Ladies and Gentlemen, in the left corner, a gaming publisher Activision, his opponent to my right, the makers or Modern Warfare 1 & ... Infinity Ward! 

According to a report from BingeGamer, Activision has not paid royalties to Infinity Ward over the success of Modern Warfare 2. The article, citing sources “associated with Activision,” says it could be one of the big reasons why the studio had a massive face-off with the publisher today.

The report also says IW may have been looking for a new deal with another publisher, despite Activision buying the studio back in 2003.

It’s also thought the studio might have attempted to stop anyone other than IW developing the Modern Warfare series, as it partially owns the CoD series alongside Activision. According to that story, IW is contracted to Activision as a developer in an agreement that lasts until October this year.

Last we heard, Modern Warfare 3 could potentially be made by Acti upstart Sledgehammer, found by ex-Visceral heads Glen Schofield and Michael Condery.

Earlier this morning, a security detail team apparently showed up at the developer’s studio for unknown reasons. It was later discovered that Jason West, co-head of Infinity Ward, was no longer employed at IW. Activision then filed with the SEC over “breaches of contract and insubordination” at IW.

Wait! There is more news for that ass!

According to a report from G4, security has shown up at Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward for what’s starting to look like very shady reasons.

A source told the site that when asked why the bouncers had turned up at the studio, they wouldn’t say why, but it is thought that studio heads Vince Zampella and Jason West have not been seen at the developer since a meeting with Activision today.

To add further into the story, it was said that the relationship between the studio and publisher has been described recently as “tense”.

The site’s source also said Infinity Ward, as it is, is currently in a “freaked out” and “confused” state.

If this is true, it’s quite concerning. But do take with a truckload of salt.

Most recently, the studio has been prepping for the release of the  first DLC for Modern Warfare 2, due this spring.

Kotaku’s found a status message from one of the studio’s bosses Jason West from his Facebook. It says he’s no longer at Infinity Ward. “Jason West is drinking. Also, no longer employed.” West’s LinkedIn also shows his role at IW as in his “Past” section, as seen here.

Also Activision’s filed to the SEC citing a human resources investigation into “into breaches of contract and insubordination by two senior employees at Infinity Ward.”

“This matter is expected to involve the departure of key personnel and litigation. At present, the Company does not expect this matter to have a material impact on the Company.”

While neither are directly mentioned, it’s safe to assume it’d be about those two. And the formentioned meeting could have been about that. Find the SEC filing here. The mention is on page 131.

Things just keeps getting worse and worse.

According to his LinkedIn, Vince Zampella, one half of the Infinity Ward senior management, is no longer working at the company as well and got the axe.

His profile shows his job at the studio as “Studio Head/CEO at Infinity Ward” in the “Past” tab. Earlier this morning, the other part of the main leadership at the Modern Warfare developer, Jason West, also confirmed he was no longer at IW.

Activision’s announced that upstart Sledgehammer will develop a new Call of Duty title for release in 2011. Its rumored that its not going to be Modern Warfare setting, a completely new IP but that's just a rumor right now so who knows. PR below.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 2, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ – Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced new strategic plans for the Call of Duty(R) franchise, one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time.

The plans include the formation of a dedicated business unit that will bring together its various new brand initiatives with focused, dedicated resources around the world. The company intends to expand the Call of Duty brand with the same focus seen in its Blizzard(R) Entertainment business unit. This will include a focus on high-margin digital online content and further the brand as the leading action entertainment franchise in new geographies, new genres and with new digital business models.

“2010 will be another important year for the Call of Duty franchise,” stated Mike Griffith, President and CEO of Activision Publishing. “In addition to continued catalog sales, new downloadable content from Infinity Ward and a new Call of Duty release, we are excited about the opportunity to bring the franchise to new geographies, genres and players.”

The company expects to release a new Call of Duty game from Treyarch this fall. In addition, Infinity Ward is in development on the first two downloadable map packs for Modern Warfare(R) 2 for release in 2010.

