Submitted 5 hours ago by TemplaerDude@sh.itjust.works to games@lemmy.world
Pretty wild!
It’s not yet been decided what monetary damages, if any, will result from the ruling, nor is it clear if Subnautica 2’s release will be affected.
Sounds to me like fair damages would start with removing Unknown Worlds from Krafton’s ownership.
Zero chance this end well. Once you overstay your welcome you leave or you take down the product in large orgs. Too much opportunity for fuckery at that level.
What would help is everyone involved with that decision got the fucking boot, got fined and/or jail time, but as usual the ramifications of these things don’t have any real punishment for the people who broke the law.
Rampant, sociopathic, infinite growth corporate leadership is one thing, but I always assumed someone was being served by these CEOs. What this brief says about Kim is incredible, and that he didn’t settle this case is just icing on the cake of incompetence here.
I’m old enough to remember when CEOs got held to account for this sort of thing, but I guess the big boys are all kings of their castles now. I’d be pissed if I was a Krafton shareholder.
They were the shareholders weren’t they? The IP literally belongs to them. At this stage the community can write it off. I agree with you that there should be some form of deterrent so that others companies are not pulling the same crap.
I think they can come in, release a decent game and maybe make their bonus. Then everyone leaves and makes a new company and it’s poisoned by investors.
I’m not familiar enough with the gaming industry but ego is a bitch at c-level pretty much everywhere. To what extent will EVERYONE with enough influence want their bonus ? Or will they chose fuckery…
I don’t care what they do … I just really hope that a decent Subnautica sequel comes out of it.
Yeah me too. With all this creative tomfoolery though I can’t imagine it’s helpful to to guys in the trenches coding the thing.
I’m definitively hoping with you. But this ain’t a good news :-/
WagnasT@piefed.world 3 hours ago
Wow so allegedly Krafton wanted to avoid paying a $250 million bonus by firing the CEOs and delaying the release. Quite scummy.
captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 2 hours ago
As much as I like Subnautica, I’m not buying Subnautica 2 if Krafton stands a chance at seeing any of the revenue. I might be the only human capable of voting with my wallet, and I’m going to use this power.
I’m American, I strongly believe in collateral damage, I will willingly make the children of the Unknown Worlds Entertainment staff go hungry. That’s the choice Unknown Worlds’ higher-ups made going into business with shifty Asian shit-for-fucks promising executive bonuses bigger than the gross revenue of anything their studio has made.
Subnautica was Unknown Worlds Entertainment’s biggest seller. I don’t have exact sales figures but Wikipedia says “over 5 million copies.” Assuming every copy sold at the full retail price of $30, that’s a gross revenue of $150 million. Below Zero sold for the same price and probably fewer copies, so the entire Subnautica franchise has grossed an estimated $300 million total. They have other games which are small potatoes compared to Subnautica. So, you’re the CEO of Unknown Worlds, you know your games pull about $150 million gross each. What kind of smoke do the Koreans blow up your ass to convince you your next game is going to do so well they’ll be able to cover $250 million in bonuses while still covering rent, bills and normal wages?
Bane_Killgrind@lemmy.dbzer0.com 48 minutes ago
It’s a sales bonus, so the 250m is probably a cap not the floor, or a projected amount based on prior sales. I never read anywhere that it was literally a flat value owed based only on release date, but if somebody has some more specific reference to that I’d like to read.
thermal_shock@lemmy.world 1 hour ago
My son and I are on board, that’s 2 more licenses/fans lost.
Doc_Crankenstein@slrpnk.net 53 minutes ago
I have already decided I am pirating it. Not a chance in hell Krafton is getting a single cent from me.
Zedd_Prophecy@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
Amen brother. I’m not buying it either if that’s the case. Didn’t say I wouldn’t play it.