GAMES

GDC 2010: Akira Yamaoka of Grasshopper Manufacture discusses how the human brain works and what techniques are effective when creating a memorable audio experience.

Who Was There: Akira Yamaoka, who is best known for his music in the Silent Hill series, leveraged his 20 years of experience in video game production to discuss audio design in games from a producer’s perspective. He has worked not only as a composer, but also as a sound designer, sound director, and producer. Having recently left longtime employer Konami, Yamaoka is currently working with Suda51 on a new game at Grasshopper Manufacture that will be published by EA Partners.

What They Talked About: Yamaoka’s 2010 Game Developers Conference session began with a few slides that highlighted some facts of Japan, including the number of islands (6,852) and coastal line (comparable to that of Australia). Yamaoka wanted go over his background and heritage because the kind of attention to detail that is part of the Japanese culture ties in closely to what he ultimately strives for: perfection.

“We care about details. That’s the culture,” he said through a translator. “We are married to perfection, to details. I hope that links with the world of games.”

Yamaoka wanted to be a designer after entering the world of computer games. Computer graphics were still considered new at the time, and his original goal was to focus on graphics but then switched after he bought a PC.

“I wasn’t very serious and was having fun,” he explained. “I discovered that with a computer, you can compose music, so I switched to [make] computer music instead of computer graphics.”

Currently, Yamaoka uses MAX/MSP to compose, but the interface wasn’t as accessible 20 years ago. He says that nowadays, anyone can create music, but for him it’s a matter of going beyond that. Comparisons were made to film, but he stated that drama films don’t have the same interactive communication that video games do.

The composer went on to discuss how humans rely on visuals for stimulation but what he wanted to do was find a way to stimulate or “tickle” a player’s emotion with sound. Because humans have other senses as well, he hoped that later down the road, gamers can be “tickled” by taste and scents as well.

Yamaoka’s theory for controlling a person’s emotions is based around psychology. He explained how humans feel unstable when they turn clockwise and that there’s a psychological uncertainty there. Understanding what humans naturally fear is something that is used in games to create anxiety.

Having worked on the Silent Hill series since its inception, Yamaoka talked about how he would bring in sound three frames ahead to induce intensity or anxiety. The opposite would result when audio comes after the visual cues, which instead provide security and comfort.

Contrasting sounds also leave a lasting impression on a listener. An example that he used was to introduce a beautiful piano melody, followed by a frightening sound. Each sound becomes more vivid and the same trick is used in visuals as well.

Based on Yamaoka’s audio research, he explained that when the brain hears a sound that is followed by silence, the sound remains even after it has been cut off, which leaves a powerful impact on the listener.

“It’s the lack of sound that impresses humans more than the beautiful music,” he said.

The final part of Yamaoka’s talk was focused on the MAX audio software and how simple it was for him to use when composing and creating sounds. To demonstrate, he brought out his electric guitar and played for several minutes.

At the end of the presentation, he left the audience with a quote from his favorite architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who said, “God is in the detail of the arts.” He feels that to achieve what he wants, it’s in the details and through that, originality and uniqueness can be delivered.

Quote: “God is in the detail of the arts.”–Akira Yamaoka, quote originally by famous architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Takeaway: Silence can often be more effective than noise, depending on how it is used. Understanding how humans digest and process sound can help audio designers create something that is more powerful and memorable.

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SyFy teams with Bigpoint to deliver Web browser-based online game based on Emmy Award-winning TV series.

In 2007, NBC Universal and its now-defunct corporate sibling Vivendi Games teamed up to bring the Sci-Fi Channel’s popular space opera Battlestar Galactica to downloadable platforms as a multiplayer-focused shooter.The two are giving it another go, as the rebranded science fiction network SyFy and NBC Universal are bringing Battlestar Galactica back to the online space, but this time in a more massively multiplayer form.

This week, the media company announced that it had teamed with Bigpoint on a Web browser-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the Battlestar Galactica series. Titled Battlestar Galactica Online, the game will be available through Syfy.com beginning this fall.

