14 DAY TRIAL // We have reported on the legal action that Turbine, the creator of Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach, has taken against publisher Atari, claiming that it has actively undermined its game in order to be ready to promote another D&D-based MMO, probably the Cryptic created Neverwinter Nights Online. Now, Atari has offered an official response to the legal action and is saying that the action is frivolous and should be dismissed by the court.
Atari has issued a statement that reads “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.”
Atari is claiming that, in fact, Turbine owes it money and it has filed a counter suit. For its part, Turbine is seeking as much as 30 million in reparations for the damage done to Dungeons & Dragons Online by the lack of marketing and limited release.
At the moment, D&D Online is being phased from the subscription-based title to a free-to-play one, in an effort to attract more gamers interested in the system to play it. It seems that the Dungeons & Dragons community is more interested in single player experiences based on the universe than in playing MMOs based on it.
What's frustrating is that even in answering the law suit from Turbine, which makes specific reference to an internally developed Atari Dungeons & Dragons MMO, the publisher has refused to acknowledge that a Neverwinter Nights MMO is being worked on. It might be a good strategy to deny its existence for the trial ahead but it is even more frustrating for the average gamer who has to rely on rumors and speculation.