From their initial lawsuit-
"This lawsuit is solely and regrettably the result of the astonishing arrogance and unbridled greed of defendant Activision. Plaintiffs Jason West and Vince Zampella are among the most talented and successful videogame developers in the world. They created for Activision two videogame franchises, Call of Duty and Modern Warfare, that became the most successful in the company's - indeed, the industry's - history, lining Activision's pockets with billions of dollars in revenue and creating a die-hard fan base in the millions."
"Just weeks before Messrs. West and Zampella were to receive the royalties for their hard work on Modern Warfare 2, Activision fired them in the hope that by doing so, it would avoid paying them what they had rightfully earned, and to seize control of the Infinity Ward Studio, to which Activision had previously granted creative control over all Modern Warfare branded games and had, apparently, decided it no longer wanted to live with."
The document also refers to charges of insubordination as "unstated and unsubstantiated" and labels a meeting between the pair and Activision as a "sham".
West and Zampella are seeking to be "paid the compensation they have earned" and to be awarded the "contractual rights" granted to them by Activision to "control Modern Warfare branded games". Damages are sought in excess of $36 million." (Source: videogamer.com)
Activision says:
On West & Zampella's initial lawsuit-
"Activision is disappointed that Mr. Zampella and Mr. West have chosen to file a lawsuit, and believes their claims are meritless. Over eight years, Activision shareholders provided these executives with the capital they needed to start Infinity Ward, as well as the financial support, resources and creative independence that helped them flourish and achieve enormous professional success and personal wealth.
In return, Activision legitimately expected them to honor their obligations to Activision, just like any other executives who hold positions of trust in the company. While the company showed enormous patience, it firmly believes that its decision was justified based on their course of conduct and actions. Activision remains committed to the Call of Duty franchise, which it owns, and will continue to produce exciting and innovative games for its millions of fans." (Source: Kotaku)
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In their own counter lawsuit-
The suit also claims that the two prevented "Activision from awarding additional compensation to [Infinity Ward] team members as a reward for the success of [Infinity Ward]-developed games, in order to make these employees easier to poach when West and Zampella executed their plans to leave the company and set up their own company." (Source: Gamespot)
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