Wow that's a lot of Legalese. Okay, in case anyone doesn't feel like reading all that stuff:

WHAT HAPPENED: The two developers were promised royalties as part of their contract for Modern Warfare 2. They're claiming Activision fired them under false pretenses in order to avoid paying those royalties.

The lawsuit then gives background about the company, including alleging that Activision purposely gave Infinity Ward a small budget for Call of Duty in order to buy 30% of its stock for cheap since the small budget would keep them from fighting it.

It also states some things we all know; sales figures, revenue numbers, etc. West and Zampella (the two developers and plaintiffs) had only one year on their contract before MW2 started. They were reluctant to get an extension on their contract, but did so anyway because Activision promised complete control of IW AND creative control over any post-Vietnam Call of Duty and MW games that might be developed.

Blah, blah, blah; more sales figures and talks of how MW2 was praised upon release. Activision then launched the investigation of Zampella and West about a week after the release of MW2. They hired outside lawyers and investigators to question other employees (some of whom cried from anxiety) and threatened insubordination charges if the two plaintiffs tried to console the other employees.

West and Zampella then said they were going to talk to their lawyers, at which point they were told Activision would make things worse if they did. The two men were also never told what exactly they had done wrong at any given point during the investigation. Activision strung the investigation along, then gave the two IW guys about six hours to respond to the accusations. A couple days later, Activision announced the new Call of Duty games they want to make (which were posted in another article).

WHAT THEY WANT: The first claim is to about US$36 million in damages. Second, they also want control of the Modern Warfare franchise back, since that was what was promised. Third, they also say Activision cannot make any further MW games OR post-Vietnam Call of Duties set in the present, near future, or far future. Fourth, they feel that Activision owes them their royalties and bonuses regardless of whether or not their termination from IW was legitimate. And obviously, they want their attorney fees covered.

And that's about it. I may have misread the complaint a bit, so feel free to correct me.

just goes to show how evil game publisher are.

down with publishers. support digital download

Activision just out to make money and break a few rules here and there. Very normal in corporate world.

There are far worse corporate exploit than losing creativity control and independence and royalty.

Remember the imported milk from China?

Despite hating the game like anything, I wonder what would happen to future patches. Then again I remember a certain dude that said he wanted to work for Infinity ward 

Despite hating the game like anything, I wonder what would happen to future patches. Then again I remember a certain dude that said he wanted to work for Infinity ward 

nvm ill work in mc donald with you for the rest of my life obviously your doing so great there getting about how much rm450 a month? my indon maid is getting rm800 :/

Did I even mention you? Retard, some people just don't know their place 

Actually I still don't get Activision had to fire both of them.

Can't Activision just forced them to resign, that'll be cheaper and also less damaging.

Firing them with cause actually exempts them from most of the benefits conferred plus it also makes them less attractive to future employers (People would often think twice about hiring someone who was fired for "insubordination")... Its akin to Activision performing character assassination on them. Make them seem like a bunch of trouble makers in the hopes that they won't work in the industry again.

In other news:
jas2davir & MYNAMEISJASON, stop with the (under)handed attacks against each other unless you two like looking at a warning log screen instead of the forum.

I wasn't even mentioning him, my post was directed to one of my friends and obviously jas isn't my friend.

Regardless, you did respond in a vicious manner.

Hmm, I still don't get why would Activision (or at least the board of directors) try to character assassinate both of them.

Seems more like a personal vendetta than a corporate decision.

Not implying that Activision is all evil and what not. Just curious about why.

Hmm, I still don't get why would Activision (or at least the board of directors) try to character assassinate both of them.

Seems more like a personal vendetta than a corporate decision.

Not implying that Activision is all evil and what not. Just curious about why.

Motivated by greed perhaps? MW2 sure made them pretty rich.

After the success of MW2 (Yes, it was), these two will have significantly increased their worth in the industry and considering how Activision knew that they wanted to leave, they had to ensure that they don't leave so easily or at the very least with their reputation severely tarnished.

Its a gambit really. Activision needs to discredit them so hard that no other publisher will pick them up (Or at the very least with really bad deals) and the 2 IW guys need to ensure that they are not the bad guys. Its a power game between the two... and it doesn't look very promising for Activision.

Following the ousting of studio heads Jason West and Vince Zampella under rather bizarre circumstances last month, Modern Warfare 2 developer Infinity Ward has now lost two more key figures from its staff: Lead designer Todd Alderman and lead software engineer Francesco Gigliotti.

