THQ Nordic announced via Twitter that the publisher has bought the Kingdoms of Amalur license from its previous owner 38 Studios. The news comes out of nowhere after 38 Studios went bankrupt over 6 years ago in 2012.
We are beyond proud to announce that THQ Nordic has acquired the "Kingdoms of Amalur" IP, among other assets, from 38 Studios.#THQNordic #KingdomsofAmalur pic.twitter.com/YSnXPm7M7e
— THQNordic (@THQNordic) September 6, 2018
Kingdoms of Amalur is a title which is most often associated with the financial and legal issues its studio went through. This is a shame really, as those few who played the game rather liked it. You can read our own review of Kingdoms of Amalur here. The game did receive solid reviews upon launch but the spotlight quickly shifted on the management of Studio 38, after the game failed to achieve sales targets.
Especially, Curt Shilling, studio founder and famous retired baseball player, garnered a lot of negative attention upon the financial failure Kingdoms of Amalur turned out to be. Studio 38 did get a hefty loan of $75 million by the state of Rhode Island, only fueling the negative press around the studio and its game.
In 2012, Studio 38 went bankrupt and with it, the Kingdoms of Amalur IP.
Fast forward 6 years and today we are seeing the resurrection of the IP in form of THQ Nordic. Ironic, how a company who reorganized itself after acquiring lots of IPs from THQ after its bankruptcy, is now responsible for the possible resurgence of Kingdoms of Amalur.
Die-hard fans who had the chance to play Kingdoms of Amalur have been praising the game for years but with THQ Nordic’s backing, the possibility of a remaster or even sequels looks better than ever before.
THQ Nordic is no stranger to breathing new life into long gone game franchises. Just recently the publisher released Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered and purchased the rights to the Desperados franchise. While a remaster may not seem like much, it is absolutely possible that THQ Nordic might decide to create new games in the franchise, as they did with the announcement of Desperados III.
Stay tuned for more info about Kingdoms of Amalur.
