The deal is done. As many expected, Jason West and Vince Zampella have formed a new development studio. Christened Respawn Entertainment, the new studio has entered into an exlclusive publishing and distribution deal with industry giant (and one-time Zampella and West employer) Electronic Arts, through the EA Partners program.
The duo's deal with EA, "positions the Respawn Entertainment leadership team as the owners of the intellectual property they create." Though IP ownership was a sticking point in Zampella and West's deal with Activision, the wording of the press release seems odd. Legally speaking, "positioned as owners," may not be the same as "are owners." In any case, the specifics of the deal have not been disclosed. Vince Zampella, General Manager of Respawn Entertainment, had this to say:
"Respawn Entertainment marks a fresh start for Jason and me. 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."
No projects have been announced, and the team at the studio is still being built. A trip to the Respawn Entertainment website currently reveals nothing more than an email link to apply for jobs.
Of course, West and Zampella are still engaged in litigation with Activision over the duo's departure from Infinity Ward. In response to the Respawn Entertainment press release, Activision re-states the point of their lawsuit against the two, and re-asserts Infinity Ward's position as an Activision-owned studio.
"This agreement comes as no surprise to Activision given the myriad of improper activities detailed in the cross-complaint filed on Friday against Jason West and Vince Zampella. We look forward to continuing to work with Infinity Ward's deep bench of proven talent on exciting new projects."
How much of that "deep bench of proven talent" will ultimately continue on with troubled developer Infinity Ward remains to be seen. Just last week, Lead Software Engineer Francesco Gigliotti and Lead Designer Todd Alderman left Infinity Ward. Will they be joining up with Respawn Entertainment? And will more staff follow?
With any luck, both teams will ultimately have bright futures, and everyone involved can get back to doing what they do best: making great games. Respawn Entertainment certainly seems to be looking more tword the future than the past. Says Jason West, President of Respawn Entertainment:
"We're excited. 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."
Game Rant wishes the newly formed development studio well. What are you thoughts? What kind of game do you want to see Respawn Entertainment create? What does this really mean for Infinity Ward?
Source: Gamepro