14 DAY TRIAL // Video game publisher Ubisoft has launched a lawsuit against a company which is representing the Black Eyed Peas, alleging that it has failed to collaborate in order to create a video game based on the band, despite the fact that a licensing agreement existed between the two entities.
Ubisoft has launched legal action against BEP Music LLC after it has been trying, unsuccessfully, since March to contact it and get development for an iOS game underway.
Ubisoft and the company have already worked together on The Black Eyed Peas Experience, which was launched during 2011.
The French publisher says that it has already spent money on the new iOS game, which would probably also get the name The Black Eyed Peas Experience on launch.
The title, destined for the iPhone and the iPad, was supposed to be launched before June of this year, according to a financial report that Ubisoft released earlier during the year.
Traditionally, a number of music stars, including No Doubt, Courtney Love and Axl Rose, have sued video game developers and publishers because they felt their likenesses were misused in music games or because they expected larger royalties.
It’s not clear whether Ubisoft is simply trying to recuperate the money that it has already spent on The Black Eyed Peas Experience for the iOS or whether the company wants the band to be forced to collaborate on the project.
The music game genre was one of the most successful on the current generation of consoles and has powered the creation of two high-profile franchises, Guitar Hero from Activision and Rock Band from Harmonix.
After very successful releases before 2010, both have gone into decline and the companies are trying to capitalize on the success of the music genre by launching smaller games that are targeting more casual players on mobile devices.