Amended Infinity Ward Lawsuit Details Activision's "Police State"

[Tom Goldman]

Amended Infinity Ward Lawsuit Details Activision's "Police State"

A lawsuit filed by Infinity Ward against Activision over hundreds of millions in unpaid bonuses was amended to further express the rough conditions faced by employees.

In case you didn't notice, there was a Kotaku [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98761-Rumor-Security-Locks-Down-Infinity-Ward-Ousts-Studio-Head-UPDATE] obtained a recently amended version of the employees' lawsuit that details the alleged harsh work environment Activision created.

In the amendment, the suit talks about a "police state-like atmosphere" that drove Infinity Ward employees away. Before West and Zampella were fired by Activision, members of Infinity Ward were allegedly subjected to secret "interrogations" as security personnel manned the exits. 40% of the promised bonuses due to the sales of Modern Warfare 2 [http://www.amazon.com/Call-Duty-Modern-Warfare-Xbox-360/dp/B00269QLI8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1278802291&sr=8-1] were paid out, but the suit says that the rest was withheld until Modern Warfare 3 was completed by a required deadline of November 2011.

Bobby Kotick even promised that the bonuses would be paid out around the same time, but it never happened according to the lawsuit. Notably, members of the lawsuit have lowered the ceiling of what they are asking to be paid by Activision from a maximum of $500 million to $216 million. That's still a lot of clams.

I can't imagine working on one of the most successful games of all time and then being forced to engage in "interrogations." The whole thing makes me wonder what the truth of this situation really is and why it had to occur, and I'm annoyed by the realization that we'll never really know. It's easiest to blame it on the greed of a major corporation, so maybe I'll just go with that and my head will stop hurting.

Source: Kotaku [http://kotaku.com/5583710/lawsuit-activision-created-modern-warfare-police-state]

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[Crayzor]

This is Bobby Kotick we're talking about. The man who said he wanted to "take all the fun out of making video games."

 

[tomtom94]

Am I the only one who thinks Activision's pantomime villain status is actually scary?

I'm reminded (as ever) of 1984, where a character remarks that "Books are just a commodity, to be produced much the same as everything else" (probably misquoted but it's 00:07, which also probably explains my rampant paranoia)

Basically Activision are the Wal-Mart of videogames, and its profits could turn it into a trendsetter.
Good luck to the people suing Activision but due to the way the legal system works (ie money wins) I think they may need it.

 

[13lackfriday]

When you have a goose that lays golden eggs, you probably shouldn't subject it to interrogations or withhold it food until it lays another one.

You just keep feeding it and give it its space and it'll keep doing its thing.

 

[Timbydude]

I'm actually inclined to believe Infinity Ward here. I don't doubt that Activision thought they could get away with all this stuff behind closed doors. I'm glad that West and Zampella were able to get out.

After all, if Activision was actually running such a 'police state-like' environment, don't you think that Infinity Ward employees -- or anyone else working for Activision -- would have left quite a long time ago?

Eh, it's a decent-paying job in an unstable economy. Many people will take what they can get. It might explain why all the higher-ups left but all the "grunts" in the company stayed behind.

 

[ike42]

I sometimes wonder if people like Bobbie Kotick and Tim Langdell sit around in a darkened room cackling and plotting the next way to ruin the world of gaming. Seriously, these guys need to knock it off...it's just becoming sad.

 

[MurderousToaster]

"The Infinity Ward staff sit in the room, panicking, their hair matted with sweat. They hear the thud of boots approaching down the hallway outside. The door opens to reveal Bobby Kotick wearing a black guard uniform.

'Room 101' Kotick says to one of the employees."

Am I the only one who got that impression from the whole "interrogation" thing?

 

[fix-the-spade]

After all, if Activision was actually running such a 'police state-like' environment, don't you think that Infinity Ward employees -- or anyone else working for Activision -- would have left quite a long time ago?

What if they're holding you several months back on pay and you can't afford to leave?

New jobs don't grow on trees and evidently Activision's behaviour came to a head when the constant 'we'll pay you after MW2 is finished' suddenly became 'we'll pay you after MW3 is finished', at which point those that could did exactly what you would expect them to do.


Given Kotick and Activision's reputation and behaviour over the last few years, not to mention West and Zampella having a pretty solid reputation within the developer world, as well the umpteen other employees launching similar suites, it's hard to see their accusations as anything other than the truth whilst Activision plays the 'what, me?' card.

 

[Adzma]

Kotick or No Kotick, I would think that 'interrogations' are an exaggeration of the simple fact that Activision wants to know how progress is going over it's most profitable game franchise.

After all, if Activision was actually running such a 'police state-like' environment, don't you think that Infinity Ward employees -- or anyone else working for Activision -- would have left quite a long time ago?

Yeah, I don't buy this story for an instant. It's way too over dramatic. And as you say, common sense would just tell you to leave.

 

[Wardnath]

In during Activision hate.

At this point it feels like Bobby Kotick is just some actor that Activision hired to direct all the ire and hate away from the REAL CEO who is actually making all these popular decisions. I mean the stuff he says and does is so blatantly stupid and arrogant.

I concur.

 

[SpaceMedarotterX]

Bobby Kotick is the Western version of Satan.

 

[Canid117]

Kotick or No Kotick, I would think that 'interrogations' are an exaggeration of the simple fact that Activision wants to know how progress is going over it's most profitable game franchise.

After all, if Activision was actually running such a 'police state-like' environment, don't you think that Infinity Ward employees -- or anyone else working for Activision -- would have left quite a long time ago?

No because they want those royalties that have yet to be paid to them.

 

[FloodOne]

Kotick or No Kotick, I would think that 'interrogations' are an exaggeration of the simple fact that Activision wants to know how progress is going over it's most profitable game franchise.

After all, if Activision was actually running such a 'police state-like' environment, don't you think that Infinity Ward employees -- or anyone else working for Activision -- would have left quite a long time ago?

Yeah, I don't buy this story for an instant. It's way too over dramatic. And as you say, common sense would just tell you to leave.

If you left your job, would you be able to find another one before your bills start spiraling out of control?

Remember, you can't collect unemployment if you quit your job, only if you're fired or laid off.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

This explains the somewhat shoddy presentation of MW2. I mean, if they are giving them a deadline for the next game, and withholding royalties for that, thenwhat must it have been like during MW2's development cycle?