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Beyonce sued for over $100M for ruining her own video game

by Alexander Sliwinski on Apr 27th 2011 6:25PM

International pop star Beyonce Knowles is being sued for over $100 million by developer Gate Five. TMZ has the documents [PDF link], which state the singer made an "extortionate demand" for more money during a "crucial moment" in the production of Starpower: Beyonce. Perhaps she couldn't resist the kind of dollars made by games like Halo (3), Halo (ODST), Halo (Reach).

Gate Five claims it's entitled to the $6.7 million it invested and the $100 million in profits it believes it would have made. The company also claims it had to let 70 employees go a week before Christmas due to Knowles' action, and is seeking an injunction that would prevent Knowles from "commercially associating with any other video game" or using "confidential information" she received in connection with Gate Five. But, Beyonce needs to pay her credit card bills, her telephone bills, her automo-bills...

Source: TMZ

Tags: beyonce, beyonce-knowles, gate-five, lawsuit, starpower-beyonce

Reader Comments (68)

For a second I seriously thought Beyonce was getting sued for the PSN thing.

@Once known as Shadsy

i think you may have found a powerful solution to this mess

@Once known as Shadsy

...how?

@adobe64

All the suing articles recently released are all about Sony. Glancing over the title merely (like I did), you might this one was another one :P

now this is a good reason to be suing somebody.

not just because you're lazy and expecting a big check

"$100 million in profits it believes it would have made"

ok calm down there

@(Unverified)
LOL Srsly, this is a case that even if the courts rule against Beyonce, her "Jay-Z" powered attorneys will slam down to a laughable fine. IF they even get that far. I'm thinking an out of court settlement that won't even make a dent of any kind to her wallet.

@(Unverified)

From now on when something unfortunate happens to me I'll first
consider suing whomever is responsible for $100 million I could have
received instead.

@(Unverified)

They failed to mention that they were going to be releasing the game in 2202 (where ARDS games sell for $500 each), but even I still think for then $100 million is a little crazy especially since Beyonce will have likely been long forgotten.

@Marco le Polo

Ah, but you're forgetting that Beyonce died 3 years sooner, making the game ripe for sales.

Starpower!

Looks like making a videogame wasn't in her ... destiny.

Doesn't she essentially print money? Why ask a payout from a game company when she can endorse the shake weight and pocket millions?

@Truant You get half points for making half a reference. I'm sorry, but in order to receive full points, you're going to need to work the word "child" into your comment. XD

@Truant

You forgot your sunglasses, I see?

Theyve got 99 problems but a.... nope, theyve got 100 problems.

@aughscreennames problems made of millions.

@Truant I don't know why Gate 5 doesn't want other developers to say her name, but an independent woman such as her sure could find a developer in the future. She's a survivor. SHe's gonna make it.

@Batzarro The worlds WOrst Detect

And put a ring on it? Ok, I give up xD

Beyonce was so pretty back in the day but ever since she married Jay z she has been less attractive , do still good-looking but not as much as before

can you really sue on potentiality of sucky ness

Now, I ain't sayin' she's a gold digger, but...

100 million in profit for this new IP? At least they're being realistic.

@SisypheanLife

You forgot the /sarcasm.

so you can sue now on potential now ?

@Come on Chang

You uh... you always could.

@Acosta02 I Think I might sue someone for having the potential of doing some thing "wrong" to me :D

@Come on Chang then my ex owes me big!

@Come on Chang It's not potential, child. It's destiny.

"her automo-bills"

Oh, Joystiq...

She's still hot.

@Mr Hett She's beautiful :} I consider her a hero from saving us from another bad "cash in" game.

@Mr Hett

Meh...not a very good gum to teeth ratio if you ask me.

@Captain Planet Planeteer Power

If she was in front of me, I don't think I'd be focusing on her teeth!

@Mr Hett

I think that depends on whether she's standing or kneeling...

@ironneko

very nice sir, very nice.

'is seeking an injunction that would prevent Knowles from "commercially associating with any other video game"'

Need it just be video games?

