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Our own Alexander Sliwinski talks 38 Studios with Fox 25 News
Here at Joystiq, we spend most of our time hunched over laptops pumping out a steady stream of news for you to consume. But every now and again, one of us is ripped out from behind the comfort of our mobile workplace to talk gaming news with a mainstream outlet – today is such a day.Following the unfortunate events at 38 Studios and Big Huge Games, News Editor Alexander Sliwinski took to Boston-area affiliate Fox 25 News to talk all things 38 and Rhode Island. We're hoping that his dashing suit and suave demeanor will help to convince you that our whole staff is made up of debonair jetsetters, even if we know in our hearts that's a stone-cold lie.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning had to sell 3M 'just to break even,' RI governor says
Despite Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning selling "1.22 million copies in its first 90 days" according to 38 Studios head Curt Schilling, it apparently never crested the 3 million mark it needed to break even. "The game failed, the game failed," Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee told attendees of a press conference this afternoon.According to "experts" speaking with Chafee's office, Reckoning needed to sell over 3 million copies "just to break even," never mind profit. The action RPG was released this past February to critical praise and modest initial financial success. It was credited with saving Big Huge Games from destruction back in 2009 when 38 Studios picked up the Baltimore studio, primarily for repurposing an already-in-production RPG into what we now know was Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.Both 38 Studios and Big Huge Games laid off their staffs this afternoon amidst major financial trouble at 38.
38 Studios lays off entire staff, sells Big Huge Games [Updated]
The 38 Studios disaster continues to unfold today, as the troubled studio laid off its entire staff and may be selling off its Big Huge Games division in Boston. Boston's Fox 25 News speculates that the studio may close by this weekend. 38 Studios CM Charles Dane confirmed being laid off on Twitter: "Now on the market. I had an awesome run with 38 Studios, but this dream is now ending." Word is that the company is also selling its subsidiary, Big Huge Games. Big Huge Games is the maker of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, 38 Studios' single-player prequel to its Copernicus MMO. This would not be the first time that Big Huge Games was sold by its parent company, as the studio experienced the same event back in 2009. Oh his Facebook page, Curt Schilling stressed that Reckoning did quite well in sales. "I wanted to clear up some misinformation around 38 Studios' first product, Reckoning. Sales of Reckoning outperformed EA's expectations and sold more than 1.2 million units in the game's first 90 days in the market." [Update]: Developer Ryan Shwayder has also confirmed the layoffs via his personal blog.
38 Studios and Big Huge Games lay off entire staffs [update]
38 Studios and Big Huge Games have both let go of their entire staffs, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Joystiq. Following reports that 38 Studios stopped paying staff on May 1, and just an hour before a scheduled press conference in Rhode Island addressing the recent 38 Studios financial debacle, both the Providence, RI-based 38 Studios and the Baltimore, MD-based Big Huge Games are no more."Big Huge Games was home for my wife and me for our adult lives so far. I'll miss it terribly, but so proud. Good night and good luck," former Big Huge Games lead world designer Colin Campbell said on his Twitter account. Big Huge's latest release was the moderately successful Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. The studio was picked up by 38 Studios back in 2009, and it crafted the first entry in 38's ambitious new universe: Amalur.The recent financial tumult arose following a defaulted payment from 38 Studios to the Rhode Island state government on May 1, indicating much larger financial issues that could ultimately lead to Rhode Island taxpayers owing up to $112.6 million between 2013 and 2020. It's unclear whether today's layoffs mean 38 Studios is unable to pay back the approximately $50 million its owes Rhode Island of a planed $75 million loan. If that's the case, Rhode Island will take over ownership of the Amalur IP, valued at around $20 million.We expect to hear more at a scheduled press conference this evening held by Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee.Update: WPRI got ahold of the internal memo to employees at 38 Studios, which reads: "The Company is experiencing an economic downturn. To avoid further losses and possibility of retrenchment, the Company has decided that a companywide lay off is absolutely necessary. These layoffs are non-voluntary and non-disciplinary. This is your official notice of lay off, effective today, Thursday, May 24th, 2012." Big Huge Games and 38 Studios collectively employed 379 full-timers as of March 15, according to the report.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning sales surpass 410,000
Any new intellectual property has it hard these days, but Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning seems to be doing okay with 410,000 copies sold in the US since launching a couple months back. WPRI.com reports the RPG from 38 Studios and Big Huge Games moved another 80,000 units in March, according to NPD data.As NPD spokesman David Riley notes, it's "an impressive figure for just two months, no matter how you slice it."It's even more impressive when one takes into consideration the data only covers the US and doesn't tally PC sales made through digital distribution networks (as EA recently stressed). In that case, the Reckoning portion of the Amalur franchise is doing well for a new IP.
