Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Message Board older than one year ago

#rumor Reports are circulating that Kingdoms of Amalur creators 38 Studios has shut down Big Huge Games, the developers who helped build the hit action RPG that came out earlier this year. If this is true, the shuttering of an entire studio would be the biggest bit of fallout yet from the 38 Studios/Rode Island financial imbroglio. More »

Generally, the weekend is life’s pause button. But occasionally, things happen. Strange things. Vile things. Things involving incessant backstabbery and good people falling on impossibly hard times. Oh, wait, I’m just describing yesterday’s Game of Thrones (wasn’t it great?). No, no, the real world weekend actually yielded a bloom-lit bounty of good news. In short, Kingdoms of Amalur developer 38 Studios (and subsidiary Big Huge Games) managed to at least temporarily ward off the Grim Reaper using that $1.125 million it wasn’t able to previously muster. Even so, this is just the beginning, and – somewhat terrifyingly – 38 still plans to plug the gaping wound in its bank account with an MMO. I’ve heard those things aren’t exactly cheap.

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38 Studios has released a "Project Copernicus" sizzle reel of landscapes this afternoon for the game that Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee announced this afternoon would launch in June 2013.

38 Studios's $1.125 million check to the state of Rhode Island has cleared, governor Lincoln Chafee announced during a press conference this afternoon, thus fulfilling the first required payment on the studio's loan from the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation.

Rhode Island is changing its legislation on tax breaks, closing loopholes pertaining to state funds being used for motion-picture endeavors, Chafee said. The state's interest lies in protecting the taxpayers, since "taxpayers have had a very generous deal for 38 studios," Chafee said.

"It's time for them to go out and get private capital funding," Chafee said. "That's the deal. It's a generous deal, but stick to it."

Rhode Island officials believe that the total of the $49 million loaned to 38 has been spent. Chafee said that until late April, meetings with 38 suggested that they would make their May payment.

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When we last glanced in Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning developer 38 Studios’ direction, trouble was afoot – but it was tiptoeing, perhaps while disguised as some form of shrubbery. Now, though, things have taken a whiplash-inducing turn for the worst. In short, Joystiq reports that former baseball star Curt Schilling’s unlikely venture has borrowed a total of $75 million from the state of Rhode Island – with a $1.125 million payment due on May 1. 38 – possibly now named after the amount of money in its bank account – couldn’t pay. Today, however, the company gave it a go anyway. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t end well.

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38 Studios was unable to make payroll this week, but is in the process of making the $1.125 million payment that set off the company's crisis earlier this week. WPRI reports that a spokesperson for the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC) did confirm that former Red Sox player Curt Schilling's video game company was unable to pay its employees.

A source tells Joystiq that beyond not making payroll, all temps and contractors at 38 Studios were let go this week.

At the same time, Governor Lincoln Chafee's office stated 38 Studios is in the process of making the overdue payment to the state. The head of the RIEDC, Keith Stokes, who approved the $75 million loan to 38 Studios in 2010, resigned late last night.

If 38 Studios does close, Rhode Island taxpayers will have to repay the $75 million bond (plus interest) through 2020, but they'll own the intellectual property of the developer, which would likely be sold at auction.

If the company does make the payment to the state, the next round will be owed in 2013. Of course, there won't be a 38 Studios much longer if it isn't paying employees.

Update: The hand-delivered check for the overdue $1.125 million payment has been returned by the EDC to 38 Studios after the company's chief financial officer said there were insufficient funds to cover it.

38 Studios was unable to make payroll this week, but is in the process of making the $1.125 million payment that set off the company's crisis earlier this week. WPRI reports that a spokesperson for the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation did confirm that former Red Sox player Curt Schilling's video game company was unable to pay its employees.

A source tells Joystiq that beyond not making payroll, all temps and contractors were fired this week.

At the same time, Governor Lincoln Chafee's office did state that 38 Studios is in the process of making the overdue payment to the state.

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To get a real sense of the severity of the situation between 38 Studios and the state of Rhode Island, here's a package by the Providence Journal. The events shown immediately follow today's "emergency meeting," where officials decided they didn't know what to do about the studio.

If 38 Studios does shutter, beyond Rhode Island taxpayers having to pay off the $75 million bond (plus interest) through 2020, it appears the state will also own the intellectual property of the developer as a parting gift. Reviewing updated documentation released by the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC) today, it appears 38 Studios put up all present and future IP by the company as collateral.

According to the documentation, 38 Studios' intellectual property rights and other collateral were pledged to the RIEDC and assigned to a trustee, which we've confirmed by pulling Uniform Commercial Code documentation. Any proceeds made from the sale of the collateral would go back to the bondholders. This covers "all rights, title and interest in any projects, including video game projects," such as Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and "Project Copernicus" - the title currently in development at 38 Studios.

"Based on what information I've been able to review on the 38 Studios situation, it appears that the funds they received from the RIEDC were secured by collateral that amounts to all of 38 Studios assets, including all of their intellectual property," attorney and Law of the Game editor Mark Methenitis told Joystiq this afternoon. "That would include all the rights to Kingdoms of Amalur and any other games they may have in development, even if no information about those titles has ever reached the light of day."

