Copernicus | 38 Gamers

R.A. Salvatore Gauntlgrym Event

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Oct 162010

R.A. Salvatore was in Seattle WA on tour promoting his latest book, Gauntlgrym. The hour long presentation was recorded and is really great stuff. He covers his book, what he is working on and talks about his involvement with 38 Studios upcoming MMORPG code name “Copernicus” where he has created the world the game is set in. He discusses the Well of Souls and the impact of what such a device would cause in the world and that is driving a lot of the story in the MMO. Definitely worth checking out!

Suvudu: R.A. Salvatore Gauntlgrym Event from Suvudu on Vimeo.

MMORPG.com – A Conversation with Curt Schilling

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Oct 142010

MMORPG.com writer Drew Wood had the opportunity to talk with Curt Schilling at last weekend’s New York Comic Con. He was hoping to find out some information on Copernicus (38 Studios un-named MMORPG currently in development) however that was off the table so he asked some questions Curt was able to answer. Check it out!

This past Saturday, I had the opportunity, amid the (dis)organized chaos of New York Comic Con, to speak with six-time Major League Baseball All-Star, three-time World Series champion, and, most importantly, Founder and Chairman of 38 Studios, Curt Schilling. With project ‘Copernicus’ still in the distant future, and former project ‘Mercury’, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning set for release Q3 2011, I was a little surprised to hear Curt be so excited about a project that he could, literally, tell me nothing about. As there was nothing to learn about ‘Copernicus’ today, I instead spoke briefly with him about the Single Player experience of Reckoning, the chosen world, and Curt ‘The Gamer’ Schilling.

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Curt Schilling At New York Comic-Con 2010: You Need To Be A Real Man To Play EVE Online

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Oct 112010

I found one more article from the Future of Online Gaming Panel at the NYCC that Curt Schilling was on.

The entire reason I’m writing about the show (there wasn’t a whole lot going on from a news perspective, and I’ve already created a wacky video of the show last year) is because I attended a pretty fascinating panel entitled “The Future of Online Gaming.” NCsoft, maker of City of Heroes, was on there, as was Curt Schilling, the former baseball pitcher (who was really quite good) turned video game developer.

And as the headline of this post suggests, Schilling was fantastic. I seriously had no idea the man was such a geek.

(As for the headline, at one point Schilling cut a promo about how hardcore EVE Online players must be. You invest dozens if not hundreds of hours trying to build up your empire, only to have some punk kids rob and destroy your life’s work.)

So what is the future of online gaming? We get excited because Blizzard announces that there’s 12 million World of Warcraft subscribers on a planet with some 6 billion people on it. Twelve million people, yeah, that’s impressive, but let’s not say something like, “Well, that’s it, there will never be a game this popular ever again.” Remember when people thought no other game would be as popular as EverQuest?

[Source]

MMORPG.com’s Future of Online Gaming Panel

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Oct 112010

During the New York Comic Com MMORPG.com hosted a panel on the Future of Gaming which included Curt Schilling. So far it’s been pretty slim for finding any info about the panel however G4TV had this bit in its wrap up post. Unfortunately the link in the article did not link to the proper article. I am sure more will come out in the coming days and when it does I will be sure to post it.

In past years, the ComicCon hosted panels with Gears of War and executive Mike Capps. But aside from Epic Mickey and the Marvel Games Panel, this year’s only must-attend panel was The Future of Online Gaming, for which fans lined up for an hour before. The panel showcased a refreshingly opinionated former pitcher Curt Schilling (now making Copernicus at 38 Studios). He hopes that we’ll someday have five million simultaneous online game players world-wide. Schilling also hoped 3-D gaming doesn’t hit MMOs, at least right now. That comment received the loudest applause of the program (except perhaps for the moment when he asked to be booed by Yankees fans in the house). And the idea that MMOs of the future will no longer be boxed, just streamed over your technology of choice, was an intriguing one.

[Source]

Game Spot: Storytelling for spin-offs

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Oct 062010

As reported yesterday Steve Danuser, Creative Director for 38 Studios is at the Austin GDC to participate in a panel discussion called CREATORS OF TRANSMEDIA STORIES. Brendan Sinclair from Game Spot was there covering the panel and wrote a great report.

Danuser is working on the massively multiplayer online game codenamed Copernicus and the recently announced Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, which are being built to support trans-media efforts like books, TV shows, and so on. He talked about the approach 38 Studios takes to trans-media storytelling, saying there has to be something more to it than simply putting out a comic book or Web site to exploit the properties.

“The pieces of media really need to fit into each other to tell a bigger story…By consuming each of these individual pieces, you should be able to see how they really fit together.”

Danuser said each book or movie needs to be true to its own medium and stand alone perfectly well, but also inform readings of its counterparts. Johnson agreed, adding it’s about creating a pervasive experience by understanding the different media types one’s audience is engaged with.

[Source]

Project Copernicus Release Date Revealed!

