38 Studios
Latest
Rhode Island selling 38 Studios' game assets
Do you have a few million on you and a desire to preserve some gaming history? Then pick up the phone and call Rhode Island, as the state is getting ready to sell 38 Studios' assets, including its games. The state is looking to recoup some of it $130 million debt that it fell into once 38 Studios went belly-up. One of Rhode Island's lawyers says there "is interest" in the studio's assets, including concept art, design documents, and computer software. The sale of 38 Studios' IP includes the Amalur franchise, which encompassed the Project Copernicus MMO. The state is also set to begin a lawsuit this week against former 38 Studios execs, including founder Curt Schilling. The suit claims that the executives did not inform the state when they knew that the studio would have a hard time keeping afloat financially. Schilling has asked the judge to dismiss the suit.
The Perfect Ten: MMOs that died in development hell
If you know me, you probably know that I have a weird fascination with alternate history. You know, the daydreams of historians when they're not rewriting the past to suit the latest trends. "What if?" my mind wonders, especially when it comes to MMOs. You see, for every game that actually makes it to launch, there are several that die gasping and alone in the bowels of development hell. Sure, many of these are pathetic creatures that didn't really stand a chance anyway, but there are some that could have made an impact on the industry if they had reached release and been halfway decent. We'll never know what a world would look like with these games in them, but we can always muse, "What if?" Continuing Perfect Ten's recent dark streak, here are 10 MMOs that died in development hell; it's to our eternal loss that we'll never get to play them.
Yep, it's more 38 Studios drama
Ah, 38 Studios. What would we do without the dried husk of your long-dead corpse to kick around the sanctified halls of American journalism, both actual and gaming? The latest drama from Curt Schilling's former studio comes courtesy of the New York Times, which reports on Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chaffee's latest attempt to distance himself from the fiasco surrounding 38's inability to pay back state loans. "I had so many reservations about this being a bad deal, that I was reluctant to micromanage, to have it be 'Chafee screwing this up,'" he told the Times. "And don't forget, we had our hands full in this state."
Rhode Island attempting to default on 38 Studios' debt
The AP is reporting that Rhode Island is attempting to default on the debt it owes for 38 Studios' $75 million loan and subsequent bankruptcy. The state has a proposal before lawmakers that would keep it from having to make any payments to bond holders. Supporters of the move to default say that the insurance company will compensate bond holders, while the EDC, which approved the loan, says that defaulting will hurt future project and bond ratings. One lawmaker and default proponent, Rep. Charlene Lima, said that the 38 Studios fiasco harmed the reputation of the state and constricted its future economic development. The proposal is being opposed by Governor Lincoln Chafee, who wants to see the debt repaid.
38 Studios may have 'actively masked' its financial hardship
Just when you thought the world might let the wound where 38 Studios and Kingdoms of Amalur were ripped from your heart heal over, along comes some new drama. Max Wistow, the lawyer for the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, filed documents on behalf of the state claiming that 38 Studios needed more than $75 million in loan guarantees before the company ever moved to Rhode Island. He argues that folks at 38 Studios knew that the funds they were receiving from the state would be insufficient. The company netted about $50 million from an EDC bond sale, and Wistow is claiming "crushing evidence" that 38 Studios actively masked its financial shortfall.
MMO devs most in danger of layoffs, study claims
In an attempt to answer the question of whether the games industry is dying or not, Twisted Pixel Lead Developer Dan Teasdale conducted research into all of the layoffs of 2012 and believes he has found that, among other things, MMO developers had the highest risk of being fired. "Looking at the the raw number of people affected, MMO teams laid off more developers than console teams," Teasdale argues. He notes that 38% of video game industry layoffs hit MMO studios, although only 26% of MMO studios did any firing. Layoffs in Boston and Austin, including the closure of 38 Studios, accounted for a third of all industry layoffs, which could look good or bad depending on the total number of studios in those two cities relative to the rest of the industry (info hard to come by and not included in the study). One upshot of the report was that MMO studios tended to lay off fewer people when firings happened in comparison to social, mobile, and console studios. "While this probably isn't a surprise, it's a clear indication that it's way harder to survive as a social or MMO developer than a console developer," he concludes. However, the analysis does not break down the types of employees laid off, such as designers vs. support, community, and temporary contractors, roles common in the MMO industry.
