- Big Huge Games Saved by 38 Studios!
- Posted on 5/27/2009 at 6:48 PM by One Dead Angel
- Rise of Nations developer Big Huge Games has been acquired by 38 Studios. BHG was originally taken in by THQ but following some financial hardships, THQ put the studio back on sale in March saying that they would have to close BHG if they could not find a buyer within 60 days.
38 Studios was founded in 2006 by Major League Baseball pitcher Curt Schilling, named after Curt's jersey number. Their first title is codenamed Copernicus, an MMOG scheduled for a 2010 release. 38 is based in Maynard, Massachusetts, but BHG will remain in Timonium, Maryland.
Looking forward to what they will produce.Quoted from Press Release:
Maynard, MA, May 27, 2009 � 38 Studios (www.38studios.com, an entertainment and original IP creation company, today announced the acquisition of Big Huge Games (BHG) from publisher THQ Inc. The acquisition is a critical step in 38 Studios� strategy to deliver a broad range of entertainment products centered on its original fantasy IP, codenamed Copernicus. The purchase of Big Huge Games includes all of the company�s proprietary IP, tools, technology, assets, and works-in-progress. Specific financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Big Huge Games was founded in 2000 by veteran game developers Brian Reynolds, Jason Coleman, Dave Inscore, and Tim Train. Award-winning lead designer Ken Rolston, a 25-year role-playing game designer and co-creator of Oblivion and Morrowind, is another vital and dynamic component in BHG�s success. Big Huge Games has developed top-selling games including Rise of Nationsâ, and was built with the same talent that created Alpha Centauri, and Civilization II. Big Huge Games is currently developing an unnamed RPG title for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC.
�The acquisition of Big Huge Games will be tremendously beneficial to the growth, market position, financial stability, and long-term success of 38 Studios,� said Brett Close, CEO and President, 38 Studios. �BHG�s cross-platform RTS/RPG engine will accelerate the realization of our Online Entertainment ExperienceÔ for the Copernicus IP. The acquisition enables us to develop and deliver top-quality games in multiple genres that are based in a shared world, ultimately maximizing the value of our Copernicus MMOG and the intellectual property as a whole.�
Hopefully they will keep working on Ascendent, if that's the "unnamed" RPG mentioned in the press release.
Best of luck! Thanks to Alex for the headsup!
- Big Huge Games for Sale
- Posted on 3/19/2009 at 2:06 AM by One Dead Angel
- The economic slow down has effected the gaming industry adversely, and Big Huge Games' parent company THQ is no exception. After buying BHG about a year ago, they are now forced to sell the company. If there is no buyer it will spell the end of Big Huge Games as we know it. I am sure the talented people at Big Huge Games will form something new but lets hope that the name we've all grown to love as Rise of Legend fans will continue on as before. Read about the full story from HG Main news forum.
- 5 Reasons to Play Rise of Legends
- Posted on 3/19/2009 at 2:00 AM by One Dead Angel
The staff at Heaven Games has come up with 5 reasons that you should still be playing Rise of Legends. Go get some inspiration at the HG Main news forum.
- GameRanger: A new PC online gaming service
- Posted on 11/25/2008 at 5:15 PM by One Dead Angel
- A new PC online gaming service called GameRanger has come to the RTS community. Basically, it makes it quick and easy to play your friends online with Rise of Legends.
GameRanger has full lobby support for over 500 different games and demos (including RoL), without the hassles and headaches that usually happen with network connections (eg. routers & firewalls) - the bane of RTS games.
This service should be a boon to those in the RTS community who were previously unable to play online until now due to problems with opening ports etc.
You can download it at www.GameRanger.com
- Help Wanted: Graphics Designers!
- Posted on 4/5/2008 at 11:50 AM by Lord Avenger
Please contact oliver (at) heavengames (dot) com if you are interested.
- Win a DVD of In The Name of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale!
- Posted on 4/2/2008 at 4:26 PM by One Dead Angel
Good luck!
- "SOLO: Essays and Commentary on the Art of the Single Player Game" Debuts at HeavenGames!
- Posted on 3/3/2008 at 3:51 AM by One Dead Angel
"SOLO: Essays and Commentary on the Art of the Single Player Game" debuts at HeavenGames! This new, semi-regular column on the art and theory of designing single player games will highlight important issues in the development of games, asking challenging questions about the nature of gaming, whether games will ever meet the criteria for art, and offering practical pointers on how the best single player experiences are created by designers.
SOLO is written by Gordon Farrell, a long-time professional designer of single player campaigns for AAA games such as Empire Earth and Empires: Dawn of the Modern World. In addition, he has worked on strategy titles such as Caesar IV, Children of the Nile and BreakAway Games' Middle Eastern city builder, Arabian Lords. He is currently Lead Writer for Reverie World Studios' first game, Dawn of Fantasy, due for release in Fall 2008.
HGS regulars will recognize Gordon's work as a staple of our download sections, from games as diverse as Age of Empires and Caesar 3, to both Stronghold 1, Stronghold 2 and Age of Kings. In addition to his HGS mods, he has highly-rated Civilization 4 mods uploaded at CivFanatics as well.
Gordon is on the faculty of New York University, where he teaches narrative theory for video games, theory of screenwriting, and advanced studies in dramatic art. He also lectures at Marymount Manhattan College in video games, script analysis, and theatre history. In 2002, Prima Games published his essay, "The Theory of Scenario Design." His extensive professional and academic experience promises an exciting column filled with commentary on the art of games that will be both controversial and thought-provoking.
- THQ to Acquire BHG
- Posted on 1/15/2008 at 7:39 PM by One Dead Angel
- Big news on Big Huge Games! THQ has announced that they are buying Big Huge Games as they continue to develop a Role playing game title for THQ. The terms of the acquisition was not disclosed. But I guess THQ liked what they saw at BHG while working with them on the new game, and decided to buy the company. You can read the full story at the BHG site.
- Merry Christmas Everyone
- Posted on 12/24/2007 at 11:53 AM by One Dead Angel
- Happy Holidays from Rise of Legends Heaven!
- New Job Openings at HeavenGames!
- Posted on 12/15/2007 at 4:00 AM by One Dead Angel
- With all of the changes at HeavenGames, several have opened up! A job at HeavenGames has great benefits in addition to the resume-building experience it offers, including:
- Assistance in job/internship placement in the gaming industry.
- Possible credit for those in university.
- Personal websites (clouds) for all staff at no charge.
- Possible access to game alphas/betas.
The current job openings are:- Marketing/PR Department Head
- Art Department Head
- Graphics Designer
- Website Designer
- Programmer
- HG Main News Editor
Head to the the help wanted page for detailed job descriptions and please contact the CEO at socvazius@heavengames.com if you're interested in any of these positions! - Assistance in job/internship placement in the gaming industry.
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