Word of the departures of Alderman and Gigliotti spread after the two updated their Linkin profiles to reflect their newfound unemployment. Although the reason for their departures hasn't been confirmed, Kotaku reports that a source "close to the studio" says they resigned. Alderman had been with Infinity Ward for over eight years (and was a key multiplayer designer on the Modern Warfare series), and Gigliotti was with Infinity ward for over seven years.

This of course comes after studio heads West and Zampella were fired over what Activision contended was "breaches of contract and insubordination" -- a move that was quickly followed by West and Zampella suing Activision over wrongful termination. It's still unclear what either West and Zameplla or Alderman and Gigliotti plan to do next, although reports also followed last month that West and Zampella joined the enormous Hollywood talent agency CAA.

thats why call of duty 7 is by treyarch.

*facepalm*

Didn't you know that IW and Trey developes the CoD franchise alternatively? >.>

yes but read somewhere that iw was supposed to develop the 7th series before they fired the lead artist. could be rumors tough.

Modern Warfare 3 : World at Battles

Right,it has always been like this.IW do one. Treyarch do another one.

Now,Sledgehammer Games is also developing another CoD game. We gonna get even more of it.

The drama  involving the creators of one of the biggest franchises in gaming continues as Jason West and Vince Zampella, the fired former lead creators of Modern Warfare 2, have formed a new company, Respawn Entertainment. EA, their formal rival, is backing.

The Monday morning news announcing the new company follows a Friday that saw Activision, the mega-publisher that fired Jason West and Vince Zampella from their leadership positions at Modern Warfare development studio Infinity Ward, suing the ousted creators. Activision has accused the duo of misdeeds and subterfuge designed as an alleged attempt to "steal the studio."West and Zampella had sued Activison a month prior following their dismissal from their perches atop Activision-owned Infinity Ward.

But today the two creators are announcing a new company and an exclusive publishing deal with Activision rival Electronic Arts. The new company, based in Encino, California, will make games for the EA Partners label, an arrangement that means it will remain an independent company from EA. West and Zampella's former studio, Infinity Ward, remains wholly owned by Activision.

"Respawn Entertainment marks a fresh start for Jason and me," Zampella said in a statement. "For the past decade we led a great development team and poured our hearts into creating an epic game franchise. We're very proud of what we built – and proud that so many millions of fans enjoyed those games. Today we hope to do it all over again — open a new studio, hire a great team, and create brand new games with a new partner, EA."

"We're excited," West said. "Now that the team is in control of the games and brands, we can ensure that the fans are treated as well as they deserve."

While West and Zampella's experience has recently involved military first-person shooters, including EA's Medal of Honor series, which they worked on prior to handling Call of Duty and Modern Warfare for Activision, they offered no details on the new game.

The release indicated only that "the company will focus on creating state-of-the-art gaming experiences for global audiences."

Kotaku will have more on this story as it breaks.

Can I say that... we can now very good expectation on new battlefield, medal of honour series? Perhaps in future, medal of honour series will become anothe repic boom. (I means, restore their formal glory again) Hm.... I see light at the end of tunnel.

Impossible.

Respawn will not do any EA's existing franchise like MoH or Battlefield.

They only signed for publication deals,which means EA have no control over their IP and creative processes.

I only hope that EA will put some sense to respawn to include dedicated servers; follow DICE's lead on what they did for BC2.

The publisher of Call of Duty may want to explore "new digital business models" for its bestselling military shooter—perhaps as an MMO—but rumors of Modern Warfare 2 going pay-to-play appear to be premature.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling took to his massively followed Twitter account today, dispelling rumors that the hit PS3, Xbox 360 and PC game will start carrying its own fee to play online.

"For the record, nobody has to pay to play [Call of Duty] or [Modern Warfare 2] multiplayer, nor will they," Bowling wrote.

That tweet was quickly followed by one from the other big Call of Duty developer, with Treyarch's community manager Josh Olin noting that the forthcoming Black Ops won't carry a separate online multiplayer fee either.

"No, you will not have to 'Pay to Play' [Call of Duty: Black Ops] Multiplayer either," Olin wrote. "Rumor -> Squashed."

While those already released Call of Duty games appear to have gotten off subscriber fee-free, Activision Blizzard boss Bobby Kotick has made clear his desire to capitalize on the online successes of the first-person shooter.

"We've heard that 60 per cent of [Microsoft's] subscribers are principally on Live because of Call of Duty," Kotick said in a recent Financial Times interview. "We don't really participate financially in that income stream. We would really like to be able to provide much more value to those millions of players playing on Live, but it's not our network."

For now, though, it appears Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Black Ops will require a one-time investment.

i thought 360 players already paying for their online service,  xbox live?