38 Studios Boss Sells Sock to Recoup Losses

[Marshall Honorof]

38 Studios Boss Sells Sock to Recoup Losses

A relic from Curt Schilling's World Series days may cover some of the 38 Studios fallout.

Curt Schilling, famous Red-Sox-pitcher-turned-studio-head, was worried that he might have to sell some of his most meaningful baseball memorabilia [http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2013/01/17/schilling-bloody-sock-going-for-auction/NgADm0UqhsZdvyvE0wqTjJ/story.html] in order to pay for the 38 Studios debacle. Unfortunately for him (but fortunately for some high-roller baseball collectors), he was right. Next month, some of Schilling's most valuable treasures will get auctioned off for five- and six-figure sums, including his famous bloody sock that won the Red Sox a world series.

Schilling - and his blood-soaked sock - gained widespread acclaim during the World Series in 2004. Following a catastrophic performance by the Yankees in the American League Championship Series, Schilling's Boston team advanced to the World Series and won it for the first time in 86 years. This particular sock accompanied Schilling to Game 2, and auctioneers expect it to fetch $100,000 or more. Among other rarities, Schilling will also sell iconic Yankee Lou Gehrig's cap and jersey, which should also rake in similar amounts of dough.

As profitable as Schilling's personal stash may prove, it may not cover all of the costs associated with the breakup of 38 Studios. The former pitcher claims to have fronted $50 million for his legal battle [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/9393-Kingdoms-of-Amalur-Reckoning-Review].

While it would be easy enough to chalk this one up to delayed aftereffects of the Curse of the Bambino [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_the_Bambino], it's hard not to feel at least a little sympathy for Schilling. He invested a great personal fortune in a project that blew up in his face and left scores of people unemployed. The auction, he says, is part of "having to pay for your mistakes." When the event takes place on February 23, baseball fans, gamers, and Rhode Island lawyers everywhere will see if it's payment enough.

Source: Associated Press [http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2013/01/17/schilling-bloody-sock-going-for-auction/NgADm0UqhsZdvyvE0wqTjJ/story.html]

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[Aariana]

This makes me really sad. I really liked Kingdoms of Amalur, even though it was a bit buggy (I didn't have any game breaking issues yet). It hurts that Schilling has to sell off his mementos just to get out of the financial bind he's in. I mean yeah, I know the funding for the game was a bit...sketchy, but I was honestly hoping that it would have made enough to be able to pay back the state of Rhode Island without having to come to this.

 

[Doom972]

Too bad they didn't put it on sale during the Steam Winter Sale. I waited for its price to go down but it never happened. I'm sure many others would've bought it if it was on sale.

At least he has the holy grail of socks.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

I still feel the downfall of 38 Studios was a great loss to the RPG genre. Amalur was a good game, though it had its flaws yet I still couldn't wait to see the MMO that was supposed to be based on the world.
Seems to me that perhaps people who aren't savvy in the gaming industry should consider funding a studio but hiring a competent manager to actually RUN the company. Key topic here is mismanagement can kill a great IP faster than anything.

 

[PsychicTaco115]

A bloody sock? I can make one of those for free!

Who wants my blood?

OT: It sucks for him, but what can you do? At least he can (maybe) cover the costs with this auction

 

[deth2munkies]

This is even more tragic since I picked up Amalur on an Amazon sale over Christmas and it's actually a very good game. It sucks that they made the exceedingly poor business decision of trying to break directly into the subscription MMO market, but I really wish they'd been able to pull through.

 

[CrazyBlaze]

The fall of 38 Studios makes me sad. Amular was a good game. Not really ground breaking and it had its flaws but the potential was there. The combat was solid and the game looked great. I also loved the fact that you could respec your character at any time for a price. I mean that let you be so flexible on what you wanted to do. A good squeal could have done really well and fixed its flaws. An MMO with its combat and world could have been great. But sadly they decided to try and make the MMO before the game and that led to their downfall. Its a shame. Chris shilling seemed to be very passionate about this. Sadly he wouldn't listen to others and it led to the downfall of what could have been a great studio.

 

[redknightalex]

I never understood the fascination of the bloody sock (and I'm a Red Sox fan who watched those games my first year of college), but it's both sad, and understandable, for him to sell some of his collection. Even if they do include important memories like the sock.

