Anyone want to buy sequel rights to Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning?
38 Studios, the developer that sank Rhode Island, will be headed off to the auction house after all, on the 11th December. The auction had originally been slated for November, but a strong response from potential buyers – including “leading domestic and international game development interests” according to auctioneer Heritage Global Partners – persuaded the powers that be to delay proceedings. Now the time has come to see what Kingdom of Amalur is really worth to those leading interests.
On the chopping block is Project Copernicus, the MMO that never saw the light of day, sequel rights to “critically acclaimed” – again, according to the auctioneer – Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, and merch rights and revenue streams associated with Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. But that’s not all! You could also walk away with IP rights to Rise of Nations, Rise of Legends, or Xbox Live Arcade title Catan; the Big Huge Games Engine and 38 Studios’ social media platform Helios is also up for grabs.
Somehow it seems unlikely that even assets such as these will raise a significant portion of the $102 million that Rhode Island taxpayers are on the hook for. This is a telephone auction, and if you happen to be one of those leading domestic and international gaming development interests interested in buying something that isn’t Curt Schilling’s sock, bear in mind that the deadline for submitting initial bids is 5 pm, December 4th.
Whether or not Rhode Island gets its cash, or a fraction thereof, the people who worked there certainly won’t see any money from this. Curt Schilling let them down, and that debt was unsecured.
Source: Heritage Global Partners Auction
