Son of Godfather Author Sues over Games

Anthony Puzo, son of deceased The Godfather author Mario Puzo, has filed a lawsuit against Godfather license holder Paramount Pictures claiming breach of contract over a licensed 2006 video game.

Demanding at least $1 million in compensation, Puzo, who inherited his father's estate in 1999, says he never received any royalty payments from the licensed, EA Redwood Shores-produced video game.

Containing elements of Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather film trilogy--itself based on Mario Puzo's acclaimed novel--the game arrived on PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Xbox, and PSP. PlayStation 3 and Wii editions of the title followed in 2007.

Anthony Puzo believes he is entitled to said payments due to an alleged 1992 agreement between his father and Paramount. According to Reuters, the supposed deal entitled the author's estate to "a significant share of the revenue of any audio-visual products sold or rented with elements of the 'Godfather' movies."

A second Godfather game has since been revealed. Though platforms and a release date are unknown, the upcoming sequel is said to allow control of a mafia empire from the streets or from an RTS-like top-down view.