The LA Times broke the news this morning. Backed by "several million dollars" in seed money from Electronic Arts -- the publisher West and Zampella fled in 2002 after developing Medal of Honor: Allied Assault at 2015 studios -- Respawn Entertainment puts the duo in a rare position. According to the Times, West and Zampella will own and have full control over the intellectual property they create.
"This is a total reset," Zampella told the Times. "We're starting again from ground zero. It's daunting and exciting."
EA did not discuss terms of the deal, but it's believed it will have publishing rights on Respawn's first title, and potentially any sequels and spinoffs. "It has a certain irony to it," Frank Gibeau, president of the EA Games label, told the Times. "But the fact that they were in this situation was a stunning opportunity for us."
West and Zampella didn't tell the Times what the first title from Respawn will be, but West did say it would be "summer blockbuster" scale, and films, comic books, and other media would all be in the mix.
UPDATE:
Activision responded to the news with the following statement to IGN:
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.
Sharkey says: Somewhere, Bobby Kotick is smashing a chair. As part of the pair's lawsuit against Activision, West and Zampella are fighting for control of the Modern Warfare brand. So it's possible the first title we'll see from Respawn will be the rumored 'Future Warfare' game, published by Activision's main rival to boot. And it sounds like the duo got an unheard of deal from EA, with complete control over the titles they create. Can't wait to see what they come up with.
