copernicus posts

Update: 38 Studios sets facts straight on Copernicus

by Seraphina Brennan Jul 29th 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles

In a follow-up to our story posted yesterday, 38 Studios has contacted us with a response on the issue of the game's cost to be between 50 million and 100 million and their "tenative release date" as reported by the Boston Globe.

According to 38 Studios, the 50 to 100 million figure came from the Boston Globe and not 38 Studios, as finances were never disclosed to the newspaper. Production costs were never mentioned as well during the interview. What was noted in the interview was that MMOs can be quite expensive to build, sometimes costing tens of millions of dollars to put together. As said to us by the company, "38 Studios is a private company and does not, and has never, disclosed financials."

Furthermore, the company wishes to stress that the supposed "December 2010" release date is not a date they wish to acknowledge. The company will release the game codenamed Copernicus when it is ready, currently wishing to not set any dates for their upcoming game.

Follow after the break for the full release from 38 Studios regarding the release date of Copernicus.

Tags: 38-studios, boston-globe, breaking, copernicus, curt-schilling, finances, interview, investors, press-release, release-date

38 Studios estimates it will take 50 to 100 million to finish Copernicus, Schilling looking for investors

by Seraphina Brennan Jul 28th 2009 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, MMO industry, News items

Curt Schilling is out on the field again -- the investing field, that is. The former baseball star turned game developer is looking for more investors to back 38 Studios and their first game, the title codenamed Copernicus. The company's estimates for their game requires 50 to 100 million more in funding for the staff, all with their tentative December 2010 launch in mind.

Keep in mind, of course, that 38 Studios has acquired Maryland developer Big Huge Games, the company known for Rise of Nations, Rise of Legends, and Xbox Arcade's version of Catan. That acquisition doubled the company's headcount and has possibly driven operating costs into the 15 to 20 million a year range, according to the Boston Globe.

So far Schilling hasn't had any luck with potential investors. However, as he said to the Boston Globe, "I'm not going to complain about the economy. It's like pitching on a rainy day. The other guy has to pitch in it, too."

[Via Cuppycake]

Tags: 38-studios, acquisition, big-huge-games, boston-globe, breaking, budget, catan, copernicus, copernicus-mmo, funding, investors, kurt-schilling, r-a-salvatore, rise-of-legends, rise-of-nations

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."

Tags: 38-studios, big-huge-games, brett-close, business-models, chris-grant, copernicus, fantasy, interviews, joystiq, mercury-engine, mmo-industry, new-titles, r.a.-salvatore, the-mercury-engine, todd-mcfarlane

38 Studios LFM, PST!

by Krystalle Voecks May 3rd 2009 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items

Have artistic talent? Code talent? More properly, do you have that, some industry experience, and the desire to build an awesome MMO? If you can answer yes to those questions and the idea of working with people like Curt Schilling, R.A. Salvatore, Todd McFarlane and other really cool people like Ryan Shwayder from Nerfbat makes you happy, then you'll want to check out the job postings over on the 38 Studios site. It appears they're looking for some more people to join them on their MMO dream team!

Currently, the spots open are:

Hopefully once all the positions are filled up we'll start hearing more about 38's upcoming super-secret MMO project, codenamed 'Copernicus.' Good luck to anyone who applies, and if you get hired, be sure to tell them to keep us in mind for that eventual Copernicus alpha test. We'd appreciate it!

Tags: 38-studios, copernicus, curt-schilling, job-listing, job-posting, jobs, ra-salvatore, todd-mcfarlane

Ask Massively - Goodbye, Farewell, Amen.

by Kevin Stallard Mar 6th 2009 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Opinion, Ask Massively

It's been a few months since I have written Ask Massively, and I am sorry to say that this will be my last column for Massively. Before I leave you guys with something to think about, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Elizabeth, Krystalle, and the folks at Massively for allowing me to have this forum. It has been a pleasure working with them, and it has been a pleasure writing for you.

So, I hold in my hand, the last envelope...

Dear Massively,

Aside from "Find a soft spot to fall when you hear your puller say 'Oops' " Do you have any last words of wisdom to impart before you leave?

-Grimthorn Redbeard

Tags: age-of-conan, anarchy-online, ask-massively, blizzard, city-of-heroes, copernicus, dragoncon, everquest, featured, lord-of-the-rings-online, ncsoft, star-trek-online, tabula-rasa, warhammer-online, world-of-warcraft

Todd McFarlane talks about 38 Studios and Copernicus

by James Egan Nov 11th 2008 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles

Massively has been watching what's happening with 38 Studios and their upcoming MMO codenamed 'Copernicus' -- and the most recent bit of info we turned up comes through today's interview at Gamasutra by Christian Nutt. Gamasutra has interviewed 38 Studios Executive Art Director Todd McFarlane, well-known to most of us for his work in the comics industry and for the numerous offerings of McFarlane Toys.