PSA: Teeth of Naros DLC available for Reckoning today
Ready to take a bite out of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's "Teeth of Naros" DLC? The pack is available now on Xbox 360 for 800 MSP and PC for $10, and available later today on PSN for the same price.The expansion includes the floating city of Idylla, three new "Twists of Fate," a bunch of "Kollassae" and 20 side quests. Don't forget to pick up the latest armor fashions too and show them off around Amalur.%Gallery-152863%
Kings of Amalur: Reckoning 'Teeth of Naros' DLC media overview
Later this month, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning will add a new city and numerous side quests through the Teeth of Naros DLC pack. Well, before you venture to the floating isle of Idylla and meet its insanely hospitable people, who are in no way as cold as the stone of which they're partly made, learn the history of one of Amalur's oldest areas by checking out the trailer and gallery of screens below.%Gallery-152863%
'The Legend of Dead Kel' is Reckoning's second DLC, arrives on March 20
Interested in buying a fancy virtual house? Beyond a handful of new objectives on an island paradise (Gallow's End), that's exactly what you'll get out of the upcoming downloadable content for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, arriving on March 20 to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.The content claims to add 15% more space to the overall world map in Reckoning as well, and introduces new enemy types, dungeon areas, and loot. More importantly, though, it introduces Gravehal Keep, a fancy new domicile for your fate-less explorer to, presumably, throw garish parties. No pricing was given for the content, but we'd wager a dollar that it'll cost at least $10 when it arrives later this month.Update: EA confirmed the price at 800 MS Points/$9.99 across all platforms.%Gallery-149106%
Metareview: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Let's be honest, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's quality came as the first nice surprise of 2012. Our quibbles with this first installment in what we hope to be a lasting series didn't detract from it being a great fantasy RPG. Although other outlets weren't as smitten as us, the RPG from Big Huge Games, a studio that built its rep on real-time strategy series Rise of Nations, is getting some solid reviews. IGN (90/100): "Its random technical hiccups and inconsistent art style certainly holds it back from even higher levels of greatness. But no matter what you're looking for, whether it be amazing gameplay, immersive storytelling or perhaps a riveting new world to explore as you fully customize and re-customize your character at will, Reckoning has it all." Escapist (80/100): "Reckoning surprised me with its energetic combat, rich story, and dazzling visual style. The weight of all its parts threatens to pull it down, but the rigid skeleton holds strong. ... Don't pass on Amalur just because it's a new IP from a new company. Fans of RPGs with a focus on action won't be disappointed." Giant Bomb (80/100): "But it's hard not to be at least a little disappointed when you start seeing the various spots where the game doesn't live up to the high bar set by its best content. If you finish it fast enough to prevent those doldrums from setting in, you'll have a much better time than the person who digs through every nook and cranny to finish every single side quest." Eurogamer (80/100): "It's an unglamorous kind of success story, admittedly. And perhaps it's worrying for 38 Studios that the bland fantasy world it's hanging its future on is the least enticing aspect of its debut game. But it's not all elbow grease - Kingdoms of Amalur adds a splash of color and a lick of polish to the open-world RPG, and they couldn't be more welcome." Edge (60/100): "At its heart, Reckoning is an interesting tale about disrupting cyclical fate – ironic, considering the game's largely repetitive nature – and when the story gets to shine, 38 Studios and Big Huge Games' friendlier design presents a welcome change of pace."
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning online pass DLC detailed, available now
Project Ten Dollar continues unabated. All new copies of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning include something called House of Valor, essentially a DLC content pack offering seven exclusive quests and the Valor Arena where players must survive a "barbaric tournament and ultimately seize control of the arena."Players will meet new companions and rivals throughout these quests, earning unique items and other rewards along the way. Players without a code can purchase an online pass for 800 MS Points ($10) through Xbox Live Marketplace or the PlayStation Network.For more on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, make sure to check out the Joystiq review.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning review: A tempting fate
Confession time: I have not finished Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. Over the last several days, I've poured over thirty hours into the enormous world. After twenty or so, I resolved to avoid secondary tasks and focus on primary quests, hoping to finish the campaign before composing this review. And then, after reaching a milestone in the story, it occurred to me: I don't want to do that.Please understand, I have no desire to ruin this review for our readers. It's just that I don't want to ruin the game for me. To plow through Reckoning with no regard for the enormous array of tasks and quests, to ignore its hidden secrets, is a disservice to its lovingly crafted world.%Gallery-141585%
Meet Kingdoms of Amalur devs at GameStop midnight launch events
You may not know this, but most mages and fantasy archetypes don't get much sleep. If you're sleeping, who will vanquish all the rats in the town cellars and prevent the animals of the wild from threatening their crops? Who will transport arbitrary items from one town to another?That's why the planned midnight launch of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning at three different GameStop locations is such an appropriate plan. Curt Schilling and R. A. Salvatore, owner of 38 Studios and the game's writer, will be on-hand at the Bellingham, MA location. Todd McFarlane, who was in charge of the game's artistic vision, will be at the Tempe, AZ GameStop to greet fans, while lead designer Ken Rolston and select members from Big Huge Games will be at the Cockeysville, MD location.Doors will open at each location starting at 11:30pm on February 6.
