons.

Amazing that all of this is happening after the huge success of [i]Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2[/i].

[Reddawn36]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' date='12 March 2010 - 10:04 PM' timestamp='1268449487' post='375905']
There is industry speculation now that the situation is getting worse by the day. According to Joystiq, Infinity Ward employees are not leaving the company simply because they are still owed royalties by Activision. Rather than a traditional salary-based reward system, employees at Infinity Ward were promised royalties as extra compensation but Activision has yet to deliver, having delayed payment for months. If the employees leave, they don't get the compensation they're owed because they'd no longer be under contract. Remember, Activision (as the publisher) owns Infinity Ward (the developer) and is responsible for all pay and compensation to the studio. Not only were the employees getting nickeled-and-dimed, but they had average or low salaries to begin with. ([url="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/12/rumor-infinity-ward-employees-not-leaving-due-to-unpaid-royalti/"]LINK[/url])

Company morale is reported to be extremely low for obvious reasons.

Amazing that all of this is happening after the huge success of [i]Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2[/i].
[/quote]
I wonder what this means for the MW franchise, Activision is being extremely (imo) stupid for not giving up the royalties and firing the 2 heads of Infinity Ward (obviously they were doing something right) Activision could make so much more if they continue on with the series... but now they are going to greatly take a chance at crippling it's success

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='Reddawn36' date='13 March 2010 - 11:24 AM' timestamp='1268497489' post='376053']
I wonder what this means for the MW franchise, Activision is being extremely (imo) stupid for not giving up the royalties and firing the 2 heads of Infinity Ward (obviously they were doing something right) Activision could make so much more if they continue on with the series... but now they are going to greatly take a chance at crippling it's success
[/quote]
Activision, like Electronic Arts, is a victim of its own success, hence why both companies are reviled on the internet despite the massive commercial success of their games. The difference is, Activision has alienated fans since Bobby Kotick's been in control, whereas EA Sports and EA Games have improved their image, particularly with the hiring of the fan-friendly Peter Moore to head EA Sports.

Peter Moore could be a jerk behind the scenes, but it won't matter because he at least appears to treat his employees well and listens to fan feedback. Bobby Kotick does nothing of the sort and doesn't even make an attempt, as he's shown to only care about the bottom line. This is ironic, as you pointed out, given that Activision could make so much more money by leaving Infinity Ward alone and letting them do their jobs while compensating them fairly. Activision didn't even need to promise royalties, as a mere salary raise would've been enough for the majority of the development team so long as they were also given job security. There's no job security in the gaming industry, so for Activision to provide even more uncertainty in an already uncertain business is just poor business management.

[BohBalmerOsbohs]

Its all Karma for not adding Dedicated Servers to the PC version. Us PC gamers have to do Matchmaking like Console users do.

[wvravensfan]

I love the game but to me its getting a little old now...People be camping alot haha, but i also heard that new maps may be coming out soon because alot of glitching is occurring...

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='wvravensfan' date='15 March 2010 - 02:07 AM' timestamp='1268633273' post='376645']
I love the game but to me its getting a little old now...People be camping alot haha, but i also heard that new maps may be coming out soon because alot of glitching is occurring...
[/quote]
The new maps are actually DLC that was planned even before the game was released. The original idea was to supplement [i]Modern Warfare 2[/i] with a healthy amount of map packs to keep the replay value reasonably high for multiplayer fans. However, this whole situation with Activision had slowed things down, and it's apparently been brewing for months.

As for the way people play, you can blame that mostly on the mass appeal of the game. With most online multiplayer games, there will always be the cheap players who like to overuse tactics to gain an advantage. Camping out in [i]Call of Duty[/i] is just as common as players who use only a handful of plays in [i]Madden[/i] and players who button-mash in fighting games. That's mainly why I never play multiplayer games online, but that's beside the point here...

I don't like how ugly the situation has gotten, and though Activision claims that Infinity Ward will still helm the [i]Modern Warfare[/i] series, they know that the [i]Call of Duty[/i] franchise can still make money even without Infinity Ward just based on brand recognition alone.

