Activision's Legal Position On Infinity Ward: NO U

Posted on April 9, 2010 by Scott Jennings| 13 Comments

Well, then.

In a lawsuit that read more like a dramatic Hollywood script, Santa Monica-based Activision claimed it fired Jason West and Vincent Zampella in March because the two “morphed from valued, responsible executives into insubordinate and self-serving schemers who attempted to hijack Activision’s assets for their own personal gain.”

EA, when asked to comment:

We don’t have the time to comment on the many lawsuits Activision files against its employees and creative partners.

So there you go!

This entry was posted in Activision, Infinity Ward, Our Stupid Legal System. Bookmark the permalink.
  • http://tagn.wordpress.com/ Wilhelm2451

    They should have noted if the EA representative was laughing out loud or merely chuckling while he made that statement.

  • Stormwaltz

    I award Jeff Brown +5 Internets.

    He may redeem it for DLC at my online storefront.

  • hitnrun

    This “political campaign” strategy of preparing the legal battlefield would probably be more effective if the principals weren’t videogame companies that no one (in the broader culture) gives a fart about.

    As it is, if we assume Acti is lying (and I think we all agree that’s a safe assumption), they run the risk of crossing the line and getting butt-reamed for defamation.

  • Iconic

    Isn’t “self serving and scheming” a criteria to be the CEO at Activision?

    Isn’t that generally an expected trait in executives?

    What the hell is Bobby Kotick, a seflless humanitarian? “I want my people to live in fear because it will earn me a higher bonus if they produce” isn’t self serving and manipulative?

  • http://www.stormhammer.org Naladini

    Activision and Massey should swap CEOs for a bit….

  • TPRJones

    Isn’t that generally an expected trait in executives?

    It’s not in any well-run company with good long-view management and long-term growth potential. Unfortunately there are very few well-run companies.

  • Iconic

    “It’s not in any well-run company with good long-view management and long-term growth potential. Unfortunately there are very few well-run companies.”

    In a day and age where investors don’t care about long term growth and merely want to flip the stock at the highest value so they can go buy another stock and flip that too, it seems that “well run” means something different than it once did.

    Generally speaking the only companies that seem to be well run are those who are privately owned or were privately owned, or have been around for so long that they have no dynamic growth potential left.

  • http://stabbedup.blogspot.com/ Stabs

    This “political campaign” strategy of preparing the legal battlefield would probably be more effective if the principals weren’t videogame companies that no one (in the broader culture) gives a fart about.As it is, if we assume Acti is lying (and I think we all agree that’s a safe assumption), they run the risk of crossing the line and getting butt-reamed for defamation.  

    “Absolute privilege” has the effect that a statement cannot be sued on as defamatory, even if it were made maliciously; a typical example is evidence given in court.

    (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation)

  • Aufero

    That may be the best comment ever uttered by Jeff Brown.

  • http://geldonsgaming.blogspot.com geldonyetich

    Oh, Activation, you lawsuit happy little scamp you. :D

  • Theogrin

    I’m just checking here…it’s well known that Activision’s replaced Electronic Arts as the ‘Big Bad’ of the software industry, but when the hell did EA start hiring competent PR guys?

  • http://geldonsgaming.blogspot.com geldonyetich

    I’m just checking here…it’s well known that Activision’s replaced Electronic Arts as the ‘Big Bad’ of the software industry, but when the hell did EA start hiring competent PR guys? Theogrin

    Sounds like these two things are related.

  • http://beafraid.com hellfire

    The other shoe (as many predicted) dropped over the weekend. This will be a pretty hilarious court battle. EA vs BlizzActivision battle roayle by proxy.

    It’s an even bet that while this all plays out they’ll be busy poaching the IW talent with zeal and alacrity.