Report: Updated Infinity Ward Lawsuit Alleges Activision 'Police State'

In an update to a lawsuit filed against Activision this April, a group of current and former Infinity Ward employees claim Activision instituted a "police state" mentality at the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series developer, aimed at forcing the studio into creating the next Modern Warfare game. According to a Kotaku report, the amendment to the April suit was filed in California today, with a court date set for May 23, 2011. Furthermore, while the group was originally seeking unpaid bonuses and punitive damages totaling up to approximately $625 million, today's revision apparently cuts that figure by well over half to $216 million, at most. That suit was preceded by one filed by ousted Infinity Ward bosses Jason West and Vince Zampella the prior month, against which Activision filed a countersuit. According to Kotaku, a judge will hold a hearing August 5 of this year to determine whether the two lawsuits against Activision can be consolidated into a single trial.