The video game industry can be a cutthroat place, especially for start-up companies looking for something to prove. One of these companies, 38 Studios, attempted to create an awe-inspiring MMORPG set in the Dungeons and Dragons novelist R.A. Salvatore and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane. But it was all the brainchild of an MLB star who loved MMOs so much that he wanted to make his own. Here's what went wrong.
The Kingdoms of Amalur developer, 38 Studios, was founded by MLB star Curt Schilling in 2006. Schilling, a World Series-winning pitcher, loved playing MMORPGs and wanted to create his own. The company was named after Schilling's jersey number, and the MLB star enlisted his friends R. A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane to help him bring his big dreams to fruition. Salvatore, best known for his Dungeons and Dragons books involving Drizzt Do'Urden, famously created over 10,ooo years' worth of history and lore for Amalur. Meanwhile, Todd McFarlane handled the artwork; deg monsters, characters, and other assets to be used in-game. It should've been a perfect all-star line-up of talent and expertise — only it wasn't.
Although Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning released in 2012, and a remastered Re-Reckoning is releasing September 8th, Project Copernicus was always the main goal for 38 Studios. Schilling spared no expense at his new company, hiring executives from EA to run the place, and Travis McGeathy, the former lead designer for EverQuest, to help with Project Copernicus. The MMO was going to take some time to get to market, however, so the company worked on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning simultaneously in hopes of creating revenue faster.
Why The MMORPG Project Copernicus Never Released
Even with big names attached, a start-up company like 38 Studios needed money to keep going. The company was created and then working during the height of America's Recession, which certainly contributed to its ultimate failure. To keep the studio afloat in 2010, the Economic Development Corporation of Rhode Island even approved a $75 million loan to Schilling's company in exchange for 38 Studios opening offices in the state. After relocation started, the pressure was on to turn a profit.
Even with names like Todd McFarlane and R.A. Salvatore attached, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a huge hit in an established and popular RPG series. The studio knew they couldn't finish their Project Copernicus, but they still accepted money from Rhode Island and cut fraudulent checks. This not only resulted in bankruptcy for the company, but it let to t investigations from state police, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney General. Curt Schilling lost his personal fortune of around $50 million in the project, and lawsuits continued into 2017. It was a messy end to what could've been a great MMO.
The world of Kingdoms of Amalur is bristling with life, and Reckoning wasn't a bad game. 38 Studios was simply a mismanaged company with overly ambitious ideas. It's a shame players will never see Copernicus in all its MMO glory. Concept art still exists on the internet, though, for anyone interested in seeing what might've been.
