Editorial: Australia in Focus

We've been monitoring a developing situation in Perth, Australia where it would appear staff at Interzone have been left in limbo, suspended without pay and owed for weeks of work.

Interzone Vice President of Business Operations Mike Turner did appear at the offices on the 10th of February where he is alleged to have been collecting work on Interzone Futebol from the Company servers to return to their US Offices . Outraged staff consider Interzone's ownership of the Intellectual Property of the game to be in question. The project now being undertaken by Big Collision Games, based in Ireland,

The Perth team was involved in developing Interzone Futebol an MMO which was to be released in conjunction with the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Although we are unsure whether this game will now be produced to this timescale it is the plight of the workers in the Company's Perth office which is of concern to the gaming industry.

Staff arrived at the office in early February to find that they had been locked out. A statement attributed to Mike Turner was posted to the door for the staff to read:

"We accept that we owe you wages and are currently determining the amount owed and are working diligently to raise funds in the USA that will be distributed according to the priority as set out by law.

Please note the only person allowed on or within the premises of Interzone is Mike Turner and anyone he so nominates or brings with himself onto the premises

NO ONE ELSE IS PERMITTED TO ENTER THE PREMISES.

ALL ACCESS IS HEREBY REVOKED AND ANY ENTRY WHATSOEVER WILL CONSITUTE TRESPASSING."

Interzone's problems began during the world recession but have grown to see the closure of its offices in Brazil and China and now those in Perth, Australia, owing approximately One Million Australian Dollars to the Australian Tax Office and $500,000 to past and present staff.

Staff in Perth had not been paid for weeks but had continued to work on the project as a sign of good faith with the expectation of being paid and that Interzone Futbol would be of the highest quality.

Interzone has breached Australian Law on at least two points having not paid any superannuation to staff and by trading without a resident director.

Although some Perth staff have been offered new individual contracts it is suspected they are jaded by the experiences of the parent company and would prefer to see an 'honest pay for an honest days work'.

SquareGo wish to offer the employees its full support in their fight to retrieve monies owed to them and with the hope that they will be appropriately recompensed for work they have done.

The story was covered at the time by ABC News as well as local papers including Western Australia.

If you want to comment on this story, or are directly involved and would like to talk to SquareGo please e-mail us at: comments@square-go.com.

Phil Harris
Editor-in-Chief