Atari files Turbine D&D suit under 'frivolous'

With a flick of its wrist, Atari has motioned to dismiss Turbine's lawsuit against the publisher, calling the Dungeons and Dragons Online developer's recent legal actions "frivolous" and "a great disservice to D&D fans and to the MMO community at large." Turbine alleges in its lawsuit that Atari failed to uphold a licensing agreement associated with the D&D MMO and did not devote the necessary resources to market the game, due in part to a supposed "strategy" to promote its Champions Online MMO instead.

Unsurprisingly, Atari has filed to dismiss Turbine's suit and, in addition, filed a secondary complaint seeking "monies" allegedly owed to the publisher by Turbine (as supposedly uncovered by a third-party audit). In its official statement, posted in its entirety on IndustryGamers, the publisher adds, "While Atari hopes for a quick and fair resolution, it remains fully committed to the D&D communities worldwide and will vigorously protect the franchise and its own integrity in this matter." Oh, by the way, did you see that Champions Online was released this week!