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Continue reading “38 Studios Employees Receive Some Owed Dosh”
Tag: Kingdoms of Amalur
“Fake Ass Witch Hunt” Against Curt Schilling Results In No Charges
The case of 38 Studios is finally coming to a close as the Rhode Island state attorney general Peter Kilmartin has declined to press charges against Curt Schilling and members of the state economic development board. According to an eight page report filed by the attorney general, there is not sufficient evidence to secure a conviction. While the decision means that no charges will be levied at this time, it does not interfere with the ongoing Securities and Exchange Commission charges levied against the state, nor does it prevent a later case being picked up should new evidence come to light.
Curt Schilling called the investigation a “fake ass witch hunt”
Former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling been the center of attention since the collapse of his game developer 38 Studios in 2012 and the ensuing investigation over a $75 million loan backed by the state of Rhode Island. The loan is being investigated over allegations that the parties involved knew that it would not be sufficient to complete work on Project Copernicus (the Kingdoms of Amalur MMO). The Rhode Island Economic Development Corp as well as Wells Fargo have been charged with fraud in relation to the loan.
(Source: Game Informer)
$12.5 Million Deal Reached In 38 Studios Lawsuit
In what is certainly not the final chapter to the long and twisted story of 38 Studios, Curt Schilling, and Kingdoms of Amalur, Rhode Island has announced a $12.5 million settlement with four more defendants from the original lawsuit. To the unfamiliar, 38 Studios headed by former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling relocated to Rhode Island on the promise of a $75 million state-backed loan to create their game Kingdoms of Amalur and eventually develop an MMO. Amalur failed to sell and 38 Studios went bankrupt, making the state (ie: its tax payers) liable for paying the rest of the loan.
The state of Rhode Island filed lawsuit against a wide variety of people involved, including Schilling himself, executives, former agencies, and banks involved in the loan. 38 Studios was accused of everything from fraud, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and more. The settlement is supported by both sides, with the state looking to recoup what is left of the defendant’s insurance and the defendants simply seeking to end the trial.
There are still other lawsuits ongoing, including one against Curt Schilling himself.
(Source: SF Gate)
38 Studios Missing Payments, Wants More Taxpayer Money
Ever since 2010, I did not think a developer could rattle my nerves as much as Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment and Gary Whiting, but 38 Studios and Curt Schilling are certainly looking to prove me wrong on all accounts. For the taxpayers of Rhode Island, the investment made by their state government by offering $75 million to 38 Studios to relocate and bring 450 jobs to the state, has turned into a nightmare. At this point in time if 38 Studios goes bankrupt, taxpayers will be on the hook for $112 million over the next eight years. Two days ago I reported that Governor Chafee had met with Curt Schilling to discuss keeping the company solvent.
Now we know that 38 Studios did not make its loan payment on May 1st. The Associated Press is reporting that Curt Schilling is now asking for more money from the state, although the amount has not been disclosed to the public. Governor Chafee, who did not support the loan citing 38 Studios’ lack of a successful release record, has committed to protecting the state’s investment and securing the taxpayer money, but has not responded to the request for additional funding.
While the loan doesn’t come directly from the taxpayer coffers, the agreement set up with 38 Studios means that Rhode Island will pay the lenders in case the studio defaults. So if 38 Studios loses, everyone in Rhode Island is going to pay for it.
We’ll have to wait and see as to what happens.
(Source: Associated Press)
Kingdoms of Amalur Online Perhaps Later This Year
“From the mediocre game that nobody bought and doesn’t really like that much, comes a big giant version of that game!”
-Todd McFarlane
Todd has a point. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning released one month ago and sales figures place the title at over one third of a million sales. Now that gamers are well versed in the realm of Amalur and the inner working concepts of fate, the team at 38 Studios is instituting phase two of Operation Franchise: Release an MMO. Labeled Project Copernicus, the Kingdom of Amalur MMO is set for release later this year, 2012.
I have my own concerns over Amalur’s prospects for a 2012 release. Assuming the game can hit its 2012 release, the folks at 38 Studios will be competing against The Secret World, TERA, Guild Wars 2, the new World of Warcraft expansion, Neverwinter, and more. Never mind the recent and future free to play transitions of existing MMOs, of course the existing market as it is.
I have high hopes for Amalur Online (my name), but I also recognize the kind of risks that are taken when a developer puts out an MMO for the first time. Crafting an MMO is very different from creating a single player game, and 38 Studios did the smart move by creating a fan base and setting out a base expectation for quality.
More on Amalur Online (not the actual name) as it appears.
MMO Fallout 