Need it just be Beyonce?

Damn. They aint playing!

I don't like Jay-Z so sue both their asses!!!

More power to 'em, but there is no way something like this would have sold over two million copies. Even if it was DS shovelware.
Lesson of the day: when dealing with greedy millionaires, get a better lawyer to write up your "binding" contract.

Never even heard of this developer or the supposed game.

$100M for a game most people don't know exists. Lol, good luck and enjoy the incoming pwnage.

I've never even heard of this game. I highly doubt it was worth this much money.

That's funny, when I Google the game's title all I get is this article everywhere.

I'm pretty sure they're suing her over a game that doesn't even exist.

@OneManFreakShow

....I think the idea is that it doesn't exist because she bankrupted the project.

@OneManFreakShow But it has the potential to exist!

What's with all the law-suits this year

If you're a celebrity, I think you have every right to a licensing fee if a product includes your likeness or in the case, I'm assuming song material, some of which I'm sure she wrote. Whether or not they could deliver the game due to their own financial situation, is immaterial. That's not her fault. If they entered into an agreement, she had every right to believe they would deliver their product.

Now if the contract changed, perhaps they might have a case on that...

But, that they're suing for money they could have made seems to me a hard area to prove. It could have been a flop. Does this company have a proven track record of such sales on prior products?

Anyway, I think they're certainly trying to recover money for a failed project. I'm not sure the celebrity is the person to sue, but whatever... they're going to have to prove that she purposely impeded their project. That they're ARE suing a celebrity, seems to me that they'll lose any chance of doing any such type of product in the future. In the end, I have serious doubts they'll recover anything substantial if at all.

@Starcade

I'm pretty sure the post says that she made a demand for MORE money.

Of course she would deserve compensation for lending her likeness, etc.

@Starcade if they can prove A violation of the terms of a legal agreement; Default. Breach of contract allows the nonbreaching party to rescind the contract, sue for damages, or sue for performance of the contract. then the law would have to side w/them weather their a great or amazing company.

I hate her phony brand of feminism...

Why would you get so far into development without a locked down agreement? If they liked it they shoulda put a ring on it.

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Breaking News

Beyonce sued for over $100M for ruining her own video game

Reader Comments (68)

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:30PM Once known as Shadsy said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 7:01PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 8:25PM adobe64 said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 9:54PM philmcfail said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:30PM A Burger said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:30PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:39PM foxhound said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 7:47PM Seasick Pirate said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 10:47PM Marco le Polo said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 11:51PM EbreodiOrso said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:32PM soorma said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:33PM Truant said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:37PM Counterattack said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:40PM Apollo26 said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 7:38PM aughscreennames said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 8:15PM danijami23 said

Posted: Apr 28th 2011 12:47AM Batzarro The worlds WOrst Detect said

Posted: Apr 28th 2011 7:26PM Ashitaka said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:33PM Yisrael said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 9:16PM Come on Chang said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:35PM Counterattack said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:36PM SisypheanLife said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:39PM ironneko said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:37PM Come on Chang said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:39PM Acosta02 said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:40PM JnRx said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:59PM The Wicker Man said

Posted: Apr 28th 2011 1:12AM Babelfish said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:38PM AutobotIronhide said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:39PM Mr Hett said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:41PM JnRx said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:58PM Captain Planet Planeteer Power said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 7:07PM Mr Hett said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 8:17PM ironneko said

Posted: Apr 28th 2011 2:22AM Liquidfingers said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:39PM Mortim said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:42PM MLC said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:43PM JonahStein said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 7:36PM skeldare said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:47PM whookid said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:49PM OneManFreakShow said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:52PM OneManFreakShow said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 7:21PM Acosta02 said

Posted: Apr 28th 2011 4:24AM Octoplus said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:53PM The Scout said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 6:59PM Starcade said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 7:04PM Truant said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 7:31PM kmcroc said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 7:02PM Misanthropic Gamer said

Posted: Apr 27th 2011 7:04PM Dirty said

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