Wed, Apr 28, 2010 | 15:57 BST

Analyst: Infinity Ward will be “essentially closed” after next map pack is released

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Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey has said that he believes Infinity Ward will be “essentially closed” once the next map pack for Modern Warfare 2 is released.

Due to the numerous defections within the developer and all the lawsuits floating around, Hickey is under the impression that the studio will be absorbed into Activision and future work in the series will be spread out amongst the rest of its developers.

“Continued defections from [Activision's] Infinity Ward studio have created meaningful uncertainty around the future of their Call of Duty: Modern Warfare franchise,” said Hickey.

“We expect Infinity Ward studio will be essentially closed after their next map pack release, with development work on Modern Warfare 3 spread between two studios not historically tied to the franchise.”

At least two map packs were promised at the onset, with the Stimulus Pack already released to great sales.

As far as Modern Warfare 3 is concerned, Hickey predicts that it will land in stores during Q4 of Activision’s fiscal year 2011 and potentially rake-in $738M.

That figure is reasonable, considering that Modern Warfare 2 won a Guinness for making $401M in just its first 24-hours on the market.

Currently, three titles are in the works in the Call of Duty franchise.

There’s Treyarch with the oft-rumored Vietnam-centric game, slated for a reveal through  the May issue of OPM; Infinity Ward was  developing Modern Warfare 3; and then there’s  Sledgehammer’s “innovative take” on the Call of Duty franchise that Thomas Tippl, Activision’s COO, said would “further broaden”  the franchise’s audience.

So, regardless if Infinity Ward as we all know it remains intact after the next map pack or not, Activision will still be pumping out the CoD titles – just with different names on ‘em.

Via Gamasutra.

36 comment-trail-alt Posted in: Action, Activision Blizzard, Financials, Hot, Legalities, PC, PS3, Shooter, Xbox 360
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36 comments

#1

blackdreamhunk
28/04/10, 4:20 pm

my words have come to pass, so where all those people who were telling me other wise.

my words are so solid!

oh where is infinity ward now they are gone just like mid way and interplay!

they have gone the way of the dodo bird and the dinosaurs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIwq6d560ec

they mucked pc gamers but who is mocking them now pc gamers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTghUoScGO8&feature=related

console gamers and the media was drinking the wine of media hype.

a single prayer has been answered, justice has been served for all pc gamers. my god is great!

so where are all those people who said I would be wrong, where are you now ahahahahahahahahah

my words have come to pass, who is laugh now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTghUoScGO8&feature=related

#2

ZarraN
28/04/10, 4:21 pm

Hasn’t IW died already and been Respawned, NO SPAWN DELAY

#3

Razor
28/04/10, 4:21 pm

Mike Hickey knows less than Pachter.

#4

Windsmeare
28/04/10, 4:23 pm

So, I’ve created a robot that knows how to go into my office and make me a coffee. But what if something goes wrong? What if the coffee’s in a different place, or there’s no milk? What if there’s bees in the sugar?

#5

Stephany Nunneley
28/04/10, 4:26 pm

@4 I’ll see your coffee robot and raise you a trashcan with a very bad attitude and potty mouth.

#6

blackdreamhunk
28/04/10, 4:27 pm

oh where oh where is Infintyward now ahahahahahahahahhahahaha

I thought they loved actvision sooo much!

So where is there trash talk? to trash talk pc gamers lol ahahahahahhaha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTghUoScGO8&feature=related

pc gaming out lives infinity ward

where are all those people saying i was wrong? where are you now.

I have one thing to say , I told you so!