Battlestar Galactica Online is being co-developed by Norwegian studio Artplant and browser-based gaming engine maker Unity. Though situated in a cross-platform Web browser, the game features full 3D graphics and sees players assuming the role of either humanity’s remnants or the Cylons.

As for gameplay, Battlestar Galactica Online will include tactical space combat, exploration, and mission-based quests, which flesh out the game’s overarching storyline. The game will also feature assets taken directly from SyFy’s Emmy Award-winning TV show.

Battlestar Galactica Online is hardly SyFy’s only venture into the gaming market of late. In 2008, the television network announced a deal with Trion Worlds to develop massively multiplayer online games that integrate with its broadcasts. Last month, SyFy entered into a joint development deal with game-publishing heavyweight THQ that sees the two collaborating on adapting existing franchises and creating new properties for cross-media use.

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Thursday’s Game Developers Choice Awards ceremony and Wednesday’s suspected motion-controller unveiling top coverage of San Francisco event; write-ups of Meier, Pardo, Molyneux, Pitchford, Muzyka, Sakamoto, Yamaoka, Toriyama, and Schafer talks also on tap; full schedule inside.

SAN FRANCISCO–The 2010 Game Developers Conference began today with the Independent Games Summit kickoff, a session on “guerilla” development, and a (very) brief talk by Caleb Arseneaux from Scribblenauts developer 5TH Cell. Tomorrow morning, the main conference will start with a series of presentations, including talks by BioWare co-founder and CEO Dr. Ray Muzyka, Bungie creative director Joseph Staten, and Electronic Arts COO John Schappert.

The event will shift into high gear at 4 p.m. PST Wednesday, when Sony Computer Entertainment will hold a press conference. Though no details are yet public, the company is expected to use the event to show off the PlayStation 3’s motion-control system, widely believed to be called the “PlayStation Arc.” GameSpot will be on hand with both live video streaming and liveblog coverage, accessible from the main GameSpot GDC page.

Thursday will see full coverage of presentations by Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka, Metroid co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto, Naughty Dog’s Richard Lemarchand, Lionhead’s Peter Molyneux, and Blizzard Entertainment’s Rob Pardo. Besides the arrival of the latest NPD report, there will also be a special live GDC edition of Today on the Spot, broadcast from the nearby GameSpot Studios at 4 p.m. PST.

That evening, GameSpot will exclusively stream the Game Developers Choice Awards, hosted by Deus Ex and Thief creator Warren Spector, who is currently at work on Epic Mickey at Disney Interactive Studios. Uncharted 2 will be the most-nominated game at the ceremony, which will also see id Software’s John Carmack take home the Lifetime Achievement Award for over 20 years of work on the Doom and Quake series.

Valve Software’s Gabe Newell will receive the 2010 Pioneer Award for his work on the Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Team Fortress, Portal, and Left 4 Dead series. The ceremony begins at 6:30 p.m. with the Independent Game Festival winners, followed by the main awards show approximately a half-hour later.

Friday morning coverage begins at 10:30 a.m. PST, with GameSpot’s liveblog of GDC keynote speaker Sid Meier, founder of Firaxis games and creator of the iconic Civilization strategy series. Also scheduled are write-ups of presentations by Gearbox Software’s Randy Pitchford and Final Fantasy XIII writer Motomu Toriyama, as well as sessions covering Batman: Arkham Asylum, disabled gaming, and Xbox Live achievement data.

GameSpot will also be covering a panel which will see Pardo, Muzyka, and other industry heavyweights discuss how online connectivity will become more central to games in the future. That afternoon will also see another live edition of TOTS at 4 p.m.

GDC 2010 wraps up on Saturday with sessions focusing on Mass Effect 2, Shadow Complex, and Assassin’s Creed II. Ubisoft Montreal’s narrative director Richard Rouse will give a talk on evoking serious emotions, while Double Fine CEO Tim Schafer will host a panel discussing (what else?) comedy.

