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Infinity Ward renews contract, teases 'unique new IP'

Call of Duty 4 cadre reveals "renegotiated deal" with Activision, says super-secret project is in the works.

This time last year, the thought of a wholly owned developer splitting off from its parent company was unthinkable. Then, Bungie Studios stunned the industry by doing just that, amicably parting with owner Microsoft after generating over $1 billion with the Xbox and Xbox 360's flagship Halo franchise.

With the Bungie precedent hanging in the background, it appears another top-tier studio has also sat down at the table with its corporate overlord--and chosen to stay put. Late last week, Infinity Ward director of communications Robert Bowling quietly posted an update on the Iamfourzerotwo.com Web site saying "we have decided to re-up on our contract with Activision publishing" following a "recently renegotiated deal."

Perhaps more excitingly, the community manager also used the post to reveal the new agreement with Activision "has laid the groundwork and kick started our future project, as well as the possibility of a unique new IP by Infinity Ward that we'll have complete control over." (Emphasis added.) Bowling went on to say "We're excited to be working on our next project, but it's going to be quite a while before I can share any details on exactly what that project is."

Indeed, Activision had good reason to hash out a favorable arrangement with Infinity Ward, which won numerous awards for its latest effort, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Besides frequently being the most popular game on Xbox Live, the title was also last year's top cross-platform title, moving over 10 million copies as of last month. According to industry research firm the NPD Group, it is the eighth best-selling video game in US history.

218 Comments

  • ivitaminwater

    Posted May 11, 2009 9:03 pm GMT

    Mr_Manikin52, that's treyarch's new job. =D

  • magix2k

    Posted Mar 31, 2009 5:09 am GMT

    @sirkibble2: I agree with you on that one m8te

  • rustynailrdm

    Posted Sep 18, 2008 3:36 am GMT

    too bad Infinity Ward screwed DLC on COD4,now with this new "project" you can say goodbye to new maps or anything else for that matter.

  • Krusnikzero2

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 10:05 am GMT

    It's a shame treyarch will probably ruin all of their success with COD5.

  • sniperboy_recon

    Posted Aug 15, 2008 4:14 pm GMT

    COD4 is my favorite game!!!

  • Mr_Manikin52

    Posted Jul 13, 2008 12:34 pm GMT

    When will Infinity Ward make games set in "Cold War" hot spots like Korea and Vietnam?

    I'm so tried for WWII that I also want a WWI game with the poison gas and trench warfare.

  • sirkibble2

    Posted Jul 12, 2008 12:37 pm GMT

    Well, if Infinity Ward will have complete control over there upcoming game, they certainly have nothing to worry about and could renew their contract with ease of mind.

  • shugday

    Posted Jul 12, 2008 10:48 am GMT

    How about COD: Future Warfare?? Like actual future warfare, not modern warfare with a "battlefield 2142" on the front of the box...and I definitely agree that the COD AI blows....it really gets old shooting a guy in the same spot over and over until I move up 2 steps...

  • martymcfly12

    Posted Jul 11, 2008 11:38 pm GMT

    CoD5 will be awesome even the plot is WW2, if IW will be the Developer. Treyarch also made a good CoD3 back there but not awesome as IW.

  • kirshna

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 11:24 pm GMT

    cod 5 is waste of money you got re cod 4 in old taste

  • ThAdEa82

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 12:41 pm GMT

    Im playing COD4 till COD6 comes out

    I will, however, give COD5 demo a chance

  • ace070590

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 11:43 am GMT

    CoD5 will be awesome

  • ProphecyAU

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 7:41 am GMT

    As long as they companies make COD6..make it s**** all over COD5 and sort out the americans stealing host BS i dont care what "secret project" they have goin

  • SonicRaptor

    Posted Jul 9, 2008 10:31 pm GMT

    Well, there goes any predictions of CoD6 in 2009.

  • xlxhalo2

    Posted Jul 9, 2008 10:24 pm GMT

    biggy ur so dumb. Activision and IW both made call of duty 4 so......... ur dumb.

  • DeeDeeDee115

    Posted Jul 9, 2008 7:00 pm GMT

    hey BIGGY, Treyarch is the reason Cod3 sucked, Infinity Ward didnt do that, that was the only onw they didnt do, IW did all the others, thats why everyone loved COd2, and now cod4

  • DeeDeeDee115

    Posted Jul 9, 2008 6:58 pm GMT

    Call of Duty 5 is the last Treyarch game for CoD, then its all Infinity Ward from there, but Call of Duty 6 is the sequel to CoD4MW

  • biggy887766 posted Jul 9, 2008 3:47 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    biggy887766

    Posted Jul 9, 2008 3:47 pm GMT (hide)

    ah man infinity ward gets a new ip...hopefully they can do better than cod3...
    If COD=Made by IW-> COD=suckage;
    If COD=Made by ACTV-> COD=PwnAgE;

  • Jack1717

    Posted Jul 9, 2008 1:29 pm GMT

    I think the top secret project is cod 5, which will have online and offline multiplayer on wii hahaha

  • combatsoldier

    Posted Jul 9, 2008 1:07 pm GMT

    This could be some great new stuff that we will love, or it could go completely in the other direction. I just hope and want it to be great news.