Indeed, a fair amount of the Gamasutra interview focuses on McFarlane Toys and its success in the action figure industry, but McFarlane spoke a bit about 38 Studios and its MMO project as well. He touched upon how 38 Studios hopes to differentiate their game from what's presently offered: "But the question is, can we make ours feel better than the other guys? And the stuff that I'm seeing relative to what's out there in the open market, the answer is absolutely, right now." While McFarlane doesn't exactly spill details on what we can really expect from Copernicus, he does offer up some hints as to what 38 Studios is doing, and more importantly, why they're taking a different approach to the MMO space than some of their competitors. For more info on Copernicus, or just to read up on what a comics legend is doing these days, check out the full interview with Todd McFarlane over at Gamasutra.

Tags: 38-studios, christian-nutt, copernicus, fantasy, gamasutra, mcfarlane-toys, todd-mcfarlane

Ask Massively: Wrath vs All Comers

by Kevin Stallard Nov 7th 2008 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Opinion, Ask Massively

Never let it be said that Ask Massively doesn't give everyone a chance to be heard. We believe that everyone should have a voice, and it is in the interest of providing that voice that we bring you the following question.

Dear Massively

I am SO SICK of all of the coverage of Wrath of the Lich King! I demand that someone at Massively write about something that isn't World of Warcraft related this week. Non-WoW players aren't interested in an expansion for a game that they don't even play. Someone throw me a freakin' bone here!

Sarah P.

Someone hasn't been paying attention, have they...

Tags: 38-studios, ask-massively, copernicus, featured, mmo, mmo-industry, world-of-warcraft, wow-killer, wrath-of-the-lich-king

38 Studios hires two more industry heavyweights

by Shawn Schuster Nov 5th 2008 at 12:30PM

Filed under: Business models, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles

The long list of exceptional talent at 38 Studios continues to grow as Curt Schilling's masterpiece comes together. The two most recent additions include Director of Audio Aubrey Hodges and Senior UI Designer Irena Pereira.

Hodges is best known for his work on King's Quest and is credited as among the first to use MIDI in a video game and the first to use sound effects in an online game. Pereira comes from Blizzard, where she mainly worked on the interface design and development for WoW's The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King. 38 Studios President and CEO, Brett Close, comments on the acquisition, "38 Studios has been able to attract phenomenal talent, and these hires continue that trend. Smart interface design and rich audio are key components of the 38 Studios product vision, and Irena and Aubrey have extensive records of exceptional success in these areas."

Tags: 38-studios, aubrey-hodges, brett-close, copernicus, curt-schilling, irena-pereira

38 Studios' CEO explains the Azeroth Advisor purchase

by Shawn Schuster Oct 10th 2008 at 11:00AM

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Business models, Interviews, MMO industry

38 Studios, the Boston-based MMO development company started by Curt Schilling, is working on a brand new, highly-publicized MMO project, code-named Copernicus. What does this have to do with World of Warcraft and the Azeroth Advisor newsletter? That's what we're trying to figure out.

In a recent interview with WoW Insider, the company's CEO, Brett Close, discussed the reasoning behind 38 Studios' purchase of the Azeroth Advisor and how they plan to use it in the future. According to Close, it's not an elaborate scheme to close down their competition by buying out their fansites and tools, but instead, they realize that in order to let the genre thrive, they need to work together. WoW's success ultimately means 38 Studios' success, and the success of other MMO developers. Plus, they plan to use the proprietary technology behind the Azeroth Advisor for other unnamed future projects.

Tags: 38-studios, azeroth-advisor, brett-close, copernicus, curt-schilling, world-of-warcraft, wow, wow-insider

38 Studios acquires MMO newsletter tailored to player characters

by James Egan Oct 3rd 2008 at 7:10PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, Opinion, Races

As time moves on, we're slowly getting more information about MMO developer 38 Studios and their plans. 38 Studios, which brings together Red Sox pitcher (and MMO fan) Curt Schilling, comic book creator Todd McFarlane, and author R.A. Salvatore, is known to be developing a fantasy-MMO codenamed "Copernicus."

When it comes to news regarding this game studio, we're primarily interested in Copernicus here at Massively, but our sister site WoW Insider turned up something else interesting involving 38 Studios. It turns out that they've acquired Mentor Media, creators of a custom World of Warcraft newsletter called Azeroth Advisor, which offers personalized information about WoW as it pertains to your own character. Could this be a sign of what's to come with Copernicus, and would you appreciate a customized newsletter offered in tandem with your MMO of choice?

