Trip Hawkins says that Antonick’s lawsuit against EA contains an inaccurate version of events.
Robin Antonick recently sued EA for royalties and profits related to the Madden NFL franchise, but Trip Hawkins, who left EA in 1991 and is not a defendant in the lawsuit, says that Antonick’s story is inaccurate. While it is true that Antonick did work on the original 1988 title, Hawkins says that he was only a contractor working out of Chicago, which means that Antonick wasn’t even in the same state as the rest of the development team and he certainly wasn’t sitting next to Hawkins, as Antonick has claimed. Hawkins adds that Antonick was “one of many” people working on the title but was “not the person driving the game.”
If true, the statement could derail Antonick’s quest to get a piece of the Madden franchise. Hawkins is widely regarded as the primary visionary behind the Madden games, and was even the one who personally brought the Hall of Fame coach on board (John Madden has repeatedly verified Hawkins’ version of the discussions). If Hawkins doesn’t believe any of Antonick’s claims, then it’s hard to see how a judge and jury will find them more convincing.
Source: L.A. Times
