Project Copernicus 'Too Risky,' says Sony Online Entertainment President

Just days after Curt Schilling's cancer diagnosis was made public, Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley has revealed that he was approached numerous times by Schilling and 38 Studios to take on the abandoned Kingdoms of Amalur: Project Copernicus, but was unable to due to high risk.

In a series of tweets, Smedley says that he was "Always impressed [with Copernicus]. But the economics were too tough to make work for us. This is a business where risks are large. We had enough balls in the air. More risk was too much for us. I also felt that too much was spent... but the quality was undeniable. It was gorgeous. It had smart people working on it. It was just too expensive is all."

Smedley goes on to say that while he admired Schilling for putting much of his own money into the project, the Rhode Island economic council was at fault for helping to fund it. "Dear people of Rhode Island. Look to your elected government for failing to protect you. That 38 studios deal just never should have been. Public funds shouldn't be backing risky things like online games."

"If that idiot Governor Chafee hadn't trash talked right at the time Curt was trying to get funding you would be playing the game now," he adds.

In late 2012, Lincoln Chafee had criticised the funding of Copernicus, saying that tax dollars had been "squandered." The property rights to the Amalur IP went on sale last December, but despite the interest of two dozen parties, no buyer was found. Rhode Island remains in debt incurred after 38 Studios' dissolution.

Katie Williams is a freelance writer and games journalist. She tweets at @desensitisation and hopes that one day, a bird will tweet back.

Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com