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Moscow, 8 of November
i-Deal Games
After one and half year of work for Strategy First Inc, i-Deal Games is to
recognise that our agreement with this company brings us nothing, but sheer
losses. With great disappointment we are to report that Strategy First Inc
by it's actions made irreparable strike to both i-Deal Games financial
performance and reputation in the face of end-users. SF fulfilled none of
it's obligation of contract and paid no single cent to i-Deal Games for the
product which sales are counted in several hundred thousands USD. We are to
state that we break with this company and the only thing we are regret of is
that we spring this news for more than tree month in hope for decency of SF,
but get nothing than another troubles in response.
Under the terms of the terminated agreement between Strategy First Inc and
i-Deal Games Studio. In case of it's termination due SF breach all rights to
the products are moved to i-Deal Games and SF have no right to prevent
i-Deal Games to distribute product itself or through the third party. On the
basis of this thesis i-Deal Games is to state - we are searching for the
distributors to republish upgraded version of our product world-wide.
Project history:
The history of this product is very strange and unlucky. The first contact
between i-Deal Games and Strategy First European office on Wildfire
distribution had place in April of 2003. We supplied demo version of product
to Strategy First Inc for preliminary evaluation and few weeks later
positive conclusion from SF Canadian office has arrived. The sides come to
co-ordination of software distribution agreement and game was set in line
for QA.
But at the end of June 2003 SF came to the first financial problems and
started reorganisation, which pushed them to get rid of their test division
and game was moved to another department, which started re-evaluation and
gave negative conclusion due insufficient knowledge of subject. We was to
repeat all the approval process to save agreement. Fortunately this
unpleasant occurrence was solved, agreement was signed and product was
returned to stand in line for QA and... it stuck in the stand for next half
of year. Due it's reorganisation SF was unable to fulfil QA itself and all
it's attempts to find the testing company, which suit their requirements
were unsuccessful.
Finally at the end of 2003 they got the acceptable variant - the contract
for QA with Games Factory Ltd was signed. Next two month passed in
co-operation with test team, but in middle of February when QA were in
starting phase yet, SF unexpectedly notified us that it decided to release
product. It was simple stated - "product will release within one month". No
our objections were taken into account and game was send to replication
without passing our approval and reach the shelves on 8th of March 2004.
We were to our own expenses to organise end user support service for quick
fixing the bugs of wet release, which in addition was formed with many
mistakes and as turned out later, SF sent wrong release masters to several
subcontracted distributors. This misinformation turned to many cases of
under comprehension between i-Deal Games and end users. We were unable to
define if exact user got game by legal way or not.
To the May of 2004 there were several quickfixes made by us available for
end user trough our Internet services and work under general patch was
started. But in the end of May we do not received first payment of
Royalties, as it was signed in Royalty payment Schedule. The question
addressed to Canadian office of Strategy First remain unanswered for two
weeks. After this period i-Deal Games send a Note to SF and turned down all
end user support online services. And one week later on the 8th of June
official notification of termination due SF breach was sent to Strategy
First.
Two weeks later European division of SF gets in contact with us and starts
negotiations. At the end of June Royalties Report was received, but there
were no payments still. Since this date we had no any response from SF
Canadian office at all. On the 26th of July contract was formally
terminated, but we continued negotiations with European Office of SF trying
to cure this case. There were several ways of debt compensation offered. For
the next two month sides tried to came to agreement, but due inflexibility
of Canadian top management no solution was found.
Due upmentioned facts together with fact of SF insolvency i-Deal Games did
not see any future in further cooperation with SF.
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