Massachusetts Fighting to Keep Schilling’s 38 Studios

While Rhode Island may be trying to entice Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios to move south with a proposed $75 million dollar loan, Massachusetts, current home to the development studio, is not taking the attempted poaching without a fight.

A Boston.com story (thanks IndustryGamers) features quotes from Kofi Jones, a spokesperson for Massachusetts’s Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Gregory Bialecki, who stated, “We have been proactive in working with them and asking them what their needs are, as far as staying here and growing here in the state.”

Schilling has long been pushing his home state to pass incentives for interactive developers, yet none have been forthcoming. The lack of inroads perhaps forced Schilling’s hand, as a representative of Rhode Island indicated that the Ocean State did not approach 38 Studios, rather “They came to us.”

38 Studios may also not be eligible for all $75 million of the proposed loan, as that figure would take up most of the program’s entire budget. Boston.com detailed the “what” and “how” of Rhode Island’s program:

The Rhode Island Legislature enacted a program last month that provides $125 million in loan guarantees for high-tech companies. Commercial banks would serve as the lenders, but the state would guarantee repayment, making it easier for small technology companies to obtain such loans.

Jones also stated that staying in Massachusetts would provide 38 Studios with “better access to gaming talent,” but a story on 38 Studios in the Providence Journal suggests that the studio has already assembled a burgeoning talent pipeline with the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).