Vince Zampella

Last updated
Vince Zampella
Vince Zampella.jpg
Zampella in 2019. [1]
Born1970 (aged 54) [2]
Occupation(s)Head of Respawn Entertainment and Ripple Effect Studios
Executive Vice President of Electronic Arts
Notable work Call of Duty
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
TitleFounder of Infinity Ward and Respawn Entertainment
Children3 [3]

Vince Zampella (born 1970) is an American video game designer best known for being a co-founder and former studio head of Infinity Ward and the current head of Respawn Entertainment and Ripple Effect Studios. [4] [5]

Contents

Career

Early career

Following his "unsuccessful" enrollment at Broward College (at the time known as Broward Community College, [6] ) Zampella worked as a handyman. A friend of his helped him get a job at a local game company, where he answered phones and tested new releases. In a 1997 interview with Gamezilla, Zampella said he "started out in graphic design and digital video at GameTek, then went to Atari to help launch its PC division" sometime prior to 1997. [7] Zampella also worked at Panasonic Interactive Media/Ripcord Games and SegaSoft, where he met Jason West, whom he would later pair with to found Infinity Ward. [2] [8]

Zampella worked at 2015 from 1999-2002, during which he was credited as the lead designer for the critically acclaimed Medal of Honor: Allied Assault . [9] After Allied Assault's success, Zampella and Grant Collier founded Infinity Ward, where they began further Medal of Honor work. [5]

Infinity Ward

Shortly after Infinity Ward's creation, Electronic Arts decided to move Medal of Honor development in-house, and Infinity Ward took a deal with Activision to create a new game, codenamed "MOH Killer". [10] "MOH Killer" became Call of Duty , and Activision acquired Infinity Ward shortly after the game's release. At the same time, Zampella and fellow IW employee Jason West signed long-term employment contracts with Activision. [11] Under Zampella's and West's leadership, Infinity Ward released Call of Duty 2 , Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare , and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 .

Respawn Entertainment and EA

Months after the successful release of Modern Warfare 2, Zampella and Jason West were fired by Activision and denied the "$36 million in bonuses and royalties they’d been expecting". The pair sued Activision for wrongful termination that week and founded Respawn Entertainment the next month. During the years-long Activision suit, Zampella and West went on to demand $1 billion in damages from Activision, up from an initial $36 million. Other former IW employees also joined the suit. Activision eventually paid the other ex-IW employees $42 million, and paid West and Zampella "a settlement thought to be in the tens of millions of dollars".

In April 2010, the pair founded Respawn Entertainment, and signed with Electronic Arts for the release of their next game. [12] West left Respawn in March 2013. [13] The studio then released two Titanfall games, and it was acquired by EA in November 2017. [14] Under EA, the studio then released games such as Apex Legends , Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor .

In January 2020, EA announced that Zampella will lead the Los Angeles branch of DICE. [15] In 2021, EA put Zampella in charge of the Battlefield franchise following the "challenging" launch of Battlefield 2042 and the departure of Oskar Gabrielson, general manager of DICE. [16] DICE LA was renamed as Ripple Effect Studios in July 2018. [17]

Personal life

In a 2001 interview, Zampella described himself as having "always been an avid computer user and gamer". He was a casual Counter-Strike player at the time. [18]

According to TMZ, Zampella's wife Brigitte filed for divorce in 2015. They are reported as having 3 children together at the time. [3]

Related Research Articles

EA Digital Illusions CE AB is a Swedish video game developer based in Stockholm. The company was founded in 1992 and has been a subsidiary of Electronic Arts since 2006. Its releases include the Battlefield, Mirror's Edge and Star Wars: Battlefront series. Through their Frostbite Labs division, the company also develops the Frostbite game engine.

Infinity Ward, Inc. is an American video game developer. They developed the video game Call of Duty, along with seven other installments in the Call of Duty series. Vince Zampella, Grant Collier, and Jason West established Infinity Ward in 2002 after working at 2015, Inc. previously. All of the 22 original team members of Infinity Ward came from the team that had worked on Medal of Honor: Allied Assault while at 2015, Inc. Activision helped fund Infinity Ward in its early days, buying up 30 percent of the company, before eventually fully acquiring them. The studio's first game, World War II shooter Call of Duty, was released on the PC in 2003. The day after the game was released, Activision bought the rest of Infinity Ward, signing employees to long-term contracts. Infinity Ward went on to make Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, the Modern Warfare reboot, and its sequel.

