Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Activision Sues Star Trek Over Franchise Decay

Posted by simoniker on from the sliding-inexorably-towards-upn dept.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a press release announcing that Activision is suing Viacom for breach of contract over the Star Trek game license. The article summarizes Activion's complaints: "..through its actions and inactions, Viacom has let the once proud Star Trek franchise stagnate and decay", and furthermore that "..a continuing pipeline of movie and television production, and related marketing, is absolutely crucial to the success of video games based on a property such as Star Trek." Activision has terminated the contract agreement, and looks to recover damages and advances from Viacom - according to a Dow Jones story, "..the initial license agreement included $20 million in advance royalties and warrants, with additional payments to be based on game sales."

7 of 93 comments (clear)

  1. It sounds like a legitimate gripe. by OwnerOfWhinyCat · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Viacom should just pay up, or better still promise to invest the 20 mil. in the next ST movie.

    Let's see a show of hands for everyone who thought Nemesis was the best Star Trek yet?
    [crowd remains motionless]

    The likely problem I see is that damned corporate pride. There are all kinds of fun things to do in the StarTrek universe still. The Viacom execs. must have convinced themselves that "StarTrek is dead and we have the ratings from Nemesis to prove it."

    I certainly hope someone at that company has the balls to say Nemesis sucked because we made it suck, and shop for a decent script for a new movie.

  2. Ok....? by MImeKillEr · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Viacom decided not to pursue any more ST TV shows or movies. Could this be because the latest series isn't as good? Could it be that the movies/TV programs have become less popular?

    And Activision wants Viacom to continue to invest in a less-than-profitable franchise so Activision can continue to ride their coattails & sell a few games?

    Lame.

    --
    Cruising the internet on my TI-99/4A @ a whopping 300 baud!
    1. Re:Ok....? by fm6 · · Score: 3, Insightful
      No, Activision just wants Viacom to fire that idiot Berman, and hire some decent writers!

      Viacom probably doesn't care much about the Trek franchise any more, because it's part of that big white elephant known as UPN. Paramount started UPN because it had a theory that studios should own networks. (Same theory that made Disney buy ABC and Time-Warner start The WB.) I've always suspected that they cancelled TNG, despite high ratings, just to get out of syndication contracts that prevented them from moving the show to a network.

      Now Paramount is part of Viacom, which owns CBS. They'd unload UPN if they could, and they're not going to give it much attention in the meantime. But if they could be forced to spare some attention for this tiny part of their empire known as Star Trek, they could make some changes that would bring the fans back.

  3. StarTrek died the day it turned it into SF by DrSkwid · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The original StarTrek was cowboys in space.
    It died the day they turned it into Science Fiction.

    "What must have happened is a shift in the space time continuim" yawn

    It must be a non story because there's nothing on here about it

    All a big shame because I was really looking forward to being Nelix' apprentice and learning to fry insects in the MMORPG. Maybe I can be a space gardener instead!

    --
    There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
  4. Re: Preposterous by DrWho520 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Could Starter or some other athletic wear manufacturer sue Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neil, Allan Iverson or Jason Kidd because their respective teams did not win the NBA championship? A loosing team does not sell merchandise as well as a champion...it has noting to do with whether the jacket falls apart or not.

    --
    The cancel button is your friend. Do not hesitate to use it.
  5. More proof, by DuckDuckBOOM! · · Score: 4, Insightful
    as if more were needed, that corporations now consider legal strategies at least as important as those of their product lines. Any day now, I'm expecting archaeologists to unearth documentation of a lawsuit brought by Giuliano deMidici against Leonardo DaVinci on grounds that his later works weren't quite up to Mona Lisa standards, thus depriving his patron of revenue through reduced attendance at his showings.

    Sheesh.

    --
    Life is like surrealism: if you have to have it explained to you, you can't afford it.
  6. Whaddaloadacrap! by parliboy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Part of Activision's statement in the article says that the suit is being filed because Viacom has let two series end since they signed the contract.

    In other words, they are suing because DS9 and Voyager ran for "only" seven years apiece.

    I call Shenanigans right there.

    --
    "You're never ready, just less unprepared."