Rise-of-Nations
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Big Huge Games' assets fetch $320k in 38 Studios auction
The Big Huge Games side of this week's 38 Studios intellectual property auction has been sold for $320,000.00. The two lots sold off were for the trademark of Big Huge Games as well as the Rise of Legends and Rise of Nations properties. It is not currently known who the properties now belong to, though the auction drew the attention of 20 interested parties, five of which actively participated in the conference call for the auction. As for 38 Studios' in-development MMO set in the Kingdoms of Amalur universe Project Copernicus and social media and gaming platform Helios, the court-appointed receiver for the assets Richard J. Land did "not receive acceptable offers for the remaining lots," and "intends to continue to engage in negotiations with interested parties." Sources involved in the bidding process told Joystiq there were legacy issues with both the "Rise of" and Amalur intellectual properties, particularly with their former publishing partners Electronic Arts (Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning) and Microsoft (Rise of Nations, Rise of Legends). Even if the properties were purchased, the buyers would still need to deal with some terms made during the original agreements.
Complete, unreleased Rise of Nations game found among 38 Studios' goods
When 38 Studios' intellectual properties are auctioned off by the state of Rhode Island on December 11, one more game will be included in the mix, Rise of Nations: Tactics. The Mac game was completed, albeit unreleased and seemingly unheard of until now. The auction was first slated to begin this week and includes the Kingdoms of Amalur IP, 38 Studios' in-development MMO Project Copernicus and Big Huge Games' properties Catan, Rise of Nations and Rise of Legends. "Additionally, through the examination of the data contained on the 38 Studios servers, we have discovered a completed, but unreleased game for Mac users titled 'Rise of Nations: Tactics,'" Nick Jimenez, executive vice president of the auction host Heritage Global Partners said in a press release. "We only became aware of this game this past week through our own due diligence efforts." The intellectual property auction follows 38 Studios' closure in May 2012, and according to the court-appointed lawyer for the now-defunct studio Richard Land, potential bidders' interest in the auction has been "greater than expected."
38 Studios lawyer to request delay for IP auction
Richard Land, the court-appointed lawyer for 38 Studios, said he plans to ask a Rhode Island Superior Court judge to delay the now-defunct studio's intellectual property auction. The auction was originally slated to take place on November 14 and include the Project Copernicus MMO that was in development at 38 Studios prior to its May 2012 closure as well as sequel and merchandise rights and revenue for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. Land told The Providence Journal that interest in the auction has been "greater than expected" from prospective bidders, leading to the request to delay the auction for "a couple weeks." The auction was also slated to include Big Huge Games properties Rise of Nations, Rise of Legends and XBLA game Catan.
38 Studios estimates it will take 50 to 100 million to finish Copernicus, Schilling looking for investors
Curt Schilling is out on the field again -- the investing field, that is. The former baseball star turned game developer is looking for more investors to back 38 Studios and their first game, the title codenamed Copernicus. The company's estimates for their game requires 50 to 100 million more in funding for the staff, all with their tentative December 2010 launch in mind.Keep in mind, of course, that 38 Studios has acquired Maryland developer Big Huge Games, the company known for Rise of Nations, Rise of Legends, and Xbox Arcade's version of Catan. That acquisition doubled the company's headcount and has possibly driven operating costs into the 15 to 20 million a year range, according to the Boston Globe.So far Schilling hasn't had any luck with potential investors. However, as he said to the Boston Globe, "I'm not going to complain about the economy. It's like pitching on a rainy day. The other guy has to pitch in it, too."[Via Cuppycake]
Big huge layoffs at Big Huge Games
THQ-owned Big Huge Games has reportedly laid off a "huge number" of employees, an unnamed source told Develop this morning. Reports less than two weeks ago had THQ selling Big Huge Games unless it found a buyer quickly. According to THQ spokesperson Julie MacMedan, THQ was looking for a buyer (at the time) to pick up Big Huge in the "near future." Considering the predicted 50 percent chance of survival of THQ, selling the Catan and Rise of Nations developer may be a last ditch endurance effort on the part of THQ that hasn't gone through, thus resulting in the job cuts.We asked THQ for a statement regarding the alleged layoffs and Ms. MacMedan responded this evening, saying, "We continue to pursue a sale of Big Huge Games. Yesterday, some of the staff were notified that they were not going to be part of the future direction of the studio. We are not providing exact headcounts at this time." Little else is known at this time, though we've put in word to Big Huge Games for further comment and we'll update as news comes in.
