Activision Vs Infinity Ward

[EW]

Activision Vs Infinity Ward

The lawsuit filed against Activision by two ex-Infinity Ward leads alleges that the publisher of its Modern Warfare games carried out an "Orwellian," "pre-ordained" investigation designed to "manufacture a basis to fire" them in order to avoid paying them bonuses.

 

That suit, filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court on March 3, was filed by founders Jason West and Vince Zampella in an attempt to be paid royalties earned from the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and to regain rights to the Modern Warfare line of games.

 

West and Zampella's lawsuit claims that Activision is simply trying to withhold (or reduce) bonus payment on the billion dollar selling Modern Warfare 2. In a dig at the publisher's CEO Bobby Kotick, the suit notes this is "not surprising, given that Activision is run by a CEO who has been publicly quoted as believing that the best way to run a videogame studio is to engender a culture of 'skepticism, pessimism, and fear' and who prefers to pay his lawyers instead of his employees."

 

The two are seeking "in excess of $36 million" in damages.

 

In the suit, Infinity Ward's ousted founders claim that Activision refused to honor its agreements with the development studio, agreements that granted the Call of Duty creators creative authority over "any Call of Duty game set in the post-Vietnam era, the near future or the distant future" and any title under the Modern Warfare brand. No such game, the suit reads, "can be commercially released without the written consent of West and Zampella."

 

That agreement, legally a Memorandum of Understanding, was signed by West, Zampella, and Activision Publishing president Mike Griffith in March of 2008. That MOU, the lawsuit explains, was signed to induce the two to continue as co-heads of Infinity Ward, grant certain royalty arrangements for Modern Warfare 2 sales and games built on Infinity Ward's technology, and to "ensure that Infinity Ward employees received rewards for their hard work."

 

The suit against Activision contends that the publisher opted not to honor the MOU or West and Zampella's employment agreement, but to "launch a pre-textual investigation?to create a basis to fire the two co-heads of Infinity Ward before the first Modern Warfare 2 royalty payment would be paid..."

 

"From the very beginning, it was clear that the purpose of the investigation was not to uncover any facts concerning any actual wrongdoing, but to manufacture a basis to fire West and Zampella," the lawsuit reads.

 

West and Zampella claim that the publisher refused to explain the basis of the investigation, insisting "in Orwellian fashion" that the two "already have a clear understanding of what they have or have not done."

 

"Anything less than their full cooperation with the inquisition would constitute 'insubordination," which would justify the firing of Zampella and West.

 

"Activision conducted the investigation in a manner designed to maximize the inconvenience and anxiety it would cause West and Zampella," the lawsuit claims, alleging that the two were "interrogated for over six hours in a windowless conference room" and that other Infinity Ward employees were "brought?to tears" by Activision investigators.

[/Quote]

 

Activision has issued a response to the lawsuit filed by former Infinity Ward bosses Vince Zampella and Jason West, dismissing the claims in the lawsuit as "meritless" and expressing the company's "disappointment" in the decision to file suit.

 

Activision notes in the statement that it provided the capital required to start Infinity Ward, and the continued financial and creative support given over the development of the Call of Duty franchise, and that the two execs failed to "honor their obligations to Activision," justifying their dismissal. With the mentions of the company's "enormous patience" and its eventual "disappointment," the full statement (which you can read after the break) sounds oddly parental.

 

The release concludes with a note that Activision owns the Call of Duty franchise -- though the title Modern Warfare isn't mentioned.

Activision is disappointed that Mr. Zampella and Mr. West have chosen to file a lawsuit, and believes their claims are meritless. Over eight years, Activision shareholders provided these executives with the capital they needed to start Infinity Ward, as well as the financial support, resources and creative independence that helped them flourish and achieve enormous professional success and personal wealth.

 

In return, Activision legitimately expected them to honor their obligations to Activision, just like any other executives who hold positions of trust in the company. While the company showed enormous patience, it firmly believes that its decision was justified based on their course of conduct and actions. Activision remains committed to the Call of Duty franchise, which it owns, and will continue to produce exciting and innovative games for its millions of fans.

 

 

[/Quote]

 

 

So Basically no more COD games by Infinityward.... Say goodbye to the best FPS at presant date. (Cod4 not MW2 :p)

[Jacob]

So Pretty much all the COD games to come are going to be crap like WaW because infinity ward didnt do that one and it SUCKED with a capital SUCKED.

[t.]

Meh, TDU2 got announced and I stopped caring about this.

[Who]

I Agree, I was really following the news of Dead Rising 2, Project Natal and Fallout: New Vegas, but now I honestly don't give a crap :D

[T0M722]

Sad face :( Cod MW2 was a good game imo. Not Looking forward to see what they have as a replacement.

 

TDU2 ahead though!

[ScoobSTi]

I was looking forward to "MW3" and "COD7"...but after these lawsuits, something bad might happen I guess.

 

For now, the only games I want are Bad Company 2 and TDU2. :excited:

[TimBud]

I could've sworn I posted in this thread a few days ago, but then I found this

;)

[t.]

Yep, it's so good it's worth talking about twice.. I guess xD

 

Activision are idiots, have been for a long long time. Expect them to rape the franchise on the basis of it's good name, then once everyone catches on in say... 3 years time they'll have made so much money they won't care.

 

Latest word is though that IW had been off courting other publishers, namely EA. Seems odd since the pair of them already fled EA once previously. However the EA of today is different to the EA of then.