WWE sues Acclaim for making shitty video games

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Not really

http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-biz-acc...claim1112.story

 

Acclaim Entertainment Inc., already pummeled by an unexpectedly large fourth-quarter loss and a drop in its stock price, took a body slam last week from World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., which filed a lawsuit charging the Glen Cove game maker with copyright infringement and breach of contract.

 

In a suit that contests "tens of millions of dollars” in sales by Acclaim, the wrestling giant said Acclaim violated terms of an agreement reached in 1999 that limited its access to key World Wrestling Federation-related trademarks. (The company changed its name in May.)

 

The suit, filed last week in U.S. District Court in Central Islip, seeks a permanent injunction blocking Acclaim's alleged unauthorized distribution of the games Attitude, Warzone, In Your House and Wrestlemania, and use of certain WWF trademarks. It also seeks unspecified damages and fees.

 

Acclaim, which said it hadn't yet been served with the suit, said it plans a vigorous defense.

 

"This lawsuit is absolutely frivolous,” said Edward Slezak, vice president and corporate counsel. "We are vehemently defending ourselves against this suit.”

 

Indeed, it's not clear from the suit upon what sales data the Stamford, Conn.- based wrestling entertainment company is basing its claims. Slezak said the only thing he could imagine is that outdated titles that Acclaim hasn't produced in years continue to show up in sales research because some retailers and distributors still have the outdated inventory.

 

Either way, he said, such sales provide no revenue to Acclaim and are in minute quantities. "We don't manufacture or sell any more of that product,” Slezak said. "However, the products are still sitting out on shelves. ... We have lived within the provisions of the contract.”

 

According to the suit, Acclaim has been selling games based on World Wrestling Entertainment trademarks for more than two years despite termination of an agreement between the two in August 1999. Since then, the suit says, "Acclaim has distributed WWE copyrighted games significantly in excess of the terms” of two limited distribution agreements. The "unlawful conduct has resulted in the sales of tens of millions of dollars of WWE-copyrighted video games, the profits of which Acclaim has unfairly and unlawfully pocketed without a penny of compensation paid to WWE,” according to the suit.

 

In defending its trademark, World Wrestling Entertainment said it "strives to make the viewer care about the character in one way or another,” and that it has "developed a reputation for creativity in developing and then promoting distinctive characters.”

 

When it first agreed to license Acclaim in 1988, the wrestling giant provided use of its World Wrestling Federation name and all related copyrights. But the agreement came to a halt when, in 1999, after an audit of Acclaim's books, WWE alleged Acclaim had violated provisions of the contract.

[Guest RenegadeX28]

They should have sued them for making such shitty games......WWF Attitude?? (Vomits...)

[Guest the pinjockey]

Oh goodie another example of Vince getting into a pissing contest to show how big a man he is after getting beaten up by pandas. It is absurd to think that Acclaim would be continuing to produce a shitty outdated game for an obsolete system. I have seen Attitude for three dollars in bins and you are going to tell me that Acclaim continues to distrubute it.

[Guest Ravenbomb]

Gee, what a coincidence, WWF is suing the people who have the rights to the ECW footage.

[Guest the pinjockey]

Gee, what a coincidence, WWF is suing the people who have the rights to the ECW footage.

I hope that Acclaim fights them tooth and nail. If Vince even proposes a deal involving the library I would countersue for harrassment just out of spite and then sell off the footage to someone else even if it requires a discount.

[The Dames 0]

Gee, what a coincidence, WWF is suing the people who have the rights to the ECW footage.

Damn, you beat me to it.

 

Basically, this is a frivolous lawsuit and WWE knows it. By doing this, this will force Acclaim to spend money on legal fees....but WWE will GLADLY drop the case if they give them the ECW footage.

 

Dames

[Guest razazteca]

Acclaim hasn't produced in years continue to show up in sales research because some retailers and distributors still have the outdated inventory.

K-Mart is probably the main retailer of these games, I have seen Sega Saturn and Dreamcast games at full prices still in the display case.......$30 for a game!

[Guest Invader3k]

Yeah, K-Mart has always been really bad at marking down old games for some reason...maybe that's part of the reason Wal-Mart and Target are kicking their asses.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

Yeah, K-Mart has always been really bad at marking down old games for some reason...maybe that's part of the reason Wal-Mart and Target are kicking their asses.

No that comes from the fact that Wal-Mart and Target buy in greater quantities than K-Mart. They do this so they can get a discount. Thus, they can sell you Item X for cheaper than K-Mart can.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

The sad thing is, Acclaim will wait all of like 3 days before coughing up the ECW tapes.

 

This puts me in a difficult position, because while Vince sucks, Acclaim deserves some kind of retribution for making the worst games possible.

