Amalur 2 was in Pre-Production, Shopped Around to Other Publishers

Today, Joystiq reported that a sequel to this year’s Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, was already in pre-production stages at Big Huge Games and being shopped around to publishers when 38 Studios collapsed last week.

Apparently EA had passed on publishing the sequel, so the studio had begun the process of finding a new home for the sequel. The post quotes an anonymous source who explains how the team was going to improve on what 1.2 million fans had enjoyed out of the first one. According to the source, the sequel would’ve had better graphics, no loading screens between zones, more combat animations, and more. Said the source:

“We had a good base to work from, and it was going to be all about improving everything. We listened carefully to fans and critics and were going to implement everything we possibly could.”

Additionally, Joystiq’s sources have revealed some of the mistakes that the media have allegedly made about the situation at 38 Studios and Big Huge Games—namely, that Big Huge did all of the work on Amalur, while 38 Studios worked exclusively on the MMO that was Project Copernicus. Not only that, but the money loaned from Rhode Island’s government apparently never went into funding Amalur’s development at all.

“Reckoning was developed with EA publishing money, NOT Rhode Island tax dollars. It had nothing to do with the $50 million dollars from RI. That money went directly to the MMO project [Copernicus].”

For those just joining us, Big Huge was owned by 38, and it was discovered over the course of the last two weeks that 38 Studios had basically run out of cash and spent $50 million of money loaned from the government of Rhode Island without the ability to begin paying it back this month. Late last week, the full staffs of both studios were laid off and the future of the companies and the games they were working on remains in doubt.

Who knows what revelations we’ll discover this week? Will the company finally file for bankruptcy? Will a publisher swoop in and purchase the Amalur IP from Rhode Island and help it defray the costs of the debt? Will the company somehow find some investors, reopen its doors, and rehire the nearly 400 staff members who lost their jobs last week? Many questions…

Via Joystiq

Previous Coverage

• Reports: Amalur Developer 38 Studios Struggling to Stay Afloat
• 38 Studios Missed First Loan Repayment
• Schilling’s 38 STudios Bounces $1.125 Million Check, Can’t Make Payroll
• 38 Studios Makes good on First Payment for $1.125 Million
• 38 Studios Lays Off Employees, Says Rhode Island Governor
• 38 Studios Execs Leave, Employees Unpaid Since May 1
• Screens from Project Copernicus Appear Online
• 38 Studios Lays Off Entire Staff
• Fired 38 Studios Employees Hit with Second Mortgages on Unsold Boston Houses
• Rhode Island Finds 38 Studios in Violation of Labor Laws for Sudden Layoffs
• Author R.A. Salvatore Weighs in on 38 Studios Fiasco