For more on these events and all the latest screenshots, videos, previews, interviews, and breaking news, keep your browser set to GameSpot’s ongoing 2010 Game Developers Conference coverage.

GAMESPOT’S GDC 2010 COVERAGE – SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

TUESDAY, MARCH 9

Scheduled Sessions:

–”From Big Studio to Small Indie: Guerrilla Tactics from Hello Games ” – Sean Murray (managing director, Hello Games)

–”Indies and Publishers: Fixing a System That Never Worked” – Ron Carmel (Co-founder, 2D Boy)

–”5TH Cell: From Mobile to Handheld & Beyond” – Caleb Arseneaux (Producer, 5th Cell)

–IGF KEYNOTE: “Increasing Our Reach: Designing To Grab and Retain Players” – Randy Smith (owner and game designer, Tiger Style)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10

4 p.m. PST: SONY GDC 2010 PRESS CONFERENCE, speakers and subject TBA. – Streaming LIVE w/ text liveblog accompaniment.

Scheduled Sessions:

–”Building a Blockbuster Franchise” — Joseph Staten (Creative Director, Bungie), Ray Muzyka (CEO and General Manager, BioWare Corp.)

–Indie Gamemaker Rant! – Various speakers

–Mythbusting Fireside Chat – John Schappert (Chief operating officer, Electronic Arts)

–”The Relentless March Towards Free…and What it Means to the Games Industry” – Kristian Segerstrale (vice president and general manager, Playfish)

THURSDAY, MARCH 10

4 p.m. PST: Today on the Spot LIVE: Special GDC Edition

6:30 p.m. PST: Independent Game Festival Awards – Streaming LIVE!

~7 p.m. PST: Game Developers Choice Awards, hosted by Warren Spector – Streaming LIVE!

Scheduled Sessions:
–”Achievements Considered Harmful?” – Chris Hecker (definition six, inc.)

–”Among Friends – An Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Post-Mortem” – Richard Lemarchand (game designer, Naughty Dog)

–”As Long as the Audio is Fun, the Game Will Be Too” – Akira Yamaoka (Grasshopper Manufacture Studio)

–”Building an Open-World Game Without Hiring an Army” – Nate Fox (game director, Sucker Punch Productions {Infamous})

–”Creating a Unique Visual Direction: The Successes and Failures of Creating a Near-Future Cyberpunk Setting with a Renaissance Twist in Deus Ex 3 ” – Jonathan Jacques-Belletete (Art director, Eidos Montreal)

–”Epic Games/Unreal Engine 3 Media Briefing” – Speaker TBA

–”From Metroid to Tomodachi Collection to WarioWare: Different Approaches for Different Audiences” – Yoshio Sakamoto (Group manager/software planning and development department, Nintendo)

–”Making a Standard (and Trying to Stick to it!): Blizzard Design Philosophies” – Rob Pardo (VP, game design, Blizzard Entertainment)

–”Peering into the Black Box of Player Behavior: The Player Experience Panel at Microsoft Game Studios” – Bruce Phillips (User researcher, Microsoft)

–”The Complex Challenges of Intuitive Design” – Peter Molyneux (Head of studio, Lionhead Studios), Josh Atkins (studio design director, Microsoft Games Studio)

–”What Happened Here? Environmental Storytelling”- Harvey Smith (Game director, Arkane Studios), Matthias Worch (Senior level designer, Visceral Games)

FRIDAY, MARCH 12

10:10 a.m. PST: GDC KEYNOTE: “The Psychology of Game Design (Everything You Know Is Wrong)” Sid Meier (Director of creative development, Firaxis Games)

4 p.m. PST: Today on the Spot LIVE: Special GDC Edition

Scheduled Sessions:
–”Accessibility Arcade: Bringing AAA Game Titles to the Disabled Through Controller Hacks” – Michelle Hinn (Chairperson, IGDA Game Accessibility Special Interest Group), Tara Tefertiller (VP game industry relations, Right to Fun Foundation)

