Vince Zampella: Call of Duty Co-Creator Dies in California Car Crash

**Infinity Ward** is a premier American video game development studio renowned for creating the blockbuster **Call of Duty** franchise, delivering immersive first-person shooters that have redefined the genre.[1][2][3][4] Founded in **2002** by Grant Collier, Vince Zampella, and Jason West—veterans from 2015, Inc., who built *Medal of Honor: Allied Assault*—the studio launched with Activision's backing. Activision snapped up 30% equity in May 2002 and the remaining 70% by October 2003, fueling rapid growth. Their debut, *Call of Duty* (2003), kicked off a WWII saga that exploded into modern warfare with *Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare* (2007), a game-changer introducing cinematic multiplayer and setting sales records.[1][2][3][4] Key achievements include over **200 "Game of the Year" awards**, 100 "Editor's Choice" honors, and titles like *Modern Warfare 2* (2009), *Modern Warfare 3* (2011), *Ghosts* (2013), *Infinite Warfare* (2016), and the 2022 *Modern Warfare* reboot. GameSpy crowned them **"Best Developer of 2007"**, while launches shattered entertainment revenue benchmarks.[1][3] Turbulence hit in 2010: Zampella and West were ousted amid royalty disputes with Activision, sparking an exodus to found Respawn Entertainment. Co-founder Collier departed in 2009. Recovery came via the 2014 merger with Neversoft, bolstering talent.[1][2] Today, Infinity Ward thrives as an Activision subsidiary in **Woodland Hills, California**, with offices in Poland (since 2018), Mexico, and Austin, Texas. They offer perks like on-site fitness, free lunches, and charity support via the Call of Dut

**Respawn Entertainment** is an acclaimed American video game development studio specializing in AAA first-person shooters and action-adventure titles, renowned for innovative multiplayer mechanics and blockbuster franchises.[1][2][4] Founded on May 4, 2010, by **Jason West** and **Vince Zampella**—former Infinity Ward co-founders ousted after creating the multibillion-dollar *Call of Duty* series—the studio quickly assembled talent, including 38 ex-Infinity Ward developers.[1][2][3] Backed initially by EA's Partners Program, Respawn debuted with *Titanfall* in 2014, a critically praised FPS blending fast-paced piloting and titans, followed by *Titanfall 2* in 2016.[1][2][4] EA fully acquired the studio on December 1, 2017, for reported $455 million, fueling expansion.[2] Key achievements include the surprise 2019 launch of free-to-play battle royale **Apex Legends**, which drew 25 million players in its first week and spawned a thriving esports scene.[2][4] That year also saw **Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order**, a narrative-driven hit selling millions, and VR shooter *Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond*, bundled with an Academy Award-winning documentary, earning Respawn its Oscar nod.[2][4][5] Later successes feature **Star Wars Jedi: Survivor** (2023), extending the Jedi saga.[6] Today, headquartered in Van Nuys, California, with 201-500 employees (some sources cite 867) and $182 million revenue, Respawn thrives under EA, developing unannounced Star Wars, Titanfall, and VR projects while hiring aggressively.[1][3] Its "gameplay first" motto drives boundary-pushing titles, blending tech innovation like seamless multiplayer with cinematic storytelling, cementing its status as a tech-business powerhouse in gaming.[1][4] (298 word

Ripple Effect is a global development charity that empowers smallholder farming families in Africa to grow more food, earn more income, and protect the environment; the organization works through farmer training in sustainable agriculture, gender and social inclusion, and enterprise development to create durable, climate‑resilient livelihoods (Ripple Effect US). [2][4] Founded originally as Send a Cow in 1988, the charity rebranded to Ripple Effect to reflect a broader, systems‑level approach to rural development and the idea that benefits spread beyond directly supported households (Ripple Effect US; Devex). [2][7] Its programs are delivered by locally based teams and partners across several African countries — including Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya and partnerships in Zambia — and emphasize low‑cost, locally appropriate techniques that restore degraded land, improve nutrition and increase incomes while reducing vulnerability to climate shocks (Ripple Effect US). [2][4] Key achievements reported by the organization include reaching over a million people in recent years, regenerating hundreds of thousands of hectares of land, and measurable improvements in food security and household resilience — for example, the charity reported reaching 1.38 million people and regenerating 345,000 hectares in a recent year, with two‑thirds of supported families achieving food security in project areas (Ripple Effect US). [2][4] The organization also highlights strong gender and social inclusion outcomes, such as higher school retention for girls and shifts in household decision‑making. [2] Today Ripple Effect operates a mix of direct country programs and fundraising/advocacy in donor countries (including a US office) and publishes impact reports, position statements and a 2030 strategy to guide evidence‑based scale‑up (Ripple Effect US; GuideStar). [2][5] Notable aspects for business and technology readers include its data‑driven monitoring of impact, emphasis on scalable farmer enterprises