Rhode Island taxpayers footing the bill for Kingdoms of Amalur flub

primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' BoopinDetroit, MI Icrontian
edited May 2012 in Gaming
Rhode Island taxpayers footing the bill for Kingdoms of Amalur flub

Comments

  • BHHammyBHHammy Somewhere in Hell Icrontian
    That's VERY sad. As someone who picked up Kingdoms of Amalur a little ways back, I had fun with it for a little while.

    The combat/class system they devised for the game is actually pretty decent. It has a couple of issues here and there, but the game doesn't make you wait a really long time to get some of the good shit. The level-up pacing seemed ok to me.

    The problem is, and I'm sure this is what a lot of the problem boils down to, is that it's pretty much an offline MMORPG. The quest structure is exactly the same (with a rather cruddy quest-tracking system at that), and while the story in interesting in the beginning when you first start off, the way they end up relating it to you just really doesn't work out (the generic-ness of the fantasy storyline is a whole other kettle of fish that I won't get into).

    It also doesn't help that they've either got the camera practically pointing down at your shoulders, or jammed up your ass at all times. Kingdoms of Amalur actually does have a nice world, but you don't really get to witness much of it because the way they handle the camera in the game is just terrible.

    The way it was described in the article is probably the best way to put it- "It's ALMOST great." The combat kept me playing for a long while, and the crafting system is ok if you can actually find ways to GET the parts you need, but there's nowhere near enough interest to keep you playing through the whole thing, and it can get repetitive.

    This is kind of wild that Rhode Island ended up funding this, though. I'd never even considered a state actually throwing down money for a game studio to set up shop in their state. And as it's pointed out in this article- who can entirely blame them? On paper it sounded like they had a dream team to succeed.

    Never expected to hear about taxpayers paying for a gaming studio flop, but there you go.
  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian
    This is why you don't book deals with things you don't understand.

    "we're in deep"? Really now? Gov Chafee can kiss his career goodbye.

    Fantastic story Brian.
  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian
    Thing is, I bet 38 Studios could recover a decent bit of profit if they dropped the price, or had a steam sale. At $50, it just can't compete with the other titles out there.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    This is why you don't book deals with things you don't understand.

    "we're in deep"? Really now? Gov Chafee can kiss his career goodbye.

    Fantastic story Brian.
    Just to be clear, Gov. Chafee was opposed to this before he was elected; as is the case with a lot of political fuckery, he has to deal with something his predecessor screwed the pooch on.

  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian
    This is why you don't book deals with things you don't understand.

    "we're in deep"? Really now? Gov Chafee can kiss his career goodbye.

    Fantastic story Brian.
    Just to be clear, Gov. Chafee was opposed to this before he was elected; as is the case with a lot of political fuckery, he has to deal with something his predecessor screwed the pooch on.

    Oh yeah, I know, but you know how elections go. He'll probably get owned by voters just because.
  • fatcatfatcat Mizzou Icrontian
    edited May 2012
    confused: "The company did make the payment today, and the check cleared, the governor said."

    http://news.providencejournal.com/business/2012/05/were-in-deep-chafee-says-of-ri-involvement-in-38-studios-deal.html

    just 17 days late :)
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    That's the point. It took them 17 days to make a $1.1m payment; they defaulted on the terms of their loan, regardless of how late they paid it. If they can't make this one, they're not going to suddenly be able to make the next one on time (unless they magically sell a bajillion copies of KoA all of the sudden)
  • fatcatfatcat Mizzou Icrontian
    even if it they don't pay another dime, it now breaks down to $74 tax payment per resident
  • Cliff_ForsterCliff_Forster Icrontian
  • Cliff_ForsterCliff_Forster Icrontian
    edited May 2012
    I
  • Cliff_ForsterCliff_Forster Icrontian
    I've seen Curt Schilling on Fox News a few times, as a huge baseball / gaming fan I'm fascinated by him so I stop and listen. Turns out he is one of those blow hard right wingers that says hey, the Government, who needs it, Obama is destroying the fabric of our society with bailouts yadda, yadda, yadda.... And then he accepts 75 million in government loans?? Typical, do as I say, not as I do.

  • dwinner
    Only played the demo portion, but though the graphics were decent and the game play was fine. I would like to think that this game just had horrible timing on release. As mentioned with Skyrim released previously and only a month or two before Diablo 3 (my reasoning for not purchasing KoA).
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    The employees of 38 Studios have not been paid since May 1st, according to Joystiq: http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/38-studios-employees-unpaid-since-may-1/
  • KoreishKoreish I'm a penguin, deal with it. KCMO Icrontian
    Who needs money when you can make so-so games for free?
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    They're all gone. 38 Studios is done. All developers were laid off today.
  • CantiCanti =/= smalltime http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9K18CGEeiI&feature=related Icrontian
    Ouch
  • midgamidga "There's so much hot dog in Rome" ~digi (> ^.(> O_o)> Icrontian
    That's about the only way it could have gone, unfortunately =/
    They should at least give every taxpayer hit by this a copy of the game.
  • Cliff_ForsterCliff_Forster Icrontian
    That sucks, they have ties with Big Huge Games which is a company based near my home.

    It amazes me the cost of development for these blockbuster titles. To think it's been reported that it sold around 1.2 million physical copies, which is not shabby, but still was not able to scrape enough money up to at least keep up with its guaranteed loans?

    Sounds like the projects scope was just too much for a first attempt. Sounds like a company run by an athleete with a huge ego?
  • midgamidga "There's so much hot dog in Rome" ~digi (> ^.(> O_o)> Icrontian
    Makes me wonder what their projected sales numbers were...
  • fatcatfatcat Mizzou Icrontian
    Rhode Island hates video games...

    http://www.polycount.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1593225&postcount=100
  • Cliff_ForsterCliff_Forster Icrontian
    http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/technology/blog/bs-bz-big-huge-games-closes-20120525,0,4567920.story

    Details on the related Big Huge Games studio closure in Maryland.
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