–”Borderlands and the 11th Hour Art Style Change. Or: Kids, Don’t Try this at Home! ” – Brian Martel (Co-Founder & chief creative officer, Gearbox Software), Randy Pitchford (President and CEO, Gearbox Software)

–”The Crystal Mythos and Final Fantasy XIII” – Motomu Toriyama (Scenario writer for Final Fantasy XIII, Square Enix)

–”The Art Direction of Batman: Arkham Asylum: Rebooting a Super Hero Video Game IP” – David Hego (Art director, Rocksteady)

–”The Connected Future of Games” – Min Kim (Vice president, Nexon America Inc.), Ray Muzyka (CEO and general manager, BioWare Corp.), Rob Pardo (VP, game design, blizzard entertainment), Brian Reynolds (Chief designer, Zynga), Jason Holtman (Director of business development, Valve)

–”Double Header Analysis: Xbox Live Achievement Data and Intellectual Property Trends in Video Games” – Geoffrey Zatkin (President & COO, Electronic Entertainment Design and Research), Jesse Divnich (Vice President of Analyst Services, EEDAR)

–”The Game Design Challenge 2010: Real-World Permadeath” – Eric Zimmerman (Independent), Heather Kelley (Founder and game designer, Kokoromi), Erin Robinson (Independent Game developer, Wadjet Eye Games), Jenova Chen (Co-founder, thatgamecompany), Kim Swift (Project lead/game designer, Airtight Games)

–”Console Wars Revisited: Are We Breaking the Mold or Reliving History?” – Don Daglow (President & CEO, Don Daglow Interactive Entertainment)

SATURDAY, MARCH 13
–”Designing Assassin’s Creed 2″ – Patrick Plourde (Lead game designer, Ubisoft)

–”Designing Shadow Complex” – Donald Mustard (Creative director, Chair Entertainment Group)

–”Five Ways a Video Game Can Make You Cry” – Richard Rouse III (Narrative director, Ubisoft Montreal)

–”Make ‘Em Laugh: Comedy in Games” – Tim Schafer (CEO, Doublefine), Rhianna Pratchett (Freelance scriptwriter and narrative designer, Independent), Sean Vanaman (Writer & designer, Telltale Games), John Teti (Games writer, The A.V. Club)

–”Rock Band Network: Postmortem” – Matthew Nordhaus (Senior producer: design, Harmonix Music Systems), Caleb Epps (Senior sound designer, Harmonix Music Systems)

–”Where Did My Inventory Go? Refining Gameplay in Mass Effect 2)” – Christina Norman (Lead gameplay designer, Bioware

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Rebellion’s action shooter picking up quartet of multiplayer maps previously released as part of Special Edition package on 360, PS3, PC for $7.

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WBIE reveals follow-up to 5TH Cell’s acclaimed DS puzzle-platformer expands with new adjective system this fall.

A critical darling ever since its 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo debut, 5TH Cell’s Scribblenauts for the DS has also proven to be a commercial success, having sold more than 1 million units since its December launch. With that kind of reception, it’s no wonder that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has commissioned 5TH Cell for a follow-up. Today, WBIE announced that a new, as-yet-untitled Scribblenauts game will arrive for the DS this fall.

Like the first installment, the next Scribblenauts game sees players solving puzzles by summoning thousands of different objects and creatures, all of which work more or less as they do in real life. The game again focuses on the pursuits of Maxwell as he attempts to acquire each level’s “starite.” According to the publisher, Scribblenauts’ follow-up will feature all-new puzzles as well as redesigned levels.

5TH Cell will be expanding its word summoning formula in the new game with the addition of an adjective system. With adjectives, players can modify the color, size, elements, and behaviors of the summoned objects. The publisher notes that changes made to creatures or objects are cumulative.

