Joystiq is reporting that both Big Huge Studios and 38 Studios have each laid off their entire staff. Last week, it was reported that 38 Studios had been unable to pay their staff salaries in order to repay a government loan. Joystiq is quoting a "source with knowledge of the situation". 38 Studios is the developer of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.

We'll keep you posted.

Image courtesy of Kotaku

Guess name of RA salvatore alone doesnt save you when you game is just a shoddy Fable3 copy.

Originally posted by kishe

Guess name of RA salvatore alone doesnt save you when you game is just a shoddy Fable3 copy.

Fable 3 was wretched, even fans of the series loath it as uninteresting trash.

Kingdoms of Amalur was a great game, too bad too many narrow minded people looked at a books cover and never bothered to open it.

I had a feeling the studio won;t exist 6 months down the road but I didn't expect to see it that fast. Still kind of sad for all those people who lost jobs. At least maybe some of them will find new job at Turbine.

And lol at people who were screaming how amazing games 38 will produce b/c they have only famous writers/producers/whatever.

Big Huge made Rise of Nations, and for that the earned respect. Everything after the expansion pack for that game, however, was average.

Guess all these laid off game developers will have to go back to being the fry guys at McDonalds again pitty.

38Studios, I had a lot of faith that you would restore a lot of what the MMORPG genre was missing.. 

...damn.

Originally posted by Laughing-man

Originally posted by kishe

Guess name of RA salvatore alone doesnt save you when you game is just a shoddy Fable3 copy.

Fable 3 was wretched, even fans of the series loath it as uninteresting trash.

Kingdoms of Amalur was a great game, too bad too many narrow minded people looked at a books cover and never bothered to open it.

I looked at KoA with interest. A lot of it. But watching some of the streams of the game and reading a bit about it I decided not to grab it. It didn't seem like there was enough quality meat to the game.

This is just a little beyond me, so I'll ask here.

Whats to come of KoA? Will it remain buyable on Steam or.... vanish?

There has to be a lot more to this whole thing burried somewhere. KoA sold fairly well, over a million copies, which for a companies first game I would say is a pretty good sell. I don't see how they could just go completely out of business after launching a game that I would consider a decent success. 

Originally posted by Xerith

There has to be a lot more to this whole thing burried somewhere. KoA sold fairly well, over a million copies, which for a companies first game I would say is a pretty good sell. I don't see how they could just go completely out of business after launching a game that I would consider a decent success. 

Sounds to me like they burrowed too much, and also consider they were making an MMO too.

Originally posted by NightCloak

Originally posted by Laughing-man

Originally posted by kishe

Guess name of RA salvatore alone doesnt save you when you game is just a shoddy Fable3 copy.

Fable 3 was wretched, even fans of the series loath it as uninteresting trash.

Kingdoms of Amalur was a great game, too bad too many narrow minded people looked at a books cover and never bothered to open it.

I looked at KoA with interest. A lot of it. But watching some of the streams of the game and reading a bit about it I decided not to grab it. It didn't seem like there was enough quality meat to the game.

Agreed. I liked KoA pretty well, but it could have used a little more depth.

I guess we won't be seeing an mmo...

Originally posted by Xerith

There has to be a lot more to this whole thing burried somewhere. KoA sold fairly well, over a million copies, which for a companies first game I would say is a pretty good sell. I don't see how they could just go completely out of business after launching a game that I would consider a decent success. 

According to this article KoA needed to sell 3 million copies in order for the company to break even. Not sure how accurate that is but apparently the governor said so at the press conference.

Originally posted by Xerith

There has to be a lot more to this whole thing burried somewhere. KoA sold fairly well, over a million copies, which for a companies first game I would say is a pretty good sell. I don't see how they could just go completely out of business after launching a game that I would consider a decent success. 

I can sum that up in one word - "Mismanagement". Just because someone is a great baseball hero doesn't automatically make them a great businessman or money manager. As far as I'm concerned all of the blame for this failure falls right squarely on the shoulders on Mr. Schilling.

Bren

Did Shilling already sell "The Sock"? Get back in front of that camera at ESPN, buddy.

Serious note, between him and the team that was assembled to form this company and make this game, some true heavyweights, how much are these dudes really sitting on?

I know what I made last year and due to what I assume to be a clerical error, the Commenwealth of Virginia wants me to pay back the unemployment I have gotten since my contract ran out, why do these jokers get the day off?

Originally posted by heartless

According to this article KoA needed to sell 3 million copies in order for the company to break even. Not sure how accurate that is but apparently the governor said so at the press conference.

No offense, but politicians don't make for reliable sources of financial information. Not saying he's wrong, but in my experience most politicos seem to believe "3 million" means "somewhere between 0.3 and 30 million". ;)

Originally posted by Galthon

Originally posted by heartless

According to this article KoA needed to sell 3 million copies in order for the company to break even. Not sure how accurate that is but apparently the governor said so at the press conference.

No offense, but politicians don't make for reliable sources of financial information. Not saying he's wrong, but in my experience most politicos seem to believe "3 million" means "somewhere between 0.3 and 30 million". ;)

Oh I'm not saying that he's right, just stating what he said. I have very little trust in what your average, run of the mill politician says these days. Especially when it comes to money issues.

Originally posted by heartless

Originally posted by Galthon

Originally posted by heartless

According to this article KoA needed to sell 3 million copies in order for the company to break even. Not sure how accurate that is but apparently the governor said so at the press conference.

No offense, but politicians don't make for reliable sources of financial information. Not saying he's wrong, but in my experience most politicos seem to believe "3 million" means "somewhere between 0.3 and 30 million". ;)

Oh I'm not saying that he's right, just stating what he said. I have very little trust in what your average, run of the mill politician says these days. Especially when it comes to money issues.

He's not selling relection i'm pretty sure there's a public contract that says to that effect what they had to do to make money.  For this product.  It's a shame,.

Alamur is actually a good game. I liked it better than Skyim, the combat was amazing, so much better than Skyrims.  However, Alamur performed more of the "failure" to me as they had way too many MMO tropes in their agme.  Tons of quest hubs, quests that had nothing to do with the mian plot line.  Too many fetch this and do this and no real movement to the story.  From the beginning i knew my enemy and there didnt seem to be much in the terms of a plot other than get stronger and defeat him.  The overall plot felt like someting i'd expect from a baseball player whose RPG pedigree comes mostly from WOW.  

Originally posted by CujoSWAoA

This is just a little beyond me, so I'll ask here.

Whats to come of KoA? Will it remain buyable on Steam or.... vanish?

Apparently the state of Rhode Island will own it, as well as what is done of Copernicus.

"Pledged as collateral to Rhode Island against the loan are the present and future rights to "Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning," the video game launched in February, and those to an elaborate, multi-player game code-named "Project Copernicus," which is still in development."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/24/us-38studios-layoffs-idUSBRE84N1R320120524

last paragraph.

Shame about all the talented workers being laid off also, will be a massive shame to not even get to see Copernicus come to fruition.

M