Spark will be the developer of Activision's Call of Duty line, and apparently the publisher wants them to stick around for a while.
ACTIVISION ANNOUNCES LONG-TERM EXCLUSIVE PUBLISHING PARTNERSHIP WITH SPARK UNLIMITED
London, UK -April 16, 2003 - Activision, Inc. announced today that the company has signed an exclusive, long-term agreement to publish games developed by Spark Unlimited, a newly formed studio comprised of 28 of the individuals who developed titles in the Medal of HonorTM console and PC series, including several of the production leads. Members of the Spark team have worked on such best-selling games as Medal of Honor FrontlineTM, Medal of Honor Allied AssaultTM, Medal of HonorTM Underground and Medal of Honor.
Under the terms of the agreement, Spark will develop three console-based games for Activision that will be released on multiple platforms. The first title, which will be released under the Call of DutyTM brand, will be a first-person action game that is slated for release in 2004.
"Spark is an incredibly talented developer," said Larry Goldberg, executive vice president of Activision Worldwide Studios. "The team members have an impressive track record of making first-person action games. Through this alliance, we will be able to continue delivering fantastic titles on the console platforms for many years to come."
"We are very excited about forming this partnership with Activision," said Craig Allen, Chief Executive Officer of Spark Unlimited. "Our goal is to create innovative titles that deliver uniquely realistic and entertaining gaming experiences. To do that, we have developed proprietary tools and licensed technology so our artists, game designers, animators, and sound engineers will have an unparalleled ability to directly impact every element of our game. Activision's commitment to Spark demonstrates their desire to support high- quality, artistically driven titles and we look forward to working together to create a number of really great games."