Take a Hall of Fame level pitcher and a Hall of Fame level designer and maybe magic can happen.
38 Studios (www.38studios.com), an entertainment and original IP creation company, today announced the acquisition of Big Huge Games (BHG) from publisher THQ Inc. The acquisition is a critical step in 38 Studios’ strategy to deliver a broad range of entertainment products centered on its original fantasy IP, codenamed Copernicus. The purchase of Big Huge Games includes all of the company’s proprietary IP, tools, technology, assets, and works-in-progress. Specific financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Good news? Curt Schilling saves Brian Reynolds like he did the Red Sox a few years ago.
Bad news? It’s centered on “fantasy IP” so no Rise of Nations II, even under a new name, seems likely.
EDIT: Crispy Gamer has an interview with 38 Studios’ Brett Close. The purchase includes:
All rights (including associated code, development tools, and trademarks) to Rise of Nations, Rise of Legends, the unnamed RPG and other products in process, and all BHG’s rights and interests in Catan and Age of Empires III: Asian Dynasties. All BHG IP, including registered IP, corporate name, and other non-specified development tools and code. Various software licenses, including Havok , PS3 dev kits, and Xbox 360 dev kits.
I didn’t take 38 seriously until just this moment. This is great news, and from a wholly unexpected quarter.
Great news. I’m glad for the BHG guys that they have a new lease on life.
Or do they? Did 38 Studios just buy the rights/IP, or are they keeping/rehiring the BHG employees?
The Crispy Gamer story reports that they are keeping the studio in Timonium, and there is no word of additional layoffs.
Being a Boston native, this is really cool. Schilling helps my baseball team win 2 World Series, and now he investing in computer games. He is a huge Everquest and WOW fan/player…a love of baseball and video games…truly, he is a man’s man!!!