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FourZeroTwo Lashes Out at CoD:WaW Producer In Official Blog

BamelinBamelin Registered User regular
edited November 2008 in Games and Technology
I just posted this on our news forums so I'm going to cut and paste it over here as well. At the very least it's an interesting insight into industry the behind the scenes drama.
Robert Bowling aka. fourzerotwo aka. Community Manager at Infinity Ward lashed out yesterday on his official blog, at Call of Duty World At War Producer Noah Heller.

In his blog Robert stated that Noah has been using the success of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare to sell Call of Duty:World At War, rather than selling the game based on it's own merits. Noah was recently interviewed at CVG, and parts of Robert's blog entry could be seen as a direct response to comments Noah had made in this interview.
Blog Entry wrote:
Seriously man…. You’re killing me!

If I see one more Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare google alert come through my inbox, that ends up being a COD:WaW article that is only showing up because YOU referenced Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare more times than you mention World At War….

Especially when you’re pulling [Removed] out of your ass. Come on man, interview about your game. Not OURS! Call of Duty: World at War can stand on it’s own merits, leave ours out of it. Like this gem of a quote from today’s article on CVG…

In the previous Call of Dutys it might take three or four shots from a bolt action rifle,” he explained. “We made sure that a single shot centre mass would kill that opponent because that’s the expectation of the player.


WTF are you talking about?! “in previous Call of Dutys blah blah blah”. First of all, you didn’t work on “previous Call of Dutys”, so don’t talk as if you’re down with how / why things were designed the way they were. Second, you’re completely [Removed]ing wrong.

Bolt Action rifles are one hit kills in every Call of Duty we (Infinity Ward) made!!

I won’t compare it to World at War’s Bolt Actions, I can’t speak to that because I don’t work there. Just like you don’t work here, so please stop talking about our games.

A word of thumb I like to use is…. when promoting your game. Promote YOUR game. Don’t compare it to another game, or reference what OTHER games did in the past, pitch YOUR game. I mean, you have lots of cool things you could talk about… ike Nazi Zombies….

Can you guys please stop interviewing this guy, talk to someone who actually works on the Dev Team at Treyarch and knows what the [Removed] they’re talking about. Not Senior Super Douche Noah Heller from Activision - who apparently has never played the game and doesn’t even work at the developer.

Alright, I’m done ranting… but I can’t take another google alert of garbage coming through my inbox with bull[Removed] quotes from this guy.

One can't help but wonder if this sort of thing is the result of having different developers work on a single franchise? One thing's for sure, we doubt Activision is going to be very happy with this type of inter fighting.

Quick queston ... is Infinity Ward owned by Activision? Or is it more of a partnership?

Bamelin on
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Posts

  • CohsaeCohsae Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Wow now that's what I call drama. The guy has a point though i guess. When you're promoting your game, why talk at all about a game someone else made? I mean they could have easily compared it to CoD3, and mentioned the changes they have made.

    Cohsae on
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  • BamelinBamelin Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Cohsae wrote: »
    Wow now that's what I call drama. The guy has a point though i guess. When you're promoting your game, why talk at all about a game someone else made? I mean they could have easily compared it to CoD3, and mentioned the changes they have made.


    To be fair to Noah, both games are in the CoD franchise ... does it not make sense to compare the current game in the franchise to the last one?

    I know what FourZeroTwo is getting at though and why he is pissed.

    Bamelin on
  • LewiePLewieP Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Call of Duty belongs to Activision right?

    And that's who pays his wages.

    If I was his boss I would be pissed off right about now.

    LewieP on
  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    edited November 2008
    And the fact that I've not seen a single interview or article about World at War that hasn't mentioned CoD4. I can kind of understand it, but at the same time, it's coming after a massively successful CoD4 so it's going to get mentioned a lot.

    If they don't like being associated with someone else's project, maybe it's time to find a publisher that doesn't want to just exploit the franchise to this degree.

    darleysam on
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  • ZiggymonZiggymon Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    darleysam wrote: »
    And the fact that I've not seen a single interview or article about World at War that hasn't mentioned CoD4. I can kind of understand it, but at the same time, it's coming after a massively successful CoD4 so it's going to get mentioned a lot.

    If they don't like being associated with someone else's project, maybe it's time to find a publisher that doesn't want to just exploit the franchise to this degree.

    Wonder if Ubisoft had the same levels of conflict between the two different Splinter Cell teams? Or is it the fact that Infinity Ward are finally realising that their franchise is eventually going to be run into the ground.

