Pop superstar Beyonce Knowles is headed to court after a judge ruled that a game developer’s claim against her holds water.
The dispute came up after Beyonce cancelled a $20 million deal, allegedly at the last minute, and left US studio Gate Five high and dry. The singer was being contracted to allow Gate Five to develop a dance game called Starpower: Beyonce, which would have been officially endorsed by the singer.
A Manhattan judge, Justice Charles Ramos, has ruled that the claim is worthy of a trial. Ramos, clearly not a Destiny’s Child fan (or a closet Dance video-game fan) had this to say to Beyonce’s legal team: “You continue to negotiate right up until the time you pull the plug. That is not going to work with me.”
Beyonce’s side of the story is that the deal was abandoned because Gate Five couldn’t prove themselves to have sufficient financing for the project.
The studio’s story is a little different, saying that they had found a financier and were signing a deal on the 6th of December 2010, and that Beyonce was fully aware of that when she pulled out on the 3rd of December 2010.
Gate Five founder Greg Easley claims that the collapsed deal destroyed the business and drove 70 people into unemployment. He added that it was the week before Christmas for good measure.
Gate Five is asking for $6.7 million in lost investment, and $100 million in lost profits, which seems optimistic considering the premise. Would you buy a Beyonce Knowles dance game?
Source: Eurogamer
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Shame, to be laid off just before Christmas. I wonder how many eventually found jobs again. Also, how many quit other jobs to work on the project.