Activision Bid on Doom Makers
id Software Co-Owner Fired Over Failed Deal
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The Wall Street Journal dropped a bomb today when it announced details on a deal between Activision, the second largest third party publisher, and id Software, the makers of Quake and Doom. According to documents received by the paper, Adrian Carmack filed against his old company, which he partly owned and "retired" from last year. The documents state that Carmack was forced out of his position as director of art at the famed developer.
The Journal reports that Carmack was indeed fired by the other co-owners after he refused a buyout offer of $20 million from Activision. Carmack currently owns 41 percent of the developer and looks like he will only end up getting $11 million from the sale of his shares back to the company, which is a fraction of what he could have received if id Software took the $105 million bid from Activision that was proposed last year.
The $105 million deal was one of several offers that the Journal detailed, including a $90 million deal for Activision to buy the developer's biggest franchises - Doom, Quake and Castle Wolfenstein - that Activision has been publishing for the developer for some time.
Carmack alleged that his co-workers attacked him in numerous ways, trying to force him out so they could receive his shares at a rock bottom price. He claims that the other owners, who owned the other 51 percent of the company, watched him for any slip-up for an excuse, including monitoring his hours, cutting privileges and denying access to board documents.
Related Links: Gamespot Article
The Journal reports that Carmack was indeed fired by the other co-owners after he refused a buyout offer of $20 million from Activision. Carmack currently owns 41 percent of the developer and looks like he will only end up getting $11 million from the sale of his shares back to the company, which is a fraction of what he could have received if id Software took the $105 million bid from Activision that was proposed last year.
The $105 million deal was one of several offers that the Journal detailed, including a $90 million deal for Activision to buy the developer's biggest franchises - Doom, Quake and Castle Wolfenstein - that Activision has been publishing for the developer for some time.
Carmack alleged that his co-workers attacked him in numerous ways, trying to force him out so they could receive his shares at a rock bottom price. He claims that the other owners, who owned the other 51 percent of the company, watched him for any slip-up for an excuse, including monitoring his hours, cutting privileges and denying access to board documents.
Related Links: Gamespot Article