The Gaming News Thread

**Martok** · 04-15-2010, 21:04

Looks like the legal battle heating up will cause Modern Warfare 3 to be delayed:

Link

It will take a long time for the full picture of Activision and Infinity Ward’s dispute to be painted, but a more immediate effect is one that gamers most certainly will notice – potential delays to Modern Warfare 3.

As part of Activision’s counter-lawsuit aimed at former Infinity Ward bosses Jason West and Vincent Zampella, the publisher has alleged that the problems have delayed development of the anticipated war shooter.

Aside from the vast legal costs Activision is already facing, any disruption to the biannual release of Modern Warfare titles will inevitably dent the firm’s revenue projections and, as a result, share price.

It could also cost the wider industry, as the release of Modern Warfare 2 late last year gave Q4 a record-breaking boost. Without it, year-on-year sales comparisons would have been even gloomier for the world’s games retailers.

A number of other allegations from the lawsuit have also been published by MCV’s sister site Develop, including:

"openly discussing their intention to leave IW with IW employees;

"arranging meetings with IW employees to discuss the willingness of such employees to leave IW and join West and Zampella at a spin off studio;

"threatening to harm the IP developed by IW and owned by Activision if their demands to be allowed to leave Activision were not met;

"engaging in a campaign to portray Activision and its management in a negative light to IW employees in an effort to solicit those employees;

"refusing to abide by Activision procedures and protocols;

"attempting to block IW employees from receiving equity grands, bonuses and financial compensation and incentives;

"asking Activision to allow them to keep for themselves millions of dollars of discretionary compensation that Activision intended to offer to the broader IW team;

"secretly meeting Activision's main competitor; and delaying pre-production of MW3 and attempting to use that delay as leverage in their negotiations with Activision".

**Krusader** · 04-15-2010, 22:04

Penny Arcade has one view on the lawsuit.

Personally, I can't help but think what message it sends out that the developers of the world's best-selling game shortly afterwards crumbles.

**TinCow** · 04-15-2010, 23:13

If you bought a game from Gamestation on April 1st, odds are the company now owns your soul:

It's common knowledge that nobody ever actually reads the various end user license agreements, terms and conditions and other legalistic walls of text that gamers are commonly assaulted with. It takes too long, they're way too complicated and they all say the same thing: Do this, don't do that, no warranties explicit or implied, etc. Nobody cares about them anyway, so what's the point?

But on April 1, U.K. retailer GameStation decided to make a point: It inserted an "Immortal Soul Clause" into the T&C of its online game sales, then sat back to watch what would happen.

"By placing an order via this web site on the first day of the fourth month of the year 2010 Anno Domini, you agree to grant Us a non transferable option to claim, for now and for ever more, your immortal soul," the terms and conditions read. "Should We wish to exercise this option, you agree to surrender your immortal soul, and any claim you may have on it, within 5 (five) working days of receiving written notification from gamesation.co.uk or one of its duly authorized minions. We reserve the right to serve such notice in 6 (six) foot high letters of fire, however we can accept no liability for any loss or damage caused by such an act."

True to form, according to the company, 88 percent of customers didn't read the T&C and thus legally forfeited their souls. How could it tell? Because the 12 percent who did notice the clause also saw the opt-out option, which included a voucher for £5 - roughly $7.75 - off the price of their purchase. More than 7500 customers missed out on the offer and are now beholden to GameStation for all eternity.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news...to-GameStation

**Kekvit Irae** · 04-18-2010, 04:01

Ladies and gentlemen of the gaming public, I hereby announce that Survival Horror is dead.

Silent Hill will be a FPS.

According to Gamasutra, Vatra Games is developing a mysterious FPS in their new Czech studio founded by the ex members of Illusion Softworks. This new FPS is a new Silent Hill for Konami.