Activision's sacking of Infinity Ward bosses, Jason West and Vince Zampella "may impact future success of Call of Duty games," says analyst Michael Pachter.
Communicating via Wedbush's latest research note, Pachter writes that the pair's track record suggests that they've "contributed greatly to the brand's success".
Pachter says: "The contributions of West and Zampella are difficult to assess, but the
pair has had incredible success with each version of the game created under their supervision.
"The 'secret sauce' of their involvement is analogous to the direction of a movie; some directors work with certain types of material in a unique way, and repeatedly achieve commercial success with that material.
"In the same way, we think that West and Zampella provide something unique to the creation of games at Infinity Ward, and think it's likely that their contribution will be missed in future installments."
The Wedbush analyst adds that he believes it's "highly unlikely" that West and Zampella will gain control of the Modern Warfare brand - as set out in their Activision lawsuit.
We wish we could ask Pachter's opinion on what we should have for dinner tonight. If you're reading Michael, suggestions in the comments below...