Rhode Island
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Rhode Island treasurer seeks to block $75M loan to 38 Studios
Rhode Island gubernatorial candidate Frank Caprio, who is also the general treasurer, is working to block the state's $75 million loan to 38 Studios. The Boston Globe reports Caprio wants to stop the loan guarantee, which the studio would receive in exchange for moving from Massachusetts to Rhode Island, until a new governor is sworn in. Several other gubernatorial candidates have also expressed concern. The multi-million dollar deal, which would leave Rhode Island taxpayers with the bill if 38 Studios was to go under, is key to the company creating a proposed 450 jobs in the state by the end of 2012. 38 Studios currently employs approximately 200 staff.
Rhode Island politicians speak out against 38 Studios deal
Though 38 Studios hasn't yet released a video game, it's already bringing together a particular community of people: Rhode Island politicians. The state's Economic Development Corporation (EDC) recently lured the studio over from its current home in Massachusetts with the promise of a $75 million loan -- a sum which just about every Gubernatorial candidate from the state has taken to publicly criticizing since it was first announced. For instance, Independent candidate Lincoln Chafee called for "the Board to suspend the commitment to 38 Studios," and to reconsider whether its the best way for Rhode Island to spend the loan. Moderate candidate Ken Block released a statement saying "seventy-five million dollars could go a long way to help many small businesses here in Rhode Island," also calling for the deal to be halted. Don't these guys realize that their campaigning might just be imperiling the stability of 450 futurejobs? Cut it out!
38 Studios moves next door to Rhode Island for 75 million smackers
Two weeks ago we reported that Rhode Island was attempting to woo 38 Studios away from Massachusetts with a tempting $75 million loan guarantee. Today we've gotten word that Curt Schilling's company has indeed taken the bait, and will be relocating to The Ocean State due to this sweet incentive. While there's no definite timetable on the move, Mass High Tech reports that this loan guarantee comes with a few strings attached: 38 Studios will receive partial loan payments only upon meeting certain milestones, and the company has to put all of its assets up for collateral. The loan comes from a special $125 million program to create high-tech jobs in Rhode Island, and the state hopes that 38 Studios will account for up to 450 new jobs once it arrives. Curt Schilling promised to "protect the loan guarantee that's been given by the state with the same passion and interest that I'm protecting my own investment in this company." 38 Studios recently announced that its single-player RPG, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, will be published by EA next year, with its MMO -- code-named "Copernicus" -- to follow.
38 Studios meeting with Rhode Island reps regarding studio move
A week before 38 Studios is finally set to reveal its EA-published title, "Project Mercury," former baseball player Curt Schilling's Massachusetts-based studio is playing hardball for tax breaks. The Boston Globe reports studio heads are set to meet with Rhode Island reps on Thursday to discuss, in part, up to $75 million in loan guarantees in exchange for moving the company down south (about a 90-minute drive from its current location). Representatives from the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation state that 38 Studios approached them about the potential move. According to the Globe, Schilling has said the studio plans to hire over 300 workers over the next couple years at 38 Studios and Maryland-based Big Huge Games, which the company acquired last year.
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.
ESA says Rhode Island game bill is unconstitutional, Jack Thompson ... agrees?
[Joe King] Rhode Island bill S.2156 (PDF) is silly ... (How silly is it?) ... It's so silly that even Jack Thompson recognizes it as unconstitutional. As GamePolitics reports, it's one thing when the Entertainment Software Associate (ESA) calls a bill "the same as all the other legislative proposals found unconstitutional by numerous federal courts." It's a whole other ballgame when Jack Thompson chimes in with, "The Bill won't survive a court challenge, nor should it ... Think I'm not going to help the legislature get it right?" Of course he is! Yes, Thompson did tell GP that he will attempt to advise Rhode Island legislators on how to amend the bill to pass legal muster. Hopefully the disbarred attorney won't cause the representative he assists to write an apology letter to his fellow House members when it's all over.
Verizon gears up for FiOS rollout in 27,000 Aimco apartments
It's incredibly obvious that one of Verizon's main opportunities for growth in FiOS TV is locking down contracts with housing facilities and apartment complexes, and while we've seen some small to medium-scale rollouts before, this one takes things to a whole 'nother level. Last year, the provider inked a deal with Aimco that would eventually bring fiber-based FiOS services to residents of some 27,000 apartments in 11 states across the nation. Now, 100 Aimco properties from coast to coast will be lit up with FiOS TV / internet / digital voice services prior to the onset of 2009, and that should make for quite a few happy tenants this holiday season.[Image courtesy of Apts247]
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.