    Ziggymon on
  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    edited November 2008
    I hope it's the latter, so it maybe pushes them to get away from Activision.

    darleysam on
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  • ZiggymonZiggymon Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    darleysam wrote: »
    I hope it's the latter, so it maybe pushes them to get away from Activision.

    Bet ya Activision will still hold the Call of Duty name and it will end up being the whole Bioshock/ System Shock situation

    Ziggymon on
  • Ragnar DragonfyreRagnar Dragonfyre Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Well, if I sent an email like this, or posted this on my own blog concerning someone that works for the same company as me, I'd for sure get suspended or actioned. You can't just lash out at someone publicly in this manner without at least trying to take your problems directly to said person, or your boss.

    This is a rather unprofessional way to handle a problem you have with a fellow employee. In an industry that is as small as the video game industry, attacking someone like this can put an indellible stain on your own reputation.

    Ragnar Dragonfyre on
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  • LewiePLewieP Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Ziggymon wrote: »
    darleysam wrote: »
    I hope it's the latter, so it maybe pushes them to get away from Activision.

    Bet ya Activision will still hold the Call of Duty name and it will end up being the whole Bioshock/ System Shock situation

    Ironically, Infinity Ward was set up by people who had worked on the Medal of Honour series.

    LewieP on
  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Ziggymon wrote: »
    darleysam wrote: »
    I hope it's the latter, so it maybe pushes them to get away from Activision.

    Bet ya Activision will still hold the Call of Duty name and it will end up being the whole Bioshock/ System Shock situation

    I really wouldn't be worried by that at all. Hell, I love CoD but I'd love IW to go and make something different. Keep it an FPS sure, but expand their horizons a bit.

    darleysam on
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  • Black IceBlack Ice Charlotte, NCRegistered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Well, if I sent an email like this, or posted this on my own blog concerning someone that works for the same company as me, I'd for sure get suspended or actioned. You can't just lash out at someone publicly in this manner without at least trying to take your problems directly to said person, or your boss.

    This is a rather unprofessional way to handle a problem you have with a fellow employee. In an industry that is as small as the video game industry, attacking someone like this can put an indellible stain on your own reputation.

    Agreed. Reading 402's blog (I admit, it's on my Favorites toolbar), the guy just seems really immature and sometimes I can't believe that IW lets him keep the blog. The blog itself is so unprofessional, but I suppose that's some of the appeal to it.

    Regardless, bashing your sibling company's Producer in the public domain doesn't seem like a smart idea, ever.

    Black Ice on
  • FiziksFiziks Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Infinity Ward has always had a grudge toward Treyarch. On the PC the multiplayer executable for Call of Duty 4 is named, "IW3MP.exe".

    Fiziks on
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  • WibodWibod Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Fiziks wrote: »
    Infinity Ward has always had a grudge toward Treyarch. On the PC the multiplayer executable for Call of Duty 4 is named, "IW3MP.exe".

    All of the process tasks for CoD4 are like that, and of course the rap song at the end.

    Wibod on
  • 043043 Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Hell, when your new game IS COD4 rolled back to WWII, and God knows they didn't ask anyone at Infinity Ward if they could use their setup, I'd be pretty pissed too.

    They took the perks, upgrades, and scoring system straight out of COD4. Makes me wonder if every COD is gonna try and do it from now on, or if IW will roll up with COD5 and have something completely different.

    043 on
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  • brynstarbrynstar Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    043 wrote: »
    Hell, when your new game IS COD4 rolled back to WWII, and God knows they didn't ask anyone at Infinity Ward if they could use their setup, I'd be pretty pissed too.

    They took the perks, upgrades, and scoring system straight out of COD4. Makes me wonder if every COD is gonna try and do it from now on, or if IW will roll up with COD5 and have something completely different.


    I believe Activision owns the engine and the IP, and all that stuff goes along with it. So nothing was "Stolen" from Infinity Ward.

    I think this guy is acting unprofessional. I sort of understand the not-so-silent beef that Infinity Ward has with Treyarch, but this is taking it too far.

    brynstar on
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  • 043043 Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    brynstar wrote: »
    043 wrote: »
    Hell, when your new game IS COD4 rolled back to WWII, and God knows they didn't ask anyone at Infinity Ward if they could use their setup, I'd be pretty pissed too.

    They took the perks, upgrades, and scoring system straight out of COD4. Makes me wonder if every COD is gonna try and do it from now on, or if IW will roll up with COD5 and have something completely different.


    I believe Activision owns the engine and the IP, and all that stuff goes along with it. So nothing was "Stolen" from Infinity Ward.

    That doesn't mean IW didn't come up with it.