Report: THQ selling Rise of Nations dev Big Huge Games
With the new developer smell (which is really more of a musk) still hanging in the air, Maryland-based Big Huge Games has found itself in the path of THQ's unyielding axe. This according to Crispy Gamer, which reports that the embattled publisher plans to close the studio if it can't sell off the Rise of Nations and Rise of Legends developer in, to use THQ mouthpiece Julie MacMedan's timeline, the "near future."The company was only just acquired by THQ early last year, but 2008 was a simpler time -- well before the publisher's plans to cut nearly a quarter of its workforce and its shortfall last quarter of nearly $200 million. As analysts continue to circle overhead, THQ's financial future may very well be pinned on Big Huge Games' sale. Well, unless Fiddy can be persuaded to part with a certain crystal skull.
Study suggests games do the aging brain good
It turns out that massive, floating, Andross-esque visage we affectionately dub Brain Age bastard Dr. Kawashima might have been onto something. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (via Reuters) conducted a study with 40 adults in their 60s and 70s, divided into two groups with one playing Rise of Nations approximately 23 hours over the span of a month and the other playing nothing. The results? Those who gamed reportedly showed improvements in cognitive tests for memory, reasoning and multi-tasking. Researchers caution against jumping to conclusions until further studies are conducted. May we suggest seeing what happens when they try to play Space Giraffe and Left 4 Dead?
THQ acquires Rise of Nations developer Big Huge Games
Despite the unbridled enormity implied by its name, Rise of Nations and Catan developer Big Huge Games will fit snugly within the confines of publisher THQ, right next to the cupboard where all the film licenses are kept. Gamasutra reports that while the studio will maintain its autonomy and current management, it is to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of THQ for an undisclosed, possibly large massive amount.THQ's executive VP of worldwide studios, Jack Sorenson, used a run-on sentence to describe the acquisition as "a poster child for the way we like to approach things, which is that clearly we have a strategy of being in big genres on big, original IP, but we also have a very carefully constructed philosophy in how we look at internal developments, so working with a developer for an amount of time so we can get to know each other is a big prerequisite on internal versus external, so Big Huge Games hits all our strategy points." In other words, he thought it was a pretty good idea, as did Big Huge Games COO, Tim Train. "It's rare to find a publisher who understands games on the level and depth that [THQ] do, and they share our position for quality in a great environment," said Train.The quality expected to escape from said great environment includes a mysterious new IP from Big Huge Games (it's what "sealed the deal," said Sorenson) and the previously announced, Ken Rolston-led RPG slated for release in 2009.
Rise of Legends tourney announced
Intel, ATI, and Logitech will be sponsoring a Rise of Legends tournament that includes $100k in prize money. Qualifying events will be held between September and November, and the top eight combatants will be invited to the final round in January to determine the "ultimate champion". Visit the official site for details.Professional gaming has been a frequent topic of discussion in recent months: Gaming at the Olympics? It could happen Pizza Hut to sponsor cyberathletes Guild Wars Factions Championship update
Metareview - Rise of Legends
The double-edged sword of success must have weighed heavily on the minds of Brian Reynolds and his creative team at Big Huge Games. In developing Rise of Legends, they were faced with the challenging, yet unenviable task of following up the game's hit predecessor, Rise of Nations. So what do you do for an encore? First, retain Nations' user-friendly interface, and then overcompensate for some poor audio choices by introducing three oddly original, and exceptionally balanced races. Those looking for a unique twist on traditional RTS civilizations will appreciate Legends' blend of classic fantasy, myth, and technology, as well as the visual quality Big Huge has become known for. 1UP (90/100) gives kudos for balance and diversity among the Vinci, Alin, and Coutl races: "Whereas Rise of Nations had a bunch of historic civilizations with relatively minor distinctions in their units and technology, Rise of Legends throws only three races into the fury, but they're both unique and incredibly well balanced." IGN (82/100) likes a good fight in campaign mode: "The AI is generally very good. The enemy knows how to use its hero units and, though it still suffers from the trickle tactics of most RTS' AI, it can still manage to put together a sizable enough force to make you break a sweat. If the challenge level isn't just right, you can actually adjust the game's difficultly at any point during the campaign." Gamespot (76/100) warns of a potentially difficult transition from standard RTS fare: "Each of the civilizations is so offbeat that there are no reference points, no similarities to RTS conventions that you can latch onto and use to dip a toe into the weirdness. The story in the campaign is decidedly convoluted, as well." [via Metacritic]
New Rise of Legends trailer available
A few years ago, Big Huge Games scored a hit in the RTS genre with Rise of Nations, and they are currently finishing up its successor, Rise of Legends. IGN has an updated trailer that shows off some of the sequel's impressive cinematics and gameplay.Unlike the first game, Legends abandons planet Earth for an original sci-fi/fantasy setting where magic and technology collide. In addition to three new playable races, look for an improved multiplayer experience. Rise of Legends is due next month, and you can check out the game's official site for more information.
