Organizational Behavior

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Call Of Duty Legal Warfare

Contents • The Players • The Implosion • The Friction • The Conclusion

The Players

Activision • In 2009, the year Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was released, Activision Blizzard made $4.28 billion • Robert "Bobby" Kotick is currently the CEO and president of Activision Blizzard

ElectronicArts • Publisher of competing military shooter franchises Battlefield and Medal of Honor • the new home of Jason West and Vince Zampella ‘Respawn Entertainment’

Infinity Ward • Activision helped fund Infinity Ward in its early days, buying up 30 percent of the company. The studio's first game was World War II shooter Call of Duty • Infinity Ward later went on to make Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for Activision

Jason West & Vince Zampella • 2 Leaders of Infinity Ward • On March 1, 2010, Infinity Ward studio heads Jason West and Vince Zampella are fired. • West and Zampella sue Activision, filing a $36 million lawsuit

The Implosion • West and Zampella vs. Activision • Activision vs. EA • IWEG vs. Activision

West and Zampella vs. Activision • On March 1, 2010, Infinity Ward studio heads Jason West and Vince Zampella are fired. • West and Zampella sue Activision, filing a $36 million lawsuit later they claim more than $1 billion in damages • Call of Duty creators Zampella and West go to trial on May 29 - 2012 but the trial was delayed. Later the lawsuit was settled in private negotiation.

Activision vs. EA • Activision sued Electronic Arts and West and Zampella, seeking $400 million in actual and punitive damages for poaching the employees responsible for the company’s most profitable series. • The matter was later settled in private

IWEG vs. Activision • Following Activision's counter suit, top Infinity Ward developers start leaving • 38 current and former employees of Infinity Ward brought a lawsuit against Activision • the plaintiffs seek between $75 million and $125 million in compensatory damages from Activision for unpaid bonuses for work on Modern Warfare 2 • The company paid $42 million in owed royalties to the IWEG

The Friction Motivation Leadership Conflict and Negotiation Job Attitude

Motivation • Failed to create motivational environment • Failed to reward fairly

Failed to create motivational environment • "With Call of Duty 2, we were dead set against it being World War II," Zampella said in an interview • "We had to fight for everything," said Jason West in the same interview. "They wanted [Call of Duty 4] to be World War II. Again"

Failed to create motivational environment

Failed to reward fairly • Promise highly reward but try to delay and break the promise. • When asking for the reason that drives Zampella and Jason West toEA, they answer that:” a better deal, IP ownership, and higher bonus rates”

Leadership • The central man behind all of the chaos: Bobby Kotick • The wrong decision when firing West and Zampella

Conflict and Negotiation • Conflict process • Negotiation

Job Attitude • Cognition • In 2009, the year Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was released, Activision Blizzard made $4.28 billion, with $1.56 billion of that cash coming in the quarter in which Modern Warfare 2 was released. • The organization promises an extra bonus when they finish the next sequel of the game • Affect • the employee get angry. Jason West and Vince Zampella were fired. • Behavior • more and more top leader of Infinity Ward start leaving

The interview question • The others that left Infinity Ward were never fired. Did they all just walk away? • West: "You're not paying me so I have to quit, because you're not paying me, and I have a problem with that." And they have to spend their life savings to try to get paid. • Zampella: They came in and said, "We owe you this money, but we're not going to give it to you unless you work two more years and make us another game."

The Conclusion • "This legal battle between the old employees of Infinity Ward and Activision is the most significant in video game history," said Evan Wilson, an analyst with Pacific Crest Securities • The publisher cannot treat its talent like garbage and not expect them to fight back

Reference • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinity_Ward • http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/activision-blizzard-settles-lawsuits-with-electronic-arts-call-of-duty-creators-vincent-zampella-and-jason-wests-suit-goes-to-trial-may-29/#ixzz1xVeXGvWo • http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-activision-call-of-duty-lawsuit-settled-20120530,0,2012126.story • http://www.gamespot.com/news/west-zampella-attorney-speaks-out-ahead-of-activision-trial-6378384 • http://www.gamespot.com/news/evidence-suggests-activision-wanted-infinity-ward-heads-out-for-years-6378382 • http://kotaku.com/5513694/the-modern-warfare-fight-your-guide-to-activision-vs-infinity-ward • http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/12/vince-zampella-and-jason-west-talk-respawn-entertainment/ • http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.376455-Jason-West-and-Vince-Zampella-speak-out-about-Activision-termination

Organizational Behavior