Here’s some unpleasant news that sadly isn’t surprising to anyone who has been following the financial troubles of 38 Studios; the company today laid off all 379 employees of 38 Studios and their subsidiary Big Huge Games. Employees were notified via a company email obtained by WPRI.
The Company is experiencing an economic downturn. To avoid further losses and possibility of retrenchment, the Company has decided that a companywide lay off is absolutely necessary.
These layoffs are non-voluntary and non-disciplinary.
This is your official notice of lay off, effective today, Thursday, May 24th, 2012.
38 Studios was founded in 2006 by former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Shilling. The upstart company purchased game developers Big Huge Games from THQ in 2008. Together, 38 Studios released their first title, Kingdoms of Amular: Reckoning, in February of this year.
Of course it sucks that so many people have all lost their job at the same time, especially after releasing what was a fairly successful and praised game, but the bigger concern here is the fact that the Rhode Island tax-payers could be on the hook for $122.6 million due to the loan the Rhode Island government gave 38 Studios that they won’t be able to pay.
And it also sucks that 38 Studios saw fit to run out and snatch up Big Huge Games, makers of popular real-time strategy games Rise of Nations (I personally love that game) and Age of Empires III, only to have it end like this for the studio.
Our best wishes to all 379 people who were laid off today by 38 Studios, and sympathies for the tax-paying residents of the state who’s going to have to pay for the mistakes their government made.
Utterly @#$%ing hideous.
These folks don’t deserve this. The people that made monetary decisions do.