Activision won’t try to mess with its former employees’ new game, says Pachter.
Though Activision’s drawn out legal slap-fight with former Infinity Ward developers, Jason West and Vince Zampella, is being drawn out like a dramatic Spanish soap opera (there was a particularly juicy episode this week), the giant publisher has managed to settle things with Electronic Arts. As a result of this legal ceasefire, Activision won’t try to block the launch of West and Zampella’s new game, which is being developed for EA by Respawn Entertainment, home of numerous former Infinity Ward employees. At least according to market analyst, Michael Pachter.
Respawn’s new game, supposedly a “sci-fi orientated shooter” designed to compete with titles like Gears of War and Halo, won’t be shown at this year’s E3, but it is expected the game will launch in 2014.
Activision was seeking nearly $400 million in damages from EA, claiming that the company attempted to poach West, Zampella and 40 other employees, causing delays and disruptions in Infinity Ward. Both companies have now walked away from the lawsuit, but Pachter thinks its unlikely that any real money exchanged claws.
“We do not believe that the undisclosed settlement amount was material to either Activision or EA, and think it is entirely possible that little or no compensation actually changed hands,” he told Gameindustry.biz.
A similar situation cropped up back in 2009, when Activision attempted to block EA from publishing Brutal Legend, claiming it had invested $15 million in the title before dropping it, and thus owned the rights. The case was settled out of court.