Beyond the Scribblenauts follow-up, 5TH Cell is actively engaged in working on a “pretty big” project for Xbox Live. The Bellevue, Washington-based development house had previously said that it intended to shift its development away from the DS and toward console development. Notably, 5TH Cell will be discussing just that topic on the first day of the 2010 Game Developers Conference tomorrow, and GameSpot will be on hand to cover it.

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Square Enix’s long-awaited multiplatform role-playing game arrives in stores alongside Yakuza 3, Resident Evil 5 Gold, and Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising.

March Madness doesn’t tip off for another week, but the nickname for the NCAA basketball tournament is equally appropriate to describe the month’s barrage of big game releases. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 deployed to retailers last week, and next week sees a one-two punch of God of War III and Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight.

Those release lists bookend one that is no less impressive, as this week sees the US release for Final Fantasy XIII on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. This will mark the first time a major installment in the long-running franchise will receive a multiplatform release at launch. (Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time arrived on the DS and the Wii on the same day last March.) For more on the game, check out GameSpot’s review or scroll down to watch the video review.

Another Japanese import is set to arrive Stateside this week, as Sega’s PS3-exclusive Yakuza 3 bullies its way into stores. The open-world crime drama picks back up with former gangster Kiryu Kazuma, who had abandoned Tokyo’s underground to establish an orphanage in Okinawa at the end of the last game.

For PC gamers, THQ has the first stand-alone expansion to its Warhammer 40,000 real-time strategy game Dawn of War II. As its name implies, the Chaos Rising expansion will insert Chaos Space Marines into the far-flung futuristic conflict, adding new single-player and co-op campaigns for hardened veterans. The expansion will also be available bundled with the original game in the Dawn of War II Gold Edition.

That’s not the only double-dip in the wings this week, as a number of hits are finding themselves in new release sections for the second time this week. Capcom reloads with Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition, which includes the 2009 survival horror hit and its various downloadable add-ons. The publisher will also be bringing retro revival Mega Man 10 to the PlayStation 3 as a downloadable title, a week and change after the Wii version’s debut, but still ahead of the scheduled Xbox Live Arcade launch later this month.

For further details on the week’s games, visit GameSpot’s New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and the Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later in the week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

MARCH 8, 2010
Max & the Magic Marker–WiiWare–TGC

MARCH 9, 2010
Final Fantasy XIII–360, PS3–Square Enix
Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition–360, PS3–Capcom
Yakuza 3–PS3–Sega
Foto Showdown–DSi–Konami
Racquet Sports–Wii–Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed 2–PC–Ubisoft
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger–PSP–Aksys Games
Sam and Max 2: Beyond Time and Space–Wii–Atari
Calling–Wii
The Daring Game for Girls–DS–Majesco

MARCH 10, 2010
Scrap Metal–360–Slick Entertainment

MARCH 11, 2010
Mega Man 10–PS3–Capcom
Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising–PC–THQ
Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II: Gold Edition–PC–THQ
Spectral Force Genesis–DS–Ignition

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Amazon lists Xbox 360 Elite spring 2010 hardware package with 120GB hard drive, two of last year’s biggest exclusive releases.

Gamers in the market for a new Xbox 360 system have a wealth of options on the way. Beyond the already available Xbox 360 Arcade and Xbox 360 Elite options, Microsoft has announced a pair of bundles that will see a 250GB version of the Xbox 360 Elite packed with a long-awaited game launch and two controllers. Next week, the Square Enix role-playing game Final Fantasy XIII will receive the Elite bundle treatment, while Ubisoft’s stealth action game Splinter Cell: Conviction will get its own Elite bundle in early April.

Microsoft is apparently not over its bout of bundle fever just yet, as online retailer Amazon.com is listing a new spring 2010 Xbox 360 Elite configuration that will see the system packed in with two of its biggest exclusives from last year: Halo 3: ODST and Forza Motorsport 3. Judging from packaging art, the bundle will include a 120GB hard drive and a single controller. The product page suggests the package will arrive March 9, but Amazon has not started accepting preorders for it, nor is the retailer listing a price.

