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NESN launches streaming service with the Boston Red Sox and Bruins
Fans will receive expanded access to Red Sox and Bruins games, both live and on-demand.
Rhode Island pitches a $75M loan offer to 38 Studios
States are always highly competitive when it comes to luring industries to their neck of the woods to bolster the local economy. From movie shoots to auto plants to hospitals, states tend to be shameless in offering incentives and tax breaks to benefit from an economic injection by these companies. It's interesting to see that MMO studios are being courted as well. Worlds in Motion is reporting that Rhode Island is enticing Curt Schillings' 38 Studios to relocate from Massachusetts in exchange for a $75,000,000 guaranteed loan under relief provisions for high-tech companies -- a provision that Massachusetts does not offer. The loan would represent a significant investment for the company, but Massachusetts is attempting to provide reasons for 38 Studios to stay put, including citing that it has better access to talent in the state. As the MMO genre expands and more studios pop up, will we see an increase in states fighting over these companies in an effort to help their economies? In any event, Copernicus' developer now has a difficult decision to make, especially for this ex-Boston Red Sox pitcher.
A glimpse of things to come from 38 Studios
The keen eyes of Cyndre from the Kill Ten Rats blog has spotted rare images from 38 Studios top secret, as-yet-to-be-named MMO. On Friday, December 14, the Boston news channel NECN did a video interview (see above clip) with Curt Schilling (he, along with R.A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane comprise the new gaming company 38 Studios) regarding the announcement of their 1st Annual Game Design Challenge. Which is a very cool endeavor in and of itself. According to Cyndre, right around the 1:16 mark of the three minute video interview you'll see images from their game. This has possibly been corroborated on the blog since someone purporting to be Curt Schilling left a comment saying that the animation shown was from pre-production, the phase they are in now. Curt Schilling (famous professional baseball player) is an avid MMO player. Combined with supremely talented R.A. Salvatore (famous fantasy author) and Todd McFarlane (famous comic book artist and writer), the expectations for a spectacular gaming experience is very high indeed. Catching even a quick glimpse of what these guys have in store for gamers is news worthy.
The Horde win the pennant! The Horde win the pennant!
Yet another celebrity has confessed to being a WoW player. Curt Schilling, the pitcher whose famous game 6 stand against the Yankees in 2004 helped lead the Red Sox to their first World Series championship in eons, plays Hordeside on Malfurion. In an interview with Allakhazam, Schilling outed Wyndwraith, his 70 orc hunter, and Ngruk, his tauren shaman. He describes himself as a hardcore raider who loves questing. He plays WoW from hotel rooms when he's on the road, and he has recently struggled with the hardcore vs. casual conundrum. Schilling also talks about his own gaming companies, Everquest memories, and the (non) stigma of video games in today's world. It's always nice to see a well-known, successful person that plays WoW admit it to the public. It helps break down the stereotype that gamers are all basement-dwelling virgins. One question for Mr. Schilling -- do you still have your epic [Bloody Sock]? [Thanks for the tip, Calaf!]
Schilling talks Green Monster Games
Curt Schilling, Boston Red Sox ace pitcher and warrior-nerd (term applied to us nerds who happen to be physically fit), is a well-known MMO fan. In fact, he is such a fan he decided to start his own company -- Green Monster Games -- just to make one of his own. Now, he is giving us a little more details. In an interview with the Escapist, Schilling explained the inner workings of his company and a little bit of his vision. In an indirect crack at EA, Schilling explained he is building his company with the employee in mind; he is offering 100% insurance and matching 401k, a pair of oddities in many businesses. He states that even with Todd McFarlane and R.A. Salvatore on the team, he won't simply bank on their names and wants to make a game that appeals to everyone. Schilling is certainly on the right track. A major key to making a great game is making sure your employees are happy. Building a Mordor-style slave camp doesn't help the quality of games, or the bottom line. Hopefully Schilling's employment strategies pay off with a good game; we'd be more than willing to support it.