    043 on
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  • brynstarbrynstar Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    043 wrote: »
    brynstar wrote: »
    043 wrote: »
    Hell, when your new game IS COD4 rolled back to WWII, and God knows they didn't ask anyone at Infinity Ward if they could use their setup, I'd be pretty pissed too.

    They took the perks, upgrades, and scoring system straight out of COD4. Makes me wonder if every COD is gonna try and do it from now on, or if IW will roll up with COD5 and have something completely different.


    I believe Activision owns the engine and the IP, and all that stuff goes along with it. So nothing was "Stolen" from Infinity Ward.

    That doesn't mean IW didn't come up with it.

    I know, but if they were going to have such a huge issue with it, they shouldn't have sold their IP to the publisher.

    brynstar on
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  • ShabootyShabooty Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    brynstar wrote: »
    043 wrote: »
    brynstar wrote: »
    043 wrote: »
    Hell, when your new game IS COD4 rolled back to WWII, and God knows they didn't ask anyone at Infinity Ward if they could use their setup, I'd be pretty pissed too.

    They took the perks, upgrades, and scoring system straight out of COD4. Makes me wonder if every COD is gonna try and do it from now on, or if IW will roll up with COD5 and have something completely different.


    I believe Activision owns the engine and the IP, and all that stuff goes along with it. So nothing was "Stolen" from Infinity Ward.

    That doesn't mean IW didn't come up with it.

    I know, but if they were going to have such a huge issue with it, they shouldn't have sold their IP to the publisher.
    I doubt it was that simple.

    Shabooty on
  • brynstarbrynstar Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Well, Activision bought Infinity Ward in 2003. Probably for large sums of money. You can't then turn around and complain that Activision is using a game they own to promote another game they own, especially when you've been paid a large chunk of cash for the rights to said game.

    I love Infinity Ward, their games are awesome. But this just reeks of unprofessionalism.

    It would make more sense if Activision didn't fully own the IP.

    brynstar on
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  • SimBenSimBen Hodor? Hodor Hodor.Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    brynstar wrote: »
    043 wrote: »
    brynstar wrote: »
    043 wrote: »
    Hell, when your new game IS COD4 rolled back to WWII, and God knows they didn't ask anyone at Infinity Ward if they could use their setup, I'd be pretty pissed too.

    They took the perks, upgrades, and scoring system straight out of COD4. Makes me wonder if every COD is gonna try and do it from now on, or if IW will roll up with COD5 and have something completely different.


    I believe Activision owns the engine and the IP, and all that stuff goes along with it. So nothing was "Stolen" from Infinity Ward.

    That doesn't mean IW didn't come up with it.

    I know, but if they were going to have such a huge issue with it, they shouldn't have sold their IP to the publisher.

    Except then they wouldn't have been able to fund, debug, market or distribute their game. Oops?

    SimBen on
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  • DeathPrawnDeathPrawn Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    I can see where IW is coming from. When you consistently put out fantastic games, it's disheartening to see the brand name you have built up used to promote shittier titles made by other developers.

    That being said, this is completely unprofessional and isn't going to accomplish jack shit. Seriously, what did he expect to happen as a result of his blog post?

    I found the 360 beta of CoD : WaW to be much less fun than CoD4. My hope is that things will work themselves out. Over time, consumers will hopefully learn to associate spin-off CODs with shittiness and they'll just stick to buying the IW-developed numbered ones and all will be good in the world.

    DeathPrawn on
    Signature not found.
  • Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Ziggymon wrote: »
    darleysam wrote: »
    I hope it's the latter, so it maybe pushes them to get away from Activision.

    Bet ya Activision will still hold the Call of Duty name and it will end up being the whole Bioshock/ System Shock situation

    the best thing ever would be if the new, non-activision I.W. project was called 'duty calls'.

    Local H Jay on
  • FireWeaselFireWeasel Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    I dunno, man. As pointed out earlier, COD4 is huge. People will want to know how this new game stacks up, so why WOULDN'T he mention it?

    I understand the guy's concern to some degree, but geez, it's not a huge stretch of logic here.

    His immaturity seems to be the overriding factor here.

    FireWeasel on
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  • SimBenSimBen Hodor? Hodor Hodor.Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Ziggymon wrote: »
    darleysam wrote: »
    I hope it's the latter, so it maybe pushes them to get away from Activision.

    Bet ya Activision will still hold the Call of Duty name and it will end up being the whole Bioshock/ System Shock situation

    the best thing ever would be if the new, non-activision I.W. project was called 'duty calls'.

    Appeal of Onus

    SimBen on
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  • slash000slash000 Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    LewieP wrote: »
    Ziggymon wrote: »
    darleysam wrote: »
    I hope it's the latter, so it maybe pushes them to get away from Activision.

