Scratch: The Ultimate DJ developer sues Activision
In a David and Goliath story for the ages, Scratch: The Ultimate DJ LLC (a partnership between Genius Products and Numark formed to develop and publish the game of the same name) have revealed a mountain of details regarding a lawsuit against mega-publisher Activision. The lawsuit alleges Activision and 7 Studios -- contract developer for Genius Products -- have intentionally "conspired to withhold the current version of Scratch in an effort to delay the development and release" of the game. Scratch: The Ultimate DJ LLC is seeking the immediate return of its game as well as "other injunctive relief."
Trevor Drinkwater, president of Genius Products, is quoted as saying, "We believe that Activision and 7 Studios have improperly used confidential information obtained from Genius and 7 Studios to interfere with our efforts to complete the game. In short, we believe that Activision is attempting to sabotage the release of our much anticipated game and prevent it from getting to market prior to the release of DJ Hero." Fighting words indeed!
Interestingly, the details revealed this evening also outline Activision's attempt to "acquire" Scratch: The Ultimate DJ from Genius Products, who apparently rebuffed the attempt. Allegedly, Activision then proceeded to purchase 7 Studios and "conspired to prevent Scratch from getting to market on a timely basis" through a variety of means, including withholding "work product, code, and the proprietary game controller." We've still heard nothing from Activision regarding this lawsuit and due to the late arrival of this information, likely won't hear a response from the publisher until tomorrow at the earliest. We can, however, assure you this won't be the last time we hear about this.
