38 Infinity Ward Employees Band to Sue Activision
They're seeking up to a half-billion dollars.
The Infinity Ward and Activision saga just got a bit more serious. A group of employees and former employees from the Modern Warfare developer have now filed a lawsuit against Activision over alleged unpaid and withheld royalties.
A total of 38 people have formed that Infinity Ward Employee Group (IWEG) and are suing Activision. 21 of those 38 have already left the company, but 17 still remain at work as they believe that they are being held hostage over employment terms.
"Activision owes my clients approximately $75 million to $125 million dollars," said Bruce Isaacs, one of the IWEG's attorneys at Wyman & Isaacs LLP, to G4. "Activision has withheld most of the money to force many of my people to stay, some against their will, so that they would finish the delivery of Modern Warfare 3. That is not what they wanted to do. Many of them. My clients' entitled to their money. Activision has no right to withhold their money -- our money."
The IWEG are now seeking from Activision "At least in the additional amount of $75 million to $500 million as an award for punitive damages."
Activision doesn't think that the Modern Warfare 2 developers have anything to complain about, however.
"Activision believes the action is without merit," said a company spokesperson over e-mail. "Activision retains the discretion to determine the amount and the schedule of bonus payments for MW2 and has acted consistent with its rights and the law at all times. We look forward to getting judicial confirmation that our position is right."
Read more from G4 and see the legal documents at Joystiq.
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Cheers Activision
This is so childish its beyond belief...
Activision wouldn't be in this position if they didn't put out a sub-par game all the while screwing over the people who made it...
Yup, Activision screwed the pooch on this one.
I have a feeling that this sort of activity is more common than we might be lead to believe. It may be that the success of Activision's most recent title is whats causing the media stir. I wonder if companies like Ubisoft, EA, or Bethesda have similar skeletons to share.
Wow, it is getting very interesting. The only thing that would make this even better is if we get news that former IW employees team up with DICE and they make a Battlefield/Modern Warfare game... MAKE IT HAPPEN EA!!!!!
I'm officially now in my lawn chair with the popcorn. I'll be over *there* while this thing plays out. Anyone care to join me?
I'm officially now in my lawn chair with the popcorn. I'll be over *there* while this thing plays out. Anyone care to join me?
I'll bring the beer.
This is so childish its beyond belief...
Are you crazy, that PoS made 1B$. Id want to take the money and run to.
They killed the franchise with MW2 so there is no point in staying at IW for them.
38 people suing and they believe the action is 'without merit'. Common sense tells me that when 38 people all say the same thing, there's a shitload of merit going around.
kriswitak :
I'm officially now in my lawn chair with the popcorn. I'll be over *there* while this thing plays out. Anyone care to join me?
I'll bring the beer.
I'll bring the 3D glasses
This is why I've never bought activision games. Well besides mw1 that was the only exception. Activision just sounds too generic.
If they have written proof of a promised bonus $value or a %sales then i'm sure activision will be eating its words. I have no doubt whatsoever that they would hold something above the employees' heads to make them obedient. If they actually gave a d* in the first place they wouldn't be in this mess.
GO IWEG!
This happens all the time. Enter EA/DICE/Trauma Studios. Who has the power? The bigger fish does.
Let's hope this forces the game industry uphill a bit. I felt a bit of a stall in the past 3 years. Nothing but rehashes and overhyped games that people go stupid over.
38 people suing and they believe the action is 'without merit'. Common sense tells me that when 38 people all say the same thing, there's a shitload of merit going around.
Not to mention, it becomes rather difficult at this point to believe things Activision has had to say about not doing anything wrong. Those that have left IW, took a mighty big gamble leaving a career behind in a questionable economic time when companies are selling out or putting projects/employees on the chopping block - they obviously had very good reasons.....
This happens all the time. Enter EA/DICE/Trauma Studios. Who has the power? The bigger fish does.
EXACTLY... I'm glad someone else is mentioning this. The big studios have been shafting development teams for over a decade. No sleep, no pay, no bonuses... essentially slave labor... it's been a common theme for a long time. It's about damn time a paradigm shift has happened in the game development world.
Because Activision did this they ruined their chance of having a decent release for mw3.
Hopefully Respawn Entertainment (or whatever the new formed company is called) will release a mw2 (or mw3 by that time) killer that is amazing and supports their online community!!!
btw, activision is announcing a new cod tomorrow.
So much for MW2, thanks for banning xbox360s for it. Knuckle heads. Glad I didn't buy MW2 either lol.
wow if they win this lawsuit, each one of these developers will be the world's richest developers and probably don't ever have to work or make another game again.
38 people suing and they believe the action is 'without merit'. Common sense tells me that when 38 people all say the same thing, there's a shitload of merit going around.
Yeah, and paying a couple of hundred million to those "poor" 38 people makes so much sense. Oh and so does current game pricing. Creating games is, you know, very expensive.
Why, with everything else going on with IW, would Bungie sign on to develop games for Activision?
for anyone who has any doubt how evil activision are:
hmm forums ate my link, try again
click here
Another greedy fight over money in America...whats new.
This my friends, is Karma at work.
I'd love to see these ex-employees team up with Croteam for Modern Warfare XX SERIOUS Edition HD... or something along those lines.
Vivendi needs to step in and do some head slapping of Activision's board since Vivendi is the parent company of Activision Blizzard.
Sounds like MW3 will be even worse than MW2... Definitely won't be getting that.
am I the only one that reads MW as mech warrior?? apparently I'm a little slow today...
pricks!!!!!!!!!1