Infinity Ward Group Sues Activision For Unpaid Bonuses Suit claims Activision held team hostage to finish Modern Warfare 3.
by Jim Reilly April 27, 2010 - A group of active and former Infinity Ward members, calling themselves the 'Infinity Ward Employee Group' (IWEG), has filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court today against Activision over alleged claims that the publisher still owes large sums of unpaid royalties and bonuses to the group.
A copy of the lawsuit obtained by IGN states a group of 38 Infinity Ward employees, both past and present, are still owed several large sums of bonus payments as a result of the sales of Modern Warfare 2. Activision allegedly breached its agreement regarding bonuses, and still owes the group between $40 million to $55 million in fourth quarter 2009 payments, between $30 million to $45 million in first quarter 2010 payments, and an additional $5 million to $25 million in other royalties.
The suit also states Activision allegedly has already paid upwards of $28 million in owed bonuses, but purposely and knowingly withheld additional payments to force the team to complete Modern Warfare 3.
"Activision engaged in this inappropriate course of conduct in an attempt to force employees of Infinity Ward to continue to work at a job that many of them did not want just so Activision could force them to complete the development, production and delivery of Modern Warfare 3," the suit alleges.
"In short, Activision withheld the property of the Infinity Ward Employee Group in an attempt to keep the employees hostage so that Activision could reap the benefit of the completion of Modern Warfare 3."
The group is seeking compensatory damages between $75 million to $125 million dollars, and punitive damages between $75 million and $500 million, as well as additional damages.
"Activision believes the action is without merit," the company said in a statement given to IGN. "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."
Robert Schwartz, the attorney for Infinity Ward founders Jason West and Vince on their separate lawsuit filed against Activision last month, said this new suit invalidates claims made against his clients.
"In a lawsuit where Activision is refusing to produce a witness to substantiate its claims, today's new lawsuit by 38 Infinity Ward employees makes clear that Activision's accusations against Jason and Vince are completely false, Schwartz said in a statement given to IGN. "It's great to see the other Infinity Ward people sticking up for themselves. Hopefully Activision will realize that the time has come to live up to its promises."
But if you prefer the classic games, why not just keep playing the games there? Everyone makes it sound like nothing but shitty games come out. Yeah quality may have gone down, but I dont buy games if I know I'm not going to enjoy them.
I enjoy the games that are next gen but they aren't as creative as what came out 10 or so years ago. I'm also taking video game development classes in hopes of being a game designer one day.
I would have to disagree. They seem better in retrospect but as a person who just had to down grade back to the stone age technology know as the ps2 my perspective may be a little different. The older games had to focus more on making the gameplay fun to sell games rather than just depending on the graphics to sell them. That being said, its really, really hard to go back after being accustomed to the 1080p from the ps3. Gimme CoD MW2 over any "classic" game any day.
I got my PS2 hooked up to my HDTV with Component cables so it helps it look a tad bit better then Composite cables would. And I like to go back and replay some of my games that I haven't got to enjoy on my big screen HDTV.
Hell, I even enjoy playing the original Super Mario Bros. for NES on my HDTV because I didn't have the luxury of an HDTV or big screen tv from NES to PS2.
Death is not the worst of evils.
You can't be down, when you're always high.
there were more party games back in the previous consoles and i admit i can say i had more fun with them but the next gen consoles also have something about them that keeps me attracted to em. i guess its the whole Xbox Live and PSN thing
easy mate. The graphics and the online. Online is the biggest factor in why a lot of us stay around. Nothing like logging online and kicking someone's ass online and tea bagging them and talking shit lol.
the thing i enjoy the most is when 6 year olds come into the game. it's always a good time. i definitely get pissed at these games more than last gen though
UFC 2010 feels a lot more slower in the standup and on the ground to me but faster in the submissions. I enjoy it, the fighters fight just like they would in real life they still have to fix a lot of stuff up to make it a true MMA sim game.
I have the b/c ps3, and just replayed GoW II on it before III came out, and it has a built in image upscaler for the older games. While I was waiting to get the ps3 back from sony, I hooked up the ps2 and it made my eyes want to bleed. And Marc has a great point with the online features. I'm in Michigan and Marc usually kicks my ass all the way from Texas. You get to talk and play games with your friends and get more value from the games with online play and downloadable content. Plus I can has pRon, browse the net, rock out Netflix or watch bluerays. It is so much more than just a video game system.
Comments
Infinity Ward Group Sues Activision For Unpaid Bonuses
Suit claims Activision held team hostage to finish Modern Warfare 3.
by Jim Reilly
April 27, 2010 - A group of active and former Infinity Ward members, calling themselves the 'Infinity Ward Employee Group' (IWEG), has filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court today against Activision over alleged claims that the publisher still owes large sums of unpaid royalties and bonuses to the group.
A copy of the lawsuit obtained by IGN states a group of 38 Infinity Ward employees, both past and present, are still owed several large sums of bonus payments as a result of the sales of Modern Warfare 2. Activision allegedly breached its agreement regarding bonuses, and still owes the group between $40 million to $55 million in fourth quarter 2009 payments, between $30 million to $45 million in first quarter 2010 payments, and an additional $5 million to $25 million in other royalties.
The suit also states Activision allegedly has already paid upwards of $28 million in owed bonuses, but purposely and knowingly withheld additional payments to force the team to complete Modern Warfare 3.
"Activision engaged in this inappropriate course of conduct in an attempt to force employees of Infinity Ward to continue to work at a job that many of them did not want just so Activision could force them to complete the development, production and delivery of Modern Warfare 3," the suit alleges.
"In short, Activision withheld the property of the Infinity Ward Employee Group in an attempt to keep the employees hostage so that Activision could reap the benefit of the completion of Modern Warfare 3."
The group is seeking compensatory damages between $75 million to $125 million dollars, and punitive damages between $75 million and $500 million, as well as additional damages.
"Activision believes the action is without merit," the company said in a statement given to IGN. "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."
Robert Schwartz, the attorney for Infinity Ward founders Jason West and Vince on their separate lawsuit filed against Activision last month, said this new suit invalidates claims made against his clients.
"In a lawsuit where Activision is refusing to produce a witness to substantiate its claims, today's new lawsuit by 38 Infinity Ward employees makes clear that Activision's accusations against Jason and Vince are completely false, Schwartz said in a statement given to IGN. "It's great to see the other Infinity Ward people sticking up for themselves. Hopefully Activision will realize that the time has come to live up to its promises."
I forgot how amazing that game is. Definitely has aged very well.
And yep, that is me on Gamefaqs.
Hell, I even enjoy playing the original Super Mario Bros. for NES on my HDTV because I didn't have the luxury of an HDTV or big screen tv from NES to PS2.