Curt Schilling's 38 Studios Saves Big Huge Games From Extinction
This story was written by Tameka Kee.
Role-playing game studio Big Huge Games just got a big huge save from the chopping block: it's getting acquired by 38 Studios, the interactive entertainment firm founded by baseball great Curt Schilling. 38 Studios is buying all of Big Huge's assetsits signature games, graphics technology, and works-in-progressfrom parent company THQ; financial terms were not disclosed. In March, THQ (NSDQ: THQI) said it would have to shut Big Huge down if it couldn't find a buyer.
Schilling founded 38 Studios in 2006 and brought in Midway Games and EA vet Brett Close as president and CEO; Spawn creator Todd McFarlane and comic/fantasy author R. A. Salvatore serve as creative advisors, since the company's goal is to produce cross-platform (games, TV, books and toys) fantasy-based content.
Its first project, a massively multiplayer online (MMO) property dubbed "Copernicus," is slated for a 2010 release. The company is backed primarily by Schilling, though a spokesperson said it was exploring "strategic" funding optionsnot just VC.Release.
By Tameka Kee