At this point, the ongoing feud between Harmonix and Activision is legendary. Hell, it even won a Pwny Award. Hey, guys, how about this: SHUT UP, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. You both have franchises that make tons and tons of money, so why are you always fighting about something? If it’s not plastic guitars or compatibility patches, they’ll surely find something else to bitch about.

This time, Harmonix decided to go ahead and sue Activision over Guitar Hero III royalty issues. But before Activision even had time to pass Harmonix a mean note in study hall and write about them in a slam book, Harmonix decided to un-sue Activision. That’s right, un-sue. They pulled their lawsuit, deciding that a lengthy and public court battle may not be in their best interests.



The issue at hand seems to be a contract that Harmonix signed while they were still involved in the Guitar Hero series. Seems there was a clause that stated if Harmonix were to leave the franchise, they would receive one of two royalty payments. One would be paid if another developer made serious changes to the game, while a higher payment would be received if the next developer’s game “incorporates, uses, or is derived from Harmonix property.” Now, I’ve played Guitar Hero III; it’s pretty much the exact same game, plus Slash and Tom Morello. However, apparently Harmonix is only getting paid the lesser of the royalty clauses, and they clam that they are owed $14.5 million.

However, as I previously stated, Harmonix withdrew their lawsuit, hoping that they will be able to settle this issue privately. Finally, one side of this catfight is acting just a tiny bit more mature. Let’s hope that Activision follows suit, and they both manage to put their differences aside for a minute or two. Stay tuned for next week, when Harmonix makes out with Activision’s boyfriend.

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