Federal Charges Against 38 Studios Dropped
The story continues, but with a silver lining for Curt Schilling at least.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Players: One Player Offline
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genres: Action, RPG
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genres: Action, RPG
Release Date: February 7, 2012
Developer: 38 Studios, Big Huge Games
MSRP: $59.99
Developer: 38 Studios, Big Huge Games
MSRP: $59.99
Explore the world of Amalur as a recently revived hero! Become the master of your own fate as you uncover quests and save Amalur from imminent destruction.
Curt Schilling is “tapped out” after the 38 Studios Collapse
Posted By Robert G. about 10 months, 4 weeks ago
"i'm completely tapped too." he said..
It’s no secret now the desperate financial situation that Curt Schilling’s former game studio is in. But the employees of 38 Studios are not the only ones being affected by the closing, as Schilling reveals in an interview on the WEEI Radio show.
According to the interview, Schilling has been “tapped out” by the closing of 38 Studios. “I put everything in my name in this company. I believed in it. I believed in what we built. I never took a penny in salary. I never took a penny for anything.” Schilling has also revealed that he has put his entire savings into 38 Studios, and now it has pretty much evaporated in the wake of this ordeal.
38 Studios is currently in Chapter 7 bankruptcy, meaning full liquidation of the entire company and its assets. The documents showed that 38 Studios owed over $150 million to more than 1,000 entities, most of which is tied into the Rhode Island Economic Development Corp. Because the company had less than $22 million in assets, the taxpayers of Rhode Island will have to pick up the tab.
His interview also revealed that the company was on the verge of signing a $35 million dollar deal for a sequel to Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, which has now fallen through. Schilling also said that Kingdoms of Amalur did not make any revenue, despite selling over 1.5 million copies in the four months it was on the market, due to repaying an advance from publisher Electronic Arts.
It is clear that Schilling is sympathetic over the entire situation. “The employees got blindsided,” said Schilling. “They have every right to be upset. I always told everybody if something were going to happen, you’re going to have a month or two of lead time, and I bombed on that one in epic fashion.”
Source: Boston Globe
RAD episode 238-Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Review a day sets out to travel to the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Birdman is a skeptic in this review. He has heard many great things about this game but does it live up to the hype? Will this game be the game to replace his late night Skyrim addiction?
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Review
To write off 38 Studios freshmen effort based on the superficial judgments may be missing out on something rather solid, and that is what Reckoning brings to the table. Once an MMO, the bones of its previous design offer an experience that, while doing nothing to move the genre forward, is content at being adequate at what it does.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Video Review - ZGR
Does Single-player World of Warcraft sound super cool to you?!? Check out Reckoning! 
Assets of Amalur Now Property of Rhode Island
With 38 Studios’ assets seized, now comes the open bidding.
Curt Schilling is "tapped out" after the 38 Studios Collapse
“The employees got blindsided,” said Schilling. “They have every right to be upset.”
Breaking: '38 Spouse' Tell's All; A Personal Look at the 38 Studios Collapse
This is her side of the story…
Epic Scoops Up Former Big Huge Game Employees, Contemplate New Studio
Kingdoms of Amalur devs are getting a new home.
38 Studios & Big Huge Games Layoff Entire Staff
Remember when you were a kid, and it was awesome that you didn’t have to go to school because it got snowed in? This isn’t like that at all.
38 Studios Solvent Scare Aftermath: Layoffs, Job Fairs and Amalur's IP Worth
They are not out of the woods yet, that’s for sure.
38 Studios in Trouble? (Update: Now With Video)
Kingdoms of Amalur developer may be struggling to say solvent.
Federal Charges Against 38 Studios Dropped
The story continues, but with a silver lining for Curt Schilling at least.
Assets of Amalur Now Property of Rhode Island
With 38 Studios’ assets seized, now comes the open bidding.
Curt Schilling is "tapped out" after the 38 Studios Collapse
“The employees got blindsided,” said Schilling. “They have every right to be upset.”
Breaking: '38 Spouse' Tell's All; A Personal Look at the 38 Studios Collapse
This is her side of the story…
Epic Scoops Up Former Big Huge Game Employees, Contemplate New Studio
Kingdoms of Amalur devs are getting a new home.
38 Studios & Big Huge Games Layoff Entire Staff
Remember when you were a kid, and it was awesome that you didn’t have to go to school because it got snowed in? This isn’t like that at all.
38 Studios Solvent Scare Aftermath: Layoffs, Job Fairs and Amalur's IP Worth
They are not out of the woods yet, that’s for sure.