Treyarch Corporation is an American video game developer based in Santa Monica, California. Founded in 1996 by Peter Akemann and Doğan Köslü, it was acquired by Activision in 2001. The studio is known for its work for the Call of Duty series, which it develops alongside Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software.

Battlefield is a military first-person shooter video game franchise primarily developed by Swedish company EA DICE and published by American company Electronic Arts. The series mainly focuses on online multiplayer, with gameplay taking place across large maps, and emphasizes teamwork and combined arms warfare.

<i>Call of Duty 2</i> 2005 video game

Call of Duty 2 is a 2005 first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision in most regions of the world. It is the second installment of the Call of Duty series. Announced by Activision on April 7, 2005, the game was released for Microsoft Windows on October 25, 2005, and as a launch title for the Xbox 360 on November 22, 2005. Other versions were eventually released for OS X, mobile phones, and Pocket PCs.

Call of Duty is a military video game series and media franchise published by Activision, starting in 2003. The games were first developed by Infinity Ward, then by Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games. Several spin-off and handheld games were made by other developers. The most recent title, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, was released on November 10, 2023. The upcoming title, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, is scheduled to be released on October 25, 2024.

Activision Blizzard, Inc. is an American video game holding company based in Santa Monica, California. Activision Blizzard currently includes five business units: Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, King, Major League Gaming, and Activision Blizzard Studios.

<i>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2</i> 2009 video game

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a 2009 first-person shooter game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is the sixth installment in the Call of Duty series and the direct sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. It was released worldwide on November 10, 2009, for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. A separate version for the Nintendo DS, titled Modern Warfare: Mobilized, was also released on the same day. A version for OS X was developed by Aspyr and released in May 2014, and the Xbox 360 version was made backward compatible for the Xbox One in 2018.

Sledgehammer Games, Inc. is an American video game developer company formed in 2009 by Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey. The pair formerly worked at Visceral Games and are responsible for the creation of Dead Space. The company is based in Foster City, California. The studio has developed and co-developed various video games in the Call of Duty series. The company is owned by Activision.

Respawn Entertainment, LLC is an American video game development studio founded in 2010 by Jason West and Vince Zampella and owned by Electronic Arts since 2017. West and Zampella previously co-founded Infinity Ward and created the Call of Duty franchise, where they were responsible for its development until 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IW (game engine)</span> Game engine developed by Infinity Ward

The IW engine is a game engine created and developed by Infinity Ward for the Call of Duty series. The engine was originally based on id Tech 3. Aside from Infinity Ward, the engine is also used by other Activision studios working on the series, including primary lead developers Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games, and support studios like Beenox, High Moon Studios, and Raven Software.

<i>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3</i> 2011 video game

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a 2011 first-person shooter video game, jointly developed by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision. The game was released worldwide in November 8 2011 for Microsoft Windows, the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and OS X. It is the sequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009), serving as the third and final installment in the original Modern Warfare trilogy and the eighth Call of Duty installment overall. A separate version for the Nintendo DS was developed by n-Space, while Treyarch developed the game's Wii port. In Japan, Square Enix published the game with a separate subtitled and dubbed version.

Danger Close Games was an American video game developer based in Los Angeles. The company was founded in March 1995 as joint venture between DreamWorks SKG and Microsoft under the name DreamWorks Interactive, with studios in Redmond, Washington, and Los Angeles.

<i>Titanfall</i> (video game) 2014 multiplayer first-person shooter video game

Titanfall is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for Windows and Xbox One on March 11, 2014; an Xbox 360 version ported by Bluepoint Games was released April 8, 2014. The game was anticipated as the debut title from developers formerly behind the Call of Duty franchise.

Mohammad Alavi is an Iranian-American video game developer. He is best known for his critically acclaimed work on the Call of Duty series at Infinity Ward, creating the iconic "Crew Expendable" and "All Ghillied Up" missions from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) as well as the controversial "No Russian" mission from Modern Warfare 2 (2009).

2015, Inc. was an American video game developer based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The studio is best known for developing Medal of Honor: Allied Assault.

