It looks like 38 Studios might be in need of more shillings.
Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee visited the company’s Providence studio this week to discuss plans to keep the company in the green. 38 relocated to the state from Massachusetts in 2011, securing a $75 million loan in the process, with the understanding that the company would employ 450 people by the end of 2012.
The company, founded by former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling and employing the creative talents of Todd McFarlane and R.A. Salvatore, currently sits at 379 employees at its two offices and has continued to hire throughout 2012, with 18 job listings currently posted.
Even though Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning sold fairly well — 1.12 million copies, according to website VGChartz – the article paints a rather grim picture of 38 Studios’ future prospects:
While Governor Chafee admits that he is working under a “tight time-frame” to “keep 38 Studios solvent,” details about the meetings are being kept quiet.
“We’re concerned and just doing everything possible to ensure that 38 Studios stays part of the Rhode Island community,” Gov. Chafee told WPRI. “We’re working on different issues with them.”
“It’s always been a volatile industry to be in. That’s just the risk you take when you get into the business,” he added.
What could this mean for Copernicus, 38 Studios’ MMO set in the Amalur universe? Will it ever see the light of day? Or will it fade into obscurity before it’s ever released?
UPDATE: Kotaku reports that Governor Chafee’s visit centered around 38 Studios’ defaulting on its loan repayment.
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