  • darkdaej

    Posted Jul 9, 2008 7:19 am GMT

    All I'm asking for is AI. COD games have none.

  • CVM_123

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 11:24 pm GMT

    whatever they are gonna do is going to be great!

  • sribz

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 6:19 pm GMT

    hopefully the next IP is quality and excellence... CoD4 is a good game, but it was not by any means on my top ten list.... I hope to see something fresh and truly "unique" as they claim....

  • aka1986

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 4:12 pm GMT

    i hope they have a really new idea because CoD World at War is gonna play like CoD4 and i hope 007 Quantum of Solace plays similar to CoD (just with cover system and takedowns etc), i have faith in infinity ward though to give us something a bit different and awsome.

  • lonsdale1472

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 3:22 pm GMT

    hopefully they will make a series of modern warfare style game

  • combatsoldier

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 12:09 pm GMT

    man this is great news. i wonder what they are working on.

  • dual_barrel

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 11:03 am GMT

    make sure to have full fledged ragdoll physics this time, Infinity!

  • lordmt

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 11:00 am GMT

    Cod future style. Just like cod 4 but with laser guns and maybe a saber knife. That would be kick.

  • dual_barrel

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 10:55 am GMT

    make sure to have full fledged ragdoll physics this time, Infinity!

  • OMGitsZAL

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 9:52 am GMT

    Please don't make a sci-fi.

  • pidow

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 9:48 am GMT

    Yea, keep me interested.

  • rockutd posted Jul 8, 2008 9:27 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    rockutd

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 9:27 am GMT (hide)

    Whatever that game is, i have a strong feeling its gonna be fps.Oh its getting kinda boring...

  • zosoph33r

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 9:06 am GMT

    Infinity Award made an awesome game in COD4, but it is no given they will have repeat success in a new game, unless its COD5 with another name.

  • SeanDog123

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 9:00 am GMT

    You are wrong to hodges_3_5, Infinity ward has nothing to do with cod world at war. Nor did they have anything to do with Cod 3.

  • hodges_3_5

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 8:47 am GMT

    Yo BIGDAVEYDOGZ, They are doing a new COD World at War, and a new IP soo, maybe you should read up before just yelling wrong answers yea?

  • baystatethrashr

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 8:43 am GMT

    direkt57 i was kidding of course IW wouldnt make MGS5 you're an idiot for thinking i was serious.

    on that note its actually FFXIV or maybe its a fighting game with COD characters vs Halo characters or maybe its a new IP.

  • bassmaniac20005

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 8:31 am GMT

    When it comes to first person military shooters, there isn't a better developer out there than Infinity Ward. They're really talented. I trust their new IP is going to be really good.

  • RHCPfan24

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 7:41 am GMT

    Infinity Ward is a great developer; I wonder what the new IP could be.

  • darkdaej

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 7:29 am GMT

    Being myself a cod4 player, I sometimes fail to understand how the game's single player (the multi is great, i must admit) could have won any awards. There isnt any AI whatsoever in that game. We're talking about memorizing maps to eventually succeed. Veteran diff is insanely hard, but not because enemies outwit you. Simply because all of them are crackshots that nearly never miss any shots and there being additionnal enemies compared to Hardened.

    If I wanted to memorize maps to finish a game, I'd play NES or SNES games... I EXPECT these old classics not to have AI, not a critically acclaimed game released in late 2007. The Single player mode of COD4 makes me think of a COD2 mod, nothing else.

  • mrkame16

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 7:27 am GMT

    cotterell55 says
    "God I hate EA (just thought id let you all know) right im off to play bad company lol"........you must be confused!!!

  • TurambarGS

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 6:47 am GMT

    Well I hope that they've renegotiated their contracts on favourable terms for them because they're one of the best developers out there - they deserve to be supported.

    Also pretty keen to see some new IPs - getting a little sick of Blizzard killing all their main characters or turning them evil!

  • BigDaveyDogz

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 6:12 am GMT

    Did half of you read the article? They said a "UNIQUE NEW IP" which means....NOT ANOTHER CALL OF DUTY!!!

  • bradleyweingart

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 5:42 am GMT

    Just give us some new COD4 maps for now, they are easier to make and its like printing money if you look at the last download numbers. Or how about one free map since Killhouse stunk.

  • cooldude03

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 5:25 am GMT

    Infinity Ward is one of the most talented group of developers, this is great news.

  • Sagacious_Tien

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 5:13 am GMT

    Good for them. They deserve it.

  • damned_beast

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 4:52 am GMT

    Its probably going to be a game that just plays like CoD just called something else and it will be sci-fi. But that would be interesting!

  • Richmaester6907

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 4:01 am GMT

    Good Good another worth while developer still pumping out games

  • sivasiva

    Posted Jul 8, 2008 3:58 am GMT

    Its good that they start off with activision...

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