Activision are publicly traded. They have to make a big deal out of every success and sweep every balls up under the carpet. That's just the way it works.
But yes, no need to sugar coat the truth.

I'd just like to see them knocked down to a more humble position. Although with Kotick at the helm, that's going to take rather a lot.

Lets not forget that after dropping those games they then did their best to make sure no one else would release them like Brutal Legend. That in my eyes is just being cruel and petty.

Heh yeah that's the best part of this soap opera.

lol indeed. it is like hitler vs stalin wrestling match.

I really hope Activision crashes and burns really bad.

not before they put sierra games here.

Why worry? If they crash and burn someone can pick up the rights dirt cheap!

Jeff Brown had one the best quotes about the infinity ward/activition mess:

Do you remember why that lawsuit was filed? It was about the $15 million that Activision had invested into the title that nobody was apparently going to worry about paying back.
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/04/activision-sues-double-fine-over-brutal-legend/
If I invested $150 into something (a soapbox racer, a group Halloween costume, equipment for my band, whatever) and the other folks took the project to someone else to make money with it, I would, at the very least, ask to have my stake refunded.
Now multiply that by a factor of 100,000...! Hell yes, I'm asking for my fair share before anything goes any further, even if I have to get a lawyer involved.
Perhaps you would be more generous and just give that $15 million away, in which case, I have this awesome soapbox racer, Halloween costume, and guitar amp that I'd like you to help me buy. Of course, if you refuse, that's just cruel and petty.

Vivendi invested the money in the game then the merger happened and Activision decided not to produce the game. So where does that leave Double Fine? I will tell you where it leaves them, up a creek without a paddle and probably going out of business. If they wanted their money returned they should have gone ahead and published the game, instead they cancelled it and wrote off the investment. WROTE IT OFF. They had no right to block EA publishing the title and I stand by my statement that it was pure spite from Activision.

Eh, Activision decided to cut the umbilical cord halfway through BL development, not giving a flying monkey fuck about the employees at Double Fine. So, they took their business elsewhere. When it eventually dawned on Activision that this game was probably going to be a medium success, they went in for the money back by all means possible, despite having no rights to the project any longer.
That's Activision in a nutshell.

Whoa, Dan Amrich is on the GOG forums? Sheeeit.

Fuelling the flames like that isn't a good idea unless you're in the right. When you're trying to close down a project being completed elsewhere because you already wrote it off you best just put the petrol can down.

Yep, Activision under kotick is all about focusing on the big money generating titles, and pleasing stock owners. I'm glad they lost that suit. Idiot Kotick. He should leave the gaming business and go elsewhere, since gaming is just another business to him.
BTW, i dont completely understand who owned/bought what with that big merger activision had some years ago. Anyone please explain? The way I understood it, Activision bought Vivendi/Sierra, which owned Blizzard among other devs, and renamed itself Activision Blizzard, right? Then all the Vivendi/Sierra titles became Activision titles.

Vivendi was the parent company of Sierra and Blizzard. Vivendi merged with Activision. Bobby the bollocks became the new CEO and Activision Vivendi were renamed Activision Blizzard (No doubt to cash on on the fan goodwill that Blizzard carries). Bobby then followed through with his idea that the only games that should be developed are the ones that can be developed into ongoing franchises, several titles already in development at Vivendi were deemed not to meed this ideal so were canned.