I was going to write something about how selecting my age to access the new reckoningthegame.com site really made me feel old as it spun and spun before hitting the magic number. Thankfully this has been changed to a more standard login format and I can go back to thinking I am a younger than I really am! 
Found this video interview from Gamer Live TV with Curt Schilling, you can sure tell he is pumped to be able to talk about the game! Tell us more Curt…tell us more!
Another video interview by Gamer Live TV interviewing R.A. Salvatore that I had not seen before. Definately worth checking out!
Found this interview with Todd McFarlane from Comic Con by Gamer Live TV that I had not seen before. Todd goes into what he is trying to create visually in the game. Great stuff!
The end of July was an explosive month for 38 Studios with the announcement of it first game, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. A single player fantasy RPG being published by EA and scheduled for release in the fall of 2011 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. In addition to this exciting news came the announcement that the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation had approved a $75-million loan to 38 Studios in exchange for moving from its current location in Maynard, Massachusetts to Rhode Island and creating 450 jobs by the end of 2012. This set off a firestorm of controversy with many people from both Massachusetts and Rhode Island commenting on the deal. The combination set the internet ablaze with articles everywhere talking about 38 Studios.
Now almost a month later all I hear is silence. So that brings up the question what’s next? Well I have it on good authority that 38 Studios will not be attending PAX this year in September. Chances are the next industry show 38 Studios attends will be the New-York Comic Con from October 8 to 10, 2010. I don’t know about you but that’s a long time to wait for more info. It’s funny because before the announcement I wondered what was going on at 38 Studios and wished they would share “anything”. Now that they have, my need for more information has increased tenfold. It reminds me of the movie Short Circuit where the robot gets a taste of information and then goes into a crazy frenzy looking for more and more “input” as he soaked up every bit of info he could get his hands on.
As hard as it is to wait for more info I can only imagine how hard it’s has been for Curt Schilling to be on the inside and know everything that’s going on and not being able to say a word. He looked like a proud papa on the panel at the San Diego Comic Com when he finally got to spill the beans. The good news is the marketing machine is finally in motion and the journey has begun. It’s going to be an exciting year leading up to the release of Reckoning and I can’t wait to find out more about “Copernicus”. Who knows maybe more info will be released before the New-York Comic Com. If it is you will be sure to find it here.
Nice write up from Escapist magazine that gives a good summary of everything. Definately a good read!
The plan is an ambitious one. An all-star baseball player and videogame geek assembles a crack team to create a blockbuster MMOG that plans to rival anything that Blizzard, SOE or Cryptic has to offer. Schilling’s 38 Studios purchased veteran design house, Big Huge Games, to make a single-player RPG as a prelude to the big MMOG project. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is slated for a Fall 2011 release, and EA has signed on to publish it and help with marketing. That machine began down in San Diego Comic Con and continued at Gen Con this past weekend in Indianapolis. Through it all, the one constant has been the desire to create a living, breathing world that aims to have story consequences for one of the most glaringly unrealistic mechanics in most games; the fact that you can die and come back to life is explained in Amalur by something called the “Well of Souls”. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
I’m not easily star-struck. But when I met with Curt Schilling, R. A. Salvatore and Mark Nelson from Big Huge Games at Comic Con, I realized that this was group of guys that I admire for very different reasons. R. A. Salvatore is arguably the most successful fantasist of our generation, with a slew of New York Times bestsellers starring the iconic Drizzt Do’Urden. Curt Schilling was the hero of my favorite baseball team as they slew the Yankee dragon in 2004, all while being a huge Everquest gamer. And Mark Nelson, even though his name isn’t instantly recognizable, is responsible for one of the greatest CRPGs of this decade, Oblivion. All three of these gentlemen are at the top of their game. How the hell does this collaboration work?
In case you were wondering about what the t-shirts looked like that Curt Schilling and R.A. Salvatore were signing and giving out at GenCon, I found a photo from Jack of all games. He called them ugly, what do you think?
Ok well maybe there is more of a twist to this loan deal than I thought. Funny that we have everyone saying it’s risky for the state but now according to this report it’s really the investors buying the bonds who are talking the risk. Will they be willing to buy the bonds? I guess until this deal is signed, sealed and delivered it’s not a sure thing and why 38 Studios has not offically announced the move.
The gubernatorial election in Rhode Island is bringing out rabid candidates trying to score political points. Some are calling for the deal to be scrapped or changed while the current Governor Don Carcieri described the deal as a “statement,” saying, “This gives us the ability to be a real player in the digital-media area.” With EDC Director Keith Stokes stating that it’s not yet a “done deal” anything is possible however candidates have no power to enforce their position and with the current Governor and EDC giving the deal a thumbs up, I would be very surprised if anything changed at this point.
Check out the full article from Escapist Magazine.
Rhode Island’s $75 million deal to lure 38 Studios to the state is coming under fire from several candidates in the upcoming gubernatorial election and even the State Treasurer, who is calling for major changes to the agreement.38 Studios, best known as the brainchild of former Boston Red Sox ace Curt Schilling, struck a lucrative sweetheart deal with Rhode Island last month. In exchange for a $75 million loan guarantee, the studio agreed to bail out on Boston and take the road to Rhode Island instead. Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri described the deal as a “statement,” saying, “This gives us the ability to be a real player in the digital-media area.” But many of the politicians vying for Carcieri’s job in the November 2010 gubernatorial election don’t seem to share his enthusiasm.
The guys from Massively.com were at GenCon on the weekend and got a chance to chat with Curt Schilling and R.A. Salvatore. Definately worth checking out!
One thing is for certain: When you are sitting in the crosshairs of Curt Schilling and R.A. Salvatore during an interview, it’s easy to become bowled over by their collective intensity and passion, especially when it comes to their interest in games and fantasy worlds.
While GenCon Indy lacked its usual MMORPG presence this year, Massively was able to grab a few minutes of face time with 38 Studios’ founder and lead writer as they passed through the convention. It was a bit of an odd interview, however, as two of the biggest topics — 38 Studios’ move to Rhode Island and any solid details about their top-secret MMO — were off the table for discussion. Do not fret, as that certainly didn’t stop us from trying to pry for a few hints along the way. Schilling and Salvatore were obviously eager to spill the beans about Copernicus, but they are still biding their time until the right moment.
Happily, the duo didn’t mind us fencing with them for facts, and were quite open about their single-player RPG lead-up to Copernicus, their general philosophy of designing the MMO, and why they’ve waited so long to unveil it to the public. Read on, gentle gamers, for a few ripostes, parries and lunges with two of the biggest figures in the industry right now.
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