kingdoms-of-amalur-reckoning posts

This trailer is something that most fantasy lovers will be giddy over, but will most likely go over the heads of those less buried in the genre. Standard epic music and flashy character designs don't really distinguish Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, even if it does look competent. Rather, it's the names associated: R.A. Salvatore (creator of several best-selling fantasy book series), Todd McFarlane (creator of Spawn), and Ken Rolston (lead design on Oblivion). Despite these famous names, though, this trailer is merely alright. All flash, no detail.

Download the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning 'Visions' trailer
Check out all Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning downloads

When 38 Studios officially announced plans for its single player fantasy RPG Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning back in July 2010 the game was slated for release sometime in the fall of 2011. Not any more, according to a new preview of the game over at VG247.com.

The extensive preview of the game confirms that Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is now slated for release sometime in 2012. While it's not stated in the preview it's possible that 38 Studios wanted to move the game out of the way of another big single player fantasy RPG release due in fall 2011, Bethesda Softworks' The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim.

With less than a month to go before PAX East 2011 starts in Boston, the gamer convention has posted up the schedule of panels that will be held during the event on March 11-13. There's a wide variety of subjects on the schedule but a couple stand out. One is that id Software team members will be giving a live demo of its upcoming first person shooter Rage on March 11 and again on March 12.

The other panel of note is the world's first public gameplay demo of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, the upcoming single player fantasy RPG from developers Big Huge Games and 38 Studios. By the way, the official PAX Twitter page has posted up word this weekend that "we only have a few hundred 3-days (tickets) left."

Battlefield fans can now go ahead and mark "March 1" on their calendars. That's the date that publisher Electronic Arts plans to finally reveal the first concrete details on Battlefield 3, the next game in the popular first person shooter franchise, according to an article on IGN. The game from developer Digital Illusions has been in development for some time and the PC version will require a DirectX 10-based rig to run.

The reveal will be part of an EA press event at GDC 2011 in San Fransisco which will also feature new hands-on previews of Alice Madness Returns, Crysis 2, and Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning. EA is also expected to reveal more new games at the event.

It looks like the decision to give a huge state-assisted load to game developer 38 Studios is still generating some political heat. While the Rhode Island Economic Development Corp. voted 8 to 1 last month to give 38 Studios $75 million in loan guarantees, the Providence Journal web site is reporting that some of the candidates for that state's governor are protesting the move.

Lincoln Chafee, a former Senator and now an independent candidate for governor, has asked the Rhode Island Economic Development Corp to 'reconvene and suspend its commitment" to 38 Studios and check out some other proposals. Also, the state Treasurer Frank T. Caprio, who also happens to be the Democratic candidate for governor, has ask the board to make modifications to the 38 Studios deal in order to "adequately protect and benefit taxpayers." There's no word yet on if the board will take up these requests.

[Via Gamasutra]

Earlier this month we reported that 38 Studios was considering moving its main headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts to Rhode Island in order to secure loans from that state's government. Today Boston.com reports that the Rhode Island Economic Development Corp. has indeed voted 8 to 1 to give 38 Studios a whopping $75 million in loan guarantees to move to the state. 38 Studios claims it will bring 450 jobs directly to Rhode Island by the end of 2012. If the developer shuts down operations, the state will have to repay the loans.

The game studio, founded by former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, just announced its first game last week, the fantasy RPG Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning, which is being developed by Maryland-based Big Huge Games. 38 Studios' main office is working on a fantasy MMO code named Copernicus.

Another Massachusetts-based game developer, Demiurge Studios, made the unusual move of emailing to the press an open letter written to Schilling. The letter, which is also available on Demiurge's web site, asks Schilling to reconsider moving 38 Studios out of the Boston area. Demiurge's CEO William Reed states, "As 38 Studios' in-development MMO grows, you will soon realize that although the capital you have secured will fund your endeavors, the most vital and necessary component to completing your project is the vast pool of talent and resources you are leaving behind." Reed adds that members of 38 Studios who don't want to move are "more than welcome to join the team at Demiurge Studios, the state's soon-to-be largest independent game studio."

As promised, developer 38 Studios and publisher Electronic Arts has released the first teaser trailer for their upcoming and epic single player fantasy RPG Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. The game's official web site has also launched with some screenshots (reproduced in our gallery) and more info about the title from 38 Studios' Big Huge Games division.

From the looks of the CGI trailer and the in-game screenshots this title looks a bit like the Elder Scrolls games hopped up on crystal meth. There's still not a lot of concrete info about the game but perhaps today's San Diego Comic-Con panel will give up some more info. In the meantime you can check out the teaser trailer (not for the kids, by the way) after the jump:

Download the HD version of the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning teaser trailer at Big Download

Jumping the gun a bit on its Comic-Con presentation on Thursday, publisher Electronic Arts and developer 38 Studios have announced that the upcoming fantasy single player RPG previously known as "Project Mercury" now has the official name of Kingdoms of Amalar: Reckoning. The game is set for release in fall 2011.

Developed by 38 Studios' Big Huge Games dev team the game will feature "a magical world, filled with strange landscapes, exotic cities, colorful characters and terrifying creatures" along with a "fast-paced, graphically stimulating action combat experience." More specific info, including the release of the game's first trailer, will still be revealed at the Comic-Con panel starting on Thursday afternoon.