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Curt Schilling to repay a fraction of $75 million game loan
The saga of former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's 38 Studios, the state of Rhode Island and an awful lot of money might finally be over. At the end of July, it was announced that 38 Studios wouldn't face criminal charges for a failed $75 million loan for Project Copernicus, a massively multiplayer online game set in the Kingdoms of Amalur universe. Now, Schilling and his compatriots only have to pay $2.5 million to settle the lawsuit out of court, according to the Associated Press.
Curt Schilling's defunct game studio won't face criminal charges
Curt Schilling's 38 Studios has run into plenty of trouble since declaring bankruptcy in 2012, not the least of which is an SEC lawsuit this year. However, criminal cases won't be contributing to its headaches. The Rhode Island State Police have determined that they won't file charges over the failed $75 million loan for Project Copernicus, the massively multiplayer online game that was to have followed Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. There were "no provable criminal violations" in the way the developer secured its cash, the police say. The decision isn't completely shocking (federal officials decided against charges back in 2012), but it eliminates what chances were left of staff facing prison time.
Court approves settlement over Curt Schilling's failed game studio
The longstanding battle for compensation following the death of Curt Schilling's state-backed game studio, 38 Studios, is one step closer to winding down. A Rhode Island Superior Court judge has approved a $12.5 million partial settlement with four of the defendants in the case, helping recoup some of the $75 million poured into the failed Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning creator. This definitely isn't the end -- Schilling is still fighting the lawsuit, for one thing. Between this and an earlier $4.4 million settlement, though, the tide appears to be turning against the former baseball star. [Image credit: Tony Avelar/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
ICYMI: Turbine sunbather, NASA stress test and an aquatic hedge trimmer
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-447825{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-447825, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-447825{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-447825").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Today on In Case You Missed It, Usain Bolt may be the "fastest man on Earth" but he can't outrun a cameraman on a Segway. An amatuer drone pilot stumbles across a sunbather 200 feet above the ground. NASA puts its 3D-printed rocket engine pump through a grueling series of tests. The UK showcases its amphibious weedwhacker and some delightfully demented genius has recreated the Pokemon theme song within Grand Theft Auto V. If you come across any interesting videos, we'd love to see them. Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd. And if you just want to heap praise on your handsome guest host, feel free to hit him up @mr_trout.
Rhode Island set to pay 38 Studios bonds. Probably.
38 Studios collapsed upon itself in a heap of flaming disaster last year, and Rhode Island taxpayers ended up stuck with the bill. The state used a $75 million loan, acquired through the sale of taxable bonds, to convince 38 to operate within its borders, and RI is now on the hook for around $89 million after the studio declared bankruptcy. Some state lawmakers in Rhode Island flirted with the idea of "walking away" from the debt, which is apparently a privilege afforded to a government and not its citizens. However, the state's House Finance Committee has approved a budget that includes, at the very least, making an interest payment of $2.5 million on the debt in May 2014. If Rhode Island is running off the plan it talked about last month, this first payment will be followed by yearly payments of $12.5 million until the debt is repaid. The budget hasn't passed; it still needs to get through the state's House and Senate. Future interest payments will also have to be approved by the state legislature.
Fallen kingdom: 38 Studios' collapse and the pitfalls of using public money to support tech companies
In a career filled with many clutch throws from the baseball mound, former Boston Red Sox ace Curt Schilling's main calling card was a gutsy post-season performance made even more memorable by a blood-soaked sock. It was a pitch made by Schilling outside of Major League Baseball, however, that would prove to be his most daring one yet. In 2010, Schilling convinced Rhode Island officials to give his video game company, 38 Studios, a $75 million loan guarantee. A self-professed fan of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), Schilling's dream was to create a worthy competitor to Blizzard's MMORPG juggernaut, World of Warcraft. In 2006, Schilling started Green Monster Games, which was later renamed 38 Studios. Luring the company away from Massachusetts was supposed to bring in more than 400 jobs and serve as the linchpin for launching a new tech-based industry in Rhode Island. Instead, the state's taxpayers found themselves left at the table with a multimillion-dollar tab.
Verizon's FiOS TV expansions: August 30, 2008
It has been a pretty quiet week for Verizon on the FiOS TV front, and while a slew of new places were treated to FiOS high-speed internet, just a few locales picked up notices of incoming TV service. Nevertheless, Snohomish County, Washington granted the provider a video franchise, as did the village of Fishkill, New York. Glocester and Smithfield, Rhode Island residents, on the other hand, can place their orders right now should their home be within the service area. We'll see you next week -- here's to hoping your neck of the woods gets covered within the next seven days.Read - Washington expansionRead - New York expansionRead - Rhode Island expansion
Cox bringing handful of new HD channels to Rhode Island
Hot enough for you, New England? If you've been scrounging for any reason whatsoever to remain indoors, take a listen at this. The latest Cox New England newsletter has informed its recipients that USA HD, Bravo HD, SciFi HD and AMC HD are on the way (along with one other), and our tipster in Rhode Island was able to confirm. Additionally, CNBC HD was mentioned in the pamphlet, so we'd cautiously assume that it too will surface in the near future. Sadly, no launch dates were given for any of the stations.[Thanks, Allan]Update: RI can expect these on June 18th; CT / MA will have them June 25th. Thanks everyone!