38 Studios in Trouble? (Update: Now With Video)
Kingdoms of Amalur developer may be struggling to say solvent.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Review
Posted By Robert G. about 1 year, 3 months ago
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Review
Upon first glance, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a game that consumers may approach with a dose of cautious skepticism. Right off the bat it seems to be an amalgam of several high-profile RPG systems, from Fable to Elder Scrolls to World of Warcraft, and usually these hybrid monsters rarely work. But to write off 38 Studios freshmen effort based on the superficial judgments may be missing out on something rather solid, and that is what Reckoning brings to the table. Once an MMO, the bones of its previous design offer an experience that, while doing nothing to move the genre forward, is content at being adequate at what it does.
| PROS | Excellent combat mechanics, the fates system, great graphical style and visuals. |
| CONS | Clichéd storyline and banal dialogue, audio syncing and balance issues. |
| WTF?! | Ripping monsters in half with your purple reckoning power! |
Reckoning starts off like most RPGs, with a blank slate, created character that is thrown into prominence because of plot convenience, although this time it’s because you were dead and revived through unknown means. One thing leads to another, and your heroic avatar learns that he is outside the “threads of fate,” a belief in the world of Amalur where everything is connected to a pre-determined path that people follow from birth to death. Of course, you are the exception to the rule, as you can wield your own destiny and change the fate of the world.
The story is primarily spearheaded by NY Times Bestseller R.A Salvatore, best known for the Icewind Dale trilogy back in the late 1980s. But with no disrespect to Mr. Salvatore, a majority of his works, while well written, are often formulaic schlock in the genre, the archetypical high fantasy with formulaic conclusions. The main quest in Reckoning follows this to the letter, you have the good guys, the bad guys, and maybe one or two people who are in the middle, but they follow the same characterization as everyone’s favorite fairy tale Mary Sue, the drow Drizzt-Do’Urden.
Guess who Alyn Shir is based on…no really, guess…
I think it’s a shame too, because Reckoning has a bundle of great backstory and lore that fills in the gaps of the in-game world. It’s just a shame that the route taken in the main quest line can be lifted out of any Salvatore novel. While listening to clichéd lines of exposition spouted out by a talking tree for example, it’s hard not to count how many times Tolkien was “lovingly copied” in the main points of the discussion. To be fair, this is a hallmark of high fantasy-style prose, but in a world where The Witcher and Dragon Age exist, striving to push fantasy into a more ambiguous setting of ethical morals and grey protagonists, it is hard not to notice the pitfalls in the story this time around.
It also shows in how conversations are handled in Reckoning. Following a hybrid wheel/list design, the voiceless protagonist gets to choose a response for important conversations, and a list of major talking points for everyone. But the caveat is that the dialogue ultimately becomes unnecessary to the design; most quest lines have little, if no, real reason to listen to the plight of the quest givers.
7/10
RAD episode 238-Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Review a day sets out to travel to the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Birdman is a skeptic in this review. He has heard many great things about this game but does it live up to the hype? Will this game be the game to replace his late night Skyrim addiction? Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Review
To write off 38 Studios freshmen effort based on the superficial judgments may be missing out on something rather solid, and that is what Reckoning brings to the table. Once an MMO, the bones of its previous design offer an experience that, while doing nothing to move the genre forward, is content at being adequate at what it does. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Video Review - ZGR
Does Single-player World of Warcraft sound super cool to you?!? Check out Reckoning!-
February 14, 2012 at 07:33pm
“But with one of the most anticipated RPGs to be released less than a month from now”
I hope you’re not talking about ME3. Because that’s not a RPG.
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February 14, 2012 at 06:52pm
I like the game so far, the plot is interesting, sure it’s ultimately predictable but I like the idea of a world basically ruled by fate having it’s status quo upended by some odd cosmic loophole, that’s rather interesting. The gameplay is solid and I love the Destiny system, overall the game is a good first attempt, if they make a sequle that improves on all that this game got right I’d totally buy it.
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February 13, 2012 at 10:24pm
So what Salvatore kind of story do we get? Nothing new but enjoyable Salvatore of the Crimson Shadow Trilogy, Cleric Quintent, Icewind Dale/Dark Elf trology, and Demon Wars trilogy kind of writing or cashcow writing of everything Drizz’t related since and second Demon Wars trilogy?
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February 13, 2012 at 10:10pm
i actually really like this game, but im a loot whore at heart and this game satisfies my loot whoring. its by no means superb, but it is fun and long with plenty to see and do.
also, if you decide to play, keep in mind that pure mages are ridiculously overpowered in this game.
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February 13, 2012 at 09:03pm
I buy that game…. and return it for credit for Mass Effect 3 5 day later.Dont get me wrong,the game good.But, I prefer when I game have memorable character and story insted of endless chain quest , fea that look like the same (Seriusly , they all look the same!) and boring dialogue.
