Project Mercury Announced as Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

38 Studios and Big Huge Games have officially revealed Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, which we previously knew as Ascendant (prior to 38 Studios' acquisition of BHG) and then as Project Mercury (following the acquisition). The Ken Rolston-led project is described as an open world, single player RPG being developed for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3:
EA and 38 Studios Introduce Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Epic Open World RPG to be Unveiled at Comic-Con 2010 All-Star Panel Featuring Todd McFarlane, R. A. Salvatore, Ken Rolston and Curt Schilling

Comic-Con 2010

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) and 38 Studios, LLC announced Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, the company's first title previously referred to under the codename (Project Mercury). Reckoning is an epic, open-world role-playing game set in Amalur, a mysterious and magical new fantasy world created by New York Times best-selling author R. A. Salvatore. Brought to life visually through the trademark visceral style of renowned artist and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, Reckoning brings a new level of intense action combat to the RPG genre. The game is being developed under the leadership of Ken Rolston, lead designer of the critically acclaimed RPGs Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and is scheduled for release in fall 2011.

(Reckoning is a great representation of how a team of incredibly talented and creative people with expertise in different areas can come together and complement each other so well,) said Jen MacLean, CEO of 38 Studios. (We are thrilled to be developing an open-world RPG under the leadership of one of the greatest RPG designers in the industry, with creative direction by one of the most iconic artists of our time, set in a rich universe imagined by one of the top fantasy genre authors in the world. We can't wait to share the first details of this universe we have been so dedicated to building over the past few years.)

"In Reckoning, we started with Bob and Todd's exceptional Kingdoms of Amalur game setting and imagery," said Ken Rolston, Lead Designer at Big Huge Games, a subsidiary of 38 Studios. "On that foundation we built the open-world exploration, vast narrative and character customization fans expect from the best RPGs. And we've added something new that we've always wanted from the genre -- a fast-paced, graphically stimulating action combat experience with fluid control and immersive, discoverable gameplay fans haven't seen before in other fantasy RPGs."

Reckoning is a single-player RPG that sets players on a heroic journey to unlock the mysteries of Amalur. Amalur is a magical world, filled with strange landscapes, exotic cities, colorful characters and terrifying creatures. This Thursday at International Comic-Con in San Diego, 38 Studios visionaries McFarlane, Rolston, and Salvatore, along with 38 Studios Founder and Chairman Curt Schilling, will be hosting a panel in the first-ever public discussion of Reckoning. Attendees will be among the first to see the world debut of Reckoning's first trailer, directed by McFarlane and will also receive a limited edition collectible poster designed by McFarlane. The panel takes place in room 6A from 1:15 PM 2:15 PM and will be moderated by Spike TV's Geoff Keighley.

Reckoning will be available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, and PC. For more information about Reckoning, please visit www.reckoningthegame.com beginning Thursday, July 22, or follow the game on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/ReckoningGame and become a fan on Facebook at http://facebook.com/ReckoningTheGame.

About 38 Studios

38 Studios, LLC, an entertainment and IP creation company founded in 2006 by Curt Schilling, is developing an original fantasy IP driven by the creative and artistic visions of pop-culture icons R. A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane. Entertainment products will include a massively immersive Online Entertainment Experienceâ„¢ that transcends the traditional MMOG genre, novels, comics, toys, console games, movies, TV, and more.

For more information, visit www.38studios.com.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSâ„¢, EAâ„¢, EA Mobileâ„¢ and POGOâ„¢. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
Sounds promising.