Last week we reported on a lawsuit filed by Turbine against Atari, concerning the Dugeons and Dragons license. Turbine's looking for damages to cover "in excess of $30 million in losses." The developer claims that Atari deliberately failed to devote the necessary resources for the distribution and promotion of the subscription-based MMO Dungeons and Dragons Online: Stormreach. Turbine said Atari was breaching its license agreement and attempting to sabotage Turbine's plans because Atari's focus on its own "competing product."
Today, Atari officially responded, filing a motion to dismiss Turbine's lawsuit. Atari issued this statement to IndustryGamers:
"Last week, with no warning, Turbine filed what can only be viewed as a frivolous lawsuit against Atari. This action can ultimately do a great disservice to D&D fans and to the MMO community at large. Turbine’s actions also appear intended to divert attention from the contractual obligations that Turbine owes to Atari. In response, today Atari served a motion to dismiss the entirety of Turbine’s lawsuit. Atari also filed a separate complaint to recover monies owed to Atari resulting from an independent third party audit of Turbine. While Atari hopes for a quick and fair resolution, it remains fully committed to the D&D communities worldwide and will vigorously protect the franchise and its own integrity in this matter.”
