The situation at 38 Studios is obviously terrible. Bad for the video game industry, bad for the MMOG genre and (likely) bad for the taxpayers of Rhode Island. The saga is far from over, yet most outlets – even an article on LoreHound – have placed most of the blame on Curt Schilling, the former Red Sox pitcher. To be frank, it’s unfair.

For starters, the man knew his role. He didn’t think he’d be the game designer, producer or programmer. To this point, 38 Studios was filled with highly-experienced and successful people at the upper management levels and experienced creators at lower levels. He began the company because he’s a fan of the lush worlds, storytelling and gameplay that MMOGs offer. Essentially, he did what most gamers would do with a large quantity of disposable income, try to fund the creation of the experience of their dreams.

Barring a crazy angel investor, that dream has been shattered, but Schilling is taking far more flak than he rightfully deserves. First off, he didn’t doom the company. There was little inappropriate spending – such as almost 1.5 million dollars on the lore alone – but, according to employees, the company did not spend lavishly on everyday things. Second, he’s become a scapegoat, an easy target to point at by insiders and outsiders due to his previous fame, and let’s face it, lack of industry experience. Employees have stated that the Governor of Rhode Island, Lincoln Chafee, has done exactly that, hoping to save his own political career in the face  of his state owing over $100 million (due in the future) in the event of complete collapse to a loan he championed. Continue Reading