Developer Accused of Sabotaging ‘Mytheon’

LAS VEGAS (CN) - The developer of the role-playing game "Mytheon" completed "just enough of the game" to receive millions of dollars for its work, but "not enough so the game could be published," True Games Interactive claims in Clark County Court. Petroglyph Games has allegedly refused to release source codes or correct technical problems until its demands are met.

California-based True Games teamed up with Petroglyph in late 2007 to create "Mytheon," a multiplayer online strategy game. The interactive game allows players to lead an army of mortals to defeat a race of ancient Greek gods by casting spells and summoning minions.

True Games says it came up with the game's concept and advanced Petroglyph nearly $5 million to write the source code and to provide technical support for the testing period.

"As the release date for 'Mytheon' approached, however, Petroglyph began claiming that cost overruns and Petroglyph's inabilities to make its own payroll threatened the viability of the game," the lawsuit states.

During beta testing earlier this year, True Games says Petroglyph "made increasing demands for additional concessions" that weren't in the contract, making "veiled, and sometimes blatant, threats that the game would not be completed if those demands were not met."

By May, Petroglyph allegedly refused to fix bugs in the game's beta version and "held the source codes hostage ... making it impossible for TGI to complete Mytheon without bowing to Petroglyph's demands."

The game is currently in open beta mode, meaning it is not fully completed, but gamers can play a temporary version online.

True Games accuses Petroglyph of breaching its contract and fiduciary duty, and demands an injunction to obtain the game's source codes. It also seeks punitive damages.

True Games is represented by Steve Morris of Morris Peterson.

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