Mon, Apr 12, 2010 | 16:00 BST
EA Partners boss: Acti has “blown up” Infinity Ward’s talent, EA “in this game to win”
Let’s go. EA Partners boss David DeMartini has told VG247 that we can expect more pre-E3 “shots” that show the publisher is aiming heavy guns at the core category, and that Activision has “blown up” Infinity Ward’s creative talent.
“Who knows what’s going to happen with Infinity Ward now that they’ve decided to blow up the creative guys that run the place,” the exec said, speaking after EA’s Crysis 2 reveal in New York last week.
The boss added that there was “turmoil” in the shooter category this year, and opined that Treyarch’s impending 2010 Call of Duty effort would mark another “B-team” point for the IP.
“The media has identified the non-Infinity Ward years as the B-team years, and just kind of picking that up from the media and looking at the review scores, they tend to drop down anywhere from 7-10 points in a non-Infinity Ward year,” he said.
EA confirmed today that it’s signed ex-Infinity Ward heads Vince Zampella and Jason West and their newly-formed Respawn studio. DeMartini said EA now means serious business in the shooter space.
“I think [Crysis 2] is the first shot that we’re firing in this battle for supremacy and I think that, even before E3, we’re going to be shooting other shots that’ll clearly demonstrate that we’re in this game to win,” he added.
Hit this for more on the Respawn bombshell.
[Pic]
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Posted in: Action, Activision Blizzard, Development, EA, Hot, Shooter
Tags: David DeMartini, ea partners, Jason West, Respawn Entertainment, vince zampella
21 comments
#1
V_Ben
12/04/10, 4:02 pm
I’m going to go with “oh snap”
#2
Erthazus
12/04/10, 4:03 pm
EA is on the ball.
#3
BabyJesus
12/04/10, 4:03 pm
Videogames.
Serious Business.
#4
Blerk
12/04/10, 4:04 pm
How long before Acti sue to try and prevent this from happening, then?
#5
Erthazus
12/04/10, 4:07 pm
@4 you can’t sue them for leaving Acti and working with EA. You just can’t do that.
But, Activision can sue them about new game in the future if it will be a similar game to the Call Of Duty franchise.
#6
OrphanageExplosion
12/04/10, 4:11 pm
The “b-team” years still manage to make bazillions of shekels for Activision, and now with the Modern Warfare 2 engine complete and being used by Treyarch (and probably the mysterious third CoD team), the tech at least will stand them in good stead for another 2-3 years.
Ruthlessly mercenary of course, but Activision probably think they don’t *need* Infinity Ward any more.
#7
Razor
12/04/10, 4:13 pm
They look like rogues in that pic.
#8
Blerk
12/04/10, 4:14 pm
@5, lots of companies force contract clauses whereby you’re not allowed to do certain things with competitors for a specified amount of time after leaving. If Acti have anything even remotely like that in place then they could well try to block it.
#9
Suikoden Fan
12/04/10, 4:20 pm
Is it dawn yet? I have handbags I want to hand out
#10
Zarckan
12/04/10, 4:21 pm
Is it me or do these two look like a pair of cushy fuckers?!
#11
mington
12/04/10, 4:23 pm
Dressed to kill
#12
Goliath
12/04/10, 4:24 pm
This is hilarious. I’ll wait for the next generic shooter trotted out by EA from another one of it’s acquisitions. The Pandemic guys say hi.
#13
blackdreamhunk
12/04/10, 4:28 pm
I think that EA is wasting money and time there are better game devs. as for crysis 2 I wait wait
#14
ShakaCarnage
12/04/10, 4:36 pm
I would wager that any non-compete clause is now null and void, considering their dismissal for gross insubordination.
Wasn’t it only three years ago that EA was the bad guy? EA: Challenge Everything. Actually makes sense now.
#15
Blerk
12/04/10, 4:38 pm
@14, probably true. That wouldn’t necessarily stop them launching a lawsuit as a spoiler/delay tactic, though.
#16
Anders
12/04/10, 4:44 pm
This is turning into a new SEGA-Nintendo situation. Lovely.
#17
endgame
12/04/10, 4:58 pm
i guess it’s safe to say that from now on EA will dominate the shooter market. they have: moh, bfbc2, crysis2 and now something new from these guys. nice.
#18
blackdreamhunk
12/04/10, 5:11 pm
thank god for Ea Challenge everything I love that quote
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPYkOMj-3iI
I live by that quote
my last games I bought are from EA masseffect 2 dlc. battlefield bad company 2
#19
theevilaires
12/04/10, 6:43 pm
Lets get ready to RUMBLE!
you guys are missing the most important piece here……where will G1GA go! now 
MW3 or MOH
#20
G1GAHURTZ
12/04/10, 6:48 pm
Hey, I’m pretty fickle with this kind of thing.
I just play what I think is the best game.
#21
NGCes26294BIV
13/04/10, 9:35 am
Hate to state the obvious, but two heads of studio does not a good game make.
You need a hundred excellent people to do that, and gathering that much exceptional talent takes time.