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[FUD] Activision cuts $42 million to MW2 staff - Page 5

post #41 of 56
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Originally Posted by FuNkDrSpOt View Post

So long as you have unlimited raw materials, land, a permanent underclass and you're the #1 world power, sure it's great.
As it stands capitalism would have failed twice already if not for those facts. Once in the 1920's and just recently in 2007. Even if it succeeds now, it's not sustainable.

To be honest capitalism is dead, it died when it was replaced by corporatism. Consumerism is a delusion pulled before our eyes, making us believe we have something called an 'economy', however it's nothing more than the destruction of the planet for the sake of short term profit.

Now that consumerism is also dying, the banks have taken total and utter control of everything we are left with what Mussolini's envisioned: fascism. We are running down this path so quickly, screaming Hallelujah it's frightening, with those who still cling to the illusion we have something called 'free market capitalism' that they don't understand we have corporate communism. But tell them that free market capitalism can't possibly exist with bailouts, grants and the government propping corrupt corporations, and they have a seizure.

Mayer Amsched Rothchild, owner of the Bank of England and the The Dutch Bank (formerly Bank of Amsterdam):
Quote:
Permit me to issue and control the money of the nation and I care not who makes its laws
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post #42 of 56
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Originally Posted by Mjolnir View Post

I remember this dispute. Tell me if I have the story wrong, okay?
The basic gist is this:
Infinity Ward made an amazingly popular game that sold a bajillion copies. The publisher that made a ton of profit off of their work didn't want to pay the employees their cut of the profits that was due to them defined by terms of their contract. They thought they could bully them down. Instead the team leads walked and within a month or two most of Infinity Ward's team was gone.
Now, finally, after months of legal wrangling, Activision is grudgingly dispensing a portion of those earnings as they should have several years ago.

Whether or not it was right, I thought a lot of this stemmed from gross breaches of contract by Infinity Ward team members, specifically the top two people on the IW team that were fired because they tried to start collaborating with other game publishers while still under contract with Activision.

Reading up on the wiki page for IW, it says that 38 people on the IW team are suing for bonuses for the release of MW2--between $75M and $125M, and are also suing for further damages (up to $500M).

I am guessing that these 38 people account for everyone on the MW2 team--that's more than $1M per person bonus on average, taking the $42M that Activision has kicked down. That's a lot of money, I would honestly consider dropping the suit if I were part of the MW2 team.

I wonder how much of the alleged breaches of contract by the two senior IW members could potentially negate any MW2 compensation agreements for the team--guess that's why there's a lawsuit over this. I would honestly hope that Activision wouldn't be so petty to not kick down properly-earned bonuses (especially given the huge profits from the game), but on the other hand, greed is a strong force.
    
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post #43 of 56
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Originally Posted by guyladouche View Post

Whether or not it was right, I thought a lot of this stemmed from gross breaches of contract by Infinity Ward team members, specifically the top two people on the IW team that were fired because they tried to start collaborating with other game publishers while still under contract with Activision.
Reading up on the wiki page for IW, it says that 38 people on the IW team are suing for bonuses for the release of MW2--between $75M and $125M, and are also suing for further damages (up to $500M).
I am guessing that these 38 people account for everyone on the MW2 team--that's more than $1M per person bonus on average, taking the $42M that Activision has kicked down. That's a lot of money, I would honestly consider dropping the suit if I were part of the MW2 team.
I wonder how much of the alleged breaches of contract by the two senior IW members could potentially negate any MW2 compensation agreements for the team--guess that's why there's a lawsuit over this. I would honestly hope that Activision wouldn't be so petty to not kick down properly-earned bonuses (especially given the huge profits from the game), but on the other hand, greed is a strong force.

Why would they drop the suit? Their contract was violated by a firm that had no intention of paying out and you want them to drop their suit after they were given a pittance? You not caring about getting paid a third of what your contract says you should doesn't mean everyone else should be flippant about it.
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post #44 of 56
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Originally Posted by Liranan View Post

Why would they drop the suit? Their contract was violated by a firm that had no intention of paying out and you want them to drop their suit after they were given a pittance? You not caring about getting paid a third of what your contract says you should doesn't mean everyone else should be flippant about it.

