Activision/West-Zampella Lawsuit Has Been Resolved
After a lengthy pre-trial process that resulted in tons of emails being released to the public, it appears that the lawsuit filed by Jason Wst and Vince Zampella will not be going to court. An attorney representing West and Zampella announced that a settlement was reached between them and Activision. The terms of the settlement, however, are “strictly confidential”.
The suit was originally filed by West and Zampella after they were fired from Infinity Ward, the studio they both helped found. They claimed that Activision fired them in order to avoid paying the duo millions in bonuses due to sales of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Activision countersued, claiming that they were going to steal away talent from Infinity Ward to take them to EA.
It appears that whatever the settlement entailed, it worked out pretty favorable for West and Zampella. As the judge was wrapping up the proceedings, Jason West was smiling. And while West and his attorney made “No comment” as they were leaving the courtroom, West seemed to be happy, and even began discussing movies with his attorney while they were boarding an elevator. EA, however, did have this to say about the settlement: “Activision’s refusal to pay their talent and attempt to blame EA were absurd. This settlement is a vindication of Vince and Jason, and the right of creative artists to collect the rewards due for their hard work.” Ouch.
