Video: Crytek sues Star Citizen for breach of contract

[Talonsbane]

I think that it is fairly safe to say, that IF CIG ends up having to pay anything damage wise, the true outcome will involve 1 or more concept sales which will far surpass the losses. Thus Cry-Tek becomes an even larger pillar of salt.

 

[DirectorGunner]

I just hate Crytek for this, if there was indeed a LEGITIMATE honest break of contract where damages were incurred... I would think CIG would have been amicable if Crytek bothered to really try to reach an agreement. Like the attorney said, it's a very brief complaint and just over a bare minimum. Which leads him to believe the plaintiffs want to just settle out of court. Aka, im my mind, a cash grab. Waiting up to 21 days after CIG is served, for a response... kind of torture.. because I REALLY want to see the response. I hope it's epic! And I hope Amazon gets involved to defend CIG.

 

[maynard]

It would have been pretty standard for Crytek and CIG's agreement to require Crytek to provide a certain level of support to CIG, which they couldn't meet due to their financial difficulties.

Remember that CIG hired a bunch of Crytek's developers directly when they couldn't make their payroll.

Which is why CIG has an office in Frankfurt.

 

[Black Sunder]

Maybe Player 3 will join the battle and decide Crytek is better off absorbed into Amazon. Bezos doesn't like bad press.

 

[HeadClot]

So I think Crytek is going to loose this if it goes to an trial with jury.

Those lawyers are not cheap... They are actually pretty good and will be pissed when and if it goes to the prep phase of the case. Because Crytek has no money. If it gets that far...They will turn on Crytek quick. Since Crytek has very little money and is running on fumes right now.

Now if it goes to an trial. Crytek will most certainly go under and be forced to liquidate their German office. Which is their last office If I recall correctly.

I would also like to point out that Crytek is doing an Initial Coin offering or ICO.

If Crytek has a successful ICO they might be OK but I am unsure if that might happen.

 

[ThunderKraken]

Can someone pick me up at Kareah station plz

 

[Setrius]

I doubt that crytech would bave filed unless they thought that they has a solid claim, and reading the complaints it seems legit. CIG moved away from Crytech and expected it to pass gently into that good night, failing to see the possible repercussions of thier decision ans underestimating the bloodthirstiness of lawyers on a sinking ship who see the chance to make some easy cash.

Best case scenario Amazon as owners of Lumberyard and to my understanding at least part of Crytech steps in and helps smooth this over to protect the enormous pile of money that the Technology that CIG is developing will eventually bring.

Worst case this is settled quietly in court, CIG never accepts blame and the blood suckers at Crytech enjoy thier new yachts at our expense and CIG will release a new Idris variant to cover the costs

 

[HeadClot]

I doubt that crytech would bave filed unless they thought that they has a solid claim, and reading the complaints it seems legit. CIG moved away from Crytech and expected it to pass gently into that good night, failing to see the possible repercussions of thier decision ans underestimating the bloodthirstiness of lawyers on a sinking ship who see the chance to make some easy cash.

Best case scenario Amazon as owners of Lumberyard and to my understanding at least part of Crytech steps in and helps smooth this over to protect the enormous pile of money that the Technology that CIG is developing will eventually bring.

Worst case this is settled quietly in court, CIG never accepts blame and the blood suckers at Crytech enjoy thier new yachts at our expense and CIG will release a new Idris variant to cover the costs

So Crytek is really hurting for cash. Some people who still "work" their still have not been paid since January possibly earlier. Crytek is desperate and hoping for a settlement. Former employees are suing them right now for wage theft.

Updated for with a PCGamer link

https://www.pcgamesn.com/crytek-wage-crisis-black-sea-studio

Yeah that is still going on. Which is sad...

 

[DirectorGunner]

"Cry Coins" you know...from all the salty tears of not adapting in time like Toys-r-us. Or actually worse because he decided to not pay his employees over downsizing or declaring bankruptcy and restructuring.

 

[Bigcracker]

I am sometimes am critical of CIG and their actions (Like 10-15% of the time), I am not worried at all here and think at most CIG will pay a little settlement at most.

 

[HeadClot]

"Cry Coins" you know...from all the salty tears of not adapting in time like Toys-r-us. Or actually worse because he decided to not pay his employees over downsizing or declaring bankruptcy and restructuring.

It might be worth it to inform the cryptocurrency community that Crytek could go under at any time. Between now and GDC 2018. I do not expect them to survive that long TBH. They have not been paying employee's at all. Even If I was a gambling man I would not put money into crytek right now.

 

[Jenno180]

the lack of ibis disturbed me

 

[HeadClot]

Posting more sources that validates the claim crytek is dying and late / delayed payments.

https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/5wzlf2/crytek_employee_here_havent_been_paid_in_2017/

https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/5wzlf2/crytek_employee_here_havent_been_paid_in_2017/degjl64/

https://www.glassdoor.ie/Reviews/Crytek-Reviews-E347451.htm?

Looks like there was one complaint on Glass Door that is dated this October.

This is from its Shanghai Studio which was closed a while back.

 

[HeadClot]

Also may want to contact that law firm and tell them that they wont get paid. I cannot Remember their name for the life of me.

 

[HeadClot]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MzzuiQVTDw


Looks like copyright attorney Leonard French made a video about this whole debacle.