Breach of contact typically nullifies contractual agreements--i think that's why the current lawsuit would be so important.edit--in case I wasn't clear enough, it's the 2 most senior members of IW that breached/violated the contract that IW had with Activision--before any of this "you didn't pay us our bonuses" issue came about. So IW breached their contracts with Activision first (or I should say, allegedly). If it is proven that the contract between IW and Activision was breached, it would potentially nullify any financial compensation for the products that IW made. So the validity of the bonuses that Activision is legally obligated to pay to IW hinges on the lawsuit. Sounds to me like IW is the guilty party, and that they may as well take the $42M they were just given and be thankful that they got it.
Edited by guyladouche - 5/17/12 at 1:58pm
    
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post #45 of 56
hey liranan and funkdspot. i just came back from an economics lecture today and found out how banks create liquidity out of thin air. i guess this is the part where you guys are outraged and where i laugh while the peasants burn the banks and lynch the bankers.
post #46 of 56
Quote:
Originally Posted by guyladouche View Post

Breach of contact typically nullifies contractual agreements--i think that's why the current lawsuit would be so important.edit--in case I wasn't clear enough, it's the 2 most senior members of IW that breached/violated the contract that IW had with Activision--before any of this "you didn't pay us our bonuses" issue came about. So IW breached their contracts with Activision first (or I should say, allegedly). If it is proven that the contract between IW and Activision was breached, it would potentially nullify any financial compensation for the products that IW made. So the validity of the bonuses that Activision is legally obligated to pay to IW hinges on the lawsuit. Sounds to me like IW is the guilty party, and that they may as well take the $42M they were just given and be thankful that they got it.

Two members of the team does not constitute everyone. If this is how Activision saw it then they tried to use the violation of contract by two members not to pay the entire team, which is probably why everyone left. We can only speculate but I wouldn't be surprised because not everyone left immediately, many waited several weeks. Were they waiting to see whether they would get what was due to them?
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post #47 of 56
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Originally Posted by Liranan View Post

Two members of the team does not constitute everyone. If this is how Activision saw it then they tried to use the violation of contract by two members not to pay the entire team, which is probably why everyone left. We can only speculate but I wouldn't be surprised because not everyone left immediately, many waited several weeks. Were they waiting to see whether they would get what was due to them?

Well, to be fair, they were the two most-senior members of the company--the ones who conducted and signed-off on business agreements/contracts. They probably had 95% of the power (as is usually the case, but that's a bit OT...smile.gif).

I'm sure it was a dirty ploy to avoid having to shell out money to the team that Activision saw as "wronging" them. I'm sure it was a knee-jerk reaction to a butt-hurt scenario where so-and-so thinks they've been wronged. But at the same time, it doesn't change the fact that the spokespersons for the whole IW company (or group? I don't know if they're considered a company/subsidiary, etc.) engaged in practices that went against the contracts that they had with Activision--which would put the whole group at risk. I don't think it should fairly negatively affect people that honestly had nothing to do with it, and in all fairness Activision ought to have just manned up after they sacked the two guys, but on the other hand, what's the value of a contract when you don't follow it? Don't get me wrong, it makes me lose lots of respect for them (if there was any to lose in the first place), but on the other hand, I would defend their ability to retaliate against breaches of contract to whatever extent they are allowed by their agreements.

If it were me, I'd just sack the two guys, and then divvy up whatever amount of bonus money that would otherwise have gone to them to everyone else on the team. I just think mistakes were made by both sides.
    
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post #48 of 56
I entirely agree that those who violate their contract should suffer the consequences, that is justified. What I don't like is how it was taking out on all of them, which is as you said, dirty. I hope those who did no wrong get the rest of the money owed to them, though I won't buy any of the CoD series. I thought number 4 was the best and I still play it from time to time.
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post #49 of 56
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Originally Posted by Liranan 
.........

Hard to take you seriously with your avatar... rolleyes.gif
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post #50 of 56
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Originally Posted by icehotshot View Post

The already have a deal with EA.........at least that is where all their funding is currently coming from.
They are called Respawn Entertainment btw, unless of course you meant the people that currently work for infinity ward, which pretty much have close to ZERO people that are original because all of the original members have started Respawn Entertainment.

Hmm, didn't know that. Thanx. I learned something there. thumb.gif
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