Activision Slapped With Another Infinity Ward Lawsuit

[Not G. Ivingname]

Oh... man, and I thought I had heard the worst of this... I really doubt that Activision will let this go to trial, it would be far less reputation damaging to settle out of court then to fight this. Though if they have any amount of reputation left, I will be shocked. Really, how many empolyees does IW had in the first place anyway? I hope the best for IW employee's.

 

[Shaoken]

From my looking at it, still seems to me its alot of bitchy employees not understanding that the laws in the united states are this. Employee lose, Employer win. They live in an at will state, meaning unless contract states a reason must be given, tehy can be fired for no reason what so ever, and the punitive damadge amoutn is stupid high. I personally think they are alot of greedy people and hope tehy all have their carriers ruined because no one wants to higher soemone who will sue the moment they dont get their toy.

Go Activision, fuck off infanty ward and respawn.

Okay, let me spell this out for you. IW made the best selling game of 2009 for Activision, and then Activision tells them to fuck off when they ask to work on a different IP. Then Activision fires the heads of IW just before they have to pay them their bonuses. Let me repeat that for you; Activision screwed IW out of the bonuses that they promised to give them.

As for the bolded part, have you read any comments by the head of Activision? He says that he's not interested in any new games that can't be milked for sequals on a two-year development plan, wants Guitar Hero and Call of Duty games released every year, comments that he wants game developers to stop having fun making games, and said that he'd charge even more for unique controllers. Anybody who sticks it to Bobby would be welcomed with open arms at any other game company. Especially considering that they helped make the best selling game of 2009.

 

[sln333]

I hope people slowly stop buying Activision-published games after this. What they've done is just unfair. I hope all of IW just Respawns so we can get the good old developer back doing what they want to how they want to.

 

[samsonguy920]

It is starting to look more and more like Activision is the bad guy in this mess. Most likely Vivendi will either give them a golden parachute or kick them to the curb. Especially the last if things start surfacing that are downright criminal.
I just hope that Blizzard doesn't suffer from the fallout of its greedy and retarded siamese twin.

 

[KarumaK]

$75 million?

I'd laugh in there faces if anyone tried to take $75 million from me. I'd tank a company on purpose before I coughed up $75 million... unless I was making a good billion or so. Then I'd settle for it out of court and pony it up, in cash. Which I would arrange to have burned.

Considering Modern Warfare 3 would be another blockbuster hit, 75 million now is chump change.

So it's kinda like, sure why the hell not. Tell you what we'll throw in a new car for everybody 08 new not 10 new.

*Lights a smoke with a burning c-note*

 

[Flishiz]

I don't see why they couldn't just negotiate a bonus through employee stock options. While I personally disagree with the use of options and refuse to use them myself, just keep in mind that GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, the standard for all US [at least] accounting), doesn't list options as expenses, as cash or stock bonuses would, thereby increasing the profit margin, raising the stock price for executives (assuming they own stock) as well as the options gains for employees. Everyone would win, wouldn't they?

Well, maybe not. If the stock price took a hit, it would be Activision coughing up for the counterparty, whereas if paid in common or preferred stock, they'd keep their money, and if employees sold, it would mean less money is turned liquid for employees.

 

[Randvek]

I heard a podcast the other day from some programmers who said this kind of thing happens all the time in the video game industry. Apparently Sega was notorious for withholding bonuses to keep people on staff.

 

[Lt. Sausage]

If all of Infinity Ward does go off and join Respawn. We might actually get some more gems like the original Modern Warfare out of it.

 

[blaze2142]

serves activision right

 

[spinFX]

None of this better affect Diablo 3. Fuck everything else Activision-Blizzard have going on.

DIABLO THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

 

[Shaoken]

None of this better affect Diablo 3. Fuck everything else Activision-Blizzard have going on.

DIABLO THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Blizzard and Activision are pretty much run as seperate companies. Which is awesome because it means that nothing Blizzard does is counted as Knoick's sucess. Plus none of WoW's income is counted as Activion's revune, so they don't get a free ride on that either.

 

[Codeman90]

Its a shame Blizzard has attatched themselves to a gigantic black hole of terrible press and ridiculous buisness practices.

 

[Striker501]

Heh MW3 is not going to happen now. Hope the blackmailers get whats coming

 

[L-J-F]

And that is what happens when you're an asshole to everyone.

Couldn't Activision get criminal charges for blackmail.

So, the people who made Modern Motherfrakking Warfare 2 want EVEN MORE MONEY? Geeze, get a life, Infinity Ward.

They actually received NO royalties for that game, so, they aren't THAT rich.

Calumon: I want some money... I get no Royalties either... and I'm King Calumon!

Exactly, IW probably got shite all money, but Activision would be swimming in cash.

No respect for Activision, in fact, I have very little respect for any publisher, they are the ones who want the cash, most probably don't even know anything about the games they PUBLISH (publishers don't make games btw to anyone who might think they do ...). Last I checked pubs are why we have an army of clones with no soul parading around in the spotlight, because they want games that are what people like, not what they think they MIGHT like.

Lol, enough rant from me

 

[Ldude893]

When they speak of this moment, we will not be the ones who stood guard when Infinity Ward died. One man is responsible for all this.
Kotick must be brought to light.

(cupcake for anyone who spots the reference)

 

[VanBasten]

Heh MW3 is not going to happen now.

As if the Guitar Hero series suddenly stopped when Harmonix left Activision...

 

[Volafortis]

I'm rooting for the IWEG. Any company that treats the people it sells its products as nothing more than a money printer (Kotick has essentially flat-out said he thinks that gamers are idiots) should be knocked down a notch. Particularly when they try messing around with one of their top money makers to be able to keep more money.

And also, Activision will still make MW3. They still made GH3 after Harmonix left (although it was considerably worse than 1 or 2, and they're still going to pump out GH6 after shutting down RedOctane). However, I do believe that MW3 will suck considerably more ass than CoD4 or MW2.

 

[Zannah]

So I here Respawn has announced the upcoming "cry for duty" franchise?

In all seriousness though, let's all cross our fingers, that the greedy gelatinous blob that is activision finally crumbles (and lets hope they take blizzard with them, just to see the cryout when wow-servers get shut down)

 

[Shaoken]

So I here Respawn has announced the upcoming "cry for duty" franchise?

In all seriousness though, let's all cross our fingers, that the greedy gelatinous blob that is activision finally crumbles (and lets hope they take blizzard with them, just to see the cryout when wow-servers get shut down)

You're forgetting that Blizzard is so sucessful with WoW that they would easily survive Activision going under.