#7

blackdreamhunk
28/04/10, 4:31 pm

here i have the perfect song for infinity ward

what goes around comes around
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOrnUquxtwA

ahahahahahahahhhaha

so the same people who said oc gaming is dead! are gone and pc gaming is still around.

they screw over pc gamers and now look at them, kinda retail ahahahahahahaha

them console gamers and gaming media can’t defend you now!

screw over your biggest fans and bashed the moders that made you

time to pay the piper

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN9C_4GFW5Y&feature=related

#8

blackdreamhunk
28/04/10, 4:40 pm

oh wait one more post next perfect song tribute to infinity ward. lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlzPFm44Wac

ok I am done that was fun lol

#9

Blerk
28/04/10, 4:41 pm

One day he’s going to realise that he’s talking to himself.

#10

Stephany Nunneley
28/04/10, 4:42 pm

@7 Justin Timberlake seriously needs to shave his neck.

Also, the situation between IW and Acti has nothing to do with “screwing over PC gamers”, and if PC gamers were slighted in anyway, it is not the developer’s fault because when you are owned by a company, you promote what the company dictates.

Thus, a deal was struck with MS for promotion on Xbox 360 – that’s why you saw more commercials for it – and probably only it – on television and the internet. That in turn made more people who are not privy to the goings on in the industry to believe that the 360 version was either A) the only version, or B) the best version.

Blame it on marketing if anything, but don’t blame the developer. No one is trying to screw over anyone for any particular platform. They are more than likely happy to make money off any version no matter what. If they wanted to “screw over PC gamers”, well they would not have released it on that platform in the first place, now would they? It would have been skipped altogether.

EDIT: @9 I wish I had left it at that, honestly. Sometimes the devil perched upon my right shoulder wins out over common sense, though.

#11

blackdreamhunk
28/04/10, 4:42 pm

aahahahahahaah

that’s all i have to say

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlzPFm44Wac

I told you so!

@Stephany Nunneley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7_LreuSY3Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcatQSyRK6c

what ahahahahaha lol

#12

dirigiblebill
28/04/10, 4:47 pm

“oh where is infinity ward now they are gone just like mid way and interplay!

they have gone the way of the dodo bird and the dinosaurs”

Er, well they haven’t gone anywhere as yet. But if they do, I’d imagine they’ll be going the way of EA or elsewhere within Activision. Remember EA and Activision? Those companies that make colossal amounts of money from console games?

#13

Mr-Brett
28/04/10, 4:49 pm

This site needs an ‘ignore user’ or at least a ‘vote down’ button.

#14

Gekidami
28/04/10, 4:51 pm

Or that spamming trolls actually get the ban.

#15

blackdreamhunk
28/04/10, 4:52 pm

ahahahahahahahahahahahah ok midway and interplay are on life support lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlzPFm44Wac

it must hurt to know I am so right lol

my fraite line ever I told you so lol

hahahahahahahahah

no dictated severs how about no infinity ward lol

#16

Mauller
28/04/10, 5:04 pm

@Steph

Why would you acknowledge him? Why must you punish us?

#17

Gheritt White
28/04/10, 5:06 pm

Acknowledge who? I’m too busy trying to get the fucking bees out of my sugar. Oh look! There goes a helpful robot… OMG – WTF is it doing to that poor defenceless trashcan???

#18

fdelfino
28/04/10, 5:06 pm

Blackdreamhunk, it’s an awful experience to read your comments, considering you keep linking stupid youtube videos and you can’t write shit in english.
Stop this cruzade against console gamers man. I am a PC gamer myself, but I think we got enough good developers and games for PC to not trash talk people who decide to bring games to consoles.

REally, you’re either a douchebag or you got a sinister sense of humor, like Andy Kauffman.

#19

blackdreamhunk
28/04/10, 5:12 pm

@fdelfino

just proving a point that like must of the time, I am right :) also proves I have more creditability than must professionals in the industry.

thank you vg247 for this great news, you have made my day :)

oh those links I am just try to show people what I think lol

cry me a river, I have no respect for game devs that don’t respect their fans, that made them.

perfect song right here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DksSPZTZES0

I have no pitty for them.

#20

blackdreamhunk
28/04/10, 5:29 pm

I love you god, yeshusa, I love life, thank you

I love vg247 god bless vg247 forever

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DksSPZTZES0

#21

fdelfino
28/04/10, 5:57 pm

Ok, now I got it. You’re helpless.

