Activision Pays Ex-Infinity Ward Developers $42 million, But It's Not A Settlement Ads By Google » Blog Tags Today's Most Popular Videos »

According to Polygon, Activision has paid ex-Infinity Ward developers in the Infinity Ward Employee Group $42 million, but this is not a settlement of the ongoing employment lawsuit between Infinity Ward founders (and Modern Warfare creators) Jason West and Vince Zampella, EA and Activison.

The $42 million payment was offered during the discovery phase of the larger trial. Activision reportedly decided that the gathered evidence didn't implicate the Infinity Ward Employee Group, so a decision was made to pay them what Activision believes they are owed. The $42 million figure includes ten percent interest and is in addition to $22 million already paid for the promised first quarter launch bonus.

The case goes to trial next week, and according to  Bruce Isaacs, attorney for the Infinity Ward Employee Group, the payment is a "cynical attempt to look good before the jury trial."

"I can also tell you that although it is a meaningful payment it is only a small portion of what we are seeking in litigation," Isaacs said. "It is outrageous that they made us wait, they obviously knew they owed the money and this just shows that they breached the contract."

Isaacs says the case will go forward. "We are seeking all kinds of bonuses per the contract. This payment relates to one particular game and one particular time period and one particular bonus."

If you want to read up on the lawsuit, you can catch up with all of our Fall of Duty stories, but here's the short version:

A trial on all remaining claims is scheduled to begin on Tuesday. Get your popcorn ready. We'll be bringing you coverage here on G4tv.com.

All of the best people are following Stephen Johnson's twitter feed. Also, email me if you wanna.

Source : http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/723791/activision-pays-ex-infinity-ward-developers-42-million-but-its-not-a-settlement/

Activision pays $42 million to ex-Infinity Ward members - Report

Reports have surfaced today on both Polygon and Gamasutra claiming that Activision has paid a sum of $42 million to a group of 40 former Infinity Ward members implicated in an upcoming lawsuit with the Call of Duty publisher.

Activision wants to focus its efforts entirely on ex-Infinity Ward heads West and Zampella.

According to the reports--both of which cite an anonymous source close to the case--Activision paid the $42 million to the group representing former Infinity Ward heads Vince West and Jason Zampella after reviewing the evidence for the ongoing lawsuit over West and Zampella's 2010 firing, and subsequent establishment of Respawn Entertainment with Electronic Arts.

Both Polygon and Gamasutra reported that the sum paid by Activison is not part of a settlement.

Instead, the sum is what the publisher believes the former employees are owed after reviewing trial evidence and reportedly finding that it does not implicate the group's 40 members. It is reported that Activision will now focus its legal efforts entirely on West and Zampella.

In March this year, Activision scored a partial victory in the suit, when a judge dismissed one of two fraud claims brought against the publisher by West and Zampella.

Activision claims that it fired the pair because they were secretly planning to start their new studio with the help of Electronic Arts, while still employed with the Call of Duty publisher. West and Zampella claim that the real reason they were fired was so that Activision wouldn't have to pay them millions of dollars in royalties associated with Modern Warfare 2. Beyond the performance-based payout and any other court-awarded monetary damages, West and Zampella are seeking to gain co-ownership of the Modern Warfare brand. If successful in court, West and Zampella would have the right to create and release both old and new installments in the Modern Warfare franchise.

According to the reports, the trial is set to take place on May 29.

Source : http://gamespot.com/news/activision-pays-42-million-to-ex-infinity-ward-members-report-6376776