A Microsoft representative did not return GameSpot’s request for confirmation and further details regarding the spring 2010 bundle. For more on the packed-in games, check out GameSpot’s reviews of Halo 3: ODST and Forza Motorsport 3.

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Spike’s PSP beat-’em-up brawls its way to top software billing, outpacing fellow debut Super Robot Wars OG: Saga Endless Frontier Exceed; PSP tops hardware, barely.

Most titles that appear atop Media Create’s weekly Japanese sales chart have at least a measure of international appeal. That’s not necessarily true for the latest chart-topper, as Spike’s beat-’em-up Kenka Bancho 4: Ichinen Sensou for the PSP debuted in the pole position on the Japanese stat-tracking firm’s roundup for the week of February 22-28, selling 71,504 units.

Fellow newcomer Super Robot Wars OG: Saga Endless Frontier Exceed for the DS, from Namco Bandai, scored a second-place finish with 64,805 units. The week’s top five was rounded out by Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition (47,815 units), New Super Mario Bros. Wii (45,369 units), and God Eater (44,717 units), which have tangled for the lead spot over the past several weeks.

The final two charting debuts landed in sixth and seventh, as Sony’s Hot Shots Tennis Portable sold 44,603 units and Spike’s Shiren the Wanderer 4: Kami no Hitomi to Akuma no Heso moved 40,703 copies. Perennial chart-toppers Tomodachi Collection, Wii Fit Plus, and Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie rounded out the week’s highest echelon.

No particular hardware device put up noteworthy figures on the week, though Sony’s PSP did finish first with 37,338 units sold. The Wii followed in a close second with 36,241 units, outpacing the PlayStation 3’s 27,763 unit tally. The DS family came next, with the three distinct systems selling a combined 45,220 units. Bringing up the rear were the Xbox 360 (2,510 units), PlayStation 2 (1,912 units), and PSP Go (1,296 units).

JAPAN GAME SALES WEEK OF FEBRUARY 22-28, 2010
Software:
Rank / Title / Publisher / Platform / Unit sales
1) Kenka Bancho 4: Ichinen Sensou / Spike / PSP / 71,504
2) Super Robot Wars OG: Saga Endless Frontier Exceed / Namco Bandai / DS / 64,805
3) Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition / Capcom / PS3 / 47,815
4) New Super Mario Bros. Wii / Nintendo / Wii / 45,369
5) God Eater / Namco Bandai / PSP / 44,717
6) Hot Shots Tennis Portable / Sony / PSP / 44,603
7) Shiren the Wanderer 4: Kami no Hitomi to Akuma no Heso / Spike / DS / 40,703
Tomodachi Collection / Nintendo / DS / 33,325
9) Wii Fit Plus / Nintendo / Wii / 29,787
10) Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie / Square Enix / DS / 26,474

Hardware:
PSP – 37,338
Wii – 36,241
PS3 – 27,763
DSi LL – 24,605
DSi – 15,586
DS Lite – 5,029
Xbox 360 – 2,510
PS2 – 1,912
PSP Go – 1,296

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Jason West and Vince Zampella alleging publisher trumped up HR charges, conducted “Orwellian” investigation in order to avoid paying royalties, giving them control over Modern Warfare franchise.

The basics of Jason West and Vince Zampella’s lawsuit against their former employer Activision were laid out in a press release from their legal representation this morning, but the announcement lacked some colorful details from the actual court filing. The developers’ attorneys have provided GameSpot with a copy of the suit, which paints a more fleshed out picture of Activision’s alleged misdeeds.

“This lawsuit is solely and regrettably the result of the astonishing arrogance and unbridled greed of defendant Activision,” the suit begins, before getting to the accusations at the heart of the dispute. The developers are accusing Activision of launching a bogus investigation into the pair’s activities specifically for the purpose of firing them and evading contractual obligations, as well as royalty payments set to begin March 31.