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February 13, 2012 at 08:46pm
I like the game alright it’s just really easy to put down, and by that I mean take a break from playing. Oh and can we PLEASE stop having namby pamby stereotypical tree-hugging elves (Fae) in fantasy games? I’m so sick of the Fae in this game and their Gaelic accents through that weird audio filter talking like Shakespears vomit.
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February 13, 2012 at 06:50pm
Felicis day? it’s felicia day isn’t it. Oh man that would be sweet if that elf chick was modelled after her.
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February 13, 2012 at 08:02pm
I was thinkin’ her outfit reminded me of the chick from Neverwinter Nights, here: http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs42/f/2009/096/2/1/Neverwinter_Nights___Aribeth_by_Chiqi.jpg
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Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Video Review - ZGR
Does Single-player World of Warcraft sound super cool to you?!? Check out Reckoning!
RAD episode 238-Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Review a day sets out to travel to the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Birdman is a skeptic in this review. He has heard many great things about this game but does it live up to the hype? Will this game be the game to replace his late night Skyrim addiction?
RAD episode 238-Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Review a day sets out to travel to the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Birdman is a skeptic in this review. He has heard many great things about this game but does it live up to the hype? Will this game be the game to replace his late night Skyrim addiction?
While I’m inclined to agree that any business with EA seems to turn into bad business in general, I honestly can’t bring myself to hold it against him.
Yes, he probably should have learned more about the industry. However, the bottom line is this: he was a man with a passion and made an effort to pursue that dream. He failed. Unlike most who are on such a small scale that they can cope and manage the damage of their failure, he has no such luxury. He aimed big, poured everything he had into it and as a result lost even more. Not only that, he’s far from the only one. Countless people put their hopes, their jobs, their livelihood on the line for this, some knowingly and some not so much, and it’s devastated the large majority.
He’s the figurehead here so he takes most of the flak and make no mistake, he’s pretty much ruined for all intents and purposes. Out of everyone hit, he’s probably the one hit the worst. It’s not necessarily his fault either. The ball was dropped on multiple fronts but make no mistake, Mr. Schilling is the one with his ass in the fire roasting. Others will recover, he won’t.
I just can’t bring myself to blame him for trying to bring to reality a passion of not just his, but most of those involved in the project…
That said, I can say I reeeeeeaaaallly don’t like EA and I’m definitely seeing a pattern of involvement with the quote unquote ‘Most evil cooperation in America’. That title does not come lightly >_<
EA has nothing to do with this.
Please, stop involving them.
Sry sry, I can’t help it on that one. I wasn’t trying to infer that EA was at fault on this one so much as poking fun at the fact that anything even remotely published under it’s banner lately seems to turn to ash, destined to wither, be it from karma or some other unholy force at work -_- Didn’t mean to imply that they were at fault and thank you for correcting me on that, as it does sound that way.
“Schilling also said that Kingdoms of Amalur did not make any revenue, despite selling over 1.5 million copies in the four months it was on the market, due to repaying an advance from publisher Electronic Arts.”
That sounds like involvement to me. Whether or not their actions in the capacities as publisher and lender had any influence which lead to this event are obviously unknown to us and likely will remain so. However, there’s certainly odd circumstances which have that EA smell on them.. like the planned sequel and MMO development before the game even finished production. Or are we taking the normal BT stance where the publishers are these magical entities that have nothing to do with the games they publish?
Was it just bad business planning on 38studios part? Probably, but there is certainly plenty of reason for people to think to any harm caused to an entity that EA has even rubbed up against in a subway is somehow EA’s fault.
you guys do realize that the only involvement EA had was through the publisher program, right? The thing where they sign a contract to publish the game, and put it out for the consumers because no one else wants to touch it, they get some of the profits from sales and can create promotions with the company and marketing.
You know, a business deal and nothing more.
I find this conspiracy that EA is a problem just funny now…its like you guys are trying to find excuses to blame something on them. In the end it was Schilling who signed the contract, who made the goal lofty and didn’t pay his people, not EA. EA just made sure the game came out.
So it’s pathetic that people blame them for this, when the blame is all on 38 Studios for mismanagement, and Rhode Island, for, well, mismanagement.
And why develop MMOs? Had they never spend a penny on it, and instead just made a sequel, they sure wouldn’t have gotten themselves bankrupt, or at least not so fast.
For a guy who was so passionate about gaming he didn’t seem to know much about how the industry worked and that was his undoing. He really should’ve started with a smaller game instead of developing a full RPG and a MMO in quick sucession.
And don’t go into business with EA. Why the hell do game studios not get this yet?
Origin, Westwood Studios are just the two biggest names that went under after going into business with EA. And let’s face it, BioWare is next.
EA is not involved with this, since the game was only published by them, and is not an in-house developer.