Revisiting Reckoning: How Kingdoms of Amalur got the single-player MMORPG right
This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity. Recently, I decided to play Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning in remembrance of its one-year anniversary this past February, knowing I'd have to contend with two things that dominated discussion about the game: the politics and failures behind the 38 Studios disaster and dealing with a game I had been warned was filled with fantasy nonsense names and detailed lore – a model of storytelling I find quite annoying. But when I finally played Reckoning, I was surprised to learn how much I enjoyed it. I had an instant gut reaction to the game's beauty. It reminded me of the best times I'd spent in massively multiplayer role-playing games, and that was totally unexpected. My first character in World of Warcraft, the MMORPG that consumed most of my time with the genre, was a Night Elf starting on the island of Teldrassil. What I remember of that first character's journey wasn't tied to game mechanics, player interaction or even narrative, it was the feel of that starting zone. I remember the lush setting, trees with a slightly exotic, magical tinge, luxurious purples and greens, the seemingly perpetual twilight, the hints of corruption and danger, and the music hinting at all of those things and the history of the Night Elves. Indeed, most of my best experiences while playing WoW solo took place in those verdant, corrupted provinces, with Feralas probably my favorite of the old world. I didn't expect to ever have the same feeling again, but Reckoning delivered.%Gallery-129421%
Schilling asks judge to throw out lawsuit over $75 million loan
Curt Schilling, founder of defunct 38 Studios, asked a judge to throw out The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation's lawsuit that alleges Schilling and studio executives misled the agency in securing a $75 million taxpayer-guaranteed loan. The lawsuit accuses Schilling and his crew of fraud, racketeering and conspiracy.Schilling's lawyers filed documents on Friday to Superior Court Judge Michael Silverstein, asking him to throw out the lawsuit. The documents claim Schilling and other board members repeatedly disclosed 38 Studios' financial situation to the EDC, and that the EDC knew $75 million wouldn't be enough to finish its MMO, Project Copernicus."Given the EDC's admissions concerning 38 Studios' disclosures to the EDC's executives, attorneys and financial advisor, it is impossible for the EDC simultaneously to claim that the 38 Studios defendants supposedly defrauded the EDC," the filing reads.
Curt Schilling asks judge to dismiss 38 Studios fraud lawsuit
Let's assume for a moment that you're Curt Schilling, formerly of the Red Sox and formerly of the now-defunct 38 Studios. You're facing a massive lawsuit for fraud regarding a $75 million loan from the state of Rhode Island. What do you do? It appears that Mr. Schilling's first approach is to ask the judge on the case to throw out the case entirely, claiming that the basis of the case is itself fraudulent. The crux of the lawsuit is the state's claim that Schilling and the 38 Studios board of directors willfully obfuscated the company's status from state lawmakers. Schilling has put forth that 38 Studios fully disclosed its status to the state investors on numerous occasion, providing them with an accurate picture of the company's financial situation. Due to this disclosure the allegations of fraud and obfuscation are simply not possible, hence the request for dismissal. Schilling goes on to claim that the entire suit is politically motivated and that the company's failure is chiefly due to Governor Lincoln Chafee not doing enough to save 38 Studios from bankruptcy.
Todd McFarlane talks about Project Copernicus
Spawn creator Todd McFarlane spoke with Kotaku recently and had some things to say about Project Copernicus, 38 Studios' would-have-been Kingdoms of Amalur MMO. He was the project's art director and says he really thought that it "was going to raise the bar." He remains hopeful that, in time, somebody will "be smart enough" to come in, sweep up the pieces of the unfinished MMO, and make something of it. The way McFarlane described it, Project Copernicus was very nearly a finished thing. "It's only ten yards away from the goal line," he explained. "If I had the extra cash I'd do it myself, because it's that cool." Skip below the cut to check out the full interview. (Project Copernicus talk begins at about the 5:20 mark.)
38 Studios debt to be partially repaid with bloody sock
In 2004, Curt Schilling ignored his doctor's advice and hobbled to the pitcher's mound with a wounded right ankle to win Game Two of the World Series, clenching the second of four straight victories against the St. Louis Cardinals and proving that the Curse of the Bambino had run its course. The blood-stained sock worn by Schilling on that day is now stuff of Boston legend and had become quite an icon during the series. It seemed to be a piece of memorabilia that Schilling wouldn't dare part with, but his recent business dealings have forced his hand. And foot. If you find yourself in need of a used bloody sock to frame in your sports den, you can start the bidding on February 4th. Schilling hopes to raise at least $100,000 through the auction.
