Curt Schilling, RPGs, and Former Bethesda Devs...WTF?

[symple19]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6253161.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;1


Electronic Arts' EA Partners program made headlines last week for striking publishing deals with indie developers Hothead Games and Klei Entertainment. Today, the company made a larger announcement--a Big Huge one, in fact. Ex-baseballer Curt Schilling's developer 38 Studios has struck a deal with EA to publish an upcoming single-player role-playing game. The deal does not extend to 38 Studios' massively multiplayer project, code-named Copernicus.



Code-named "Project Mercury," the single-player RPG is being developed by Rise of Nations studio Big Huge Games for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. (After then-owner THQ threatened to close the studio in 2009, 38 Studios stepped in and bought the Maryland-based developer.) It will be an all-new intellectual property cocreated fantasy by comic-book artist Todd McFarlane (Spawn) and author R.A. Salvatore (The DemonWars Saga). Both men helped Schilling found 38 Studios--then called Green Monster Games--in 2006, and respectively serve as art director and "executive creator of worlds" at the Maynard, Massachusetts studio. The game will not be based on any of Salvatore's or MacFarlane's previous work.

Though 38 Studios is a relatively new operation, Project Mercury has some seasoned development talent behind it. Its project lead is Ken Rolston, who was lead designer on Bethesda Softworks' acclaimed high-fantasy RPGs The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Several other Bethesda alumni are working on the project, as well as a senior designer from Lucasarts' the Force Unleashed. Veterans of Civilization and Civilization II are also on board.

According to EA Partners general manager David DeMartini, Rolston and his team will also be able to tap the minds of EA's own RPG powerhouse. "The guys at BioWare were actually involved in the early discussions with the folks at Big Huge," he told GameSpot. "They've had an opportunity to have some preliminary discussions and preliminary talks. So, I certainly think that you could expect strong collaboration that would include the BioWare team."



Though he would not reveal Project Mercury's release date, DeMartini said that EA will play "air traffic control for RPG fans" to make sure the game's launch doesn't conflict with that of any BioWare titles. The Canadian developer recently released the multiplatinum hits Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins within three months of each other. The first full-fledged Dragon Age expansion, Awakening, is due out next week, with another major release in the series due out in the first quarter of 2011.

Finally, DeMartini said the 38 Studios/EA Partners deal came about due to the friendship between Schilling and EA Sports' gregarious president Peter Moore. After the two spoke casually about a potential collaboration, an EAP team went to 38 Studios and Big Huge Games to look at Project Mercury, which they (obviously) approved of.

(Ken Rolston was lead developer on ES:Oblivion)

Sounds interesting, and I'm always up for SP RPGs. Maybe something good can come out of this. Certainly some strange bedfellows...

[IronMexican]

No Elder scrolls, no care.

[symple19]

No Elder scrolls, no care.

You'll probably see an ES MMORPG before you see the next installment of the SP version of ES

[symple19]

Better article from Gamasutra


Electronic Arts' EA Partners division will publish the next game from 38 Studios-owned Big Huge Games, with development led by RPG veteran Ken Rolston (The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion) and collaboration by fantasy author R.A. Salvatore and artist Todd McFarlane.

Codenamed Project Mercury, the game is a single-player RPG set in the fictional world of "Copernicus." When it ships for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 it will be gamers' first opportunity to explore the universe that will underpin future games developed by 38 Studios, which acquired Baltimore-area developer Big Huge last year.

Salvatore, best known for his series of Forgotten Realms novels, and McFarlane, creator of the Spawn comic book character, were initially tapped by 38 Studios founder (and former MLB pitcher) Curt Schilling to serve as creative principals on 38's upcoming MMO. Now the pair is simultaneously contributing to Project Mercury.

"When Curt founded 38 Studios, he did it not just to create one game, but to create a whole fantasy world," 38 Studios CEO Jen MacLean told Gamasutra in advance of today's announcement. "When Curt set up the company, his plan from the very beginning was to create a universe."

