I remember downloading a free demo of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning back in high school. A quaint fantasy action-RPG, it was developed by Studio 38, an endeavor created by Kurt Schilling (formerly of MLB fame) and partially backed by the state of Rhode Island.
I remember the bright colors and crunchy combat, but once the time window for the demo ended, I didn't end up purchasing the game. But I do have plenty who purchased the game and got a kick out of it.
It was unfortunate then, that that was the only game that 38 Studios ever developed. Selling under 3 million copies, which, according to RI governor Lincoln Chafee, 38 needed for the game to break even, it was a critical darling, but a bit of a flop in game sales' terms.
It didn't help, then, that 38 Studios was mired in controversy just a few months after the game's launch. Releasing in February of 2012, 38 Studios declared bankruptcy in May of the same year. It came out that Kurt Schilling spent a good chunk of both his baseball fortunes and even his portion of the game's profits, putting the developer at grave financial injury.
This and more is in the latest Gvmers documentary, which you can view below. Covering the development game and the subsequent collapse of the company behind it, it's a great look at the sudden rise and fall of a potentially great game.
