copernicus posts

While developer 38 Studios is getting close to announcing the first concrete details of its upcoming RPG code named "Project Mercury" at Comic-Con next week, the company is apparently thinking about moving its home offices in Massachusetts to a location in Rhode Island.

The Boston Globe web site reports that 38 Studios is interested in taking part in a state-run program in Rhode Island that will give high-tech companies loan guarantees in exchange for setting up shop in their state. The story claims that 38 Studios is looking for as much as $75 million in loan guarantees. 38 Studios was founded by former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling and perhaps because of that history Massachusetts' state government is considering options to try to keep 38 Studios in their state. The developer also owns Maryland-based Big Huge Games.

[Via Blue's News]

After several years of developing their projects on their own, 38 Studios, the game development studio founded by former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, finally has a publisher for its first game. Today on the first day of GDC 2010 it was announced that Electronic Arts has signed on to publish the game known at the moment only as "Project Mercury". It's the open world single player fantasy RPG that's being developed by Big Huge Games, the development company that 38 Studios bought from THQ in 2009.

38 Studios was first formed several years ago with the idea of launching a fantasy MMO under the code name Copernicus. The game that Big Huge Games is developing is not that MMO but is apparently set in that same universe with its background being developed by author R. A. Salvatore and with art design by comic book artist Todd McFarlane. Little info on the game has been revealed and EA's announcement today did not reveal a release date for "Project Mercury" (not the game's real title by the way).

Curt Shilling's MMO game development company 38 Studios has a new CEO. Late on Friday the company sent out a press release announcing that Brett Close, who held the position since 2007, is leaving "to pursue other opportunities".

However the company has quickly promoted from within to fill the CEO slot by putting in their now former senior vice
president of business development Jennifer MacLean into the position. Unlike previous CEO departures from other game companies this one seems to be amicable with Close even offering a quote in the press release saying, "I leave with confidence in the future success of the company and have no doubt its products will excite gamers worldwide."

[via email press release]

It's been some time since now former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling announced that he was forming 38 Studios, a game development company that is working on a fantasy MMO game with the code name "Copernicus". Since then the game itself has stayed mysterious while 38 Studios made a major acquisition this year when they bought the development studio Big Huge Games from publisher THQ.

The Boston Globe web site has an update on what's going on with the company. The article has an actual target day for the release of 'Copernicus" saying that 38 Studios is targeting December 2010 for its tentative release. However the article also points out that any AAA MMO game needs a ton of money to develop it to completion. So far Schilling has been the company's biggest investor but has failed to attract any other outside investors to help out.

Update: Our sister site Joystiq has received official word from 38 Studios that the release date mentioned in the Boston Globe story is incorrect and there is no set release date. However, 28 Studios is planning to finally release details about the game sometime in 2010.

It's been expected for a few years now but this week Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling made it official. He's retiring from baseball after a career spanning 23 years and three World Series wins (technically he's been retired for longer than than; he sat out last season due to an injury).

While Schilling didn't mention it in his retirement blog post on Monday it's likely that he will now devote much of his professional life to 38 Studios, the game development company he founded back in late 2006. The company has been working on a fantasy MMO code-named "Copernicus" but so far little concrete info on the game has been revealed.

38 Studios -- a new development house working on an MMO codenamed Copernicus -- announced today that award-winning artist Thom Ang has joined the company as Director of Art. Previously, Ang worked for THQ and Electronic Arts. The Medal of Honor series is among his credits.

38 Studios was founded by professional baseball player Curt Schilling -- an all-too-rare combination of jock and geek. The company is in the pre-production stages of development on a mysterious massively multiplayer game. The game's staff includes famed comic book artist Todd McFarlane and fantasy author R.A. Salvatore. Not much else is known about the project at this point.