As we told you last week, Namco EVP Makoto Iwai claimed that “performance issues” was the reason that Namco took the Slatterhouse project away from Bottlerocket and brought it back in house at Namco. With the mud slinging escalating, it was only a matter of time before someone from Bottlerocket replied.

The claim that Bottlerocket was removed from the Slatterhouse project due to “performance” issues is a strange claim, as the studio was meeting its objectives, deliverables, and goals for the project as spelled out in the contract between Bottlerocket and Namco, according to a statement released by Bottlerocket.

Bottlerocket also suggests in its statement that the Namco management of the title was inept, as the company did not miss any contractually defined milestones.

While everyone continues to choose their words carefully, it is doubtful that we have heard the last of this war of words. While everyone seems to be dancing around the issue, there seems to be no doubt now that both sides see the situation radically different.

Stay tuned, as we suspect that this isn’t the last that you will hear from either side.