(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Activision Announces "New Direction" For Call Of Duty, Confirms Infinity Ward Changes

You must login or register to view this content.

Activision has now officially responded to the reported shakeup at Infinity Ward.

The publisher has confirmed studio heads Vince Zampella and Jason West have left the company. There was no mention of "insubordination" or "breach of contract" in Activision's statement.

Activision Publishing CTO Steve Pearce and head of production Steve Ackrich are temporarily in charge of Infinity Ward.

According to the release, Infinity Ward will move forward on developing two downloadable map packs for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 that will come out this year

A new Call of Duty is coming from Treyarch Games later this year. What we didn't already know, however, was Activision's intentions for Sledgehammer Games (headed by former Visceral Games developers Glen A. Schofield and Michael Condrey) to release a brand-new Call of Duty game "in the action-adventure genre" sometime in 2011.
No setting or gameplay details were revealed for either upcoming Call of Duty product (but we all suspect Vietnam) , but the "action-adventure" description suggests it won't be a first-person-shooter.

Activision also vaguely discussed intentions for the future of the series, which include pulling the Call of Duty franchise under a singular business unit. Activision also intends to "expand" the Call of Duty brand similar to what Blizzard Entertainment has done with its franchises.

This lines up with Activision's public intentions to eventually release a subscription-based Call of Duty game. According to Activision, this change "will include a focus on high-margin digital online content and further the brand as the leading action entertainment franchise in new geographies, new genres and with new digital business models."

"2010 will be another important year for the Call of Duty franchise," said Activision Publishing president and CEO Mike Griffith in a brief statement. "In addition to continued catalog sales, new downloadable content from Infinity Ward and a new Call of Duty release, we are excited about the opportunity to bring the franchise to new geographies, genres and players."

So what do you guys think?? Is the the new beginning of the Call of Duty series??
Also, The whole "action-adventure" quote intrigues me?? what do you guys think it means??

Source: You must login or register to view this content.

I would be really happy is IW just cut the contract with Activision. They have enough money to from COD4 to build upon. They could make a new game with the same Idea's just different name. They could easily keep the series going. The story will change though. Gun's will, but the gameplay will not. I hope Treyarch does a good job on the last REAL COD game. It better be good.

IW & Activision don't have a contract. IW is owned by Activision. ATVI owns Treyarch too.

You must login or register to view this content.

Well said NP, well said. That was exactly what I was thinking.

That is so stupid that it is going to be action adventure. I will never buy another Call Of Duty unless infinity ward is involved.

Whereas I'm at risk of being flamed from those who disagree, I must say I'm happy with the changes described in the original post.

For me, the Call of Duty series was beginning to decline. I have nothing against any hacker, as I hacked myself, but the fact that it was all possible ruined the enjoyability of the game. Sure, hacking is enjoyable here and there when you're first trying something out and get it working, I understand that, but when the game becomes that and only that, it really isn't fun anymore (in opinion).

There are plenty of other first-person shooters in the world, a couple being released most recently; M.A.G, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2. This 'experimentation' with the Call of Duty series will give gamers, as well as developers, a chance to see what happens when you take a first-person shooter, a popular one at that, and change it in a major way. No, the result may not be great, but it'll be different, and something for other developers to refer to when considering making changes to their titles.

In response to the misconduct of Infinity Ward executives, I feel the decisions made by Activision were well-played. While it may seem a bit harsh, as some seem to believe, a business cannot run without checks and balances. Letting the executives pass by unharmed would give them further incentive to continue their misconduct and insubordination, which is by all means not what anyone wants.

:: cough cough ::

Goldman Sachs, US Banking industry, US Senate and Congress

:: cough cough ::