Ben-DutkaAfter the Activision/Infinity Ward explosion, things have changed. The developer lost many key members of its team and unsurprisingly, they want to express their freedom in a certain way.
In a recent VG247 interview with Activision president Dave Stohl, we learn that Infinity Ward is having no difficulty in hiring fresh talent, although they admit to a mass exodus of sorts after bosses Vince Zampella and Jason West were fired. And as of now, Activision is looking to help the studio rebuild and they're both "setting the bar so high," because previous projects like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 have set a top-notch standard for the future. Speaking of the future, Stohl says:
"We’re not saying right now. There is definitely a strong shooter philosophy there, for sure. And I think that there’s a short- and long-term view on the whole thing. But I think we’re rebuilding a studio that can go off and build great new franchises in the future."
"Great new franchises" didn't seem to be high on Activision's priority list before; West and Zampella cited the publisher's insistence on a Modern Warfare 3 – and not something new – as a primary reason behind the strife. It'll certainly be interesting to see what Infinity Ward produces next, and whether or not long-time CoD fans will flock to snag it…