The revelations just keep coming out regarding the Aliens Colonial Marines class action lawsuit. We last heard earlier in August that Sega had agreed to pay out $1.25 million over the “mis-advertisement” of 2013’s Aliens Colonial Marines game. This week, Sega has filed court documents saying that Gearbox is just to blame as they are for the marketing of the game. They indicated that they offered Gearbox to be included in the settlement if they contributed $750,000 of their own money. Instead Gearbox filed a motion to throw out the case against them altogether. Regarding the marketing, initially Sega were given “absolute discretion” but were contractually obligated to discuss all marketing activities with Gearbox.
Sega said the E3 2011 demo was created entirely by Gearbox and Gearbox told Sega that the demo was the bar the game should be held to. The documents also reveal that Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford leaked things about Aliens Colonial Marines numerous times without even talking to Sega. This quote is from an email sent by a member of Sega’s PR team:
“I spoke face to face to [Gearbox’s Steve] Gibson about their persistent panel leaking. Effectively — it’s Randy [Pitchford] doing whatever the fuck he likes. Apparently he did it twice on [Borderlands 2] also, against, against all plans and despite the fact they asked him not to. I think our best result here is that we have no more panel sessions.”
If you also remember, Gearbox stated last month that Sega never gave them any payments in relation to game sales. In response, Sega indicated that they did pay Gearbox millions of dollars in advance royalties in the form of milestone payments. Sega didn’t, however, address the claim that Gearbox “paid millions” of their own money into the game. Stay tuned for the next episode in this neverending saga, folks. The next court hearing will be held October 29th.
Thanks to Nightlord for the news.
It's no longer a class action suit and Gearbox have been dropped from it. Gamers won't be getting any refunds now.
Quoted for truth!
I suppose it'd just be nice to see a company for knowingly putting a shit product out.
I don't think the case is closed yet. It will probably be some time before everything is said and done and we get our pennies back.
Fair point. Although I wouldn't really call it an Amnesia clone, it's already been established you have weapons, craftables, other enemies, NPCs. I still have to finish that game...
I agree that Alien Isolaion could be the AAA we have been waiting for, although I do have some concerns and am trying to keep my expectations in check.
So why the f**k did it became such a shameless rip-off after all the proud and bold words from, I dunno, Gearbox rather than SEGA?
Get your act together, Randy.
You realise AvP '10 was pushed out the door premature to make up for ACM's new delay late 2009? It's called distraction. AvP '10 looked reasonable but played like a 90's shooter (and not the good way of that either).
Now, SEGA is only to blame for not keeping a short leash on both, both companies (Rebellion and Gearbox) are to blame for putting out mediocre games with all the attention gone to the obviously wrong components of the game.
But Gearbox... After all the proud words and bold statements they used the money to spark up Borderlands (another midway-overhaul BTW, ring a bell?) and let other companies fix the game for them without any central management or direction, which is something I hold them responsible for, not SEGA.
Gearbox won't see another dime from me. Rebellion close second. After AvP'99 they released another game that barely passed as tech-demo.
I love it. I hope Gearbox burns now that SEGA is trying to drag them through the mud.
but you guys are probably young enough you have no idea what getting foxed is anyhow.
Randy, is that you?
if Gearbox had been allowed to release the version they were making instead of the version SEGA had changed their minds in wanting for example "Call of Duty" with Xeno's which was clear that fans did not want another CoD game especially since they wanted something more true to what GBX was creating anyway...
it isn't the first time SEGA has done this sort of under handed bad business decision and it flipped up and slapped em in the face... AvP 2010! remember that... SEGA, they blamed Rebellion for that one too.... but no funny how those companies work great on games when SEGA dont get involved, sure they have had their own mistakes over the years but they more than make up for it...
I just hope Randy get dragged through the dirt for this, he really deserves it!
This sequel is gon b good.
*munch, munch, munch...*
http://kotaku.com/the-legal-battle-over-aliens-colonial-marines-just-got-1630197749
Has more documents.
ZINGAAAA
And how can we possibly have known and not Sega that the E3 2011 demo was mostly outsourced and produced as a cinematic experience (and NOT part of the game). Also just a side note, Matt Powers is the person from Sega who said ACM was NOT outsourced right after the game was released and rumours started to spread.
....really, this sega/gearbox relationship is like a soap-opera