Too bad they didn't put it on sale during the Steam Winter Sale. I waited for its price to go down but it never happened. I'm sure many others would've bought it if it was on sale.

At least he has the holy grail of socks.

I've actually looked into this on the Steam forums and, apparently, the publisher decides if a game goes on sale (or at least is part of the decision making process), so with no publisher there can't be a Steam sale for Amalur. Which sucks because I too was waiting for it to drop down. Then again, the profits might not even go to settling the debts or paying any of the employees that were laid off without the publisher. Maybe Rhode Island gets the money? I just went for the PS3 version as it was cheaper than Steam (shockingly).

 

[Doom972]

I never understood the fascination of the bloody sock (and I'm a Red Sox fan who watched those games my first year of college), but it's both sad, and understandable, for him to sell some of his collection. Even if they do include important memories like the sock.

Too bad they didn't put it on sale during the Steam Winter Sale. I waited for its price to go down but it never happened. I'm sure many others would've bought it if it was on sale.

At least he has the holy grail of socks.

I've actually looked into this on the Steam forums and, apparently, the publisher decides if a game goes on sale (or at least is part of the decision making process), so with no publisher there can't be a Steam sale for Amalur. Which sucks because I too was waiting for it to drop down. Then again, the profits might not even go to settling the debts or paying any of the employees that were laid off without the publisher. Maybe Rhode Island gets the money? I just went for the PS3 version as it was cheaper than Steam (shockingly).

That sucks. I guess it'll be a while before I get to play it. I hope Rhode Island won't hold on to it and just sell it to a publisher.

 

[sir neillios]

I've raised an eyebrow every time this sorry state of affairs comes back into the news. Quite simply because I can't wrap my head around how you can blow so much cash. I mean the man pretty much spent his considerable personal fortune, and then there was the loan from the state. What was it spent on? Development kits don't cost that much, and sure 38 had a couple hundred staff, and okay you have office rental, but I still can't help feeling there was some dirty business going on somewhere. Maybe I'm wrong but I'll not be convinced until we get to see exactly where the money was going.

 

[Kuredan]

Well, we know the game revenue didn't go to Curt. Dude's almost literally selling the shirt off his back. I understand the bind the State of Rhode Island is in, but in every article I have read shows that the new administration wanted 38 Studios to fail because they didn't agree with the decision of a previous administration. They didn't and don't understand the nature of the industry (I think the previous administration didn't either) and had unreal payment expectations. I think 38 studio itself didn't have enough of a grasp on the industry to understand that most of the money would be going to publishers and not the developers and they would be hard pressed to make those kind of payments. You shouldn't promise large chunks of money to be paid in a short period of time... that's what you do when you go to a loan shark. I think the blame can be spread around and has been, but at this point it's the sad footnotes to this story that draw me back in. Bottom line- go to Kickstarter, they like us there.

 

[Talaris]

I'm sorry Escapist but I don't see how this warrants its own article. It's well known on this site that Curt will have to start selling off his most precious items to pay back his losses, and that already included the famous relics of the 2004 world series. Saying you feel sympathy for this, then reporting on every item he has to sell just sees plain wrong in my eyes.

Until you're able to broadcast the good news that he's been able to repay his debt, just let him be.

 

[Formica Archonis]

While it would be easy enough to chalk this one up to delayed aftereffects of the Curse of the Bambino [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_the_Bambino], it's hard not to feel at least a little sympathy for Schilling.

Say I buy a plane.
I try to fly it without any experience being a pilot. I think I'm great, so that should be enough, right?
I damnear get myself killed but continue to try flying it without getting help. Instead, I pay money to a family member, who flew a helicopter once and never flew a plane before. I hand him the money, and he tells me I can fly a plane great.
I then lie to people about my credentials, they get on my plane.
I crash it and we all die.

You wouldn't feel sympathy for me at all. You'd feel it for my passengers.

He invested a great personal fortune in a project that blew up in his face and left scores of people unemployed.

"left scores of people unemployed". There you go. It's not Schilling that's the great tragedy. It's the employees he convinced to move between states by lying about what he was giving them.

<img src="http://s91291220.onlinehome.us/formica/blood-terflies.jpg" align=right>

A bloody sock? I can make one of those for free!

Who wants my blood?

The socks [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mud-puddling] to these guys: