Stargate Worlds is Gone But Lawsuits Persist

[Andy Chalk]

Stargate Worlds is Gone But Lawsuits Persist

The former CEO of Stargate Worlds studio Cheyenne Mountain is facing fresh accusations of malfeasant shenanigans.

Remember Stargate Worlds? A couple of years ago, after one of the most remarkably valiant and futile struggles for survival in recent videogame memory, it finally return them [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98493-Stargate-Resistance-Developer-Files-for-Chapter-11] to original developer Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, even though its Stargate license had already expired. At the time, CME CEO Gary Whiting expressed hope that a new deal with IP owner MGM could be negotiated, although that effort went nowhere.

But even though it's been awhile since the wheels came off, a new lawsuit has been filed against Whiting and "other former Cheyenne Mountain executives, board members and stock promoters," accusing them of misleading investors. The lawsuit states that Whiting presented companies he owned as independent investors, told potential investors that the game was nearly finished and that an IPO was imminent, and took millions of dollars from the company and through loans from investors and never repaid any of it.

Whiting denies the accusations but Keith Bierman of MCA Financial Group, which was appointed by the courts to handle Cheyenne Mountain's bankruptcy, said company documents indicate that millions of dollars in investments weren't actually used in the development of Stargate Worlds and may actually still be held by Whiting and other former executives. He's now seeking permission from the courts to dig into the location of the missing money in hopes of returning it to investors.

MCA Financial was originally brought in to try to save the game, but MGM opted not to renew the license, forcing the company to liquidate its assets. "The had essentially lost confidence in the company's ability to deliver the product," Bierman told AZCentral [http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2012/05/04/20120504wait-stargate-worlds-video-game-ends-court.html]. "They just didn't want to be associated with it, frankly."



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[Something Amyss]

The sad thing is, I remember the spat that happened with the game that was happening BEFORE this one.

This is just bad blood, but hooboy. It's even worse when you look at the long sordid history.

 

[matrix3509]

The videogame business, folks. Yup, its doing just fucking fine.

 

[scienceguy8]

The sad thing is, I remember the spat that happened with the game that was happening BEFORE this one.

This is just bad blood, but hooboy. It's even worse when you look at the long sordid history.

Same here. I was looking forward to playing an SG-1 based shooter. Unfortunately, it has been so long I can't remember the title it was being made under. I do remember there was a disagreement as to who owned the game's code when the first developer could not deliver and MGM tried to hand it off to someone else. Now all we are left with is a sub-par multiplayer Stargate shooter on Steam that I think is no longer being actively supported (or even sold) and a number of fan creations of varying quality. Curse you, oh fickle Video Game Gods!

 

[PrinceOfShapeir]

The sad thing is, I remember the spat that happened with the game that was happening BEFORE this one.

This is just bad blood, but hooboy. It's even worse when you look at the long sordid history.

Same here. I was looking forward to playing an SG-1 based shooter. Unfortunately, it has been so long I can't remember the title it was being made under. I do remember there was a disagreement as to who owned the game's code when the first developer could not deliver and MGM tried to hand it off to someone else. Now all we are left with is a sub-par multiplayer Stargate shooter on Steam that I think is no longer being actively supported (or even sold) and a number of fan creations of varying quality. Curse you, oh fickle Video Game Gods!

That would be Stargate: SG-1: The Alliance. Which looked rather promising, really. A shame.

 

[kajinking]

It's a shame that this happened, I was a fan of the series but honestly never paid this game much attention. It's a times like these when I wonder if it's better for a game be dropped rather than releashed as a half finished piece of garbage (coughDuke Nukem Forevercough).

 

[Daemascus]

I was seriously excited about this game as a SG-1 fan. Then this crap happened and now there probably wont ever be a new Stargate game.

 

[w00tage]

I both commend and have sympathy for the developers. They were trying to push the game forward on their own regardless of the incompetence of their bosses. They are heroes and I hope they get jobs at Mojang.

 

[FFHAuthor]

The sad thing is, I remember the spat that happened with the game that was happening BEFORE this one.

This is just bad blood, but hooboy. It's even worse when you look at the long sordid history.

I vaguely remember the one before that, a picture of RDA at E3 with Jaffa booth-babes holding their staff weapons wrong.

 

[Gather]

Damn; the stargate franchise is still alive (In some way or form)? I thought it sadly died with SG:U. Well, here's to a game lost in the sea of wonder and what could have been (Where it'll hopefully stay).

 

[TechTim]

sigh... was looking forward to this loved the sg-1. it had a lot of potential and now nevermore

 

[RoyalWelsh]

I don't suppose a new Stargate game will ever see the light of day now which sucks, Stargate sg-1 is my fave sci fi show and would have loved kicking goa'uld ass.

 

[FoolKiller]

Surprised EA never got on this... imagine the limitless DLC you could make for a game of this nature. Even a regular shooter.

"Colonel, today's mission will take you to pee three en one five. A new threat has arrived"

 

[Baldr]

Do not doubt that SGW was in production. I was in the Beta, the game was there. I couldn't tell you if it was behind schedule or not(most likely). But there were playable zones and somewhat close resemblance to the final part of development. However, I always though it was such a small staff to create such a large MMO.

 

[night_chrono]

OLD NEWS IS SO EXCITING:

http://www.sggaminginfo.com/2010/12/how-gary-killed-cme/

Seriously as someone who has been paying EXTREMELY close attention to this whole mess this is nothing new. In fact the current court room drama has been going on with several months. Whitting knows he is screwed because the paper trail proves it, and he has been using all manners of legal dickery to stall, hoping to draw it out to the point where his accusers have no more money to pursue him.

Also if you ever want the latest on the court case:

http://www.cheyenneme.com/

 

[Something Amyss]

Same here. I was looking forward to playing an SG-1 based shooter. Unfortunately, it has been so long I can't remember the title it was being made under. I do remember there was a disagreement as to who owned the game's code when the first developer could not deliver and MGM tried to hand it off to someone else. Now all we are left with is a sub-par multiplayer Stargate shooter on Steam that I think is no longer being actively supported (or even sold) and a number of fan creations of varying quality. Curse you, oh fickle Video Game Gods!

Stargate SG-1 the Alliance was the one in question. There was apparently also a release of a PC TPS called Resistance, but it's apparently been taken down due to the same lawsuits surrounding SG Worlds.

Wish I hadn't missed that one.