Activision is being sued.

[Dale]

Infinity Ward Lawsuit Claims Activision Created "Police State"
New allegations arise in the lawsuit between former Infinity Ward employees and Activision.

Back in April, a group of 38 former Infinity Ward employees filed a lawsuit against Activision over breach of contract and a dispute about unpaid millions in Modern Wardare 2 bonuses. Now, in a new addendum filed to the case, new allegations are made about Activision creating a hostile work environment tantamount to a "police state," as well as detailing broken promises regarding royalty money.

The addendum to the lawsuit (which was acquired by Kotaku) claims that Activision subjected Infinity Ward employees to secret "interrogations" and stationed security guards at the office exits in the lead up to the firing of studio heads Jason West and Vince Zampella back in March. It also claims that in March, Activision paid out 40 percent of the bonus money owed to Infinity Ward employees for Modern Warfare 2, but withheld an additional $54 million as "ransom" to coax the remaining Infinity Ward employees into making Modern Warfare 3 -- the money was to only be paid to them once Modern Warfare 3 was completed and shipped by November 2011, the lawsuit claims.

These Infinity Ward employees evidently met with Activision CEO Bobby Kotick later in March, and the lawsuit claims Kotick promised to pay out the additional bonus money at the end of the month. That never happened, and the suit describes that when the group met with CFO Thomas Tippl in April to demand their bonus money, they were told to "get over it."

The suit also insists that if West and Zampella were never fired, if the bonus money had been paid out in full, and if Activision had not created a "police state-like atmosphere," the group of employees would have never resigned from Infinity Ward. The addendum is also lowering the amount the former Infinity Ward employees are seeking in punitive damages to $216 million, down from around $500 million initially sought.

West and Zampella also filed a separate wrongful termination lawsuit against Activision back in March, in which they're also seeking additional compensation they claim they're still owed as well as the rights to the Modern Warfare brand. A hearing is set for August 5 to decide whether both lawsuits should be consolidated, and a date for the Infinity Ward employees' lawsuit is set for May 23 next year.

Activision has not yet publicly commented on these allegations, but if they do, we'll be sure to update.

Source: http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3180335&cmpid=0101

[GnaReffotsirk]

Wow. If that's true, I wonder how Blizzard is being handled by Activision.

[Noctis]

Probably much better considering how much money blizzard brings in every month from WoW alone

[RainbowToeSocks]

Kotick did claim once that he wants to take the fun out of making video games

what the fuck is wrong with him

[pure.Wasted]

Kotick did claim once that he wants to take the fun out of making video games

what the fuck is wrong with him

OK, that's it. Burying this poor animal has been tried... and tried... and tried... and yet people keep digging up its corpse so as to assault it. NO MORE.

I AM CREMATING THIS HORSE.


Back on topic, is anyone else getting a bad feeling about this? It really does sound too good to be true. Like, it can't honestly be this easy, can it? If it was, someone would have done it years ago, wouldn't they?

(answer: maybe not, gaming is a relatively new industry... but still, I'm apprehensive...)

[Kknewkles]

Don't know if this is really good. Maybe I didn't think this through, but considering atrocity of Kotick, he may try to suck life out of Blizzard if Activision will start sinking.
Hope he won't be able to do that.

But if it will lead to Kotick losing his position as CEO - that can't be bad, at least for Blizzard and for Activision as well.
He's a coldhearted businessman. Such people must not have such important positions in videogame industry. Cuz as we all know - games, like Crabburgers, must be created with love.

[Visions of Khas]

A friend told me that a subsidiary of GE, GE Capital, was created for the sole purpose of losing money, so as to write off that amount of money, preventing them from having to pay taxes.

I hate large corporations, gaming or otherwise. When they get large enough it's easy to plot their activities, as they begin to act like a communal organism, whose "selfish genes" (CEOs) act in their own best interest at the expense of the host organism.

Eff you, Kotick.

[Gifted]

1. This is completely and utterly unrelated to Blizzard's relationship to Activision, as well as the majority of relationships between Activision and their associated partners/companies.

2. This is merely another step in the growing infinity ward-Activision thing. If this is the first time you heard about it, I suggest you hit up google a little bit and read how this story has progressed over the last half year before you start making comments on it. I'm not saying it will make you feel better about Activision, but it will help you comment on it greatly cause you'll know the full story.

[Hellgrinder]

If Kotick is fired...


WOOO-HOOO!!!!!!!!

Hey, maybe if we're super-lucky, he'll get turned into a sheep and sent into the world of Warcraft III. How many people here would poke him?

[Santrega]

1. This is completely and utterly unrelated to Blizzard's relationship to Activision, as well as the majority of relationships between Activision and their associated partners/companies.

2. This is merely another step in the growing infinity ward-Activision thing. If this is the first time you heard about it, I suggest you hit up google a little bit and read how this story has progressed over the last half year before you start making comments on it. I'm not saying it will make you feel better about Activision, but it will help you comment on it greatly cause you'll know the full story.

It would be nice if you'd give at least a couple of examples that you think people are missing here that would alter the way they think on the topic.