Mid-March, I covered a public spat between Derek Smart and several ex-employees that took place over the Gamasutra comments board (And yet no spats on MMO Fallout). I mentioned at the end that is might have been in Smart’s best interest to stop at “David Allen was fired,” as the public arguments over a website’s comment system would accomplish nothing except give a lower view of Mr. Smart.
What I didn’t mention in the post, but equally present in my mind: Where is David Allen in all of this? We haven’t heard much from him. Well, Allen has finally broken the silence, in this post on requnix.
“For the past two months, there have been changes taking place at Quest Online, L.L.C. (“QOL”) and, unfortunately, a great deal of false information has been publicized.
In an effort to enhance Alganon’s® market visibility and following the direction of certain investors, QOL hired Derek Smart as a consultant on December 3, 2009 to assist in the area of sales and marketing. Soon thereafter, and for reasons unbeknownst to me, Mr. Smart began a smear campaign attacking my credibility, first privately among the investors, and then publicly. As many have read on various Internet websites, Mr. Smart has made disparaging remarks concerning my professional work and comments that could lead others to question my loyalty, honesty, and ability to successfully create, build, run, and manage a multi-million dollar MMOG development company; something I have been doing successfully for over four years. Please be aware that Mr. Smart’s comments are false and that I have filed a civil action against him in Maricopa County Superior Court for his defamatory conduct, among other things. I have been advised by my legal counsel to offer no further comment at this time on this matter during the pendency of the litigation.
Alganon® is an amazing MMOG that my team and I were able to develop for a fraction of the cost when compared to similar MMOG’s. This was due in part to a highly talented team of developers and their relentless efforts. Alganon® has the foundation of a great MMOG with state-of-the-art and custom-built wholly-owned technology, and exclusive intellectual property.
I stand by my efforts in creating Alganon® and building QOL, and believe operating with honesty, integrity, and honor is the only way to conduct proper business. I am confident that during the process of resolving this conflict, the truth will prevail and the factual account of the activities associated with the development of Alganon® will become known.”
The link in the comment leads to a .pdf of the lawsuit, where Allen is alleging: Breach of contract, breach of good faith and fair dealing, breach of fiduciary duty (as well as aiding and abetting), Defamation/libel, injurious falsehood, punitive damages, intentional experiences with business expectancies and contractual relationships, civil conspiracy.
I can see plenty of updates to come with this lawsuit.
MMO Fallout 