Today's emergency meeting by Rhode Island officials to determine what they are going to do about Curt Schilling's 38 Studios has concluded with officials freezing like deer in headlights. Nothing happened.

Rhode Island's Economic Development Corporation will take no immediate action to aid the developer, following a closed-door meeting attended by Governor Lincon Chafee and Schilling, who asked for additional help to save the company. Schilling refused to answer press inquiries and officials wouldn't declare how much money the studio is seeking.

"How do we avoid throwing good money after bad?" Chafee is quoted as saying after the three-hour emergency meeting finished.

If the studio doesn't receive assistance, it appears Rhode Island taxpayers may very be on the hook for the $75 million 38 Studios loan that, after interest, would require paying back $112.6 million through 2020.

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With Rhode Island politicians and 38 Studios silent on the precarious financial condition of the developer, the potential cost of the doomsday scenario to taxpayers has come to light. WPRI reports that if 38 Studios can't pay the bonds it received from the state, taxpayers will actually be responsible for paying back $112.6 million through 2020.

The math works a little something this this: The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation borrowed $75 million from private investors for 38 Studios, at interest rates between 6 - 7.75 percent, with the expectation that 38 Studios would pay it back with the sale of games.

For the record, 38 Studios has only launched one product, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, which it only had due to its acquisition of developer Big Huge Games. Big Huge Games was already working on an RPG prior to the sale, but altered it to fit the Amalur world after the purchase.

If 38 Studios can't pay, the governor is required to ask the General Assembly to repay bondholders.

Game industry sources tell Joystiq that if 38 Studios does collapse, despite this specific deal having been widely criticized from the start, it could have wider repercussions for the industry trying to obtain tax breaks in other states. The silence out of Providence right now is deafening.

Reckoning, indeed! A developing story out of Rhode Island has Governor Lincoln Chafee talking in uncertain terms about the financial condition of Curt Schilling's 38 Studios, which the state gave a $75 million loan to a couple years back to move down to Providence.

The Providence Journal reports Gov. Chafee spent a "weekend of work on this subject" and wouldn't go into specifics. "We're doing everything possible, like I would for any Rhode Island company," he said this afternoon. The Journal reports he added the work was about "keeping 38 Studios solvent."

38 Studios' "Project Copernicus" MMO has been in development at the Rhode Island studio. The studio has no booth planned for E3 and has given no indications as yet to have a product planned for this year.

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Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning didn't exactly set the world on fire, but it wasn't bad, either.

38 Studios may be in financial trouble, according to a report out of NBC 10 in Rhode Island.

"We're always working to keep Rhode Island companies solvent, and that's what we're doing with 38 Studios," said Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee to the local NBC affiliate.

The state made a $75 million loan guarantee in 2010 to initially bring 38 Studios to Rhode Island, a move now under scrutiny.

It’s only been a few months since 38 Studios released its first game, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. We’ve seen nothing of the long discussed MMO set in the same universe, codenamed Copernicus.

Chafee has not yet divulged specifics, only saying it's meeting with 38 Studios on “different issues.”

The studio has not yet responded to my request for comment.

The fateless destiny on any new intellectual property is hard, but Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning seems to be doing okay with 410,000 copies sold in the US since launch 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 very well for a new IP.

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.

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.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's Teeth of Naros DLC pack is chock full of giants (dubbed the "Kollassae") in a brand new land, 20 side quests and new enemies and weapons. It's set to launch on April 17 for $10.

EA has announced the second downloadable expansion for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning...

There's a reason Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning isn't called Kingdom of Amalur: Just the One, Thanks. Well, there are probably a few reasons it's not called that, but one that sticks out to us is the likelihood that Reckoning will have multiple DLC packs, if a group of new achievements listed by Xbox 360 Achievements is to be trusted.

The listing is labeled "DLC [Untitled DLC2]" and includes six achievements, five of which are secret. The known achievement is titled "Murder Most Fowl" and gives up 25 points for killing 50 Pteryx. The rest are super secret, but we imagine titles such as "Flipping the birds of prey" and "Cock-a-doodle-do your worst."

Now that Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is out and available, 38 Studios may be in a position to return to its storied "Project Copernicus." A few recent hires at Curt Schilling's studio make it seem that way. 38 has picked up both John Blakely, who worked on DCUO and Everquest 2, and Mark Hanson, who was involved with the now-extinct Lego Universe Online. Blakely will serve as 38's senior VP of development, while Hanson will be senior VP of operations and business.

Of course, both of those positions are fairly high up on the management chain, so they don't necessarily mean that 38 is right in the midst of Copernicus' main development just yet. But given that Kingdoms is out with solid sales numbers to back it up, it wouldn't be too surprising to see 38 Studios itching to get rolling on its MMO title set in the land we now know as Amalur.