[Reddawn36]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' date='15 March 2010 - 02:22 AM' timestamp='1268634147' post='376649']
The new maps are actually DLC that was planned even before the game was released. The original idea was to supplement [i]Modern Warfare 2[/i] with a healthy amount of map packs to keep the replay value reasonably high for multiplayer fans. However, this whole situation with Activision had slowed things down, and it's apparently been brewing for months.

As for the way people play, you can blame that mostly on the mass appeal of the game. With most online multiplayer games, there will always be the cheap players who like to overuse tactics to gain an advantage. Camping out in [i]Call of Duty[/i] is just as common as players who use only a handful of plays in [i]Madden[/i] and players who button-mash in fighting games. That's mainly why I never play multiplayer games online, but that's beside the point here...

I don't like how ugly the situation has gotten, and though Activision claims that Infinity Ward will still helm the [i]Modern Warfare[/i] series, they know that the [i]Call of Duty[/i] franchise can still make money even without Infinity Ward just based on brand recognition alone.
[/quote]

Personally I think they are going to take a step back after the next Modern Warfare game.... Morale of the staff in Infinity Ward will determine how it comes out.... if it is low..... then they won't put their best efforts forward...

I know its business and all.... but publishers shouldn't own developers..... it almost seems like a monopoly of some sort, and you have situations like this happening.... not to mention it makes publishers more "gamer" friendly depending on whom the developers want to produce the game, which in turn makes a better product in which people can enjoy...

in another note....

I read on gameinformer (on my cell phone @ work) somewhere about how Modern Warfare2 might charge monthly to fix the problems.. ie glitches and what not...... this will not bode well for whomever is @ fault (my guess the head of Activision)

[quote]Though the Call of Duty franchise is a cash cow, Activision likely won’t sign off on extended post-release support without some kind of monetary kickback. Given the problems that the Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer has faced, perhaps the shooter community would not be as jilted toward throwing in a few extra dollars toward fixing the problem as one might expect. If Infinity Ward could deliver glitch-free action, balanced gameplay, a steady flow of new content, I for one would be more than willing to shell out a few dollars a month for an evolving standalone multiplayer experience.

Whatever decision Infinity Ward comes to for its future releases, I hope the team doesn’t just settle with the unsatisfactory strategy it is currently employing. A less-hyped game would have lost all credibility had it shipped with so many issues. An industry-leading game as popular as Modern Warfare 2 deserved better, and so do the fans.[/quote]

(after a 2nd viewing I saw it was just an opinionated article... but still rather interesting)
[url="http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/03/11/a-changing-battlefield.aspx"]My link[/url]

[FerrariFan87]

I just hope they come out with some new maps soon.... they're getting stale, at least on PC that is.

[theFRANCHISE]

Publishers shouldn't charge for post-release support. Moreover, they especially shouldn't charge for a glitch-free environment, when no retail product should be so addled with glitches that the game becomes unplayable.

As much as people complain about Madden's glitches, at least the game is playable. Those ardent NFL 2K fans that say Madden is a "broken" game are greatly exaggerating. A broken game, in my estimation, is one that cannot be played at all without a game-killing glitch or anything that greatly affects the user experience beyond the subjective.

Though part of the blame for COD's glitches should rightly go to Infinity Ward, I can't assign full blame, knowing full well the type of pressure they face from their publisher and the environment that they're working in. Activision wanted a yearly COD release alternating between Treyarch and Infinity Ward, so there's a good chance that Infinity Ward was rushed into releasing the product despite having had over 2 years to work on it. Games are a delicate thing, and it's almost impossible to release a yearly update without having some problems -- just ask EA Sports and THQ.

[BohBalmerOsbohs]

Its hilarious that the DLC is already on the Disc for Console players. Your paying to unlock content on a disc that you already payed for and own.