Verizon unloading $86 million on Rhode Island network expansion
Verizon's doing more than just blessing Oregon customers with more HD content -- it's also preparing to bring its fiber-based services to even more folks in the Ocean State. $86 million has been set aside to invest in network expansion within Rhode Island, promising FiOS TV to an additional ten communities (specifics were solely absent) and giving another 50 union-represented technicians and customer service representatives a job. Yep, all that new cabling means expanding its Providence-based Fiber Solutions Center, but it failed to mention when the new hires would take place. Lastly, it's planning on upgrading the internet services in Cranston, Hope Valley, Jamestown, Narragansett, Pawtucket, Providence, Tiverton and Weekapaug, giving each of those locales download speeds of 7-megabits per second.
Interactive Media Guide hits more FiOS TV areas
Nearly half a year after Verizon began rolling out its Interactive Media Guide to select subscribers, the carrier is finally announcing that a new batch of customers can now look forward to receiving it. Reportedly, "a number" of users in New York, California, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia can now take advantage of the free IMG, and while specifics weren't doled out, we are told that it'll be making its way to other states "soon." On another note, Ocean State residents can thank the Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, as it has just given VZW approval to start offering service in those zones we heard about last month. Oh, and for outcasts in Burrillville, Central Falls, Cumberland, East Providence, Glocester, Lincoln, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Smithfield and Woonsocket, rest assured that Verizon is already seeking a license for your neck of the woods.Read - IMG comes to more statesRead - Verizon FiOS TV green-lit in more of Rhode Island
Rhode Island gets a lot more FiOS TV
Wondering what Verizon was going to get you for the holidays? If you find yourself a resident of the Ocean State, the answer could be FiOS TV access. Reportedly, the Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities and Carries granted Verizon licenses just this week to operate cable TV services in Charlestown, Cranston, Foster, Hopkinton, Johnston, Narragansett, North Providence, Providence, Richmond, Scituate, South Kingstown and Westerly. Apparently, Verizon had secured a license to operate in Service Area 6 earlier this year, but just now got approval on Areas 2, 3 and 8 covering the locales mentioned above. At first, just 29-percent of households in these communities will be able to get hooked up with FiOS TV, but if you aren't one of the fortunate ones when installations begin in "just a few weeks," hold VZW to its promise of "continued expansion in the coming year."
Rhode Island's gaming convention and the college gaming scene
When most people think of gaming conventions, they probably think of major national events like the late great E3, industry confabs like the Game Developers Conference, or even vaguely game-related fanfests like Comic-Con. They probably don't think of more local, personal affairs like the University of Rhode Island's annual gaming convention, which was held for the 16th time this weekend on the campus' Memorial Union. This is perhaps understandable, as the University's student paper explains the event had somewhat limited attendance due to a lack of advertising. But it's also a shame, in a way, that more people couldn't be persuaded to get together for the con's Guitar Hero II, Halo and Gears of War tournaments. We know college students play games -- hanging out with your buds and playing Madden or Halo all night is practically a rite of passage on most campuses. What we don't understand is why organized gaming clubs so often struggle to attract widespread interest on campuses that might have thriving clubs for everything from paintball to napping. Despite the common casual interest, most students don't seem to see gaming as something to join together over in an organized club setting. Or maybe our impressions are off. To our college readers out there: what's the gaming scene like on your campus? Is gaming mainly a personal pastime, or do students often get together to play socially? Let us know in the comments thread below.
Verizon FiOS hitting 50Mbps in more states
Sure, it's not quite 100Mpbs, but hey, the folks in Massachusetts and Rhode Island will probably take what they can get. Verizon has just announced that Massachusetts and Rhode Island have now joined New York, Connecticut and New Jersey as states where Verizon "has increased the maximum connection speed of both its mid-tier and top-tier FiOS Internet services." Previously, their mid-range connection topped out at 15Mbps downstream and a paltry 2Mbps upstream, while the high-end package offered just 30Mbps up and 5Mbps down. Basically no other details were given, but Verizon did state that it planned on bringing similar speed boosts to "11 other states where the service is available" during the course of this year, but didn't mention any type of price decreases from the admittedly lofty monthly charges top-tier customers currently pay. Now, how about we get FiOS to more homes before giving all the lucky ones even more bandwidth to play with next time you get the itch to upgrade, okay Verizon?[Via GigaOM]
Texas, Rhode Island Apple Stores on the way
According to Apple Retail watchdog site ifoAppleStore, Houston, Texas and Providence, Rhode Island may have brand new Apple Stores in their respective futures. First, they suggest that Houston's second Apple Store will appear at the Memorial City Mall, bringing Texas' tally of Apple Stores to seven. In Rhode Island, it looks like Apple has finalized plans for a location in the Providence Mall. Good luck to locals of both locations. We hope these plans come to fruition. For those of you in southern New England, don't pass up Ye Olde English Fish and Chips in Woonsocket, RI while on your way to the Providence Mall. That place is fantastic.
