GameSpoon - Fatality! Mortal Kombat Developers to leave Midway?

It has been reported by Kotaku that the Mortal Kombat development team has been in talks with other publishers as well as seeking out an opportunity for their own studio.

The development team has been frustrated with pay - you can't blame them, money is important in this economy. The bankruptcy of Midway is the root of this issue. The developers were supposed to receive bonuses for meeting sales goals. After attaining these goals, they have not received compensation.

According to Midway, it is not their fault for the lack of compensation, but the "creditors committee" that is withholding these funds. Regardless of Midway's involvement in the actual payment of these bonuses, the development team is unhappy. I'm sure there are many reason outside of this compensation issue for their frustration with the company.

What does this mean for the future of the Mortal Kombat franchise that this development team that has working on for the last 17 years? We don't know! If the development team leaves, MK may not be coming with them. Will MK live on?

GameSpoon - Midway Files For Chapter 11...Fatality.

Video game-maker Midway Games Inc. sought bankruptcy protection from creditors Thursday, the culmination of a chain of events that started when a private investor bought a majority stake in the Chicago-based company last year. That investor appears to be a major beneficiary of Midway's reorganization.

Midway, the creator of the long-running "Mortal Kombat" franchise, filed Chapter 11 documents in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. Operations outside of the U.S. were unaffected. The company said it expects to conduct business as normal during the reorganization.

The road to bankruptcy began at the beginning of December, when media magnate Sumner Redstone sold his 87 percent stake in Midway to Mark Thomas for $100,000 and $70 million in debt.