    Bet ya Activision will still hold the Call of Duty name and it will end up being the whole Bioshock/ System Shock situation

    Ironically, Infinity Ward was set up by people who had worked on the Medal of Honour series.

    That's the first thing that came to my mind, hah.

    slash000 on
  • MechanicalMechanical Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Glad to see the pissing match between IW and Treyarch is still alive and well. Worth noting the backhanded message in the credits in 4 as well? IW seems to be playing more the asshole here.

    Mechanical on
  • davinciedavincie Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    I think IW are the 'good guys' here, I mean they started the series, made the best parts, heck they made WW2 games popular thanks to Medal of honor: Allied Assault.

    davincie on
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  • FugaFuga Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    What's funny is that the bolt-action rifles are 1 hit kill in cod 2 and 4, and not in WAW.

    Fuga on
  • DeathPrawnDeathPrawn Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    davincie wrote: »
    I think IW are the 'good guys' here, I mean they started the series, made the best parts, heck they made WW2 games popular thanks to Medal of honor: Allied Assault.

    It's possible to be correct while still being a dick.

    DeathPrawn on
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  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Mechanical wrote: »
    Glad to see the pissing match between IW and Treyarch is still alive and well. Worth noting the backhanded message in the credits in 4 as well? IW seems to be playing more the asshole here.

    What is this message?

    darleysam on
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  • FiziksFiziks Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    "I mean, you have lots of cool things you could talk about… like Nazi Zombies…."
    Completely tongue-in-cheek remark on how the only thing Treyarch added was the Nazi Zombie mode. Even this is going to be overshadowed by Left 4 Dead.


    I knew it when I heard "WWII shooter" that WaW was going to be a massive re-skinning of CoD4. The sad part is, they failed at re-hashing. Treyarch just acted as a paid mod developer, creating the WWII visuals, new perks, and support skills. Something that, given CoD4 had a mod dev kit, 15 people in their basements could churn out in a years time. What's sad is that this abortion has been under development for 2 years now, and the game still has simple balancing issues, bolt-action rifles being the prime example.


    Jeff Gerstmann hit the nail on the head when he said;
    "I'll just say that I suspect this has to do with more than just bolt action rifles."

    Cheers to IW on actually caring about their IP. They should either retain full control, or come up with a new IP, again.

    Fiziks on
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  • CohsaeCohsae Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Seems like IWs real problem is with Activision. Because they are the ones responsible for the whole "We need a new CoD every year", whereas IW want a new CoD when the new CoD is done. That's my understanding of the relationship anyway,

    Cohsae on
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  • PharezonPharezon Struggle is an illusion. Victory is in the Qun.Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    One developer makes games with archaic game mechanics and the other can't make good ports.

    Pharezon on
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  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Pharezon wrote: »
    One developer makes games with intense set pieces and the other can't make good ports.

    Shadowfire on
  • TerazillaTerazilla Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    To answer the question from the second post -- both Treyarch and Infinity Ward are Activision-owned labels.

    Terazilla on
  • APZonerunnerAPZonerunner Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
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    APZonerunner on
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  • PharezonPharezon Struggle is an illusion. Victory is in the Qun.Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    Pharezon wrote: »
    One developer makes games with intense set pieces and the other can't make good ports.

    Until you realize that there are respawning enemies, then it's just a yawn fest until you reach the checkpoint. Or die for the 50th time on veteran where all of the flaws are apparent.

    Pharezon on
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  • MechanicalMechanical Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    darleysam wrote: »
    Mechanical wrote: »
    Glad to see the pissing match between IW and Treyarch is still alive and well. Worth noting the backhanded message in the credits in 4 as well? IW seems to be playing more the asshole here.

    What is this message?

    If I'm not mistaken, there's a line from that credits rap that basically says that it's the third installment. Could be wrong, been a while since I've played the game.

    Mechanical on
  • FiziksFiziks Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    Pharezon wrote: »
    One developer makes games with intense set pieces and the other can't make good ports.

    Seriously, the section where you had to fend off wave after wave of enemies from MacMillan was epic. Michael Bay style movies are middling at best, but they make for damn good games.

    Fiziks on
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  • PharezonPharezon Struggle is an illusion. Victory is in the Qun.Registered User regular
    edited November 2008
    Fiziks wrote: »
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    Pharezon wrote: »
    One developer makes games with intense set pieces and the other can't make good ports.

    Seriously, the section where you had to fend off wave after wave of enemies from MacMillan was epic. Michael Bay style movies are middling at best, but they make for damn good games.

    If you enjoy arcadey shooters yes.

    Pharezon on
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