 

[Sraika]

Here is a video about this from a Copyright Lawyer over on YouTube.

Crytek submitted basically a bare bones complaint @35:24

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MzzuiQVTDw&feature=youtu.be&t=35m24s

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MzzuiQVTDw


Looks like copyright attorney Leonard French made a video about this whole debacle.

Hey guys, some internet lawyer type made a video :)

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MzzuiQVTDw

Let's watch it 4 times.

 

[Doggen]

You see something different everytime!

 

[Radegast74]

I bet Derek Smart is in a fetal position with laughter. cant wait till all this backfires on crytek and Derrek crys.

Incorrect, actually Derek Smart was in a fetal position, *masturbating* and laughing hysterically.

 

[Radegast74]

Sifting through some salty websites & commentaries over the past 2 days, I found these two bits interesting:

I learned that in addition to Ortwin Freyermuth, CIG also had *another* ex-Crytek lawyer working for them, Carl Jones!
https://www.pcgamesn.com/star-citizen/star-citizen-crytek-lawsuit
It's hard to believe that CIG didn't know the ins & outs of the contract they had with Crytek...

There was also a really insightful comment on another website...it was really long, too long to post here. Ok, I'll post it below, the TL;DR is that CIG and Amazon are working in jointly/in-parallel on making Lumberyard kick ass for massive network games, and that Crytek wants that juicy code! Obviously, nobody in their right mind would sue somebody as big as Amazon, so Crytek is going after the smaller fish, CIG.

There are postings and details from CIG/RSI in 2014 noting that they purchased the branch of CryEngine they were on outright primarily because of CryTek's insolvency and concerns they would not be around. In response to that risk, they made a payout in order to ensure they would retain full writes to that version of CryEngine as well as the full source code and tools to do so. (https://forums.robertsspaceindustries.c ... nt_2895381 comment from Erin Roberts) It is also very important to note that CIG had stopped taking engine updates and patches from CryTek at this time.

In this time frame, CryTek was not paying employees and a large number of these employees ended up with CIG as well as Amazon.

Amazon actually purchased an even more expansive license from CryTek for approximately 70 million which pretty much included the full engine, tools, source code as well as full rights to distribute and develop the engine from that point as their own. Amazon saw the opportunity for Lumberyard with the ability to completely rework CryEngine to work with AWS. Coincidentally, CIG had purchased and owned rights to the same BUILD of CryEngine as Amazon did. Effectively they both branched from the same head.

It's not terribly surprising that Amazon, with a huge interest in rewriting the networking areas of CryEngine would partner with CIG (who had rewritten large portions of the graphics engine for rendering and other capabilities). CIG/RSI routinely complained about delays in responsiveness from CryTek in regards to patches, fixes and updates to the network architecture and CryTek routinely commented about their lack of interest in pushing the network architecture forward. Given that CIG now had full rights to the engine AND that Amazon was on the same baseline, it made sense to move over to lumberyard and share efforts.

This gets further complicated by CryTek having a series of games that were not well received, and have been selling off and "parting out" their studios and franchises in an effort to stay afloat. Further more, CIG has been demoing and displaying a large number of their engine updates and tech that they have created (Procedural Planets, Local Physics, Updated particle and lighting systems, object/container work, as well as the 32 to 64 bit conversion of the engine which CryTek never delivered to them). CryTek has stalled development on Gen 4 of CryEngine and would be somewhat embarassed to release Gen 4 if it didn't at the very least have parity with CIG's version or Amazon's version especially with the licensing terms available for LumberYard.

This left CryTek in an awkward position. They were likely hoping to do continual engine support for Amazon and CIG, but now CIG was actively working with Amazon for network code and Amazon was actively working with CIG for all the juicy graphics and engine upgrades they'd made...which CryTek did not have, and were currently not able to develop.

Both had taken on a substantial number of CryEngine developers and staff due to CryTek's issues (and their own faults) and now didn't really have a need for CryTek as a company...so effectively the payouts became 1 time deals and CryTek was on their own with an increasingly poor quality stable of games.

So from my perspective...CryTek is sinking and they are now throwing out whatever they can to get a lifeline and are now going after CIG which had a really successful anniversary sale and is continually bringing in money and have upcoming announcements. Based on how the complaint was written, this does not look like a complaint CryTek wants taken to trial, but instead paid out with money and all the juicy code and fixes that CIG has developed in the past 3 years.

My Opinions on Star Citizen are that yea it's super delayed...and yes they've missed a lot of what they've promised in time frames...but I have been satisfied with the demo's I've seen and the development cycle is really unlike most other games due to the crowdfunded nature of it all. I backed the game and while I wish it was out at the original scope...there's enough other games out there that I can play and if / when Star Citizen comes out... I'll play it just like any other game. The Space Combat was some of the best i've played so Arena Commander scratches my itch for now.

Last edited by PanicSwitch on Thu Dec 14, 2017 11:12 am

 

[DirectorGunner]

I hope if this case goes before a judge, that the judge dismisses the case. If CIG bought outright full rights to a branch because of Crytek's insolvency (which is not mentioned in their complaint mind you) then this whole complaint is bullshit. I really hope Crytek burns and goes completely bankrupt, you don't fuck with the company that hundreds of thousands of us backers crowdfund.