Tags: 38-studios, azeroth-advisor, classes, copernicus, curt-schilling, custom, customization, fantasy, mentor-media, mmo-industry, new-titles, newsletter, opinion, ra-salvatore, races, todd-mcfarlane, world-of-warcraft, wow-insider

Black Ops MMOs: Games in development under the radar

by Samuel Axon Sep 28th 2008 at 9:00AM

Filed under: MMO industry, New titles, Rumors

Our colleagues over at Big Download have listed several PC games in development that they call "Black Ops" projects. The idea is that these games are operating out of sight, under the radar; nobody knows what's going on. It's all very hush hush and mysterious. The game industry and secrecy go hand in hand, after all.

We're bringing this up because there are a bunch of MMOs in the list. In fact, they pretty much dominate it. Titles mentioned include the KotOR MMO, the Red 5 Studios project, 38 Studios' Copernicus, ZeniMax Online Studios' MMO (which is possibly Elder Scrolls-based), and of course Blizzard's mysterious "Next-Gen MMO." Interesting stuff. Head over to Big Download to find out what's up on the down low.

Tags: 38-studios, big-download, bioware, black-ops, blizzard, copernicus, elder-scrolls, knights-of-the-old-republic-online, kotor-mmo, kotor-online, new-titles, next-gen-mmo, red-5, red-5-studios, secrecy, secret, star-wars, star-wars-the-old-republic, zenimax-online-studios

AGDC08: Joystiq goes one-on-one with 38 Studios CEO Brett Close

by Michael Zenke Sep 22nd 2008 at 3:30PM

Filed under: Interviews, MMO industry

Massively's big-sister site Joystiq.com was down in Austin for AGDC last week as well, and they made great use of their time. Kevin Kelly sat down with the CEO of 38 Studios, Brett Close, for a one-on-one chat about the MMO industry and 38's future plans. With the unveil of the R.A. Salvatore IP still a number of months away, their discussion focuses primarily on Copernicus in generalities.

Join Kelly and Close for an in-depth appraisal of how 38 Studios works, Curt Schilling's involvement in the day-to-day workings in the company, and how the other two 'big names' at the company fit into their master scheme.

Gallery: 38 Studios' Copernicus MMO

Tags: 38-studios, agdc-2008, brett-close, copernicus, joystiq

Vivox to provide voice services for 38 Studios' upcoming MMO

by Shawn Schuster Sep 16th 2008 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry

Announced today at the Austin Game Developers Conference, Vivox has struck a deal with 38 Studios to provide all of their voice services for the studio's upcoming MMO. You may remember 38 Studios as the powerhouse that employs such rockstar names as Curt Schilling, R.A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane. Their current MMO project, codenamed Copernicus, will use the same in-game voice technology of EVE Online, Second Life and upcoming titles from SOE, Icarus Studios and NCsoft.

Check out the complete press release after the jump for more information on how Vivox plans to work with 38 Studios, and what 38 Studios says about the collaboration.

Tags: 38-studios, agdc, agdc-08, agdc-2008, copernicus, icarus-studios, ncsoft, soe, vivox

Comic-Con 08: 38 Studios interview reveals IP announcement next year!

by Michael Zenke Jul 30th 2008 at 10:00AM

Filed under: MMO industry, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage

Last week we sat down with two representatives from 38 Studios, one of the highest profile of the stealth MMO developers. Headed by the triad of Curt Schilling, R.A. Salvatore, and Todd McFarlane, the studio is deep in the midst of content creation and is entirely under the radar. So under the radar we don't even know what the name of their game is ... just the code name for the project, floridly called "Copernicus."

Massively and WoW Insider's Dan O'Halloran spoke with Chief Marketing Officer Mary Kirchoff and newly-hired Director of Art Thom Ang. Though they couldn't share a lot of substantial insights with us, we did walk away with some great news: the studio will be annoucing their game title's name and launching a game-specific site around this time next year.

Tags: 38-studios, comic-con-2008, copernicus, featured, joystiqfeatures, massively-interviews

38 Studios to use NaturalMotion's Morpheme engine

by Samuel Axon Jul 16th 2008 at 9:00AM

Filed under: MMO industry, New titles, News items

38 Studios, the star-studded development studio working on a mysterious MMO codenamed Copernicus, has announced that it will use an animation engine called Morpheme. Morpheme has also been used in EVE Online and Heavenly Sword. Its creator is a company called NaturalMotion, which also created the related and acclaimed Euphoria engine used in Grand Theft Auto IV and the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Jon Laff, 38 Studios' chief technology officer, was quoted in the press release saying, "Morpheme allows us to create very high-quality character animations quickly, cutting down on a lot of intensive animation design and implementation time." Uh, good! Wouldn't want you to pick middleware that slows you down instead!

So for those who are keeping track: Copernicus now uses BigWorld, Unreal Engine 3, and Morpheme. It's got the trifecta!

Tags: 38-studios, animation, bigworld, copernicus, engine, euphoria, jon-laff, middleware, morpheme, natural-motion, naturalmotion, technology, unreal-engine-3