So apparently ‘Infinity Ward’, a small time development studio you’ve probably never heard of, has suddenly undergone a slightly drastic staff rearrangement. The creators of such indie darlings as 2003’s ‘Call of Duty’ and 2009’s ‘out-of-nowhere’ hit ‘Modern Warfare 2’ – you’ll be forgiven if you find yourself trailing off, thinking that “If I wanted obscure industry news and speculative jargon I’d start answering Michael Pachter’s incessant phone calls” – but bare with me. 

Why? Because jokes aside, this is huge news. Which of course, you already knew. But without going into the nitty gritty and waxing philosophic, It’s nearly impossible to consider this news without reminding yourself of Activision’s nearly gargantuan list of grievous PR offenses, thinly veiled corporatizing motives  and of course; the company’s continuing distain for the actual practitioners of the industry – the artists that create our entertainment and the consumers who revel in it.  

Far be it from me to add to the nuclear intensity of the anti-Activision fire, but I find impossible to stop myself from wondering where all of this ends. What or where is the logical point at which the world’s biggest publisher - and presumably the most profitable entity in the video game industry - stops and reflects on how utterly impossible it is to run an industry of artists, scientists and geeks like it was a cheap third world factory of zombies, hungry for brains. And not even fresh brains.

Naive I may be, but aren’t all of the aforementioned in at least some way, fundamentally intellectuals? It seems so painstakingly clear that the creative and explorative nature of Video Games, probably the most rapidly developing medium in the world for well over a decade now – is strikingly at odds with the callous, stagnant and business orientated methodology governing the Activision M.O. 

But perhaps the most interesting problem here has nothing to do with Activision. Perhaps the most troubling thing is simply not knowing what to do about it all. What on earth can one gamer do? It’s hard to imagine Jean-Luc Picard knowingly nodding away at the subtle magnificence of the corporate gaming worlds cut and dry approach to gutting ideas and selling out creative talents while rapidly diminishing the quality of the consumers end product (i.e. the Guitar Hero franchise and of course, the fate of Red Octane) – but it’s almost just as hard to imagine the seminal Starfleet captain’s rousing speech and knowing smile as he outlines exactly how we will unite to drive the nefarious corporations back into the depths of Cardassian space. 

In fact, I think Jean-Luc himself sums it up well;     
 
 

 
So apparently ‘Infinity Ward’, a small time development studio you’ve probably never heard of, has suddenly undergone a slightly drastic staff rearrangement. The creators of such indie darlings as 2003’s ‘Call of Duty’ and 2009’s ‘out-of-nowhere’ hit ‘Modern Warfare 2’ – you’ll be forgiven if you find yourself trailing off, thinking that “If I wanted obscure industry news and speculative jargon I’d start answering Michael Pachter’s incessant phone calls” – but bare with me. 

Why? Because jokes aside, this is huge news. Which of course, you already knew. But without going into the nitty gritty and waxing philosophic, It’s nearly impossible to consider this news without reminding yourself of Activision’s nearly gargantuan list of grievous PR offenses, thinly veiled corporatizing motives  and of course; the company’s continuing distain for the actual practitioners of the industry – the artists that create our entertainment and the consumers who revel in it.  

Far be it from me to add to the nuclear intensity of the anti-Activision fire, but I find impossible to stop myself from wondering where all of this ends. What or where is the logical point at which the world’s biggest publisher - and presumably the most profitable entity in the video game industry - stops and reflects on how utterly impossible it is to run an industry of artists, scientists and geeks like it was a cheap third world factory of zombies, hungry for brains. And not even fresh brains.

Naive I may be, but aren’t all of the aforementioned in at least some way, fundamentally intellectuals? It seems so painstakingly clear that the creative and explorative nature of Video Games, probably the most rapidly developing medium in the world for well over a decade now – is strikingly at odds with the callous, stagnant and business orientated methodology governing the Activision M.O. 

But perhaps the most interesting problem here has nothing to do with Activision. Perhaps the most troubling thing is simply not knowing what to do about it all. What on earth can one gamer do? It’s hard to imagine Jean-Luc Picard knowingly nodding away at the subtle magnificence of the corporate gaming worlds cut and dry approach to gutting ideas and selling out creative talents while rapidly diminishing the quality of the consumers end product (i.e. the Guitar Hero franchise and of course, the fate of Red Octane) – but it’s almost just as hard to imagine the seminal Starfleet captain’s rousing speech and knowing smile as he outlines exactly how we will unite to drive the nefarious corporations back into the depths of Cardassian space. 

In fact, I think Jean-Luc himself sums it up well;     
 
 

I read it, seems very weak.