Thu, Mar 04, 2010 | 18:59 GMT
Ex-Infinity Ward bosses seek “at least $36 million” from Acti suit
According to Bloomberg, Jason West and Vince Zampella, the Infinity Ward co-founders who were unceremoniously sacked earlier this week and confirmed this morning as suing Activision for royalties, are seeking “at least $36 million” from the action.
The complaint, which was press released this morning, was files at Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday, claiming breach of contract and wrongful termination.
The $36 million sought is in addition to control over the Modern Warfare brand, “a subset of the ‘Call of Duty’ combat games, according to a copy of the complaint,” according to the Bloomberg piece.
Zampella and West were fired from Infinity Ward this week in what has to be the most sensational games story in recent memory.
Activision claimed its actions had been taken in the name of “insubordination,” the following day revealing that newly-formed Sledgehammer is working on a CoD action-adventure, and that a new, as yet mysterious Call of Duty game is to release in 2011.
Infinity Ward is currently working on two Modern Warfare 2 DLC packs for release this year.
The next game in the Call of Duty franchise, developed by Treyarch and heavily rumoured to be set in Vietnam, is releasing later this year.
Call of Duty titles have generated approximately $3 billion in revenue so far.
Thanks, El_MUERkO.
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Posted in: Action, Activision Blizzard, Hot, Legalities, PC, PS3, Shooter, Xbox 360
Tags: $36 million, infinity ward, Jason West, vince zampella
15 comments
#1
V_Ben
04/03/10, 6:51 pm
bloody hell. thats a shedload of wonga!
#2
Razor
04/03/10, 6:51 pm
I’d be asking for more.
#3
theevilaires
04/03/10, 6:55 pm
me too, $36 million can’t buy you a loft of bread these days. Let alone pay for these fuckers 5th vacation beach house down in St. Thomas.
#4
G1GAHURTZ
04/03/10, 6:57 pm
I just read most of the lawsuit, and if the allegations are true, then it doesn’t look good for Activision to say the least.
Allegedly, they called West and Zampella in for a 6 hour long interview, during a holiday, as part of their investigation and threatened to dismiss them if consoled other members of staff who were upset!
What a joke!
#5
theevilaires
04/03/10, 7:00 pm
So who’s up for a good ol’ boycott of Activison…..MLK style
#6
Razor
04/03/10, 7:01 pm
Come on tho TEA, look how much MW2 made Acti…$36 million is peanuts for what MW2 did.
#7
mtothew
04/03/10, 7:02 pm
i think its really shocking that if it were up to zampella and west, mw2 wouldnt exist. only because activision threatened and pushed them, they started developing.
#8
G1GAHURTZ
04/03/10, 7:03 pm
@ tea:
Yeah, I’m on the verge of it, but it would mean missing out on Blur if it turns out to be any good…
It depends on how messy this gets, I suppose.
If they settle out of court and give up the rights to MW3, I probably won’t boycott, but anything less and Kotick would do well to see a penny of my money again!
#9
G1GAHURTZ
04/03/10, 7:05 pm
@ 7:
They didn’t say that they wanted to retire, did they!?
They just said that they wanted to try something else. Maybe they would have made something better than MW2 if Acti didn’t pressure them so much…
#10
theevilaires
04/03/10, 7:12 pm
I’m with you Razor all the way, if they had an agreement Acti should honor it. But no one apart of developing this game is broke either. If your name appeared in the credits for no reason you got at least $100,000.
They knew how much this game was going to sell. If you’re that crazy to bundle “fucking night vision goggles” (stole quote from Garratt) then you should have all the deals before hand.
So now what they walk into court and the judge is suppose to believe then without anything in writing?
#11
Goliath
04/03/10, 7:38 pm
This is going to be one very ugly divorce.
#12
Dr.Ghettoblaster
04/03/10, 8:48 pm
It’s so funny….I could see an ugly scenario such as this for a crap game like MAG or Dantes Inferno……but MODERN WAREFARE 2?? I mean, c’mon, the game is awesome – how can they just fire the top 3 dudes?
#13
AHA-Lambda
04/03/10, 10:54 pm
WOW!!! Go on yourselves guys!! Sue them for every penny their bloody worth =D
#14
Blerk
04/03/10, 11:28 pm
I’ve been boycotting Activision for years. Not on purpose, though.
#15
M337ING
05/03/10, 2:02 am
I want them to win the Modern Warfare brand and then give EA publishing rights for the next game. That would quite possibly be the best gaming news of the year.