Looks like this story is “far from over,” to quote Drake. Activision is suing the double team of Jason West and Vince Zampella for insubordination. But that lawsuit couldn’t slow them down from sleeping with the enemy anyway. They respawn back with Respawn Entertainment and EA is backing it. But learning from their last deal, Respawn has an independent ground now. They signed with EA Partners which is like a set of services EA can provide for game studios and the studios can keep their freedom (something music labels should do). Zampella and West released a statement, found on Kotaku:
“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 I’m glad to see these two bounce back after getting some wedgie treatment from Activision security. I wonder what kind of games we can expect from Respawn Entertainment. My guess is the same military multiplayer experiences we got from them previously. Two reasons why: The name is Respawn, and what other reason would EA mess with them? They want to emulate those sale numbers. Leave your thoughts.
