Yesterday's news that a third lawsuit had originated from the ongoing Infinity Ward / Activision breakup wasn't exactly a shocker, and a handful of revealing tidbits have surfaced from the depths of the legalese. We retrieved a copy of the latest lawsuit's full complaint document (found below in the gallery) and spent the evening scouring it for details on yesterday's allegations.

For instance, approximately 21 of the 38 members of the "Infinity Ward Employee Group" have already left IW, with the remaining 17 still employed at the studio (or being "held hostage," as their complaint document puts it). All 38 group members are seeking anywhere from 10.8% ($98 million) to 13.6% ($123 million) of the $900 million in profit the suit claims Activision has earned on Modern Warfare 2 sales since it debuted last November -- a percentage claimed to have been worked out previously between said IW employees and Activision, under the "Bonus Pool Agreement" (the "BPA" is said to be "based on incomes earned from MW2," though nothing more specific is spelled out). Furthermore, the group is seeking "bonus/royalty/profit participation" from MW2's "sister games," which includes not just Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Reflex, but also Modern Warfare 3, "if MW3 is ultimately delivered and marketed."

Additionally, the suit alleges that, on March 26 of this year, Activision "made a partial payment of Infinity Ward's Fourth Quarter of 2009 Bonus Payment" (an undisclosed amount). When asked by employees "how much payments would have been had Activision not fired West and Zampella," representatives said they "would have received approximately 2.5 times the amount they were paid." This stands in stark contrast to claims made recently that IW employees who stay with the studio would receive larger bonuses.



http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/28/infinity-ward-employee-group-lawsuit-documents-see-them-here/

Posted: Apr 28, 2010 3:38 pm
Related Forum: Call of Duty Forum