According to a report by the Washington Post, Brütal Legend’s developer Double Fine has filed a countersuit to Activision’s legal attempts to prevent the game’s Roktober release.
The countersuit contends that Activision filed the suit in an effort to not only hurt the company and the game, but in an effort to protect the sales of Guitar Hero. Activision’s intent, the countersuit claims, “is not only to cancel Brütal Legend, but to kill it completely so that Guitar Hero would not have to face the competition.”
It was widely reported and believed that Activision had passed on Brütal Legend when it acquired Sierra in 2008. Later, Electronic Arts swooped in to pick the title up, promoting it heavily for this year’s release.
“Now that we’ve found a publisher and the game is getting sensational coverage, they want to stop its release,” said Double Fine CEO Caroline Esmurdoc.
As gamers, we find these legal squabbles completely obnoxious -- we want Brütal Legend and we want it now. Anything that delays its release will infuriate us, and we can’t be held responsible for what we’ll do We’re pretty sure it involves a costume that looks like Iron Maiden’s mascot Eddie, and barging into Activision CEO and President Bobby Kotick’s office, shouting obscenities.
But we’re not quite sure what Guitar Hero has to do with Brütal Legend, seeing as how one is a peripheral-based music game and the other is… well… not at all a peripheral-based music game. Can’t we all just get along?
Contest:
1:45 PM on 07.22.2009
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A lot of games are being released around relatively the same time; the argument makes little sense.
If I was only going to buy one Rock-centric game this year, it would be Brutal Legend. Thus, competition.
Don't you mean EVERY game is coming out within 2 months of one another? I mean seriously... why can't we get something other than XBLA games during the summer?
Sadly all those crying 'boycott!' won't do it, they'd just forget about Brutal Legend and then go buy MW2, Starcraft II, Diablo 3, keep playing World of Warcraft, buy Prototype, Wolfenstien, and your Guitar Hero games and don't even act like you won't.
I think you meant to reply to me. I believe that Video Cognito shares your opinion. I don't disagree with what you're saying, but I believe that "competition" is a bit of a stretch in this case. If it's an argument that wins Double Fine's case, and allows for the smooth release of Brutal Legend, I don't much care, though.
All in all its Actisions own fault for letting Double fine go along with the copyrights to the music. They didn't know what they had until it was gone. Now they must pay the price.
All this fighting over IP and copyright law is seriously beginning to irritate me.
Noone can destroy the metal. The metal will strike you down with a vicious blow.
I still find it interesting they call it "Rocktober" when this is a game about HEAVY METAL. While somewhat similar, they are still very two distinct and different music types. Maybe they should have called it Shredtober.
Either way, I hope it is released. I am way too excited for it.
Also, whatever possible fine activision might pay should naturally be doubled. you know... because double fi... ah, forget it.
Brutal Legend is competition with Guitar Hero as much Super Mario World was competition with Killer Instict.
SUCK MY DICK ACTIVISION
Hahahahaha, you should totally mail that to them, they love 2HB silliness.
Guitar Hero = Guitars
Brutal Legend also = Guitars
Add to this the proximity of release dates
Therefore Brutal Legend = Competition for Guitar Hero.
Its usually the simplest answer. Whether or that answer makes sense or is intelligent is a completely different thing...
I agree with CloneTrooper. You don't want to know how many kids come into my store, look at the Brutal Legend box (proudly displayed right up front, natch) and ask if they play with the guitar controller.
But really how else can you explain the Acticunt's actions?
EA is just buying time till the game is released so the lawsuit can be ultimately dismissed