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Sep 202010

Even before the game has been offically named the release date was suprisingly revealed in a news report by WPRI.com. In the report the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation stated that the scheduled release date for Project Copernicus is September 2012. It also revealed more about the funding details which adds even more confusion as it states two different agreements with the R.I. Economic Development Corporation – a payout agreement and a separate pact called a “full-time jobs covenant” – and their terms and conditions are not identical. At the end of the day it looks like 38 Studios will get 64 million and that the game is scheduled for release in September 2012.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Curt Schilling’s video-game company has to employ only 250 full-time workers in Rhode Island, not the 450 cited by state officials, to get most of the $75 million the government plans to borrow on its behalf, an analysis by Eyewitness News has found.

That’s because Schilling’s 38 Studios actually has two different agreements with the R.I. Economic Development Corporation – a payout agreement and a separate pact called a “full-time jobs covenant” – and their terms and conditions are not identical.

The payout agreement requires 38 Studios to employ 250 workers in the state by December 2011. At that point, the game company is eligible to receive $64 million of the loan money, which is 90 percent of the proceeds after fees, according to an EDC fact sheet, agency officials and a draft bond document obtained by Eyewitness News.

By comparison, the jobs covenant calls for 38 Studios to increase its employment in Rhode Island to 450 workers by October 2013 – nearly two years after the company is eligible to receive most of the loan money.

[Source]

Voice Morphing

Blog, Copernicus 1 Response »

Sep 102010

Since 38 Studios is in development of a new MMORPG code named “Project Copernicus” I thought I would bring up the idea of voice morphing. In a post on the forums I brought up the idea of putting voice into MMORPG’s so that you actually talk in a voice appropriate for the race and sex of your character. I think it has some really cool potential in MMORPG’s in encouraging role-playing and socializing. I knew Vivox was providing support for voice in 38 Studios new MMORPG, I just was not aware that Vivox has already done something like this in Second Life until tonight. So what do you think is this something companies like 38 Studios should be looking to implement in their game?

Ten Ton Hammer: There Will be a Reckoning : A Video Interview with 38 Studios’ Curt Schilling

38 Studio News, Copernicus, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning 1 Response »

Sep 022010

Found this video interview with Curt Shilling from SyndCon 2010 by Ten Ton Hammer.

Curt Schilling talks Reckoning, Copernicus, and the ongoing evolution of online gaming
A lot of buzz has been circulating around Curt Schilling’s game company, 38 Studios, and their upcoming projects: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Copernicus. Schilling has long been an avid gamer, playing wargames such as Advanced Squad Leader (which he now owns), RPGs, and online games from Ultima Online to World of Warcraft. Ten Ton Hammer’s own Ethec sat down with Curt Schilling at SyndCon 2010 to talk about 38 Studios’ upcoming projects and gaming in general.

[Watch Curt Schilling's interview]

All Quiet on the Eastern Front

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Aug 172010

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.

Long odds for RI-backed Schilling game

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Aug 032010

I get home from work and check my email and I find this article about 38 Studios from a local news station in Rhode Island WPRI.com. I soon can’t believe what I am reading.

Creating an MMO “is a big gamble, and it’s very unlikely he’ll be successful” with Copernicus, Mike Hickey, an analyst at Janco Partners in Colorado, told Eyewitness News. Schilling “must be a great marketer, because it’s a pretty difficult market to raise capital in,” he said.

No idea who this Mike Hickey is but I guess he missed the part where 38 Studios just secured a 75 million dollar loan?

Then I read this quote from Michael Patcher.

“38 Studios is doing everything right to minimize the risk of failure,” Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles, said in an e-mail. “The key to a successful MMO is a great story, compelling art, and a well-crafted game.

“Much like the movie industry, investment in quality personnel doesn’t always pay off, but it considerably improves the prospects for success,” Pachter added.

Wow finally someone who knows what he is talking about but then I read….

The most successful MMO is Activision Blizzard Inc.’s “World of Warcraft.” Its roughly 11.5 million subscribers spend up to $14.95 a month to pay the game. Other titles have struggled to gain an audience, and now face new competition from “Farmville” and other social games played on sites like Facebook.

Farmville??? I know right? ..half my guild has quit to go play Farmville!….ROFL

Then…

About two-thirds of all MMOs have lost money, according to Pachter, and Copernicus will have to compete with other upcoming releases, including one based on the “Star Wars” films, as well as “World of Warcraft.”

“My guess is that [38 Studios] will succeed, but it’s really hard to forecast without seeing the game,” Pachter said.

That’s my feelings as well at this point.

The business model for MMOs is also changing, with companies allowing users to play the game for free and then trying to make money by selling them digital goods, such as virtual weapons, inside the game.

That model, which is already common in Asia, is now catching on in the U.S. and Europe. Last year, a lack of subscribers led Warner Bros. to drop its $15 monthly charge for “Dungeons & Dragons Online” and make it free.

Copernicus “will likely have to adopt that model,” Hickey said. “The time-based subscription model is really hard to put on the market, I think.”

Ok Mike Hickey, you have lost all credibility with me. I guess they had to find someone to counter Michael Pachter comments. In any event read it for yourself and let me know what you think?