Switch Lights

The lights are on

Beyoncé Ruins Christmas For Gate Five, Gets Sued

Software developer Gate Five was working on a dance game titled Starpower: Beyoncé that would allow players to perform along with the diva's greatest hits...at least until the game deal went awry between the two parties.

According to court docs, Gate Five claims the deal fell apart when Beyoncé "made an extortionate demand for entirely new compensation terms she wanted. When her maneuver backfired and drove away the financier (who found Ms. Carter too erratic to do business with), she pulled out of the project in breach of the agreement."

Ms. Knowles/Carter's demand for more money caused Gate Five to lay off employees and abandon development of the game, according to the developer. The lawsuit claims the diva's demands were "a bad faith breach of contract so callous that, on what appeared to be a whim, she destroyed Gate Five's business and drove 70 people into unemployment, the week before Christmas." The suit adds that her actions were "so unscrupulous that her then manager (who is also her father) renounced them."

"In early December everything was still a go. And then the week of Christmas, she said that's it, I don't want to hear from you guys, go away, resulting in 70 people losing their jobs," said Gate Five founder Greg Easley in an interview with New York magazine. "We'd much rather make a game than litigate. But we want to recover damages that Gate Five suffered." Gate Five is after a cool $100 million.

[Via New York Magazine]

Comments
  • The title made me lol

  • Somehow i just imagined Beyonce with a trollface saying...problem,gatefive? But what is it today with people and sues >.> hey you know what im gonna sue GI for not posting the news tip i gave them hahahaha jk ;)

  • 100million. Wow. Well because this is oh a video game predicament this probably won't hit mainstream media and that's ridiculous because beyonce is now my least favorite artist.
  • $100 million? That must have been some game.

  • I don't even know what to say. I'm so not shocked by this.
  • They should have known this deal wasn't going to work when they realized she didn't put a ring on it.
  • I prefer the term extortion too. The "ex" makes it sound cool.
  • I don't know what they expected, working with someone known to be and referred to as a DIVA. I wonder what they thought that word meant. Still, I think they have a legitimate claim and I hope they win.

  • I freaking love the tag "If gate five liked it then they should've put a ring on it!" ROFL!!!!

  • I mean, I already disliked Beyonce...

  • She was good in Cadillac Records, now we must be rid of her.

  • Title is funny, but the "Filed Under" tags were the best.

    I can only hope Gate Five gets all $100 million and then some to compensate for the losses they faced. Just goes to show that pop musicians truly are assholes when it comes to their likenesses.

  • You GOTTA GET....THAT....Dirt OFF ya ShoulDA'S

  • the tags are as good as the article. hope gate five wins but i don't know if a music game like that is worth 100 million.
  • Nobody would have bought this crap anyway.
  • Beyonce + Extortion = LAME!!!!! And this kids, is the basic formula for an EPIC FAIL in the music & game industries.
  • I hope they get the cash, she has enough to spare

  • I hope they get the cash, she has enough to spare

  • wow what a diva.

  • People are a bit slow on the uptake : the $100 million they're suing for isn't the supposed value of the game at market- it's for nearly putting them out of business. Considering the loss of ability to do business for the company, and the loss of livelihood for the employees, $100 million is probably a rather small sum.
1 2 3 Next