Valve Sues Activision Blizzard for 2.3 Million Dollars

Void

Local Man Unable To Map, Sources Say
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Sep 14, 2008
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An ugly court action is underway and it involves a pair of video game titans.

On Tuesday Valve filed suit against Activision Blizzard in U.S. District Court in Seattle. The suit alleges that Activision refused to honor an agreement to abide by an arbitrator's April 6th award decision involving a 2002 dispute over royalties.

The arbitrator in that case awarded Valve $2,391,932, an amount that Valve says is less than it sought, but which it will accept because both parties agreed to be bound by the arbitration process.

Activision, however, challenged the award, claiming that Valve had been overpaid by $424,136 in years past. For its part Valve alleges that Activision failed to properly raise this issue before the abitrator whom, the suit claims, refused to consider it for procedural reasons.

Against that backdrop, Activision cut Valve a check last week for $1,967,796 - the amount handed down by the arbitrator less the disputed $424K. According to Valve's suit, Activision said that it wouldn't pay the rest and if Valve went to court Activision would countersue. Valve has apparently called Activision's bluff and the parties are now once again at odds.

Source

This will be... interesting.
 

Nineaxis

Quack Doctor
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May 19, 2008
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Seems like it's Activision's fault, VALVe just wants what is owed.
 

StoneFrog

L6: Sharp Member
May 28, 2008
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For a long time Activision has been, at least in my mind, only a step or two above EA. I hope Valve stomps them in court.
Same here. Atari falls somewhere in there, as well. They were cool back when they made their own games, but now as a publisher who just breaks everything, I hate them.
 

Brandished

L5: Dapper Member
Jan 19, 2008
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[O]

L3: Member
Mar 21, 2009
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I hope valve teach activision a lesson.
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
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Mar 4, 2008
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There's a lot of misconceptions here, this is really between VALVe and Sierra, which was owned by Vivendi Universal Games at the time. Vivendi Universal Games merged with Activision in 2007.

More info on the original lawsuit here:
http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/09/20/news_6107712.html

I wouldn't be surprised if the original fallout was somehow related to this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CUC_International#Accounting_scandal

This makes more sense. I bet Activision feel a little gutted right about now.
 

Mar

Banned
Feb 12, 2009
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lol, so even though Valve doesn't have time to balance TF2, they do have to time to go lawsuit hunting. Told you they only care about money and don't give a s*** about the actual game.
 

drp

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Oct 25, 2007
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lol, so even though Valve doesn't have time to balance TF2, they do have to time to go lawsuit hunting. Told you they only care about money and don't give a s*** about the actual game.
Valve is a business, not a charity. Businesses exist to make money.

Why are you surprised by this?
 

PMAvers

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 29, 2008
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lol, so even though Valve doesn't have time to balance TF2, they do have to time to go lawsuit hunting. Told you they only care about money and don't give a s*** about the actual game.

If you honestly believe this, you're a twit.

This is why most companies keep these things on retainer called "lawyers," who do all the legal heavy lifting. It's not like gaben or the programmers has to go to go all Phoenix Wright for Valve.
 

Icarus

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Sep 10, 2008
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lol, so even though Valve doesn't have time to balance TF2, they do have to time to go lawsuit hunting. Told you they only care about money and don't give a s*** about the actual game.

Wow, what the hell is wrong with you lately?
 

Mar

Banned
Feb 12, 2009
607
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I'm pissed at the hats getting updated. Not the game.

PS. When journalists were given a tour of Valves headquarters, every time they passed Gabe Newell's Office he was seen playing WoW with his guild during normal Valve work hours.

http://www.neowin.net/news/main/08/04/28/neowin-staff-visit-valve-software

It's just that's Valve is so slow in turning out anything compared to all other major game companies that really irk's me. But I think I've got my point across so I'll stop now.

EDIT: How is voicing a negative opinion about Valve Trolling?
 

Squirrelinabox

L1: Registered
Mar 27, 2009
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lol, so even though Valve doesn't have time to balance TF2, they do have to time to go lawsuit hunting. Told you they only care about money and don't give a s*** about the actual game.

I hear yah. I can't believe Valve is using their TF2 developers and designers as lawyers in this lawsuit! Most companies would grab real lawyers and use those to get some money in court, but I guess Valve figures they already have some game designers on their payroll, may as well use those right?
 

drp

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Oct 25, 2007
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I'm pissed at the hats getting updated. Not the game.

PS. When journalists were given a tour of Valves headquarters, every time they passed Gabe Newell's Office he was seen playing WoW with his guild during normal Valve work hours.

http://www.neowin.net/news/main/08/04/28/neowin-staff-visit-valve-software

It's just that's Valve is so slow in turning out anything compared to all other major game companies that really irk's me. But I think I've got my point across so I'll stop now.

EDIT: How is voicing a negative opinion about Valve Trolling?
Voicing your negative opinion on Valve is not what is being looked down upon, but in the way you're voicing it. The post you made had a 'troll-ish' tone to it and the way it was posted will lead to mindless bickering with anyone who disagrees with you.

ps. I'd imagine Gabe would enjoy a variety of games, not just those made by Valve.
 

DJive

Cake or Death?
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Dec 20, 2007
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bah thats sneezing money to Activision..

11,000,000 suscribers to WoW at $15.99 = $$175,890,000

Thats $175,890,000 in just straight subscription rates, no sales etc.

I hate blizzard, i hope valve wins
 

StoneFrog

L6: Sharp Member
May 28, 2008
395
81
There's a lot of misconceptions here, this is really between VALVe and Sierra, which was owned by Vivendi Universal Games at the time. Vivendi Universal Games merged with Activision in 2007.
History repeats itself. Didn't Valve have that big argument with Vivendi Universal Games a few years back on how they published Half-Life 2? That's why they switched over to EA as a publisher (and started selling those crappy copies of HL2 without CSS and a much uglier boxart - I know as I'm the unfortunate owner of one). :(
 

Nineaxis

Quack Doctor
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May 19, 2008
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lol, so even though Valve doesn't have time to balance TF2, they do have to time to go lawsuit hunting. Told you they only care about money and don't give a s*** about the actual game.

It's not lawsuit hunting. Companies regularly do these things called audits, where they check they have all the money they are owed. I bet you'd be pissed too if you came up a half million short. Six years after you were supposed to be paid.

Buy something from EA then complain about how they only care about money and don't give a s*** about the game. VALVe is the best.