38 Studios CEO Brett Close on the Big Huge Games acquisition and the Copernicus IP
by James Egan 
Jun 28th 2009 at 12:00PM
Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles
Joystiq's fearless leader Chris Grant recently caught up with 38 Studios CEO Brett Close to discuss their recent acquisition of Big Huge Games, and what this might mean for the "Copernicus" MMO. Massively has mentioned Copernicus at a few points in the past, but unfortunately in terms more vague than we'd like. We know it's a fantasy MMO project that draws upon notables like R.A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane, but Joystiq turned up some more info about Copernicus. Close stresses that Copernicus is an IP that will exist in several channels; there will be books, graphic novels, and of course an MMO that draws upon these elements. "Rather than drilling into details about why this is going to give people something they have never experienced before... what I will tell you is that it's simply based on that talent [R.A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane] and based on our approach and our experience in building these products. There's nothing like it out there right now. And I don't believe there's anybody working on anything like this right now."
So then, how will the acquisition of Big Huge Games affect Copernicus development? It gives 38 Studios the ability to spread their IP across those other channels Close mentioned. He tells Joystiq, "It will be on a variety of other platforms and delivery mechanisms... this studio is just a great fit. It's just flat out a great fit for 38 Studios in terms of technology and team. And increases our choices. Increases our product portfolio." Close adds that it "allows us capabilities with their product back-catalog. It just creates more choices and more opportunities for 38 Studios."
The cross platform Mercury Engine that 38 Studios acquired along with Big Huge Games will also be a major asset to Copernicus development, says Close. While he neither confirms or denies that Copernicus could one day make its way to other platforms like consoles, that potential exists.
Close definitely feels it's too soon to spill details on a lot of what they're working on when it comes to Copernicus, though, so we don't have any solid info on the game's premise, much less the release timetable. However the interview with Close does give some interesting hints as to what they're up to at 38 Studios. You can read the interview over at Joystiq.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Leshrac said on 12:27PM 6-28-2009
..........Fast forward 5 years, 3 mos after the launch of Copernicus, Close talks about why he thinks this MMO failed:
"I just don't think people were ready for an IP like Copernicus, we felt like we had a cutting edge design, obviously our small subscriber base has proven the opposite. We still feel like there is a niche for a game like Copernicus"
Close talks about the immediate staff reductions and how they feel it will help Copernicus provide a rich game experience moving forward:
"The management team at 38 felt that a smaller team could be more nimble and could provide faster turn around with player requests, and by reducing layers amongst the development team communication was greatly enhanced."
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I love these guys; we're developing something so incredible, and as you know here at 38 Studios none of our shit stinks. Curt's farts actually cure aids. Yeah, we're pretty awesome, but no, we can't tell you anything about it because to be honest we think the idea sucks but we need to BS our venture capitalists and investors into thinking we know what we're doing.
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Tony said on 12:49PM 6-28-2009
Okay?
Leshrac said on 12:53PM 6-28-2009
Okay what?
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Temploiter said on 1:12PM 6-28-2009
Another fantasy MMO promising to give us something we've never experienced before. Color me jaded, I guess. Good luck to them, here's hoping they succeed where all MMOs have failed since Nov 2004.
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MCRaider said on 1:14PM 6-28-2009
I wish studios would stop being so over zealous of their products. It is always the same "we will introduce something that has never been seen or done before! You will be amazed the system is so new and innovative!"
It never turns out that way, sure you can have a great idea take WAR and PQs. Great at first when you have people around but later you find no one does them and they are everywhere.
Or look at Mortal Online "crafting like you have never seen before" I will give it 6-months before people either figure out the most optimal builds for everything or people start complying how hard/easy/over powered it is.
With all of these new MMOs coming out the developers all say the same things, make promises, and are expecting their game to be very successful. I am betting that most of those ideas/promises/systems will not make it to release or if it does they are done very poorly.
Cant a studio say one thing and actually prove it for once, rather then hoping on the Hype-Train and going to town? If your crafting is so amazing make a video of real game play and show it. Show how it works and effects your character.
Hype is like cholesterol, you have the good kind and the bad kind. Good hype can build audience awareness with advertising, showing the game at conventions, and talking with the community.
Bad hype which is seen a lot more now in days is what people get upset over. You are a studio wanting to get into the MMO world. Pumped for your game you start shouting out ideas and concepts that at release may not even make it in. Combat systems, crafting, sandbox worlds, new quest types, all are said to be in your new MMO.
Come release you had to ship the game will less polish then you wanted, some classes are over powered, the crafting got the axe, and endgame is not existent. People get upset at this and leave the game.
So why cant a studio for a change shut up about their game until they know X-system is working in the game and will be in when it ships?
Some hype about your game is good but I would rather have a closed lid on a game then having some guy in sun glasses with a British accent shot at me for 6-months straight before the game goes live.
Companies should realize that having a solid launch and game at release is a must when competing with everyone out their these days. A lot more people will play for 30-days and if the game is buggy (more so then what you would expect), has broken systems and items,systems and mechanics then those people will bot re-sub.
