Vince Zampella may not have the name recognition of a Shigeru Miyamoto or a Peter Molyneux, but as one of the masterminds behind Call of Duty's success, Zampella has left a substantial legacy on video game history. Now Zampella is out to prove that he can make magic once again with Titanfall, the debut effort from his new studio, Respawn Entertainment. As The Next Big Thing draws to a close, we asked Zampella about his experience trying to live up to the pressure of this Call of Duty successor.
"We put a lot of personal pressure on ourselves as a team to really make something that's the best we could possibly do," says Zampella. "On top of that, there's the [desire] to prove you can do this again."
"We're in games because we love it. It's in our DNA," he says. "[Titanfall] has to be good for that reason. And then unveiling the game and having it received so well, it adds another level of pressure. We have to deliver on what we've promised."
Fortunately for Zampella, he's not doing this alone. Much of Infinity Ward's top talent followed Zampella to Respawn, leading to a core team that's already very familiar with each other's work. At roughly 75 employees, Respawn is a lean staff by AAA gaming standards, but everyone on that roster is pitching in to help realize their vision for Titanfall.
"Game development is a team sport," says Zampella. "This game wouldn't exist as it is without everybody on this team. I didn't make Titanfall. Respawn did. It's all about the team."
Watch the video above to learn more about Zampella's story.