And even though Salvatore and McFarlane aren't in-house at Big Huge, she says they have regular creative input.

"R.A. lives about 45 minutes away from the studio, and Todd has a fantastic video conference set up -- he's interacting on a weekly basis," she explained. "These guys are very hands on in shaping the vision and the strategy. They're always working hand in hand with Ken [Rolston]."

MacLean added, however, that it is Rolston -- a longtime game designer who led Bethesda's two most recent Elder Scrolls games after a noted board game design career -- who remains the primary leadership on the Big Huge Games project.

"We can't mention enough the depth and experience Ken has brought to the project," she said. "He's working in [the studio] every day, and it's created an amazing creative environment that has really blossomed into a fantastic and creative product."

Rolston has been working with Big Huge since 2007, after briefly flirting with retirement, but MacLean herself has experience with members of the studio going back even further. The company was founded by former Firaxis developers who had previously worked at original Civilization developer MicroProse, where MacLean also got her start in games in the mid-1990s.

"Big Huge Games was the perfect team, with all they've accomplished." she said. "They have a perfect development record, going back to Civilization II when I first worked with them."

And the past industry connections go even further -- EA Partners GM David DeMartini told Gamasutra that Schilling had previously gotten in touch with now-EA Sports head Peter Moore, laying the groundwork for the EA Partners deal.

"During his illustrious baseball career, he made a lot of contacts," DeMartini said. "He made contact with Peter Moore, and when he was looking for people to bounce some ideas off of in the development area, EAP spring into action. We've been in conversation for quite a long time, and when Curt was able to pick up Big Huge Games and was able to marry that with a great creative team, the whole thing blossomed."

Founded in 2000 by several former Civilization series developers, Big Huge Games achieved commercial and critical success with its Rise of Nations series. In early 2008, it was acquired by THQ, but just over a year later, the publisher said it would close the studio unless a buyer could be found. Schilling and 38 stepped in a month later, and allowed Big Huge to retain its existing name and location, although its staff size was reduced.

"We've maintained the Big Huge brand because it has such a great reputation not just in the industry, but also among consumers," MacLean said.

And the studios' relative proximity on the East Coast means they can retain a fairly convenient working relationship, she added.

"It's such a short plane ride, so there's a lot of face to face interaction as well," said MacLean. "We work so closely with these guys -- not a day goes by when there's not a lot of interaction between the teams."

[lefty]

So the hero of that game will have a bloody ankle and look goofy at the same time.

[Ozzy]

Here is an interesting talk Curt Schilling gave at IGDA Leadership forum in 2008:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4507316274233606402&ei=payXS9nzJKOs2ALShPTKAg&q=curt+schilling#



One reason why I believe in this game is this guy: Ian Frazier (http://www.bighugegames.com/team_ifrazier.shtml). He was the project leader on www.u5lazarus.com (http://www.u5lazarus.com) (a great remake of Ultima 5 as a mod for Dungeon Siege). The guy was 19 when he started the project and then lead a team of amateurs for 5 years. He then moved into the professional game development as a content and gameplay designer on Titan quest.

[symple19]

Here is an interesting talk Curt Schilling gave at IGDA Leadership forum in 2008:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4507316274233606402&ei=payXS9nzJKOs2ALShPTKAg&q=curt+schilling#



One reason why I believe in this game is this guy: Ian Frazier (http://www.bighugegames.com/team_ifrazier.shtml). He was the project leader on www.u5lazarus.com (http://www.u5lazarus.com) (a great remake of Ultima 5 as a mod for Dungeon Siege). The guy was 19 when he started the project and then lead a team of amateurs for 5 years. He then moved into the professional game development as a content and gameplay designer on Titan quest.

interesting stuff Ozzy, thanks for that.

Seems like this team is diverse and creative enough to come through with something awesome. I had no idea Schilling was such a gamer. Good things tend to happen when the upper management cares about making a quality game and not just making fistfulls of cash.