THQ Nordic is the Frankenstein monster of video games

THQ Nordic has built a successful business out of the dead and rotting leftovers from downtrodden video game studios. Since entering the publishing biz in 2011, its specialty has been acquiring the intellectual property rights for mid-tier and AAA ga...

38 Studios’ ‘Kingdoms of Amalur’ finds a second life at THQ

Curt Schilling's 38 Studios imploded years ago, but its gaming legacy might live for a while longer. THQ Nordic has bought the intellectual property for Kingdoms of Amalur, including the Amalur-based ( and unreleased) online RPG Project Copernicus....

How the 38 Studios scandal shaped ‘Life is Strange: Before the Storm’

Passion doesn't equate success. It's a hard lesson to learn in any industry -- no matter how dedicated your team is, regardless of how invested they are financially or emotionally, the entire business could burst into flames at any moment. Factors be...

Curt Schilling to repay a fraction of $75 million game loan

The saga of former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's 38 Studios, the state of Rhode Island and an awful lot of money might finally be over. At the end of July, it was announced that 38 Studios wouldn't face criminal charges for a failed $75 mil...

Curt Schilling’s defunct game studio won’t face criminal charges

Curt Schilling's 38 Studios has run into plenty of trouble since declaring bankruptcy in 2012, not the least of which is an SEC lawsuit this year. However, criminal cases won't be contributing to its headaches. The Rhode Island State Police have de...

Fallen kingdom: 38 Studios’ collapse and the pitfalls of using public money to support tech companies

Fallen kingdom 38 Studios' collapse and the pitfalls of using public money to support tech companies

In a career filled with many clutch throws from the baseball mound, former Boston Red Sox ace Curt Schilling's main calling card was a gutsy post-season performance made even more memorable by a blood-soaked sock. It was a pitch made by Schilling outside of Major League Baseball, however, that would prove to be his most daring one yet.

In 2010, Schilling convinced Rhode Island officials to give his video game company, 38 Studios, a $75 million loan guarantee. A self-professed fan of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), Schilling's dream was to create a worthy competitor to Blizzard's MMORPG juggernaut, World of Warcraft. In 2006, Schilling started Green Monster Games, which was later renamed 38 Studios. Luring the company away from Massachusetts was supposed to bring in more than 400 jobs and serve as the linchpin for launching a new tech-based industry in Rhode Island. Instead, the state's taxpayers found themselves left at the table with a multimillion-dollar tab.

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Fallen kingdom: 38 Studios' collapse and the pitfalls of using public money to support tech companies originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Distro Issue 55: a cautionary tale of the state-supported 38 Studios

Distro Issue 55 the cautionary tale of 38 Studios and state investments

In 2004, Curt Schilling and a badly injured ankle led the Red Sox to their first World Series championship in 86 years. That's right, he was the ace that helped break the "Curse of the Bambino" from the mound. Fast forward to 2010, where Schilling had hung up his cleats and lobbied for Rhode Island officials to give his video game outfit, 38 Studios, a $75 million loan guarantee. Just two years later, the studio filed for Chapter 7, leaving the state's taxpayers holding the tab. In this week's issue, Jason Hidalgo takes a look at what went down in New England and examines the risk of public funds being used to support private tech companies. We had folks on the ground in Berlin to monitor the happenings at IFA this week and a few notable gadgets from said event occupy "Hands-on". As far as full-on reviews go, we put the Archos 101 XS, Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE and Acer Aspire V5 through their paces. "Forum" is chock full of even more reads, eSports commentator John Sargent stops by for the Q&A, "Time Machines" kicks it old school and "Eyes-on" takes on 35mm, retro-style photography. The week is over, so hit the link that you fancy the most to grab your copy and let the relaxation begin.

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Distro Issue 55: a cautionary tale of the state-supported 38 Studios originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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