The strange saga of Derek Smart’s quixotic campaign against Star Citizen continues. The game developer sicced his lawyer on RSIÂ last month, delivering a series of legal demands that include a public audit of the company paid for by Smart and the resignation of Chris Roberts. While RSI declined to post its response by its lawyers, the studio did anticipate that Smart would make it public anyway.
Sure enough, Smart posted what he claims is the gist of the response on his blog, arguing that the letter was meant to “intimidate and silence” him. He also confirmed that his “investigators” are continuing to compile information that will be sent to the feds.
The one posted excerpt allegedly from RSI’s attorney reads as follows:
Your client’s defamatory claims are entirely without merit and include unfounded allegations that the funds raised for the project were used improperly, even fraudulently. In this vain, your client is now asking for a ‘forensic accounting’ to be made available to him. Firstly, there is obviously no legal basis for your client’s request and your letter cites no such authority. Secondly, the ample information provided regularly on our extensive website, including monthly progress reports from each studio, published headcounts and the like, would enable any person familiar with the cost of game development to assess the proper spending of the funds raised. Your client claims to be such an experienced person, so we are a bit perplexed about this demand coming in particular from him.
…
In sum, your client’s allegations and demands are completely without basis and hereby rejected in their entirety.
