In what could've turned out be one of the biggest blunders in game business history, Activision originally did not want Call of Duty 4 to be a 'Modern Warfare' game, Infinity Ward has revealed.
Speaking in an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine, Infinity Ward boss Vince Zampella revealed that the developer has wanted to create a modern combat game - and work on consoles - for years, but Activision's held them back.
"With Call of Duty 2, we were dead set against it being World War 2," Zampella told OPM, "but Activision really wanted it, the compromise sort of being that we'd get some dev kits for consoles in exchange for doing a World War 2 game.
"We always wanted to be on consoles and Activision saw us as more of a PC developer," he said.
Modern Warfare 2
Official trailer
2:12Infamy trailer
Modern Warfare 2
Official trailer
2:12Infamy trailer
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"And something I'll add to that, Activision also did not want Modern Warfare. They thought working on a modern game was risky and [thought], 'oh my god you can't do that, it's crazy!' They were doing market research to show us we were wrong the whole time," he said.
"We had to fight for everything," chimed in CoD project lead, Jason West. "They wanted it to be World War 2. Again."
Of course the publisher's risk in letting Infinity Ward go against the surveys paid off massively, and CoD 4: Modern Warfare ended up shifting over 14 million copies.
"It just blows us away. I'm still reeling from it," Zampella said of the success.
Goes to show what a stupid company they are. All they want to do is stick to the same crap and rehash everything (like GH). I'm not a fan of the games but its good to see Infinity Award stick up for what they believed in. Sales of the series would have gone downhill just like Medal of Honour if no new life was breathed into the series...
Ha they didn't want the first game and now they want to rob everyone blind with the sequel. And they were stupid enough to drop Brutal Legend (ok its never going to be a big seller, infact it'll be lucky to sell half of what MW2 does but its gonna ROCK!). They really don't care what the public want and i hope that sticks in peoples minds. Of course that ain't really gonna stop people buying MW2 but i hope that other Activision games get shunned.
Activision are just truly awful nowadays. What happened to them? They keep trying to make stupid decisions? And what's with them trying to drop everything in exchange for making tired games? f**kin failures.
Goes to show what a stupid company they are. All they want to do is stick to the same crap and rehash everything (like GH). I'm not a fan of the games but its good to see Infinity Award stick up for what they believed in. Sales of the series would have gone downhill just like Medal of Honour if no new life was breathed into the series...
Agreed. Speaking of which, it may be interesting to see whether EA is able to breathe new life in to the MoH series with a contempoary update.
Well good for them. If everyone listened to market research in this industry we wouldn't have one.
Market research would have us believe that girls want babies and men want guns and nothing else, so it must be true.
Still it does fit my belief that everyone is stupid until they prove otherwise, me included.
Now where's my gun...
I agree with your commentary on the notion that not every man and woman neatly fits preconceived stereotypes. That said, I do happen to like some of the mystique surrounding firearms (I also like the sound of gunfire and explosions - just remember to use hearing protecting devices); chalk it up to time spent in the military and desiring the ability to be able to defend myself, and others, in extreme situations where violence may already be unfolding and the proper authorities are not on scene. That having been said, I don't much care for the thought of killing other people.
I would really like to see Infinity Ward stand on their own two feet and walk away from Activision. There definately seems to be a lack of respect for the publisher from some of the people within Infinity Ward. I wonder how long the contract between the two companies will last. I really want to see IW let loose to take on other products and create new franchises. How long can Activision pigeon-hole and stiffle the mighty developer?
Wasn't there rumour of a sci-fi Modern Warfare? I'd love to see that, but I'd expect Activision are demanding that Infinity Ward churn out the current Modern Warfare model until the money stops.
I'd like to see infinity ward go and make a platformer or an open world game. Something completely different to what they've made so far. They've perfected thier formula for the FPS so it'd be interesting to see what they could do with other genres. Same goes for Bungie but they already had a proven track record before Halo.
I would really like to see Infinity Ward stand on their own two feet and walk away from Activision. There definately seems to be a lack of respect for the publisher from some of the people within Infinity Ward. I wonder how long the contract between the two companies will last. I really want to see IW let loose to take on other products and create new franchises. How long can Activision pigeon-hole and stiffle the mighty developer?
Totally agree with this. IW could probably do so much more but Activision's way too greedy to let them go. And if it wasn't for IW, I don't think Activision would have had any of the success they enjoy now.
Tony Hawk's been done to death and its time has passed. Soon GH will (read: should) die its death as the novelty will wear off (or hopefully people will have realised they're being conned). That will only leave CoD cos really, Activision really have nothing else to fall back on except Blizzard's Warcraft riches
Activision Rep: "We've done some market research and found that war is popular, and so are guitars. So for our next game we want to you to make Call of Heroes: Guitar Warfare." Infinity Ward: "..." Activision Rep: "What's wrong?" Infinity Ward: "We're going to work with EA."
wrightandrewjame, Valve have already thought about this... Left4Dead2 will allow you to pick up a guitar and use it as a melee weapon.
After seeing what Valve have done with a first-person zombie shooting game, I can only imagine how amazing this game would be in Infinity Ward's hands. Infinity Ward could be today's equivalent of what id used to be for the FPS genre a decade ago, if only they were allowed to make games other than Call of Duty.
Ridiculous, they should have taken a risk and let them go ahead with the idea. Ironically, I think the game wouldn't have sold anywhere near the amount it did if it was WW2, so if that's what they're desperate for, then just shows how ignorant they are. And now, as ensabahnur said, they're now milking the franchise blind What a complete U-turn. DLC, MW2 branded controllers, headsets, PS3 and 360 bundles, premium/special/elite editions, blah blah blah.
Activision can suck it! evil software coporation of the gaming world! Go on IW leave them, you deserve so much better, its sorta the same with bungie aswell, i bet their sick to death of making halo games but M$ wont let them stop! at the end of the day Dev's like IW and bungie know what their doing, let them get on with it and expand themselves!
Good old Activision. If it wern't for IW they would still be pumping out World War 2 games one after the other until the end of time. They should win an award for worlds worst publisher. At least IW had the sense to make a Modern War game, regardless of how Activision felt about it in the end.
I wont be paying extra to buy this game. It sets a precedence that everyone will follow. Just wait a few months, pick it up cheap. Activision then don't make the money, ditch IW and then they can make what they want. Everyones a winner. You have waited this long for it, so a little while longer wont hurt.....to much. I have principles and don't like being taken for an idiot, no matter how good it is.
I wont be paying extra to buy this game. It sets a precedence that everyone will follow. Just wait a few months, pick it up cheap. Activision then don't make the money, ditch IW and then they can make what they want. Everyones a winner. You have waited this long for it, so a little while longer wont hurt.....to much. I have principles and don't like being taken for an idiot, no matter how good it is.
All I could think of when I first read this in OPM, was "Oh my god, activision nearly made the biggest mistake of the last decade". Seroiusly, look at all the money Modern Warfare is still making.
I think EAs games have gotten considerably better over hte years but Activision just continue to anger me.
The only 'original' game out of activision recently was Prototype and that was a rehashed Spidey game - and I'm sure I read somewhere that Prototypes dev was working on the next Spidey title.
infinity ward ,in my experience have always been spot on,even tho cod2 was ww2 they did it well.as for evry other year when trearch get there hands on the franchise,well its shocking!im glad they bucked the trend !
I've only ever played COD on a PC LAN game at work on Christmas Eve once. Never again since, never brought it cause for I don't like World War 1 and 2 games, but even from my biased opinion I think it's just utter stupidity to constantly sell the same tired old concept, and I think people are stupid cause they all still buy it in droves, COD 7 set in WW2 will no doubt still be topping the sales charts Thank God this company had the balls to stand up and tell them where to shove it, MW is my type of game, IMO it's revitalised online shooters seeing as hardly anyone plays the single player mode
I think after MW2 they should set the next game in the future, that'll really get up the smoking pipes and in the slippers of the directors at Activision
Wasn't there rumour of a sci-fi Modern Warfare? I'd love to see that, but I'd expect Activision are demanding that Infinity Ward churn out the current Modern Warfare model until the money stops.
Not really. If I remember it was because a statment was issued about WAW with the word "Alien" mentioned referring to the Japanese Troops being an alien force (as in, not understood). Lots of people took it to mean "from outer space" and so it began.
EA have cleaned up thier act considerbly nowadays but Activision have turned into a bunch of money grabbing corporate tossers,in fact Activision are the new old EA,does that make sense?f**k knows
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What a complete U-turn. DLC, MW2 branded controllers, headsets, PS3 and 360 bundles, premium/special/elite editions, blah blah blah.
