A lawsuit by 40 Infinity Ward developers (both past and present) was recently amended to include accusations of Activision forming a “police state at the developer. The employees allege that Activision conducted “interrogations” and held $54 million ransom while they attempted to cajole the developers of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 into making the next Modern Warfare game.
The suit says that not only were secret interrogations held with employees, but security personnel were brought in and stationed at various exits. Activision CEO Bobby Kotick later attended an Infinity Ward meeting where he promised their full completion bonus at the end of the month, and when it wasn’t delivered, employees confronted CFO Thomas Tippl in April, and according to the suit, Tippl responded, “Get over it.”
The suit says that Activision paid 40 percent of the Modern Warfare 2 bonus money to the team, but withheld the rest, pending a developed, produced and complete Modern Warfare 3 by November 2011 to get the rest of the money.
A judge will decide on August 5, 2010 whether this suit and the one by Infinity Ward founders Jason West and Vince Zampella will be consolidated into one trial, which is set for May 23, 2011.
Source: Kotaku