This is a column by Kimberley Wallace where each week she visits an in-game world, acting as a travel agent. Read as she explores the nooks and crannies of each (probably war torn) landscape.
To say that Dalentarth is alive is an understatement; lush hues of green explode across the land, waterfalls magnify the deepest of blue water, intoxicating flowers jump out at you, and sky-scraping trees remind you how minuscule you are. Wolves and bears have taken to this world, along with a few new creatures you've never truly set eyes on, such as Kobolds, rat-like humanoids who mysteriously don't seem to gather candles.

Many visitors often have troll sightings, but just be sure to refrain from feeding them, seeing as you would be the snack! Now, we do have another warning for those who are arachnophobic: the Dalentarth region has a bit of a spider problem. With giant poisonous spiders, though, this is the perfect place to conquer your fears. It doesn't get any better of a deal than that, so please send your thank you letters to our agency. We love helping you overcome adversity!

Can we interest you in visiting a place that you thought only existed in your childhood fantasies? Take a moment and think back to when you were young, and in the blink of an eye, your imagination could turn anything into a mystical, magical place. That's the Dalentarth region of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - a fantastical forest in bloom with the most vivacious, neon colors around every corner. It's a portal back to the wide-eyed innocence that let you see beauty where others saw only darkness. Let that inner child come back and dive into a world of non-stop wonderment, vibrant with life.

The Legend of Dead Kel, the first big DLC for swords and conversation RPG Kingdoms of Amalur is arriving tomorrow, letting you loose on the treacherous island of Gallow’s End in search of haunted pirate booty. It’s a chunk of story-driven content with a focus on player housing, featuring “the most expansive player housing option yet,” and if there’s one thing I need in my life, it’s a holiday home with options in a location that sounds like where Satan goes for the weekend.

Honestly though, the new trailer below begins with “At the edge of the frostbreak sea lies a sprawling isle of mist and stone” and crikey! It might be the dragon-obsessed teenager grabbing at my brain stem and taking control but stuff like that just does it for me. Flowery descriptions of windswept fantasy lands full of decay and adventure, that’s what it’s all about.

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Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's new DLC expansion is coming out next week -- March 20 in North America on Xbox, and the next day worldwide on Xbox, PC, and PS3. Called "The Legend of Dead Kel," the DLC stars an enraged Kenan Thompson who must get revenge on -- all right, we're making that up.

What is true is that players will get access to a "gigantic new landmass" called Gallows End, with new weapons, new enemies, and a new "personal estate" to own -- complete with master-at-arms, a scout, a librarian, and other staff. Explore the new surroundings in this trailer.

It was a little surprising to see Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning sitting pretty at number four in the NPD software sales charts for February, an impressive feat for a brand new IP. But what does the number translate to in actual sales? NPD tells Joystiq that Reckoning sold a total of 330,000 copies in the US across Xbox, PS3 and PC last month.

It's not a bad number, especially for a new IP, though it isn't quite a blockbuster either. Of course, the figure doesn't include sales in other regions (or even all of North America, for that matter), so we'll have to wait on word from EA to see how Reckoning fared overall.

It wasn't that long ago that Big Huge Games was on the edge of oblivion. THQ put the studio up for sale in 2009, placing its projects and the studio itself in jeopardy. As fate would have it, Curt Schilling's 38 Studios swept in to acquire the ailing developer. Its major project, once on the chopping block, eventually became Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, which released earlier this month to largely favorable reviews.

So, how does a studio go from the brink of closure to critical success? How does Big Huge Games prevent another potential disaster, and where does it go from here? Big Huge Games general manager Sean Dunn told us.

For all its dense fiction, mountains of loot, and vast exploration, the most exciting thing about Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is the promise of power. Consistent, rapid growth is an encouraging reason to return to Amalur, whether you're one hour deep or 100. This is what makes 38 Studios and Big H...

For all its dense fiction, mountains of loot, and vast exploration, the most exciting thing about Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is the promise of power. Consistent, rapid growth is an encouraging reason to return to Amalur, whether you're one hour deep or 100. This is what makes 38 Studios and Big H...

#gamedifficulty If you've played games for more than a decade, you've undoubtedly witnessed the ongoing evolution of the medium. Some see technology as the primary driver, and there's no question games look and sound better than ever. The rising tide of tech has lifted all boats, making it possible for even a small team of developers to produce polished, sophisticated games indistinguishable from work produced by the big studios. More »

Former baseball player turned 38 Studios founder Curt Schilling made a visit to Conan O'Brien's late night talk show this week. After discussing his beautiful with Tom Arnold and telling a story about some US soldiers playing Call of Duty while at war, he showed off a special "Irish American" version of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, featuring a virtual Schilling squaring off against "Gnomon O'Brien." You can watch the short interview and clip below.

It's cute, even if it's not a good representation of what the game is actually like. Then again, it is a late night talk show, so eliciting a chuckle and getting the name said a few times is probably worth it.

#watchthis 38 Studios founder Curt Schilling uses tales of baseball triumphs past to hook Late Night host Jimmy Fallon and then brings Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning in for the kill. More »