Obsidian got fucked by Bethesda

[Forest Dweller]

Ah, the catharsis of winning an internet argument.

Lol, gloating much? I bet you feel so awesome.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Thanks, Roguey. You win.

 

[Pegultagol]

Publishers are evil, yes, I agree to a degree, but in a perfect world, while they would not rely solely on marketing on game design decisions and spend most of their waking hours to screw with consumers with mother of all StarForces, they would definitely try to hold the purse strings with restraint as they try to serve the developer work as a fully operational business. They will not use whips to drive the process forward, but only to use it Indiana Jones like to corral them back if things gets out of hand. Remember when some developers fancied themselves as rockstars, got together to realize a grandiose dream of making a perfect development environment and had the name Ion Storm; on top of some Dallas skyscraper where booze freely flowed and John Romero's hair stayed silky smooth...

 

[Azalin]

Thanks, Roguey. You win.

First Thursday is finally here and now this?The world is trully going to end in 2012

 

[Roguey]

Lol, gloating much? I bet you feel so awesome.

Self-deprecating gloating since I'm making a reference to the ancient image macro that compares it to winning the special olympics.

 

[.Pixote.]

When you sleep in the same bed with the Devil you have to expect a red hot poker up your arse, Obsidian knew this...Zenimax's corporates probably blew the bonuses on coke and hookers, as one does. Did anyone realise Robert Altman (CEO of Zenimax) is married to Wonder Woman.

 

[Country_Gravy]

When you sleep in the same bed with the Devil you have to expect a red hot poker up your arse, Obsidian knew this...Zenimax's corporates probably blew the bonuses on coke and hookers, as one does. Did anyone realise Robert Altman (CEO of Zenimax) is married to Wonder Woman.

He sounds like a good guy from his Wikipedia page:

Altman is a lawyer. He became part of the company BCCI. During his time there he was accused of helping the business buy an American bank and lying to US regulators about it. In 1992, he was indicted for eight felony charges in New York. Altman maintained that he himself was duped by the bank. He was acquitted of all charges, although he did agree to be banned from banking to settle a civil suit by the Federal Reserve.
After leaving the practice of law, Altman became chairman and CEO of ZeniMax Media.

Nothing says "I'm innocent" like agreeing to be banned from an entire industry.

 

[SCO]

Maybe we could do a sticky with the past felonies of all gaming CEOs

 

[DragoFireheart]

Maybe we could do a sticky with the past felonies of all gaming CEOs

I would support this 100%

RPG Codex: For all your tranny, cRPG, and dirt on CEO needs.

 

[Renegen]

Maybe in a perfect world we wouldn't have asshole publishers and ex-cons running them.

 

[Infinitron]

I think it's kind of good that Altman is a conman and a playboy. It means he's more interested in counting his money and living the good life than he is in fucking up games.

Of course, Bethesda's management is plenty good enough at that on their own.

 

[Menckenstein]

"Did you see any felonies? I didn't see any felonies!"
"Nope, didn't see any felonies! Good luck with your MAJESTIC investigation."

 

[Duckard]

I think it's kind of good that Altman is a conman and a playboy. It means he's more interested in counting his money and living the good life than he is in fucking up games.

Of course, Bethesda's management is plenty good enough at that on their own.

Management? Don't you mean project director?

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Given that a lot of review sites do the 5 star system, I'm kind of surprised Obsidian agreed to this. Of course Fallout 3 would get a better score. It was Fallout 3 whereas Fallout: New Vegas was kind of seen as a large, stand alone expansion. New Vegas was bound to miss out on the scores Fallout 3 had and given the 5 star system, it's kind of a fool's gambit.

Yes, New Vegas was better than Fallout 3, but it was also going to be scored harder.

That said, what a lame contract!

 

[Average Manatee]

Maybe we could do a sticky with the past felonies of all gaming CEOs

1 week later the codex is simultaneously sued by a dozen companies a dozen times each.

 

[.Pixote.]

1 week later the codex is simultaneously sued by a dozen companies a dozen times each.

Not if you're stating the facts, the court records are probably floating around the net somewhere. They are open to public scrutiny. I'm more impressed that Robert Altman could bang Wonder Woman each night, lucky bastard.

 

[Average Manatee]

1 week later the codex is simultaneously sued by a dozen companies a dozen times each.

Not if you're stating the facts, the court records are probably floating around the net somewhere. They are open to public scrutiny. I'm more impressed that Robert Altman could bang Wonder Woman each night, lucky bastard.

Stating the facts only means that after spending $1 million on lawyers to defend yourself you won't go to jail. You can still get sued.

 

[RK47]

With the current treatment of the Star Wars franchise (dancing kinect game?) I'm still confused why Lucas is still wary of MCA's work not adhering to his universe. For the first time Star Wars is being treated with a serious writing that is very dark in nature. Not the kind that has meaningless deaths, or hundreds of Jedis vs Sith battles. Maybe GL is just scared MCA might make him look shallow in comparison.

Also, story consultant, eh? I wish we could query MCA on what's his take on Dragon Age or Mass Effect universe if he's given a chance to write a stand-alone adventure based on those universes. Man's got talent, but South Park isn't going to work his writing skills.

 

[.Pixote.]

I didn't see him or his associates suing The New York Times.