The company is also for the first time announcing that a new game in the Call of Duty series is expected to be released in 2011 and that Sledgehammer Games, a newly formed, wholly owned studio, is in development on a Call of Duty game that will extend the franchise into the action-adventure genre. Sledgehammer is helmed by industry veterans Glen A. Schofield and Michael Condrey. Prior to joining Activision Publishing, Schofield was the Executive Producer of the award-winning game, Dead Space and Michael Condrey was the Sr. Development Director on the game. The Dead Space franchise has won more than 80 industry awards worldwide including the prestigious A.I.A.S. Action Game of the Year and two B.A.F.T.A.S.

The Call of Duty business unit will be led by Philip Earl, who currently runs Activision Publishing’s Asia Pacific region and previously served in senior executive positions with Procter & Gamble and Nestle. Activision Publishing veterans Steve Pearce, chief technology officer and Steve Ackrich, head of production, will lead Infinity Ward on an interim basis. Jason West and Vince Zampella are no longer with Infinity Ward.

Lastly, Activision Publishing announced that the company is in discussions with a select number of partners to bring the franchise to Asia, one of the fastest growing regions for online multiplayer games in the world.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Is this the end of IW?

Activision did confirmed Jason West and Vince Zampella’s departures from Infinity Ward. It now looks like the Call of Duty business unit will be led by Philip Earl, who currently runs Activision Publishing’s Asia Pacific region and previously served in senior executive positions with Procter & Gamble and Nestle.

Activision Publishing veterans Steve Pearce, chief technology officer and Steve Ackrich, head of production, will lead Infinity Ward on an interim basis. Lastly, Activision Publishing announced that the company is in discussions with a select number of partners to bring the franchise to Asia, one of the fastest growing regions for online multiplayer games in the world.

Despite now ex-studio heads Vince Zampella and Jason West being laid off, and a new developer added into the mix for the franchise, an internal memo shows Infinity Ward still remains a “central” fixture to Call of Duty.

At least that’s according to G4, which got its hands on the aforementioned memo.  “Jason West and Vince Zampella are no longer with Infinity Ward,” said the exec, stating what we began to find out 17 hours ago.

“Infinity Ward remains central to Call of Duty’s future and we rely on the combined talent, expertise and leadership of the team there for its success.”

Hidden in the press release for the new direction Activision is taking the Call of Duty series, it confirms the title Sledgehammer is making for it is to “extend the franchise into the action-adventure genre.”

Not just that, according to G4, a leaked memo shows that the game is not the 2011 CoD that was mentioned in the press release, as first previously thought.

Instead, another, unknown developer will be creating the title that will be coming that year.

Predictions are already being pointed at Infinity Ward, who remain a “central” part of the franchise according to the same memo mentioned above, despite losing its two studio heads, Vince Zampella and Jason West. This year’s Call of Duty title is being handled by Treyarch, which is thought to be based in Vietnam.

So there you have it folks, which side are you on? 

Nielsen has issued some of the results of a study it conducted tracking the spending habits of those in the US..

Called the Nielsen 360° Gaming Report: United States Market, the study found that Americans spent 4.9 percent of their total entertainment allotment on gaming.

Polling some 3,000 consumers, the amount allocated went to new and used games, DLC, rentals and peripherals.

Videogame content had the sixth highest percentage, but was bested by activities that were lump categorized with: dining out, TV packages, hobbies, live events, movies at theaters and cell-phone related fun – which garnered 5.3 percent.

Videogame “specific” households were found to spend 9.3 percent monthly on gaming, with those listed in this category spent less on books, magazines, and newspapers (3.4 percent to 4.2 percent of the full group).

However, they were also most likely to buy or rent movies, purchase music and participate in sports activities of the non-gaming related kind. Like, ones that involve sweating, running,  jumping, etc. You can see the full chart through the Nielson blog. Nielson’s full report is to be released in March.

Thanks, GamePolitics.

2K’s announced BioShock 2’s first batch of DLC, due for release next month. The first pack is a multiplayer-led bundle known as the “Sinclair Solutions Test Pack”, which will be 400 MS points on Xbox Live and Games for Windows Live, and £3.19 on PSN.