[Guest AndrewTS]

Hey, Wrestlemania the Arcade Game is still awesome to this day. I still play it a lot, and have played it on every system it's come out on (stay away from the SNES one). In Your House--it's sequel, and all the rest? Bwahahaha!!

 

Midway made WMTAC, the rest were all Acclaim-made. Take a look at the WM Arcade game vs. IYH to see the comparison. Even with the same engine handed to them, they still fucked it up.

 

Acclaim games that they don't simply distribute are usually bad. Ack-Lame is one of the biggest suck-masters in the industry.

[Guest Ravenbomb]

if WWF would properly use the ECW footage, I would like for them to have it. The way they're going about it is a bit sophmoric, I'll admit, but if it means the continuation of the ECW DVD's, and, dare I say, a Best of Raven DVD, I say get the footage by any means necissary.

[Guest AndrewTS]

if WWF would properly use the ECW footage, I would like for them to have it. The way they're going about it is a bit sophmoric, I'll admit, but if it means the continuation of the ECW DVD's, and, dare I say, a Best of Raven DVD, I say get the footage by any means necissary.

Unfortunately, considering Raven's status in WWE now (main eventer...of Heat) and that of other current ECW guys in WWE (Dreamer, etc), I doubt you'll see any such DVD, except for maybe for RVD.

[Guest CED Ordonez]

ECW footage? How much WCW footage has WWE pulled out of the vault? The prosecution rests.

[Guest LatinoHeat]

stay away from the SNES one

 

what was the reason for no bam bam and yoko on the snes one? they were in the genny one.

[Guest Ravenbomb]

I'm not talking about WWF making them, I'm talking about Pioneer continuing them. They did a good job with Best of Cactus Jack in ECW. I just said I hope WWF gets it because they could use footage for other things. Let Pioneer make the videos and WWF gets a profit from it (not all of course)

[Guest AndrewTS]

stay away from the SNES one

 

what was the reason for no bam bam and yoko on the snes one? they were in the genny one.

Those are reaons. The others would be that it had horrible sound--worse music and little commentary than the Genesis--which was better in those regards), as well as HORRIBLE slow down. The only way the SNES was better than the Genesis version was that it had more color. No contest--that version was horrible.

 

I missed the music that was cut out of the PSX and Saturn versions, inexplicablely, but they still are the best versions besides the arcade one.

[Guest notJames]

In defending its trademark, World Wrestling Entertainment said it "strives to make the viewer care about the character in one way or another,? and that it has "developed a reputation for creativity in developing and then promoting distinctive characters.?

I would love to see Vinnie Mac back up that statement, especially now that the viewers who supposedly care so much about the characters are disappearing in droves.

[Guest Slapnuts00]

I don't think WWE would ever let anyone else make their videos when they have their own WWE Video which they put everything on.

That said, how has Pioneer been able to continue to release ECW DVDs, and more impotantly are there anymore on the horizon!?

[Guest Ravenbomb]

all I want is a Best of Raven and the show they did in St. Charles and I'm set.

[Guest The Tino Standard]

I'm scratching my head after reading this article and I have to know...

 

When was the last time the WWF/WWE was the PLAINTIFF in a trial instead of the defendant? I seriously can't remember.

[Guest LooseCannon]

When they sued the PTC for libel, not too long ago.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

The sad thing is, Acclaim will wait all of like 3 days before coughing up the ECW tapes.

 

This puts me in a difficult position, because while Vince sucks, Acclaim deserves some kind of retribution for making the worst games possible.

Pre-BMX XXX I would have sided with Acclaim.

 

Post-BMX XXX, I say Go get em Vince.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

I'm scratching my head after reading this article and I have to know...

 

When was the last time the WWF/WWE was the PLAINTIFF in a trial instead of the defendant? I seriously can't remember.

I think it was vs WCW for the Hall/Nash thing

[Guest the pinjockey]

Pre-BMX XXX I would have sided with Acclaim.

 

Post-BMX XXX, I say Go get em Vince.

so BMX XXX < the Katie Vick saga

 

Having not played the game I can't be certain but I will say I seriously doubt that.

[Guest AndrewTS]

The sad thing is, Acclaim will wait all of like 3 days before coughing up the ECW tapes.

 

This puts me in a difficult position, because while Vince sucks, Acclaim deserves some kind of retribution for making the worst games possible.

Pre-BMX XXX I would have sided with Acclaim.

 

Post-BMX XXX, I say Go get em Vince.

BMX XXX: Yet more proof the guys in charge at Acclaim fell out of the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down.

[Guest LooseCannon]

I'm scratching my head after reading this article and I have to know...

 

When was the last time the WWF/WWE was the PLAINTIFF in a trial instead of the defendant?  I seriously can't remember.

I think it was vs WCW for the Hall/Nash thing

ARGGH! It was when they sued Brent Bozell and the PTC, like I just said, which was settled about a month ago.