Last week in MMO news: The best of Massively
Sometimes, you'd like to know that there are other MMOs out there, right? It's not all WoW, all the time! Our sister site Massively can provide you with everything you need to know about all of the other MMOs around -- past, present and future. Rumor: Blizzard's Titan is not a new IP and could be heading to consoles What is Project Titan? All we know about it right now for sure is that it's being developed by Blizzard, and we've been told on occasion that the game is not a new installment of one of Blizzard's existing franchises. But that may not be the case. According to rumors collected by fans, Titan may indeed be a spinoff of an existing IP and might even be aimed at the console market. New MMOs to watch in 2013 The year that was 2012 turned out to be a mixed bag for the MMO industry. For every piece of good news, there was a piece of bad news. Now that it's 2013, it's time to look forward, and Massively examines what the top ten most promising titles of 2013 may be. A video retrospective on 38 Studios discusses 'star-struck legislators' The sun has set on 38 Studios, but there's still a lot of people eager to analyze and dissect the company's rise and sharp decline. As a whole, it's been looked at and analyzed extensively from the gaming side, but the other factors that went into the studio's enormous state loan and subsequent burnout are examined more closely in a new video. Massively's week in review Don't let WoW Insider do all of the talking when it comes to Massively's best content of the week. The Massively staff themselves have picked out what they think is the best content their site has to offer in their own weekly roundup.
The Daily Grind: What was the MMO screw-up of the year?
I almost miss the carefree days 2011, when the MMO screw-up of the year was such an easy call: the time when a studio deleted an entire MMO from existence by accident and without any backups. Oops! But 2012? 2012 is trickier. I mean, you've got charging for hotbars, $50 hobby-horses, pandas, NCsoft closing a profitable game, the TERA lawsuit, the implosion of 38 Studios, the clownshoes of The War Z, innumerable banning scandals... we have a lot to choose from. So let's get busy choosing. What do you think was the MMO industry screw-up of 2012? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
A video retrospective on 38 Studios discusses 'star-struck legislators'
The sun has set on 38 Studios, but there's still a lot of people eager to analyze and dissect the company's rise and sharp decline. As a whole, it's been looked at and analyzed extensively from the gaming side, but the other factors that went into the studio's enormous state loan and subsequent burnout are examined more closely in a new video. This isn't about whether or not Project Copernicus would have been any good; this is about simple business and political pressures that doomed the project from the start. Curt Schilling started 38 Studios at the end of his baseball career, but it was a well-known fact that his attempts to court venture capitalists were unsuccessful. The video goes into depth regarding the political climate that encouraged Rhode Island legislators to sign the historic and ill-advised loan, as well as the factors leading to the company's ultimate demise. If you're interested in a broader view now that the smoke has cleared, take a look at the full video past the cut.
Events 2012: 38 Studios
38 Studios was the video game story of the year with mainstream appeal. Much of that mainstream appeal had to do with Curt Schilling, the former baseball player for the Boston Red Sox who went on to found his own video game studio. But the story was way more than Schilling.The state of Rhode Island and its taxpayers were on the hook for a $75 million loan given to the studio as part of an economic development deal. As the video game industry in the US works toward tax incentives to stop the slow brain drain to the north, the very public collapse of 38 Studios and its relationship to the government is exactly what those working on industry tax breaks – especially in neighboring Massachusetts – did not need. 38 Studio is a saga, but we've selected a couple pieces to highlight here that took place in the middle of the studio's collapse and its aftermath. 'Editorial: 38 Studios and the Dunkin delusions.' As evidence mounted against 38 Studios' survival, Alexander Sliwinski took a post at the Dunkin Donuts across the street and listened. The TV Stuff: News Editor Alexander Sliwinski appears on WPRI's Newsmakers to discuss 38 Studios as part of roundtable. Sliwinski on WFXT on day of studio layoffs. The 38 Studios auction closes down studio, grossed approximately $650,000.
The Perfect Ten: My biggest gaming moments in 2012
I am a complete sucker for three things: novelty soft drink flavors, Tom Servo's singing voice in MST3K, and end-of-the-year lists. Egads, I love the end of the year just for the lists alone. Everyone does them (copycats!), and I like to see how my opinions stack up against them. Plus, often I learn of cool things that happened or came out during the past year that I missed. So this is my list. My end-of-2012 list. I am devoting the 26th Perfect Ten of 2012 to the top 10 moments in MMO gaming and blogging. It was a rollercoaster of highs and lows, and looking back, I don't think I could've predicted half of the major events that happened in this industry. That's what I like about this gig: It keeps me on my toes.
