Key Takeaways
1. Concerns About Corporate Culture: Schofield worries that Microsoft’s corporate culture may clash with the creative teams behind Call of Duty, similar to issues seen in other franchises like Halo and Gears of War.
2. Questions About Future Titles: He raised concerns about the fate of established franchises, noting that many valuable games have been neglected after being acquired by large corporations.
3. Creative Talent Exodus: The departure of experienced staff from Call of Duty teams raises concerns about the franchise’s creative direction and quality, with Schofield highlighting his own exit and that of other key figures.
4. Mixed Reception for Modern Warfare 3: Modern Warfare 3 (2023) received poor reviews despite being a top seller, indicating a disconnect between sales success and player satisfaction.
5. Fear of Creative Stagnation: Schofield believes that the integration into Microsoft could lead to a loss of motivation and unique vision among developers, potentially harming the franchise’s future creativity.
Sledgehammer Games co-founder Glen Schofield, who has previously directed several titles in the Call of Duty series, has shared his worries about the future of the franchise after Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Concerns Over Corporate Culture
In an interview with VGC at Gamescom Asia in Bangkok, Schofield highlighted potential mismatches between Xbox’s corporate culture and the creative teams involved in Call of Duty. He compared this situation to issues seen in other Microsoft-owned franchises like Halo and Gears of War, suggesting that these games have experienced downturns.
Expressing his anxiety, Schofield said, “I worry about it immensely, I really do,” while referencing Microsoft’s past with established franchises as a cause for concern.
Questions About the Future
He raised questions like, “What’s happening to Gears of War, where’s Halo… you know what I mean? And look at EA, you look at these big companies, and I’m like, where are the Strike games? Where’s this game? And there are so many that just fall by the wayside.”
Schofield elaborated on his worries about cultural assimilation, suggesting that once studios become part of a large corporation like Microsoft, they may lose their unique motivations and ambitions.
He speculated that the attractive bonus system that has historically rewarded developers for Call of Duty’s success might be replaced by Microsoft’s more standardized pay structure. This, he believes, could lead to a decrease in motivation among the staff.
Creative Talent Exodus
He mentioned, “Unfortunately, once you’re assimilated by one of these companies, I think you take on some of their traits. The other thing is, I don’t know, but I would imagine that the Call of Duty bonus system is out, and now you have theirs, and people are going to go ‘that isn’t that’.”
Schofield supported his fears regarding the franchise’s creative decline by pointing out the departure of experienced talent from the Call of Duty teams, including his own exit alongside co-founder Michael Condrey and longtime Treyarch designer David Vonderhaar, who left in 2023 after almost two decades.
He criticized the quality of recent releases, stating, “I hate doing this, but since I left Sledgehammer, none of the games have been very good. I mean, the last one (Modern Warfare 3, 2023) was a 50. They still sell well. You know, that happens.”
Mixed Reception for Modern Warfare 3
Modern Warfare 3 (2023) received a Metacritic score of 56 and a generally unfavorable user score of 2.3 out of 10, with players expressing disappointment that they felt they were playing an expanded DLC rather than a standalone game. Yet, it was the best-selling game in the U.S. for November and December, finishing the year as the second best-seller behind Hogwarts Legacy.
While Microsoft believes that the acquisition has improved Call of Duty’s reach via Game Pass and Cloud Gaming, Schofield worries about creative stagnation among key studios under Microsoft’s management.
Reflecting on his own career, he mentioned:
“I feel like I got lucky. I feel like I was at the heyday of EA during my time there. I mean, it was a who’s who working there. And then I got to Activision, where I made Modern Warfare 3 (2011).”
Indeed, Modern Warfare 3 was the last Call of Duty to win Action Game of the Year, and the other two games he worked on were also nominated. However, he noted, “But now, you know, you don’t see them.”
Conclusion
Whether Schofield’s concerns will come to fruition is still uncertain, but his views about the future of Call of Duty reflect a growing unease among veteran developers, many of whom continue to work on the franchise today.
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