Activision runs police state at Infitity ward

[Serio]

It's still the developers jobs. If they leave, they might not be able to get a better position at another company. If they stay, they will, according to the article, be in a "depressing" and "pessimistic" work environment. Also known as a very, very bad work environment in some parts of the world. But for those interested, a trial date has been set for the Activision-Infinity Ward trial:

The verdict in the cases between Jason West, Vince Zampella, and the Infinity Ward Employee Group vs. Activision will have to wait until next year.

A Los Angeles county judge has set the trial date for both cases this morning. The date is May 23, 2011.

Jason West and Vince Zampella are seeking royalty payments the two were to be paid weeks before they were fired from Activision in early March.

The Infinity Ward Employee Group, which includes 38 past and present employees, filed a lawsuit in late April also seeking large sums of unpaid royalties from Activision.

Source: Activision Vs. Infinity Ward Trial Date Set - Xbox360 News at IGN

[Nittany Tiger]

Mr. Matt, I am aware of actual sweatshops, but you have to pick your fights. Unfortunately, Chinese sweatshop workers and Nazivision developers can't just quit because they have nowhere else to go. With us, it's lack of jobs in this current economic situation. In both situation, it's just making money to stay afloat (though developers make more than enough to do so).

Yes Nazivision does run what can be amounted to a dictatorship. They work people to strict deadlines for profits only enjoyed by the publisher owners. They kill off (fire) whoever no longer can make money for them via IP milking. There's talk of torturous interrogations. They use bodyguards to keep former employees out of their property. No other publisher that I know of operates like this. For all of this, they don't deserve to exist or Kotick doesn't deserve to be in charge just like an oppressive dictator. I know he doesn't have people shot and killed and chopped up or run a true sweatshop, but it's damn close enough.

Also, they aim to make more money off of you by raising product prices and even threatening subscription services where they aren't even necessary or practical, and whatever they'll successful at companies copy, which makes gaming a more expensive and corporate-controlled hobby overall for you and me.

Gaming is a hobby to me, too, but draconian DRM and greed are making that hobby less enjoyable because I now I have to watch what I buy instead of just buying what I want to try out next. It's the same for everyone now.

[Mr. Matt]

Originally Posted by Killer Kyle

Mr. Matt, I am aware of actual sweatshops, but you have to pick your fights.

Pick your fights? So there's some invisible force that's somehow stopping you from buying products from companies that operate actual sweatshops, but Activision is fair game?

Unfortunately, Chinese sweatshop workers and Nazivision developers can't just quit because they have nowhere else to go. With us, it's lack of jobs in this current economic situation. In both situation, it's just making money to stay afloat (though developers make more than enough to do so).

I was made redundant last year. I managed to find a job. It's not exactly the career choice I wanted to make at my age, but it's a job, and in the meantime I'll be able to find another while not worrying too much about income.

The economy sucks, but not to the point where you can't quit from a company that people are ridiculously comparing to a Nazi dictatorship.

Unlike third-world companies, where few labour laws exist and there truly isn't anywhere else for them to go.

Yes Nazivision does run what can be amounted to a dictatorship.

That is perhaps the most offensive and exaggerated thing I've ever heard you say.

They work people to strict deadlines for profits only enjoyed by the publisher owners.

Sounds like most companies I've worked for! What did you think companies were doing for the last couple of centuries? Charity work?

They kill off (fire) whoever no longer can make money for them via IP milking.

I'm reasonably sure that talented developers would be re-assigned, rather than fired simply because the IP they happen to be working on at the time is no longer profitable.

There's talk of torturous interrogations.

'Talk' of 'torturous' interrogations? Strapping them to stockades and whipping them, are they?

They use bodyguards to keep former employees out of their property.

The company I work for now does that. And there's good reason for it - former employees often carry grudges, and in their emotional state will seek ways to burn bridges.

I know he doesn't have people shot and killed and chopped up or run a true sweatshop, but it's damn close enough.

It's not even damned close and you know it. As I said before, they have comfy chairs, a water cooler, and they can go home at the end of the day, the length of which is mandated by government law.

Also, they aim to make more money off of you by raising product prices and even threatening subscription services where they aren't even necessary or practical, and whatever they'll successful at companies copy, which makes gaming a more expensive and corporate-controlled hobby overall for you and me.

Here's where the brilliance of competition and market forces come into play. If their games aren't worth the money they're charging, people won't buy them! If their subscription services aren't worth the month fees, people won't subscribe to them! And other companies will offer cheaper products to compete.

Gaming has been a corporate-controlled hobby for years now. Or did you really think that mass-produced video games need to remain as expensive as they currently are? Activision is just trying to see how much further they can push that. Their plans may work, and they may not.

Gaming is a hobby to me, too, but draconian DRM and greed are making that hobby less enjoyable because I now I have to watch what I buy instead of just buying what I want to try out next. It's the same for everyone now.

If I were going to boycott a company, I'd pick a target that had committed much worse crimes than what you've listed here. And there are plenty of them! How many are you boycotting at the moment?

[Authuran]

I lol'd at 'torturous' interrogations, I can't believe how many of you people fell for the exaggerated reportings from who but video game media outlets!

If there were anything wrong going on at Activision:

1. Everyone would know about it, not just whoever read that article
2. The government would have gotten involved
3. It would've been featured on The Colbert Report
3. Everyone would have quit working for Activision already

Don't say they have "nowhere to go", Infinity Ward employees have plenty of options because Infinity Ward has a very high reputation and many, many companys would be glad to take anyone who worked on Modern Warfare 2.

[Nittany Tiger]

You're right Mr. Matt. That was overblown. I just don't like this company because it's hard to see something run by the biggest asshole in history stay afloat (though they won't stay afloat for long according to industry analysts in they stay with their current business model).

I forgot that there are two sides to every story, but if you read all of the material out there, Nazivision is really looking like the bad guy right now (pertaining to this lawsuit), and Kotick has more than tarnished that company's PR relations in the past.

Originally Posted by Regarding Price Increases

Activision is just trying to see how much further they can push that. Their plans may work, and they may not.

It works and Kotick knows it because of fanboyism and overhype. It's why he can get away with being a giant asshole.

If I were going to boycott a company, I'd pick a target that had committed much worse crimes than what you've listed here. And there are plenty of them! How many are you boycotting at the moment?

The only companies I'm boycotting right now are Ubsoft (for their DRM) and Activision (for their business practices). Was on an EA boycott for a while for C&C4's Ubisoft-like DRM, but I decided to give them another shot. My PS3 doesn't run the latest firmware because of the forced OtherOS feature removal (which has them in court for consumer law violations plus they have terrible PR, so they're doing worse than Nazivision right now).

This time last year, I didn't even know what was going on in the gaming industry (or it was more peaceful), and it may have been for the better. Maybe by this time next year, most everyone will have snapped out of their moronic state, and I can buy a game w/o worrying about buying from something that is screwing over me or others (more than the avg. publisher).