Judge Gives Activision the Thumbs up to Sue EA

[Pebsy]

This is just ridiculous. Activision, this is what happens when you treat your devs like crap! Learn from your mistake and shut up! EA didn't do anything except being a good publisher that Respawn wanted to go to.

EA is a worse publisher than Activision, though. EA is the one who's favorite activity is to buy up dev studious and immediately lay people off, followed up by shutting the entire studio down and firing the rest of the employees a year or two later when their latest game comes out delayed and not all that great due to having half their staff cut. Not to mention that EA forces all kinds of nasty DRM down their developers throats. Activision has DRM too for its PC games I'm sure, but I've yet to hear of them requiring something as draconian as an always on internet connection or the game shuts off (even if you're just playing single player). Thus I'm also pretty sure Activision never completely ruined a game's single player campaign to try and hide the DRM like EA did to Command & Conquer 4. Also, let's not forget that EA will surely release a terrible commercial for your game as well.

Call me crazy, but from where I'm sitting, the only place that EA is a good publisher is bizarro world.

They have DRM, $10 pass and horrible marketing. But from what I've heard they do treat their devs well. Also, they've published a hell of a lot of great games, way more than Activision. I mean, the orange box, mass effect 2 just to name my own favourites. They also seem to learn from their mistakes. Say what you will about EA, but I will always love EA partners. The rest is crap though.

Various studio's on the sports franchise, DICE for battlefield, they recently supported Danger Close studio and its creation, when MOH reboot failed to score high (though still a good reboot of the franchise) they didn't lay anyone off. Its the truly bad developed games EA is forced to layoff because they need to make ends meet but the inter-studio support and publisher-studio support is incredible (just look at DICE's use of the ANT animation system from EA sports games for the upcoming battlefield 3)

 

[Sniper Team 4]

And so the Titans begin their epic clash that will surely sunder the very realm of gaming. Oh well (goes back to playing Dragon Age II).

 

[BENZOOKA]

That's um... confusing. But one things for sure, EA and Activision clashing means there's more money involved than a piggy bank, full of monopoly money.

On Battlefield versus Call Of Duty, I stand on Battlefield's side.

 

[Something Amyss]

I can't help but wonder - are any of you looking at this situation from the standpoint of who's actually in the right here, or are you all just against Activision on this because you see them as some kind of agent of evil for some ridiculous reason?

On most sites that deal with games, gaming lawsuits are determined based on who is most hated. Merit of case has no place.

 

[DTWolfwood]

ROUND 2 FIGHT!

which ever side wins, this ought to be entertaining! XD love it when 2 sliver back guerrillas duke it out.

 

[Tipsy Giant]

Lets hope they both spend ALL their cash on lawyers and end up penniless with no influence in the game industry

 

[Valthek]

I honestly hope that both sides will slug this out in a long, Long, LONG legal battle costing them so much that maybe, just maybe, they'll think twice about doing something so EFFING retarded again in the future..

ah.. pipe dreams...

 

[Quiet Stranger]

Sooooo Activision bad....EA good?

 

[Sylocat]

I never thought I'd be rooting for EA in any conflict whatsoever, but when they're up against Activision...

I hope they come within pennies of running each other into the ground, and then EA wins at the last second, and countersues Activision for the remaining cash.

 

[Volothos]

So first it was about a secret meeting, now its about a map pack being delayed until a game released? I'm getting confused now

 

[killamanhunter]

So first it was about a secret meeting, now its about a map pack being delayed until a game released? I'm getting confused now

The supposed secret meeting was to delay the stimulus package for MW2 until Bad Company 2 was released., and on a side note, why don't these two companies merge, take over the rest of the gaming world, split it up 50/50, go back in their corners and then keep fighting. I say EA gets Mojang and Activision gets whoever made Farmville

 

[Saucycarpdog]

This case is still merged with the IW vs Activision case, right?

Well, that means if Activision wins, EA loses $200-$300 million(I think the court will probably lower the amount, as lawsuits usually end up like that) and West/Zampella will also have some unknown consequences.

If IW wins, Activision will lose around $200 million from the employee suit and West/Zampella will own the rights to modern warfare.

This court battle is like World war II for the video game industry. Everything will change no matter who wins.

 

[Justanothergamer300]

The two giants will clash then after they are both weakened THQ will attack and it will become top publisher

 

[Tom Phoenix]

But from what I've heard they do treat their devs well.

The thing is, people have said the same thing about Activision [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/108423-PAX-East-2011-Activision-Doesnt-Run-Internal-Studios-With-Iron-Fist].

Anyway, I am neutral regarding this dispute. While I dislike Activision and I suspect that they really are withholding payments, I also have no sympathy towards West and Zampella and have reasons to believe that they might very well be guilty of what Activision is accusing them. Not to mention that EA has its own list of flaws, so I wouldn't put past them to use underhanded tactics.

Nevertheless, while I expect this to eventually end in a settlement (beacuse these kind of things usually end with a settlement), it will be interesting to see this conflict unfold. Sound the drums of war! The decisive battle is about to commence!

 

[Ldude893]

And so begins a clash of the titans.

 

[Matthew_Walker]

Activision should remember the old addage that pride comes before a fall.

As for me CoD 4 -PC- was the last Activision published game I bought, and I will not give them anymore money.