Founder Curt Schilling rates the closure of Kingdoms of Reckoning developer 38 Studios as one of the worst experiences of his life.
Why do game studios keep imploding?
Dysfunction is baked into the video game production process, as it currently exists. The big-budget games industry is dominated by a few large companies, the publishers. Like book publishers, they are responsible for distributing and marketing games (much but not all of this is entirely digital now, but most of the publishers established themselves when game distribution meant getting physical discs and cartridges on retail store shelves). Games are actually made by studios, which are generally either owned directly by the publishers or independent. Making big-budget video games takes an enormous amount of highly specialized labor. It is possible for one person to make a game, and even for that game to be a hit, but the biggest, most profitable games released each year are nearly always made by enormous teams of people, working directly or indirectly for those publishers.
The 4-year investigation of video game developer 38 Studios comes to an anti-climatic conclusion.
The Rhode Island Attorney General announced today that it would not be filing charges against individuals involved in the failed 38 Studios loan in Rhode Island.
That's why you still need publishers. The risk is very high for big budget games.
I respect Curt's effort to follow his passion for gaming. Too bad he doesn't have enough to give it another try.
Kingdoms of Amalur is a great game and its a shame that there wont be another.
they should have never tried to fund an Open World single player and an MMO at the same time.
that was suicide.
probably what caused his heart attack earlier this week....
It was devastating for the people that relocated their entire families, then didn't get paid in the end when the studio was shut down. Curt still has money... I feel nothing for him. I feel for the talent that got screwed because of his stupidity and mismanagement.