In detailing the investigation that led to their exit from the company, West and Zampella claim that Activision refused to tell them what they were being investigated for, “insisting instead in Orwellian fashion that West and Zampella ‘already have a clear understanding of what they have or have not done.’” The publisher’s investigators are accused of using strongarm tactics, including a six-hour “interrogation” in a windowless conference room over the President’s Day weekend.

Additionally, West and Zampella said Activision representatives interviewed other Infinity Ward employees so doggedly it drove them to tears, and then told the pair they would be guilty of insubordination–grounds for termination–if they attempted to console the employees. The suit also claims that Activision insisted that West and Zampella turn over their personal computers, cell phones, and other such devices for review. When the pair cited their right to privacy, they were told that asserting that right would be considered insubordination.

Beyond the investigation and the way it was conducted, West and Zampella are also accusing Activision of trying to back out of a 2008 agreement with the developers. Under the terms of that deal, West and Zampella would extend their contracts until October of 2011 and deliver the finished version of Modern Warfare 2 by November 15, 2009.

In return, the publisher promised to give the pair creative control over any Call of Duty game set after the Vietnam era (including near-future and far-future versions) or using the Modern Warfare brand. West and Zampella also claim the agreement gave them the right to run Infinity Ward independently of Activision (while remaining a wholly owned subsidiary of the publisher), to develop a new intellectual property after finishing Modern Warfare 2, as well as increased compensation in the form of stock options and royalties for all Call of Duty games, as well as non-Call of Duty games that are built using Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare engine.

“Activision has adopted the corporate strategy of forcing Messrs. West and Zampella to sue for their pay–in the hopes of either getting away with not having to pay them anything, or maximizing its leverage to reduce that pay,” the suit alleges. “Such actions are not surprising, given that Activision is run by a CEO who has been publicly quoted as believing the best way to run a videogame studio is to engender a culture of ’skepticism, pessimism, and fear,’ and who prefers to pay his lawyers instead of his employees.”

West and Zampella are demanding $36 million in damages (as of the date of the filing), future royalties, legal fees, and a judicial determination of their rights to creative control of the Modern Warfare brand, as well as their rights over the Call of Duty brand, as stated in the 2008 agreement.

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2K Czech’s Mafioso actioner now due during August-October; Rockstar’s open-world Western stabled until May 18.

This year began with reports of trouble at Rockstar San Diego, developer of Red Dead Redemption. Accusations of harsh conditions by a person claiming to be an overworked employee’s spouse led to further accusations that the open-world Western’s development was in trouble. Rockstar Games denied both claims, and asserted in January that Red Dead Redemption would ship on April 27 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Unfortunately, Rockstar’s claims were premature. As part of its quarterly earnings report today, Rockstar parent company Take-Two Interactive announced that Red Dead Redemption has been slightly delayed. The game will now mosey into North American stores on May 18 and on May 21 in other territories.

Speaking to analysts after the report, Take-Two Chairman Strauss Zelnick said that the delay was because May provided a better release window and would allow Take-Two more time to market the game. He also said that economic conditions “are on the upswing,” and that “coming out of an economic downturn is a good time to release a Western.”

Also pushed back is Mafia II, which had been scheduled for release sometime during the first half of the calendar year. The game is now due during Take-Two’s fourth fiscal quarter, which runs from August to October.

It will be a busy three months for the publisher, which also plans to release L.A. Noire, Max Payne 3, and Sid Meier’s Civilization V during the period. So busy, in fact, that Take-Two president and CEO Ben Feder is already laying the foundation for more delays. This afternoon, he told the company’s fiscal outlook allows for “one of those games being pushed into the next fiscal year.”

Mafia II has been in development since at least 2007 at 2K Czech (nee Illusion Softworks) in Prague for the PC, PS3, and 360. Like its predecessor, it is an open-world game set in the 1940s and 1950s in a fictional US city beset by organized crime–of which the player is (naturally) a part.

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