There is a peanuts cartoon where Charlie Brown looks at Linus and says “That’s just an old wives tale” – to which Linus replies, “I don’t know, some of those old wives were pretty sharp.” As trite as some of us think “old adages” are, the thing about them is that they are based on some truth. Had they not stood the test of time they wouldn’t be “adages” at all. Yet as old as many adages are, we keep repeating them. Why? Simply because they teach lessons that many people are too hard headed to learn.
And there seem to be hard heads aplenty over at Activision these days.
Many of you may have noticed how much we seem to favor the independent developer here at No Prisoners, No Mercy. This isn’t simply because the big fish like Time Warner continue to acquire smaller fish like Turbine Studios, resulting in far fewer smaller studios. As true as this might be, this is simply because we appreciate the willingness of the independent developer to be part of the community that constitutes their customers. While Activision COO Thomas Tippl is busying telling us all how well they treat their developers things aren’t as rosy as Activision continually tries to paint them. No matter how the lawsuit between West and Zampella vs. Activision turns out, the stream of employees leaving Infinity Ward has become a raging torrent – now totaling 26 as reported by Gamasutra . This all seems to have Dan Amrich, Activision Social Media Manager, confused.
“I’m confused, because by leaving, they are giving up their bonus—and the more people that leave, the bigger the bonus gets for the people who stay. I’d think if you are young and hungry and have a vision for a new game, IW would be a really good place to be right now.” – Dan Amrich, Activision Social Media Manager
It’s too bad Dan Amrich doesn’t read Arstechnica like we do. If he did, all he would have to do is read a recent article by Ben Kuchera, and page half way down for his answer under the heading, “So why are people leaving.”
“The problem with Activision management is that it often comes down to money over talent, and no one realizes that the promise of hypothetical future bonuses isn’t enough to get people to stay.” – Ben Kuchera, Arstechnica
Even those who have given the tale of two studios, Activision vs. West and Zampella, even passing attention will see that the bonus that Dan Amrich feels former Infinity Ward employees are leaving with Activision are actually being left with the courts.
In the end, even if Activision doesn’t end up killing the proverbial goose that laid the golden egg (the Golden Egg being talent that created the Call of Duty games in this case) they are hemorrhaging talent. Oddly enough, it is a wound that could have been staunched with the application of a bit of courtesy and kindness. In other words, be nice to the people you meet on the way up, you will meet the same people on the way back down.
The No Prisoners, No Mercy Team
Update:
Contrary to what Dan Amrich may feel, it appears that at least one group of Infinity Ward employees, both past and present, are not quit leaving bonus’ on the table as he thought they were:
“The ongoing friction between Activision and its internal development studio Infinity Ward has reached new heights, as several dozen current and former Infinity Ward employees have banded together to file suit against Activision, claiming breach of contract and seeking unpaid royalties and bonuses. According to documents obtained by G4tv.com blog The Feed, the suit is being collectively filed by the “Infinity Ward Employee Group,” comprising 38 developers.” – Gamasutra, Infinity Ward Employees Group Up to Sue Activision for Compensation
Very wise advice, Sister, but I think in this case the executives at Activision will simply move to a less creative industry and middle manage there if the balloon bursts.
Any industry that mixes suits with creatives has these tensions and the suits may mess things up but in the process they acquire transferable skills.
Yes… but they then take those parasitic damaging skills elsewhere, when they should really be squashed like ticks.
…or were you talking about the creative types picking up skills? Those tend to be more productive.
I really enjoy seeing these interesting images in your posts. They are quite good.
Game studio migrations are nothing new. This one just has press because it’s a major IP. Personally, I wish the best of luck to Zampella, West, et. al.
Positive Creative Environments > Bonuses (that will probably now have strings attached).
Let me say this about that…while moving between business’ is usual, and even mistreatment of employees may be usual, nothing will ever make it right -especially at the level to which Activision has taken it. In fact there have been times business where I have had to stand up and say “I won’t do it.”
As far as the images…thanks. They are sort of a “trade mark” of my writing and our web site. Not bad considering that most of them are done in paint, and not photoshop.
Julie
Oh I certainly wasn’t condoning it or supporting it. I was just rather glumly observing that Kotick et al will probably not in fact meet the people they’ve screwed over on the way down.
As for standing up and saying “I won’t do it”, good for you. At the end of the day a person should be proud of what they have done, not merely of how much cash they’ve made.
[...] vs. West and Zampella. Well it turns out, those lessons we wrote about earlier in our article Lessons Not Learned are about to get some serious reinforcement. Dan Amrich, Activision Social Media Manager, may be [...]