[Reddawn36]

I'm not sure if this would exactly be the correct spot.... but it def seems like they are pushing boundaries right about now


[quote]
The Stimulus Package will set players back 1,200 Microsoft Points or $14.99. That's a pretty penny for DLC. Modern Warfare players have not held back from voicing their displeasure with the pricing. Bowling's Twitter account is getting assaulted by the game's fanbase. With tweets like, "Friggin 1200 points for 3 new maps and 2 that I have already! Why don't you just pull a gun and mug me. It'd be more honest," Bowling's Twitter is worth a read today.[/quote]
[url="http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/03/15/modern-warfare-2-dlc-pricing-will-nuke-your-bank-account.aspx"]My link[/url]

EDIT:I had put the wrong piece of article in the quote

[theFRANCHISE]

$14.99 for only three maps??? You're kidding me.

Activision, I'm done with you. Not buying the next Call of Duty game from Treyarch nor will I buy the next Modern Warfare game if you keep nickel-and-diming us and gut the Infinity Ward staff.

[Reddawn36]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' date='15 March 2010 - 11:29 PM' timestamp='1268710143' post='377243']
$14.99 for only three maps??? You're kidding me.

Activision, I'm done with you. Not buying the next Call of Duty game from Treyarch nor will I buy the next Modern Warfare game if you keep nickel-and-diming us and gut the Infinity Ward staff.
[/quote]
I'd say... thats like 25% the cost of a whole new game

[BohBalmerOsbohs]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' date='15 March 2010 - 10:29 PM' timestamp='1268710143' post='377243']
$14.99 for only three maps??? You're kidding me.

Activision, I'm done with you. Not buying the next Call of Duty game from Treyarch nor will I buy the next Modern Warfare game if you keep nickel-and-diming us and gut the Infinity Ward staff.
[/quote]

BC2, cough. Free cough, map pack cough.

[FerrariFan87]

[quote name='BohBalmerOsbohs' date='18 March 2010 - 12:45 AM' timestamp='1268887521' post='378924']
BC2, cough. Free cough, map pack cough.
[/quote]

Mine shipped yesterday afternoon. Should be here tomorrow

[theFRANCHISE]

The more I think about it, I'm starting to think that a lot of the negative press that MW2 got was partially Activision's part, particularly with the controversial [b]F[/b]ight [b]A[/b]gainst [b]G[/b]renade [b]S[/b]pam video and the "No Russian" mission. I'm not sure if Infinity Ward was fully behind that mission in particular, as there was probably a fair amount of back-and-forth about the appropriateness of it before it was even programmed. The general consensus is that, although it has a very emotional effect, it wasn't necessary and was inserted as shock value for the sake of shock value.

I wouldn't be surprised if Bobby Kotick had approved of the mission, knowing full well the free publicity the game would've gotten for it.

[Reddawn36]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' date='19 March 2010 - 11:00 AM' timestamp='1269010827' post='379728']
The more I think about it, I'm starting to think that a lot of the negative press that MW2 got was partially Activision's part, particularly with the controversial [b]F[/b]ight [b]A[/b]gainst [b]G[/b]renade [b]S[/b]pam video and the "No Russian" mission. I'm not sure if Infinity Ward was fully behind that mission in particular, as there was probably a fair amount of back-and-forth about the appropriateness of it before it was even programmed. The general consensus is that, although it has a very emotional effect, it wasn't necessary and was inserted as shock value for the sake of shock value.

I wouldn't be surprised if Bobby Kotick had approved of the mission, knowing full well the free publicity the game would've gotten for it.
[/quote]
I understand the logic, but I don't know if I fully support it... I understand how the level could be in the media.... but mostly people who know about [b]F[/b]ight [b]A[/b]gainst [b]G[/b]renade [b]S[/b]pam already knew about this game to begin with

however... I could see it definitely being a possibility

[JEEPercreepermd]

I'm still addicted to the first Modern Warfare lol..haven't gotten around to buying Modern Warfare 2 yet but hope to soo. If anybody is on PS3 playing it I'm jeepercreepermd

[XxSizzleXx]

You will have to get Modern Warfare 2, they throw more fun into Multiplayer letting you use things like Nukes, Chopper Gunners, AC130s, Harriers and stuff like that. It's pretty intense.

[thewarden86]

Who pinned this garbage?

*snicker*