In 2003, Vince Zampella and his team at Infinity Ward released the first Call of Duty game. This came after they worked on the Medal of Honor series, which never quite reached the same success. According to Zampella, Call of Duty might not even exist if it weren’t for some issues with EA: “The only reason that Call of Duty exists is because EA were dicks,” he shared in a recent interview with GQ.
Although Zampella didn’t go into detail about the conflict, it ultimately led them to partner with Activision, which later bought Infinity Ward. After leaving Infinity Ward in 2010, he created Respawn Entertainment and partnered with EA once more. Today, he also oversees the Battlefront franchise, especially with the much-anticipated launch of Battlefield 6 this month.
Zampella has a notable history in gaming. He collaborated with Steven Spielberg on Medal of Honor, and Spielberg even showed interest in making a Call of Duty movie. Zampella recalled that Ridley Scott once expressed interest too, but there were questions about how to adapt a video game story into film. “Video game movies were not good at that point,” he noted.
Recently, Paramount made headlines by signing a deal with Activision for a Call of Duty movie. A TV series could also be in the works, stirring excitement among fans. Meanwhile, Battlefield 6 has made waves on Steam, already posting impressive figures. As the gaming landscape evolves, both franchises have unique paths ahead, with Black Ops 7 set to arrive on November 14.
It’s interesting to see how video game adaptations are gaining traction now. A survey by the Entertainment Software Association found that 70% of U.S. adults think video games can be adapted into successful films or shows. This shift might change the way we view gaming narratives in mainstream culture. As the industry develops, the interest from both gamers and Hollywood could lead to something truly special in the years to come.