<i>Titanfall 2</i> 2016 first-person shooter video game

Titanfall 2 is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. A sequel to 2014's Titanfall, the game was released worldwide on October 28, 2016, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. In Titanfall 2, the player controls a titan, mecha-style exoskeletons and their pilots, who are agile and equipped with a variety of skills ranging from wall-running to cloaking. Set in a science fiction universe, the single-player campaign follows the story of Jack Cooper, a rifleman from the Frontier Militia, who bonds with his mentor's Titan BT-7274 after his mentor, Tai Lastimosa, is killed in action. Together, they embark on a quest to stop the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation (IMC) from using a superweapon to destroy the Militia base on the planet Harmony.

<i>Apex Legends</i> 2019 video game

Apex Legends is a free-to-play battle royale-hero shooter game developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in February 2019, for Nintendo Switch in March 2021, and for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in March 2022. A mobile version of the game designed for touchscreens titled Apex Legends Mobile was released in May 2022 on Android and iOS, but was discontinued in May 1, 2023. The game supports cross-platform play, excluding the aforementioned mobile platforms.

Titanfall is a media franchise that mainly features first-person shooter games. The series was created by Respawn Entertainment and debuted on Xbox and Microsoft Windows; it has expanded to other consoles and platforms.

<i>Battlefield 2042</i> 2021 video game

Battlefield 2042 is a 2021 first-person shooter, developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. The twelfth main installment in the Battlefield series, it was released on November 19, 2021, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. 2042 is the first installment since 2006's Battlefield 2142 to solely be a multiplayer video game, without a single-player campaign. It is also the first installment to feature support for cross-platform play.

References

  1. ↑ Takahashi, Dean. "Respawn's Vince Zampella interview — Why you won't see Titans in Apex Legends". VentureBeat. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  2. 1 2 Chafkin, Max (11 June 2013). "Modern Warfare". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 2024-08-22. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Call of Duty Creator's Wife Files for Mega-Divorce". TMZ. 23 December 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-12-23. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  4. ↑ Bailey, Kat. "Exclusive: Vince Zampella Confirms Next Battlefield Will Use Modern Setting, First Concept Art Revealed". IGN. Archived from the original on 2024-09-19. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  5. 1 2 McWhertor, Michael (22 December 2010). "The Modern Warfare Fight: Your Guide to Activision Vs. Infinity Ward". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 2018-12-18. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  6. ↑ History of the College - Broward College, archived from the original on June 4, 2024, retrieved September 22, 2024
  7. ↑ Eatough, Mitch. "Interview with Vince Zampella, Baldies Producer". Gamezilla. Archived from the original on 2002-02-02. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  8. ↑ "Bangai-O Spirits Elite Design Contest". IGN . September 3, 2006. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  9. ↑ Smith, Ed (June 10, 2016). "Why 2002 Was Possibly the Most Important Year in Video Gaming History". Vice . Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  10. ↑ "The Medal of Honor killer: A Call of Duty story". MCV. 15 May 2019. Archived from the original on 2024-07-30. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  11. ↑ "Activision Acquires Infinity Ward Developer Of Critically Acclaimed PC Game Call Of Duty™". investor.activision.com. Archived from the original on 2024-05-25. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  12. ↑ Pham, Alex; Ben Fritz (April 12, 2010). "Jason West and Vincent Zampella's new call of duty". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2010. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  13. ↑ Crecente, Brian (March 3, 2013). "Respawn Entertainment co-founder Jason West retires". Polygon . Vox Media. Archived from the original on March 7, 2013. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  14. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (November 9, 2017). "EA to acquire Titanfall developer Respawn". Polygon . Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  15. ↑ Shanley, Patrick (January 2, 2020). "Respawn Entertainment Co-Founder Vince Zampella to Head DICE's L.A.-Based Game Studio". Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  16. ↑ Pereira, Chris; Makuch, Eddie (December 2, 2021). "Battlefield Franchise Undergoes Major Shake-Up". GameSpot. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  17. ↑ Phillips, Tom (July 8, 2021). "Battlefield developer DICE LA renamed to Ripple Effect Studios". Eurogamer . Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Medal of Honor Interview". Evil Avatar. Archived from the original on 2001-03-31. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.