No MMO or game will ever be perfect but for once can a studio promise one thing and actually do it?
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MCRaider said on 1:18PM 6-28-2009
Ha, proof reading FTL, my bad on the spelling.
HackJack said on 1:39PM 6-28-2009
I'm always hoping to see intelligent companies release games. I have been dissapointed far too many times by the mmo-releasing companies but hope is last to perish...
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BookhouseBoy said on 2:08PM 6-28-2009
I am still optimistic about both the Copernicus MMO and the Big Huge RPG (AKA Ascendant), but I think this interview is a good example of "if you don't have anything you can say, then don't say anything." Interviews should only be granted when the person actually has something to announce or disclose. Close didn't have anything he could actually say, so he spent hundreds of words just flapping his jaw. Not a good PR tactic.
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SgtBaker said on 2:08PM 6-28-2009
I've played your "new-groundbreaking-fantasy-MMO" and it's called World of Warcraft.
Seriously though - I've played my share of WoW, I haven't seen any fantasy-MMO's even come close to it. That's why I play EVE-Online, it's innovative, dark, dagerous and so very different.
In contrast, WoW has 11M subs, EVE has 300k.
If you want to make "different", "next gen", "something people haven't seen before" - welcome to the 150k - 300k sub category.
If you want 11M subs, welcome to the fail category.
If you want to make a WoW clone - well meh, you said you had talent.
So yeah, color me sceptic..
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CindyL said on 2:15PM 6-28-2009
These responses make me jaded. Little bit of advice; go outside and quit taking every new mmo project so damn seriously.
How dare they be excited at their own project! See what happens when companies make products they don't care about.... >.>
Personally I'm very curious about what they have in store, but it'll take at least a year before we even get a picture of what kind of MMO it'll be.
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MCRaider said on 2:38PM 6-28-2009
It is more to all the Studios/Developers/Companies that are making really bad games. Rushing it out to the market when maybe another year would never hurt, it use to be that delaying an MMO was normal and almost expected. Now most are coming out when they said and are not "complete". I use complete lightly since an MMO is never finished.
Sure the people working on the game will be excited but show me solid evidence that X-System is working and I will be a little more optimistic about your games. Until then do not say anything since it is just ideas on paper or maybe in the early stages but really needs more work to make it to release (Capital cities in WAR anyone?)
SgtBaker said on 3:23PM 6-28-2009
Well yeah, there's that. And you're right - it's going to take a very long time to know what this (and other similar) projects are about - and that's partly why I'm so tired of hyping the "next best thing" even before single line of code has been written.
Sure, studios have every right to be excited about their project - but really - these games are "long haul".. Why do we need to get excited years before the launch (only to be disappointed by the inevitable "it didn't live up to the hype")
And yes, we, who read sites like Massively are also massively (sorry, pun intended) jaded hardcore idiots. And any game devs reading these things should take the discussion with bucketload of salt :-)
Pedro said on 4:57PM 6-28-2009
I don't know what kind of expertise they have in-house but with R.A. Salvatore and MacFarlane working on the story, at least the storyline/lore of the game will be awesome.
A cross of Spawn with Dungeons and Dragons? That's what came to my mind.
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Sean said on 6:08PM 6-28-2009
I've been excited about Copernicus for awhile and have been eager to hear more (was hoping for some teaser at E3 but alas...).
One thing that strikes me as odd though is that Joystiq conducted this interview and not Massively? Given that both sites are Weblogs properties, why is it hosted there and not at Massively?
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James Egan said on 6:38PM 6-28-2009
Sean, now and again we've got some overlap in coverage between the Weblogs properties. MMOs are our thing obviously, but Joystiq writes about them at times as well in a more general sense. In this case I think it was the fact that Big Huge Games was acquired that caught their interest -- Rise of Nations and Catan aren't really our speed here, although Copernicus certainly is.
I'd say the majority of MMO-focused interviews done at Weblogs are conducted by Massively, but you'll also see MMO interviews/feature stories over at Big Download from time to time.
jpo said on 6:15PM 6-28-2009
The thing that gives me hope about this company is Curt Schilling.
In every....and I mean EVERY...gaming forum, when players gripe about the game, some smartass fanboi comes out with the stupid "If you think you can do better, why don't you make your own game."....like that's even possible for most of us.
But Schilling....well....that's what he did. He's a gamer first. EQ, EQ2, and who knows what else. And he decided to form this company and make his own game.
And bringing R. A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane on board. These guys are artists, REAL writers, and gamers. This project has the potential (I hate that word) to be something really really special.
Go Curt!
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The Claw said on 5:40AM 6-29-2009
And with famous Republican Party advocate Schilling at the helm, you can be sure that 38 Studios' game will NOT have welfare epics!
Goonja said on 10:32AM 6-29-2009
JPO is right.
Curt Shilling is a dedicated player.All these guys are geeks,they are real gamers from EQ,EQ2,artists.Until now (almost 3 years) they've been able to keep what they are doing secret.No hype a la Mythic or funcom,all they've been saying is we are doing something great and an original IP, here are 3 concept art drawings,you'll know more late 2010.
I don't see where's the problem :(
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