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[IPC] **NuckFuggets** · 01-20-2011, 03:13 PM

From Kotaku:

Quote:

After months of finger-pointing and allegations, the company behind the massively popular Call of Duty series may have proof to support claims that one of their video games was sabotaged by its creators at the urging of a rival.

An internal email from a rival Electronic Arts executive, released today as part of a court filing, seems to boast about getting one of the developers of Modern Warfare 2 to delay add-ons for the game. A delay could have prevented the add-on from interfering with the release of the shooter's biggest competitor.

"A couple months ago, I asked Vince to hold back their map pack until after we launched. (He owes me one,) " starts the email written by the rival developer, apparently referring to Modern Warfare 2 developer Vince Zampella. "Given that they've already made a billion, he was cool with that, obviously (Activision CEO ) Kotick took it as being belligerent."

Reached for comment earlier today, Electronic Arts declined to comment for this story.

The email was written by Lincoln Hershberger, senior director of global marketing at Electronic Arts' DICE studio to a slew of other EA executives including Frank Gibeau, the company's head of EA Games. The note was dated March 2, the day DICE's Battlefield Bad Company 2 hit stores and 28 days before the "Stimulus Pack" map pack for Modern Warfare 2 went on sale for the Xbox 360.

The emails, unsealed in a court filing earlier this week, are part of an amended complaint by Activision that adds Electronic Arts to the lawsuit they originally filed against Jason West and Zampella. The two headed up Infinity Wards, Activision's studio behind Modern Warfare, before they were fired amid allegations of sabotage and insubordination.

The two counter-sued with their own allegations, calling the company Orwellian in its control of the studio and saying they were stiffed on bonus.

Other emails in the document, filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday, seem to show Electronic Arts actively pursuing West and Zampella as future employees. Under California law, the two could be in breach of their employment contract if they actively seek work with another company.

The unsealed emails include exchanges between executives at Electronic Arts discussing the hiring of the two, including requests for taking a more aggressive approach at bringing them over.

If this claim here turns to be true, then it definitely adds a twist to the story.

This could also explain why MW2 first DLC was in May when Treyarch's is in February.

[iSUK] **o Ham Job o** · 01-20-2011, 03:16 PM

This whole thing is like a soap opera. It's getting crazy.

[IPC] youngsoldier3 · 01-20-2011, 03:19 PM

Definitely. If thats true, W&Z are going to lose the suit and have to suffer humiliation. If they did delay the MP release 4 weeks, they could have at least try to work on some of those glitches. IW should be proud. LMAO!

[Mac] Ninjah Birdy · 01-20-2011, 03:19 PM

Yeah it definitely adds a twist, however I don't think Vince Zampella did it with bad intentions to screw over Activision :P

[IPC] youngsoldier3 · 01-20-2011, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninjah Birdy

Yeah it definitely adds a twist, however I don't think Vince Zampella did it with bad intentions to screw over Activision :P

True, but because he had communications with EA, makes it a breach in contract which makes all of his arguments bullshit.

[IPC] **NuckFuggets** · 01-20-2011, 03:26 PM

I think they still have to prove that they were in communications regarding employment.

[HIDE] walczak13 · 01-20-2011, 03:52 PM

Heres the thing, in the world of business and competitors, your rivals become your closer friends compared to non-competitors. i.e. Bungie creators of Halo yet another huge fps for the 360 helped Activison in the development of the theatre mode for Black Ops. With that being said other transactions could have gone unnoticed to the public between these two companies. The only reason this is getting such publicity is because of the falling out between two development companies that created one of the best fps's to date. If this was another Rockstar lawsuit no one would care lol!

[IPC] **NuckFuggets** · 01-20-2011, 04:03 PM

Can you show your source of Theater Mode being developed by Bungie? I knwo they took the idea and concept but I'm fairly certain they didn't just develop it for them. There were things in Black Ops Theater that aren't in Reach.