38 Studios: History and Key Facts

38 Studios, LLC was an American video game development studio and publisher based in Providence, Rhode Island. The company was founded in Maynard, Massachusetts, in 2006 as Green Monster Games by baseball player Curt Schilling. Schilling's goal was to create an original fantasy property, collaborating with writer R. A. Salvatore and artist Todd McFarlane on the fantasy setting of Amalur. From its inception, 38 Studios worked on a massively multiplayer online role-playing game known as Project Copernicus, intended as their main product upon which other Amalur properties would be based. The company continued to grow its staff during its lifetime, acquiring Big Huge Games as a subsidiary in 2009.

A Big Huge Games prototype was reworked into Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (2012), a single-player RPG intended to introduce the Amalur setting. Also in development at 38 Studios was a tactical role-playing follow-up to Rise of Nations. 38 Studios relocated to Providence in exchange for a $75 million loan from the local government. A combination of factors led to 38 Studios declaring bankruptcy in June 2012 with debts totaling over $150 million. Handling of the Rhode Island loan prompted several legal cases, though none led to prosecutions. There was extensive media coverage surrounding the studio's final months, the canceled Project Copernicus, and its impact on former employees.

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