Guru3D.com
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • Channels
    • Archive
  • DOWNLOADS
    • New Downloads
    • Categories
    • Archive
  • GAME REVIEWS
  • ARTICLES
    • Rig of the Month
    • Join ROTM
    • PC Buyers Guide
    • Guru3D VGA Charts
    • Editorials
    • Dated content
  • HARDWARE REVIEWS
    • Videocards
    • Processors
    • Audio
    • Motherboards
    • Memory and Flash
    • SSD Storage
    • Chassis
    • Media Players
    • Power Supply
    • Laptop and Mobile
    • Smartphone
    • Networking
    • Keyboard Mouse
    • Cooling
    • Search articles
    • Knowledgebase
    • More Categories
  • FORUMS
  • NEWSLETTER
  • CONTACT

New Reviews
Be Quiet! Pure Power 12 M - 850W ATX 3.0 PSU review
Corsair H170i Elite Capellix XT review
Forspoken: PC performance graphics benchmarks
ASRock Z790 Taichi review
The Callisto Protocol: PC graphics benchmarks
G.Skill TridentZ 5 RGB 6800 MHz CL34 DDR5 review
Be Quiet! Dark Power 13 - 1000W PSU Review
Palit GeForce RTX 4080 GamingPRO OC review
Core i9 13900K DDR5 7200 MHz (+memory scaling) review
Seasonic Prime Titanium TX-1300 (1300W PSU) review

New Downloads
GeForce 528.49 WHQL driver download
Intel ARC graphics Driver Download Version: 31.0.101.4123
FurMark Download v1.33.0.0
Corsair Utility Engine Download (iCUE) Download v4.33.138
CPU-Z download v2.04
AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 23.1.2 (RX 7900) download
GeForce 528.24 WHQL driver download
Display Driver Uninstaller Download version 18.0.6.0
Download Intel network driver package 27.8
ReShade download v5.6.0


New Forum Topics
AMD Radeon Software Customize Setup - Radeon Setup Tool NVIDIA GeForce 528.49 WHQL driver Download & Discussion ASUS offers pro model of the RT-AX88U Wi-Fi 6 router with two 2.5 Gigabit ports RAIJINTEK releases FORKIS DDC ULTRA Pump integrated water block MSI releases Trident X2 13NUI-028 High-end gaming PC Fine Utilise Power of RadeonPRO Software & SweetFX Part 2 ECS LIVA Z2 (N5030) 256G released Small PC with fanless heat sink Synology unveils the two-bay DiskStation DS223 for easy and efficient file management. ASUS ROG Destrier Ergo Gaming Chair Launches (at 899 EUR) Intel Rocket Lake (11th Gen Core processors) already EOL and Discontinued in Latest PCN




Guru3D.com » News » Infinity Ward Employee Group Sues Activision

Infinity Ward Employee Group Sues Activision

by Hilbert Hagedoorn on: 04/28/2010 10:16 AM | source: | 0 comment(s)

According to documents obtained by G4tv.com, the suit is being collectively filed by the 'Infinity Ward Employee Group,' comprising 38 developers. They allege that Activision violated California labor codes and deliberately withheld deserved payments related to the success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 'in an attempt to keep the employees hostage so that Activision could reap the benefit of the completion of Modern Warfare 3.'

I've obtained a copy of a lawsuit filed this morning in the Los Angeles Superior Court by 38 plaintiffs, calling themselves the "Infinity Ward Employee Group," against Activision. The Infinity Ward Employee Group (whom I'll refer to as IWEG throughout the rest of this story) alleges breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, violation of California labor code and more. The group is after a large amount of unpaid royalties.

"Activision owes my clients approximately $75 million to $125 million dollars," said Bruce Issacs, one of the IWEG's attorneys at Wyman & Issacs LLP, over the phone this afternoon. "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 contains "a significant portion of the members of the creative team" who "designed, developed and delivered" Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to Activision. According to the lawsuit, $28 million has been delivered to Infinity Ward employees for bonuses related to Modern Warfare 2, but the suit alleges at least $54 million is still due from 2009 profits alone.

They want more than $54 million, however. The IWEG is looking "to recover between $75 million and $125 million, if not more, in compensatory damages." That number's derived from:

 * Unpaid bonuses from 2009 and 2010 sales generated by Modern Warfare 2 -- fourth quarter 2009 and first quarter 2010, specifically.
 * Bonuses "due and owing to them" past first quarter 2010.
 * "Bonus/royalty/profit participation" related to "technology/engine" royalties, "other special performance bonuses," "other studio bonuses" or "any other bonus/royalty/profit participation."'
 * Lost value on "restricted stock units" that Activision "promised" would vest (read: own it in your own name and purchase it from Activision) when Modern Warfare 2 sales eclipsed Modern Warfare 1, which "has long ago occurred."
 * Money owed as it relates to Modern Warfare 2 "sister games, including but not limited to" the oft-mentioned Modern Warfare 3, "if Modern Warfare 3 is ultimately delivered and marketed."
 * Interest rates related to the above sums of money.

The lawsuit focuses on royalties generated for Modern Warfare 2 following release and the agreement between Infinity Ward employees and Activision for receiving the subsequent bonuses. The IWEG contends the only condition for becoming eligible for said bonuses was delivering Modern Warfare 2 in time for the game's intended November 10, 2009 launch. Modern Warfare 2 did launch as scheduled on November 10 last year, generating $1.1 billion in 2009.

UPDATE: Activision has issued a brief response to the lawsuit:
"Activision believes the action is without merit," said a company spokesperson over e-mail just moments ago. "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.







« StarCraft 2 Beta · Infinity Ward Employee Group Sues Activision · F1 2010 'Handling' Developer's Diary -Video »

Related Stories

GeForce GTX 580 Infinity Edition and ZOTAC Omni - 08/04/2011 10:39 AM
ZOTAC unveils two new water-cooling solutions

MSI 3TB+ Infinity removes HDD limitations - 04/29/2011 10:58 AM
MSI announced 3TB+ Infinity, a technology that will give users of select motherboards the option of using HDDs larger than 3TB. A list of supported motherboards can be found over here. MSI, the world...

GeForce GTX 580 Infinity Edition and ZOTAC Omni - 08/04/2011 10:39 AM
ZOTAC unveils two new water-cooling solutions

MSI 3TB+ Infinity removes HDD limitations - 04/29/2011 10:58 AM
MSI announced 3TB+ Infinity, a technology that will give users of select motherboards the option of using HDDs larger than 3TB. A list of supported motherboards can be found over here. MSI, the world...



Guru3D.com © 2023