The pack includes:

• Level cap increased in multiplayer to Level 50 with rank rewards
• New playable characters: Louie McGraff and Oscar Calraca
• 20 new trials
• A third weapon upgrade for each weapon
• Five additional masks

No exact date was given for the content. 2K also said today that single-player DLC is on the way that will bring in “more narrative, new tools and new challenges that extend the lore and fiction of the failed Utopia under the sea.”

“Downloadable content is a key part of our efforts to continue to entice the fans that have made 2K a household name,” said 2K president Christoph Hartmann. “We intend to deliver single and multiplayer content that respects and expands upon one of the greatest fictional worlds ever created.”

Some screens of the Sinclair Solutions pack were also released. Get them below, along with the PR.

2K Games Announces Extensive Downloadable Content for BioShock® 2

New Single Player And Multiplayer Additions Enrich The Rapture Experience By Adding A Wealth Of New Content And Features

Monday 22nd February/…2K Games announced today an aggressive post-launch downloadable content plan for BioShock®2 that extends and enhances the single and multiplayer experiences by adding more glimpses into the award-winning world of Rapture. Downloadable content will be made available soon, beginning with the Sinclair Solutions Test Pack, available this March from the Xbox® LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows–LIVE for 400 Microsoft Points and from the PlayStation®Network for £3.19. Future expansions into the world of BioShock 2 are slated to arrive over the coming months and will continue to expand on the stories of the denizens of Rapture.

“The fans who waited in the snow, rain and cold for the midnight launch of BioShock 2 have spoken and their message is that Rapture still has many fascinating stories to tell,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “Downloadable content is a key part of our efforts to continue to entice the fans that have made 2K a household name – we intend to deliver single and multiplayer content that respects and expands upon one of the greatest fictional worlds ever created.”

Sinclair Solutions Test Pack, the first of several planned downloadable packages, contains a number of customization features that will allow players to further their character’s development in BioShock 2’s multiplayer modes and provide a deeper multiplayer experience. The pack includes:

• Rank Increase to level 50 with Rank Rewards
• New playable characters Louie McGraff and Oscar Calraca
• 20 new trials*
• A third weapon upgrade for each weapon
• Five additional masks*
*Some items are only available after a player achieves a rank of 41 or higher.

In the coming months, 2K Games will also be publishing downloadable extensions of the single player experience that provide new insight into the world of Rapture. These packages will include more narrative, new tools and new challenges that extend the lore and fiction of the failed Utopia under the sea.

EA has once again challenged Activision’s Infinity Ward and Treyarch to a FPS fight to the death by claiming Battlefield: Bad Company 2 developer DICE is tops when it comes to online multiplayer. Okay, maybe not a fight to the death, but that would sure draw a crowd into a coliseum.

According to EA product manager Will Graham, there isn’t a developer out there now that can compete with DICE.

“DICE is at the forefront of defining the multiplayer and online vehicle warfare space and has substantial pedigree in this area following many years of success,” Graham told MCV. “We genuinely believe there isn’t a developer out there that competes with DICE in this space, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is going cement that.

“The use of vehicles in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 sets it apart from the competition and no one else in the industry does this better.

“This is also something the core are very excited about: DICE’s history of delivering a multiplayer experience utilizing vehicles is something that sets it apart from anything else in the market. It’s also an element that fits with the increasing emphasis on multiplayer for gamers in general.”

This isn’t the first time EA has laid down the gauntlet.

Back in January, the game’s producer, Karl-Magnus Troedsson, said that the franchise “has always been deeper” than its rivals.

In another instance, EA’s European boss, Jens-Uwe Intat, stated that the company wanted its crown back after being usurped as the number one shooter franchise, and the release of the game will be the first blow to the competition.

That’s not the end of it either. DICE’s Patrick Bach admitted back in late January that EA exes see topping Modern Warfare “as a goal” for BFBC2 to achieve.

Guess we’ll find out once the game is released on March 2 and March 5 in the US and UK, respectively.

So far, it has proven to be quite popular – the demo for it was downloaded over 2 million times on PSN and XBL as of last week.