Clifford and Altman Settle With Fed Over B.C.C.I.​

By PETER TRUELL​

Published: February 04, 1998​

Resolving one of the last actions against them stemming from the 1991 collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, Clark M. Clifford, a former Presidential adviser, and his law partner, Robert A. Altman, have reached a $5 million settlement with the Federal Reserve.​

Mr. Clifford -- who advised Democratic Presidents from Harry S. Truman to Jimmy Carter -- and Mr. Altman did not admit to any of the Federal Reserve's allegations. The Fed cut back its charges against the two lawyers in 1996.​

As part of the settlement announced yesterday, Mr. Altman agreed not to participate in the banking industry without approval from the Federal Reserve. The Fed dismissed a similar prohibition action against Mr. Clifford, who is elderly and in poor health.​

With the Fed settlement, the two men face only legal action from the liquidators of B.C.C.I and the holding company of First American Bankshares Inc., a banking group based in Washington that was secretly owned by B.C.C.I.​

Mr. Altman was acquitted in 1993 in New York State court of charges that he had conspired to mislead regulators and that he had illegally assisted B.C.C.I. in its quest to acquire First American and other American financial institutions.​

The Federal Reserve had pursued Mr. Clifford and Mr. Altman, 50, in the scandal surrounding B.C.C.I., which was closed by regulators around the world in the summer of 1991 after it became apparent that the bank had falsified its accounts for years, defrauded depositors of billions of dollars and been involved in money-laundering and other illegal activity.​

Mr. Clifford and Mr. Altman acted as counsel to B.C.C.I. and also served as chairman and president of First American Bankshares. Both men have repeatedly denied that they knew of, or were involved in arranging, B.C.C.I.'s secret ownership of First American.​

In recent years, the Fed had whittled down its case, dropping its argument that Mr. Clifford and Mr. Altman had violated banking laws by permitting B.C.C.I. to exercise influence over the management and operations of its subsidiaries, including First American. In a March 1996 motion to modify its case, the Fed also said that it was not charging Mr. Clifford or Mr. Altman with involvement in the sham loans and nominee agreements with which B.C.C.I. secretly acquired First American.​

Both Mr. Clifford and Mr. Altman owned and profited from stock that they held in Credit and Commerce American Holdings, or C.C.A.H., the holding company for First American. To reach their settlement with the Fed, the two lawyers are giving up about $5 million of that stock, more than half their residual portion of their shares in C.C.A.H. The money will help compensate depositors. In 1993, the First Union Corporation acquired most of the businesses of First American.

''When this case arose seven years ago, we publicly denounced the sensational charges against us as wholly untrue,'' Mr. Clifford and Mr. Altman said in a statement yesterday. ''In the course of these administrative proceedings, the Federal Reserve dropped the central allegations against us. We are confident that the remaining issues would also have been resolved in our favor. However, Mr. Clifford is now 91 years old and in poor health. Under the circumstances, to continue for years and at great expense to litigate historical events of little current relevance made no sense.​

''The Federal Reserve was willing to drop all its demands for fines and civil money penalties, and not to make claims against a portion of our stock and the other securities we continue to own.''

Mr. Altman said he would not elaborate on the statement. But others said the settlement was quite favorable despite the price tag.

''Five million dollars is a significant amount of money, but it needs to be put in some sort of context,'' said David McKean, a biographer of Mr. Clifford who now works as staff director at the Senate's permanent subcommittee on investigations. ''Clifford and Altman pocketed nearly $10 million in a highly unusual stock deal involving First American and B.C.C.I. in the late 1980's. They are essentially forfeiting only half of their profits.'' But, he added, ''I am sure Clifford is delighted to put this sad chapter in his life behind him.''

A lawyer for Mr. Clifford and Mr. Altman also argued that the Fed had already gutted its own case before this settlement. ''The principal charges that the Fed brought in 1992, that Clifford and Altman assisted B.C.C.I. in acquiring control of First American, were abandoned by the Fed in 1996,'' said Mitchell Ettinger, a partner at the law firm of Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom who has represented Mr. Clifford and Mr. Altman in several Federal and state matters. ''The case that settled today really involved allegations of technical banking violations.''​

 

[waywardOne]

I think it's kind of good that Altman is a conman and a playboy. It means he's more interested in counting his money and living the good life than he is in fucking up games.

All that means is he'd be more focused on marketing than quality. There's no connection between greed and talent.

 

[laclongquan]

And now we derailed into dissing a lawyer?

 

[skuphundaku]

1 week later the codex is simultaneously sued by a dozen companies a dozen times each.

Not if you're stating the facts, the court records are probably floating around the net somewhere. They are open to public scrutiny. I'm more impressed that Robert Altman could bang Wonder Woman each night, lucky bastard.

Stating the facts only means that after spending $1 million on lawyers to defend yourself you won't go to jail. You can still get sued.

No, after getting sued and winning you can not be sued again for the same thing (at least in civilized countries). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_jeopardy

 

[Shannow]

1 week later the codex is simultaneously sued by a dozen companies a dozen times each.

Not if you're stating the facts, the court records are probably floating around the net somewhere. They are open to public scrutiny. I'm more impressed that Robert Altman could bang Wonder Woman each night, lucky bastard.

Stating the facts only means that after spending $1 million on lawyers to defend yourself you won't go to jail. You can still get sued.

No, after getting sued and winning you can not be sued again for the same thing (at least in uncivilized countries). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_jeopardy

Fixed. /O.J.

 

[skuphundaku]

1 week later the codex is simultaneously sued by a dozen companies a dozen times each.

Not if you're stating the facts, the court records are probably floating around the net somewhere. They are open to public scrutiny. I'm more impressed that Robert Altman could bang Wonder Woman each night, lucky bastard.

Stating the facts only means that after spending $1 million on lawyers to defend yourself you won't go to jail. You can still get sued.

No, after getting sued and winning you can not be sued again for the same thing (at least in uncivilized countries). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_jeopardy

Fixed. /O.J.

Yeah, because a country which allows double jeopardy is sooo civilized.

 

[SCO]

Classic trolling - transparent and announced, and yet, still attracts rebuttals.