Darksiders 2, Kingdoms of Amalur, EndWar all coming to PSN Nov. 20
Prepare to get your brutality, fantasy, and strategy on, as Darksiders 2, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, and Tom Clancy's EndWar are all arriving on PlayStation Network November 20. This week's PlayStation Blogcast confirmed the trio of PS3 digital releases.Darksiders 2 recently got its second downloadable content pack, Abyssal Forge. Developer Vigil Games claims the DLC has some of the toughest enemies in the game. But, as the saying goes, Death laughs in the faces of a game's toughest enemies, or something. According to the podcast, the PSN version of Darksiders 2 includes a pass to the game's Crucible arena, and the official soundtrack.Eccentric shoot-em-up Sine Mora lands on PSN next week too, for PS3 and Vita. Grinding onto Vita via PSN is Jet Set Radio, free for PS Plus users until the end of the year. Clan of Champions and the fifth episode of The Walking Dead will be available online for PS3.
Rhode Island EDC sues Curt Schilling and more over 38 Studios loan
Back in May, Project Copernicus developer 38 Studios became embroiled in the controversy of the year when the studio officially shut down and fired all 379 of its employees. The story quickly turned political as the studio had been granted a loan of $75m US by the state of Rhode Island and it became known that the tax-paying public could be hit for an estimated $150.7m US due to the studio's closure. The story of mishandled taxpayer money has played a big part in the politics of Rhode Island. Today that story developed further as the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (EDC), which granted the original loan and may therefore be responsible for the public debt, filed a lawsuit against the people who created the deal. The defendants named in the case include 38 Studios founder Curt Schilling, CEO Jennifer McLean, former EDC executive director Keith Stokes, Wells Fargo Securities and even Barclays Capital. Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee released a public statement about the lawsuit on YouTube.
Architects of 38 Studios' $75M loan sued by Rhode Island EDC
The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the quasi-public group that granted the $75 million taxpayer-guaranteed loan to 38 Studios, has filed a lawsuit against the architects of the 2010 deal. WPRI reports the defendants include 38 Studios founder Curt Schilling and CEO Jennifer MacLean, former EDC executive director Keith Stokes, Wells Fargo Securities, Barclays Capital and many, many more."I know you work hard for your paychecks, and for your tax dollars to be squandered is unacceptable. The board's legal action was taken to rectify a grave injustice put upon the people of Rhode Island," said Governor Lincoln Chafee in a prepared two-and-a-half-minute statement posted on YouTube (found after the break, with text transcript).The full complaint [PDF] alleges the former EDC board never ordered an independent assessment of 38 Studios' capabilities to finish Project Copernicus before the loan was approved, even though it was to do so. It also claims Wells Fargo received nearly $500,000 "in hidden commission from 38 Studios" that weren't disclosed to the EDC board.The recent public auction at 38 Studios' former Providence HQ grossed approximately $650,000. The auction at 38 Studios' Big Huge Games division in Maryland brought in $180,000. It's estimated 38 Studios owed $150.7 million when it declared bankruptcy, so far the state of Rhode Island has recovered about $830,000.Update: We got in touch with Law of the Game attorney Mark Methenitis to boil down exactly what Rhode Island is seeking in the suit. We've placed his analysis after the break.
SOE snags Project Copernicus lead dev for Vanguard
Former 38 Studios Lead Developer Steve Danuser is back in SOE's fold, this time working on Vanguard as a Creative Director. Danuser was originally a community manager for EverQuest II, but left SOE in 2006 to work on Project Copernicus. SOE recently announced his return and posted a developer spotlight on his history with MMOs and the company. Danuser is seemingly delighted with his new post: "I must say it's great to be back. Seeing so many old friends and colleagues again, it feels like coming home!" He mentions that some of the video game influences in his life that led him to development included Atari 2600 games and the Ultima series. In fact, one of the reasons he states that he enjoys Vanguard is that it captures "the qualities of classic RPGs." The biggest priority for Danuser and the rest of the Vanguard team is to improve the overall experience across the board, including bug fixes, hardware performance, and to revamp older content. [Thanks to John for the tip!]
