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UTV moves Mytheon development to China, hints at upcoming closed beta

Jef Reahard — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Mytheon

The latest chapter in the saga of the free-to-play action MMO called Mytheon features a lengthy quest across a vast ocean and two continents -- and that's before a player even logs into the game. In a press release dated earlier this morning, Texas-based UTV True Games announced the relocation of Mytheon development to its internal studio in Beijing.

"Moving the development of Mytheon to our internal studio is a very positive move for the game because we have total creative control over the title and we can tailor Mytheon's content to the preferences and needs of the community that has already grown around it," said UTV CEO Jeff Lujan. Some of said content tailoring is taking the form of improved guild functionality, camera controls, and tweaks to the various stones and stone types. For the uninitiated, Mytheon players are referred to as Stonecasters after their ability to combine and cast magical stones in battle.

In addition to the studio move, UTV has announced that a new closed beta phase will begin in late January. Previous testers will be contacted via email and will be able to use their existing accounts to access the new phase.

UTV moves Mytheon development to China, hints at upcoming closed beta originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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38 Studios Rhode Island deal still up in the air

Jef Reahard — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items

Just when we thought 38 Studios' epic quest to move its guild headquarters to Rhode Island was nearing its conclusion, a posting on the blog of a local television news outlet casts a bit of doubt on the successful outcome of the proceedings. Reporter Ted Nesi writes that the state's Economic Development Commission is itching to close the $75 million loan it's taken out for 38 Studios.

However, if Lincoln Chafee wins the governorship in today's election, it could trigger a showdown, given the candidate's outspoken criticism of the deal. The other leading candidate, Frank Caprio, has said that if elected, he will "march down to EDC headquarters on Wednesday to do something unspecified about 38 Studios."

In other 38 Studios news, Amazon has recently published the official box art of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, the first official game to come out of Curt Schilling's company (currently slated for a September 2011 release). Check out the details, as well as a new screenshot, at 38gamers.

38 Studios Rhode Island deal still up in the air originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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38 Studios announces official Rhode Island relocation

Jef Reahard — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items

The lengthy saga of 38 Studios' relocation looks to be drawing to an end, as the fledgling game company has published a press release touting the impending lease of an office building in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Originally headquartered in Massachusetts, the developers behind the eternally cryptic MMORPG code-named Copernicus were offered a loot bag full of $75 million in loan guarantees by the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation.

The relocation will generate 450 high-paying tech jobs, and state governor Donald Carcieri lauds it as a move that will "provide job opportunities for our college graduates in a fast growing industry, and will attract other interactive and entertainment companies to Rhode Island."

38 Studios announces official Rhode Island relocation originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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38 Studios relocation loan in jeopardy

Jef Reahard — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Economy, MMO industry, News items

Democratic Rhode Island gubernatorial candidate Frank Caprio has flip-flopped in his stance towards a $75 million loan from the state's Economic Development Corporation to fledgling game maker 38 Studios. The development house, founded in 2006 by former Major League Baseball pitcher Curt Schilling, is hard at work on the top-secret Copernicus MMORPG and was offered the lucrative deal in exchange for moving the company's headquarters from Massachusetts to Rhode Island (and bringing a proposed 450 high-paying jobs to the state's economy).

Caprio, who currently serves as Rhode Island's general treasurer, is one of several political candidates condemning the deal, a marked change from his views in past weeks, notes the Boston Globe.

"I am not going to stand by and watch us gamble taxpayer dollars on a bad deal when there are thousands of small businesses in need of more access to capital," Caprio said in a press release dated August 31st.

38 Studios relocation loan in jeopardy originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Economic crisis may force CCP Games to leave Iceland

James Egan — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Economy, Events, real-world, News items

The global financial crisis is hitting many companies and individuals very hard. This is especially prevalent in Iceland, home of CCP Games -- the developers of the sci-fi massively multiplayer online game EVE Online. The collapse of Iceland's banking system and currency has been devastating to the nation. "Icelanders are reeling from the shock of having everything they knew virtually disappear overnight," Valur Gunnarsson reports from Reykjavik for The Guardian.

Despite these economic woes, Hilmar V. Pétursson, the CEO of CCP Games, gave assurances all is well with the company back in October. He's stated that CCP is "well isolated" from the banking crisis, that their holdings and assets were diversified enough (due to partner relationships in different parts of the world) to stave off the ruin that many other Icelandic companies are facing. But there's a potential downside to that diversification: restrictions on access to foreign currencies have gone into effect in Iceland. Specifically -- as it relates to CCP Games -- on foreign investment coming into the country. Are these restrictions enough of a hassle that CCP Games would ever need to leave Iceland?

Continue reading Economic crisis may force CCP Games to leave Iceland

Economic crisis may force CCP Games to leave Iceland originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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