Richard Garriott leaves PlayNC

[earthfell]

lol, PlayNC is like a chick who got pregnant by a crack addict, had the baby only to discover it had downs, crack daddy abandons the chick and downs baby only to return half a year later for child support, two months after downs baby died.

[Tyen]

Originally Posted by earthfell

lol, PlayNC is like a chick who got pregnant by a crack addict, had the baby only to discover it had downs, crack daddy abandons the chick and downs baby only to return half a year later for child support, two months after downs baby died.

wow

[kasey]

i am sure you could squeeze in child abuse and an aborted fetus into that analogy there buddy, try harder!

[Erumaron]

And the follow-up.

Kotaku - Why Richard Garriott Is Suing NCsoft - richard garriott

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Why Richard Garriott Is Suing NCsoft
By Mike Fahey, 9:20 AM on Wed May 6 2009, 12 views

What's the story behind gaming legend Richard Garriott's $24 million lawsuit against massively-multiplayer online game developer NCsoft? The court filing unearthed by GamePolitics reveals a sordid tale of betrayal.

According to the lawsuit filed by Garriott yesterday in the Austin, Texas, division of the U.S. District Court, the events surrounding his departure from NCsoft last year are a great deal more complicated than a simple change of interest on his part. In fact, the suit claims that the pleasant farewell letter posted on the Tabula Rasa forums in Garriott's name was in fact written by NCsoft, attempting to make Garriott's departure seem like a voluntary one.

The filing explains that the whole situation started while Garriott was in quarantine after his historic space flight, when NCsoft North American studio head called to inform him that his time at NCsoft was over.

In the face of Garriott's protest over his termination, Chung reportedly informed him that NCsoft's upper management had already considered the matter and his time with the company was at an end.

Soon after said phone call, NCsoft posted a farewell letter in Garriott's name on the Tabula Rasa website, indicating that the gaming pioneer was leaving to pursue other interests, hinting that his space flight had opened his eyes to new opportunities. Garriott didn't protest. After all, he still had stock options good until the year 2011...or did he?

Garriott's contract with NCsoft began in 2001, granting him stock options through to 2011. These stock options were to remain in place in the event of his termination by the company, but in the case of his voluntary leaving the options would expire within 90 days of his departure. Garriott alleges that NCsoft purposefully categorized his termination as voluntary, forcing him to sell off his stock options during one of the greatest financial downturns since the Great Depression.

The lawsuit indicates that Garriott made repeated attempts to assure that his departure be categorized as involuntary, only to have the executives at NCsoft refuse to make the change.

Thus has Richard Garriott filed a lawsuit against NCsoft for fraud, breach of contract, and negligent misrepresentation, seeking $24 million in damages.

You can read the full text of the lawsuit by following the link below. We've once again reached out to NCsoft for comment, and will let our readers know as soon as we have their side of the story.

Garriott's Lawsuit Against NCsoft [Official Document via GamePolitics]

[Eonan]

Ha...not even sure what to say about that.

[Presarc]

If it's true and he can prove it it'll be an easy win.

[Inconsiderable]

Sadly I like NCsoft. Scams like this make me not buy stuff from companies.

[Hachima]

It does seem like an easy win, but it seems like proving an actual amount lost will be the hard part since no one can tell the future and predict what the options will be worth in 2011. It will be easy to argue that it was a bad time to exercise those options, and and jury they pick will understand this. Shortly after Garriot was forced to exercise his options, the value of NCSoft's stock value nearly doubled on news of success of Aion in China though.

As much as I've enjoyed playing games published by NCSoft, I really hope Garriot gets what he deserves from them and I'll be more likely to avoid games published by NCSoft now.

[Jovec]

Originally Posted by Hachima

It does seem like an easy win, but it seems like proving an actual amount lost will be the hard part since no one can tell the future and predict what the options will be worth in 2011. It will be easy to argue that it was a bad time to exercise those options, and and jury they pick will understand this. Shortly after Garriot was forced to exercise his options, the value of NCSoft's stock value nearly doubled on news of success of Aion in China though.

As much as I've enjoyed playing games published by NCSoft, I really hope Garriot gets what he deserves from them and I'll be more likely to avoid games published by NCSoft now.

Not so cut and dried though in this day of executive pay backlash. If NCSoft shows that Garriot did jack shit to help the company and yet he wants another $24 million the jury might be a little vengeful, especially since he has (had) money to spare to go to space.

[Hachima]

This isn't about pay. He sold his company to NCSoft for options as part of the contract. The jury will be instructed to determine if laws were broken anyway, which it sounds like were. At minimum I would expect him to be rewarded the difference of what he exercised the options at and what he could exercise them at now.

[Tudana]

wow, that is just not right a company would/could/does post in his name like that...really brings in the persective of how much bullshit we are really fed by game companies through forum communication.

I do not doubt he will win this../toast... Heres to looking for him in a new title soon.

[Eonan]

Don't know how much of a stake he had in the company but NCSoft's value has more than doubled since November of last year.

[dechire]

Originally Posted by Eonan

Don't know how much of a stake he had in the company but NCSoft's value has more than doubled since November of last year.

one word. AION.

[jsspam]

The whole suit rests on whether or not the jury beieves he left on his own or he was forced out. I'm sure that NCSoft will present a lot of evidence defending their position he left on his own, just as I'm sure he will present a lot of evidence that he was forced out. These types of things depend on whose perspective you believe. As of right now we only have his motion to draw conclusions from. Regardless, I would bet this settles out of court and never makes it beyond the preliminary hearing stage.

[Zarcath]

He didn't object to the voluntary departure letter that was posted by NCSoft, which seems to imply, even if he didn't write it, that he agreed with what was stated. If he had objected and had the letter removed, it would have indicated he did not agree, and that it was not a voluntary departure. That the letter remained up with his knowledge does not help his case.

If it's corporate policy that the stock options are sold after 90 days, I don't see how Garriot can claim that NCSoft had knowledge of an economic downturn and used it to their advantage. To me, it's more like Garriot was fine with his stocks being sold at the time, but now that they aren't worth as much he's got a problem and wants to wait it out to the 2011 date to see if he can get more.

and seriously what the fuck? It doesn't seem like he's developed any kind of space wisdom. He's already rich what's he need with another 24 mil?