rise-of-nations posts

The PC game download service Gametap continues to add classic PC game titles from Microsoft's publishing catalog. Today the site is scheduled to add Rise of Nations, the historical RTS game from developer Big Huge Games. The 2003 released title was the first game from the developer who later released a follow-up, Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends. In 2008 the company was bought by THQ but just a few weeks ago 38 Studios announced it was acquiring the studio.

Gametap will also offer the fantasy action-RPG title Sacred Gold as part of their free-to-play game tier. The title will remain free on the service for the next week..

While there were a few rumors that hinted this might happen, today developer 38 Studios made it officially, saying they have acquired the Maryland-based dev studio Big Huge Games. The studio, best known for their Rise of Nations RTS series, was acquired by THQ in early 2008 but was one of the dev teams that THQ decided to cut or sell off in its quest to stay financially solvent earlier this year.

Although (as usual) specific financial numbers were not disclosed, 38 Studios has acquired "all of the company's proprietary IP, tools, technology, assets, and works-in-progress" from THQ. That apparently includes their upcoming RPG that had some screenshots and a trailer leaked on the Internet some weeks ago. The Big Huge Games teams will remain in their Maryland studio while 38 Studios stays in Boston to work on their upcoming mysterious MMO game.

It's always a good day to sell PC games on the cheap and today retail web site GoGamer.com is doing just that with its latest 48 Hour Madness sale. From now until 3 am ET on Tuesday they have several PC games that are cut down to the bone in price.

Among the games on sale today are the PC version of Turok, Red Orchestra , Tomb Raider Anniversary, and Rise of Nations Gold Edition. Each are currently selling for $7.90. In addition, the PC versions of Lost Planet Colonies and Brothers in Arms Hell's Highway are on sale today for $9.90 each.

THQ announced last month that they were looking to either close or sell off developer Big Huge Games inside of 60 days. Now rumors have hit (via the Develop web site) that the Maryland-based developer is already having to let go of some workers ahead of THQ's deadline.

The story, which uses unnamed sources, does not specify how many of Big Huge's team are currently looking for work saying only that the numbers were "huge". The developer's official web site currently lists over 120 team members. THQ only bought the Rise of Nations developer a little over a year ago. The team has been working on a still hush-hush open world RPG game with a number of former Bethesda Softworks team members.

Publisher THQ has been trying to cut costs and workers for several months now and this week word has come out that it is looking to sell off one of its newest developers Big Huge Games. This news comes from the Crispy Gamer web site who got the info from THQ after reporting on possible layoffs at the studio.

Formed in 2000 by former members of Firaxis, the Maryland-based developer released its first game, the RTS title Rise of Nations, for publisher Microsoft. in 2003. In 2006 the semi-sequel Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends was released. Big Huge Games announced plans for a still unrevealed RPG in 2007 which THQ would publish. THQ decided to acquire Big Huge Games in January 2008. So far it has yet to release one game for its new owners.

In addition to THQ's issues with Big Huge Games, it has also spun off two of its internal development studios (Heavy Iron in Los Angeles, CA, and Incinerator in Carlsbad, CA) into independent companies.

Big Huge Games' first title was the PC RTS title Rise of Nations. While the game was released over five years ago via Microsoft that isn't stopping it being used for a study to see if it can help improve mental skills in senior citizens.

Accoring to a story on the UK based Times of the Internet web site, the University of Illinois picked the game for their study because it "gives gamers points for building cities and feeding and employing their people, maintaining an adequate military and expanding their territory." The study found that people in their 60s and 70s who played the game were "significantly better and faster at switching between tasks compared with a comparison group. Their working memory, as reflected in the tests, also was significantly improved and their reasoning ability was enhanced."

[Via Kotaku]