Section B Exam Notes Pt. 2: Ownership/Distribution

Section B Exam Notes Pt. 2

Ownership/Distribution

There were several companies/studios involved in the production and distribution of 2019 COD: MW.

Developer:

• Infinity Ward is the primary developer of the game. The studio also stands behind

  the development of Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

Publisher:

• Activision is responsible for overseeing the marketing, distribution, and overall

  publishing of 2019 Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare.

Collaborating Studio:

• Raven Software, a subsidiary of Activision, collaborated with Infinity Ward on

  developing 2019 COD: MW.

Distribution:

• The game was distributed on various platforms, such as Steam; PlayStation Store;

  XBox’s Microsoft Store…

In the production and distribution of the game, there were integrations between companies/studios that were involved.

• The connection between Infinity Ward and Activision is considered to be “vertical

  integration”, because Activision owns Infinity Ward, and they were given the task to

  develop Modern Warfare by Activision.

• The connection between Raven Software and Infinity Ward is considered to be

  “horizontal integration” because Raven Software has been reported to be

  collaborating with Infinity Ward in many COD games other than the 2019 Modern

  Warfare.

There are advantages to the integration of these companies/studios:

Vertical Integration Advantages:

• In-House Development:

• Vertical integration involves in-house development of key elements, such as

  game engine and graphic technologies.

• In the case of Infinity Ward, they used the “IW 8.0” game engine, which they

  developed on their own, to make the 2019 Modern Warfare.

• They also used various graphic technologies to develop the game, such as:

• Photogrammetry was used to capture real-world objects through

  photographs and create a virtual 3D object.

• Advanced animation systems, were used to capture the animation of

  characters in the game.

• High-quality textures, which were for the optimization of the game’s

  textures.

• Efficiency:

• Vertical integration may lead to more efficient and cost-effective methods to

  deliver the game to consumers.

• In this, Activision may save costs when integrating Infinity Ward to make the

  game by the following:

• Shared resources & expertise, which Activision may’ve done with

  Infinity Ward when sharing across different departments within the

  studio.

• Unified technology platforms, which Activision may do when they used

  the same technology platforms as Infinity Ward.

• Economies of scale, which may happen due to consolidating

  development efforts within a single studio of Activision.

• Quality Assurance:

• Owning or controlling the quality assurance process ensures a high level of

  quality and consistency in the final product.

• Infinity Ward and Activision were able to assure the quality of 2019 Modern

  Warfare by:

• Having a strong development team: Infinity Ward is an experienced

  game developer with a proven track record of producing high-quality

  games, like Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

• Having a strong feedback loop: Infinity Ward was open to receiving

  feedback from the COD community during the development of the

  game.

• Having a focus on innovation: Infinity tries new ideas and technologies

  in 2019 Modern Warfare, such as realistic graphics and sound; new

  gameplay mechanisms; improved multiplayer experience…

Vertical Integration Disadvantages:

• Reduced flexibility & innovation:

• Vertical integration can lead to a more centralized decision-making process.

• This potentially reduces flexibility and the ability to quickly adapt to changing

  market trends or innovations.

• Higher Costs In Some Situations:

• Vertical integration can also involve significant upfront investments.

• The integration of Infinity Ward by Activision for the 2019 Modern Warfare

  development did result in higher costs, due to:

• Larger labor costs: Both sides contribute a large workforce for the game

  development. This leads to higher labor costs.

• Increased expectation: The fans’ expectations for a high-quality COD

  game lead to pressure for Activision and Infinity Ward to order a game

  that the fans want. This translates to higher development costs, as

  developers seek to meet or exceed expectations.

Horizontal Integration Advantages:

• Diversification Of Content:

• Horizontal integration involves collaboration or acquisition with other game

  developers or studios.

• This brings diverse talent and perspectives, leading to additional content, and

  expansion…, of the COD franchise.

• Access To New Technologies:

• Raven Software may offer new technologies, such as virtual reality or

  advanced graphics.

• This helps Infinity Ward to enhance the final product and keep the COD series

  competitive.

Horizontal Integration Disadvantages:

• Dilution Of Creative Vision:

• Horizontal integration brings multiple talents from Infinity Ward and Raven

  Software together. 

• However, if all talents have different distinct approaches, it could lead to

  vision dilution, where a final conclusion can’t be made.

• Cultural Differences:

• Raven Software and Infinity Ward may have different organizational cultures.

• This can lead to disputes in team control, affecting the overall quality of the

  game.