#22

Benjo1981
28/04/10, 5:59 pm

@Stephany Nunneley: Out of interest, what would someone actually need to do to get banned from posting on here?

#23

Gheritt White
28/04/10, 6:02 pm

@ 22: Frequent, ongoing non-games-related personal attacks on other commentors.

#24

G1GAHURTZ
28/04/10, 6:04 pm

@22: They’d have to be SERIOUS BIZNIZ!

#25

Benjo1981
28/04/10, 6:13 pm

@23: So there’s no ‘relevance’ criteria? No ‘understanding the point of the topic’ criteria? No ban on irrelvant YouTube videos? Surely the citation of Justin Timberlake is grounds for a ban?!?

#26

Gheritt White
28/04/10, 6:17 pm

Nope – far be it from me to put words into the mouths of the reprobates that run this fair site, but Pat would rather this be a bastion of well-mannered anarchy than institute a ban hammer.

#27

Benjo1981
28/04/10, 6:20 pm

@26 As they should. A system of rating comments wouldn’t contradict that philosophy though, in the interest of other users being able to pick out the idiots. Although, I guess that would get abused too..

Ho-well, will just have to ignore him.

#28

Stephany Nunneley
28/04/10, 7:01 pm

@27 – “Surely the citation of Justin Timberlake is grounds for a ban?!?”

You just made my day ;)

#29

DarkElfa
28/04/10, 9:15 pm

I’ll stick my two cents in here. While I’ll miss the quality of the IW CoD games, I’m not sad to see them go. The group leaders were becoming arrogant and they weren’t listening to their customers. The server issue was a huge sign of that.

That said, their contribution to gaming in general and the amazing times I’ve had on CoD will not be forgotten.

#30

OlderGamer
28/04/10, 9:23 pm

I don’t know, I like BDH. He is a good read. And as much as some of you won’t agree, he often has a point. And the YouTube thing? Why not? Sometimes he links funny stuff.

Nothing on this site should be taken too seriously. And watching him debate with other readers … pricless.

Good stuff as far as I am concerned.

#31

DaMan
28/04/10, 9:31 pm

I guess.. anyone is a good read and often has a point if you don’t take them seriously and view their comments once a month ;)

#32

OlderGamer
28/04/10, 9:35 pm

No more then once a week anyways ;)

#33

Benjo1981
28/04/10, 9:37 pm

@30 I think BDH takes what he says fairly seriously. I doubt any of us would have a problem if we thought it was all in jest.

#34

Boris Fett
28/04/10, 9:41 pm

Here’s a reaaaaaaaally crazy idea. Try ignoring him?

#35

DeSpiritusBellum
28/04/10, 9:54 pm

I guess a complete dismantling of Infinity Ward would explain why no new studio heads have been picked. Seems to me like that would be something you’d hurry if you wanted to salvage the brand.

It’s gonna be interesting to see what happens next.

@29 To be completely fair, what’s arrogant is to think that you somehow determine what a developer is going to do simply from stomping your foot on the internet. Where are we now? 14 million sold? Obviously whatever gripes people had with the game, weren’t that serious.

You really have nothing to gain by sticking with an antiquated technology. You have nothing to lose either, but clinging to the past is a cowards way of thinking. Keep in mind that dedicated servers have been the norm, virtually since the birth of multiplayer gaming.

I mean I’m sure some people would’ve loved for us to still be using switchboard operators, rather than direct phonenumbers today, but thankfully the people calling the shots didn’t listen to those guys either.

Even if the matchmaker is far from perfect, it still does the job, and it will consistently do it quicker and better once the reliability improves. That’s a huge step forward, and in my oppinon, also a nice slap to the face for those whose answer to everything, is to favor spineless complacency.

#36

DarkElfa
29/04/10, 6:26 pm

@35, I am such a fool.

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