38 Studios head Curt Schilling apologizes for 'buggy' Reckoning demo
38 Studios head Curt Schilling has found the NeoGAF forums, folks, and he is quite pleased with them. In a lengthy letter addressing the community, he starts things off by thanking everyone for a massive thread about his company's upcoming game, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. And after some minor promotion of said project, he quickly devolves into an apologetic rant about the recently released demo."Let me start by apologizing. The demo? Ya, it is way way WAYYYYY more buggy than anything ANYONE should ever release, much less a demo," Schilling wrote. He said that due to "the depth of breadth of a game that has anywhere from 40-50 hours (main quest line play) to 2-300 hours (for completionist)," it was inevitable there would be bugs. However, rather than releasing a demo with said inevitable issues, he argued with EA to not put out a demo at all. A fight that he said he's glad he lost."The demo has been a God send, especially when I realize even in this thread, how many people became aware because of the demo," Schilling said. "In a partnership there is a lot of give and take, and I believe in my team, they are world class, but when you have a publisher there are things happening you'd rather not choose. Shipping old code out 3 months prior to gold master to a 3rd party with no stake in the demo success can be problematic." Regardless of the issues, Schilling ultimately says he was glad for the exposure the demo granted Reckoning, and he'll be "chatting more" on NeoGAF in the future.[Thanks, Wombat!]
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning locks out questline via online pass [update: 38 Studios and EA respond]
It looks like the House of Valor faction in Amalur's various kingdoms will be joining Catwoman in the limbo-like world of online passes. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's House of Valor faction questline is dependent on players having an online pass that only comes with new copies of the game, as our reviews editor Richard Mitchell spotted in his retail copy of the game on Xbox 360.According to the insert included in our copy of the game, online pass owners (read: those who purchase new copies of the game) will get access to "seven additional player quests" throughout the House of Valor faction questline. It's unclear whether the PlayStation 3 and PC versions of the game contain the same stipulation, but we've reached out to EA for clarification.Update: 38 Studios community manager "Muse" posted the following statement to the 38 Studios forums, as pointed out in our comments section: "We wanted to post a quick clarification for something we've seen a few comments about. For what it's worth, the House of Valor content was not in the finished game/disc at one point, then removed. It isn't there and we're locking you out of it. The House of Valor was created as stand-alone content, and was always intended to be the first DLC. Instead of holding onto it and charging for it later, we opted to give it to everyone who purchases the game new, for free, on launch day. We hope that helps clarify that point, at least."Update 2: EA issued this response to Joystiq this afternoon: "The House of Valor quest line is free bonus content available to those who purchase a new copy of Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning for the Xbox 360 and PS3 by entering the Online Pass included with the game. PC players who purchase Reckoning at one of the many digital retailers online including Origin, Steam and more, will also receive the House of Valor quest line at no cost."
Tour the varied ecological landscape of Amalur
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's world seems to take its cues from Costa Rica when it comes to both ecological diversity and variety of environments. The latest trailer shows off just that as is, but we urge you to turn the volume down low and play this YouTube video in the background for the full effect.
Big Huge Games strongly recommends Reckoning install on Xbox 360
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's lead designer, Ian Frazier, calls upon the deities for Xbox 360 owners to install the game if they have the space. Speaking to OXM, Frazier stated quite plainly, "If you have a hard drive, for the love of God, please install."Installed copies will have "much, much smaller" load times, according to Frazier, which will allow players to get back to the "enemy-pounding funfest" as quickly as possible. Those looking to get a taste of Reckoning can try out the demo, downloadable now on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 -- install required.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning trailer ventures into art design
The latest trailer for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning adds color commentary to the artistic choices its design team made during development, delving into the thought process of world creation and character design. To see some of that work in action, check out the Reckoning demo, which is available now.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning demo available now on XBL; PSN and PC coming today
The demo for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is available now on Xbox Live, with the PC and PSN versions coming later today. The first reason to check out the demo is to finally get some hands-on time with this new RPG from Big Huge Games. We've had some good experiences with it in our demo sessions. Another reason to try out the game is to unlock two items for use in BioWare's Mass Effect 3. Playing the demo will unlock the close-combat focused Reckoner Knight Armor and Chakram Launcher with explosive ammunition discs.%Gallery-144145%
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning demo on Xbox Live Jan. 17, new trailer now
According to Major Nelson, a Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning demo is slated to appear on Xbox Live January 17. We've contacted EA to find out if the demo is also headed to PC and PSN, but history indicates it's likely headed that way as well. In the meantime, enjoy this new trailer, which outlines many of the systems in Reckoning. Let's just say that the influence of Ken Rolston -- ho also designed Morrowind and Oblivion -- is quite apparent.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning sets modest PC specs
The average hero lives their life day-to-day, most of the time only holding enough coin to fund their next expedition into a haunted mine or dark forest. The true hero is a frugal hero, not one seeking financial gain or notoriety. A post in the official forums for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning reveals some PC specs sure to surprise and delight those heroes who have stayed the course -- broke heroes, basically. If you haven't updated your equipment in some time, fret not. The only thing that may steer you off the course of adventure in 38 Studios' upcoming game is the graphics card: the minimum needed is a NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB or ATI Radeon HD3650 512MB or better; the recommended is a NVIDIA GeForce GTX260 1GB RAM or ATI Radeon HD4850 1GB RAM or better. Head past the break for the full list of minimum and recommended specs.
