In a 1997 interview with Gamezilla, Zampella said he "started out in graphic design and digital video at GameTek, then went to Atari to help launch its PC division" sometime prior to 1997.

[7] Zampella also worked at Panasonic Interactive Media/Ripcord Games and SegaSoft, where he met Jason West, whom he would later pair with to found Infinity Ward.

[9] After Allied Assault's success, Zampella and Grant Collier founded Infinity Ward, where they began further Medal of Honor work.

At the same time, Zampella and fellow IW employee Jason West signed long-term employment contracts with Activision.

Months after the successful release of Modern Warfare 2, Zampella and Jason West were fired by Activision and denied the "$36 million in bonuses and royalties they’d been expecting".