Big Huge Games, Inc.

Overview

Big Huge Games was founded in February of 2000 by four veteran game developers: Tim Train, David Inscore, Jason Coleman, and Brian Reynolds. These founding partners previously worked on classic strategy titles such as Civilization II, Colonization, and Alpha Centauri.

The company established the Rise of Nations strategy franchise, converted the Settles of Catan board game to the Xbox Live Arcade game Catan and contributed to the development of Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties.

In January, 2008 THQ confirmed to have acquired the company, but put it up for sale again more than a year later. In May, 2009 38 Studios confirmed to have acquired the company. Founder Brian Reynolds did not move along and went to work at Zynga.

Under the new ownership the studio developed the action RPG Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. Published by Electronic Arts, it was released in February 2012. The game did not meet the intended number of sales and all staff of Big Huge Games as well as parent company 38 Studios was confirmed to have been laid off on 24th May 2012, closing the studio.

In early June 2012 Michael Capps, president of Epic Games, confirmed the leadership of Big Huge Games came to Epic for help to keep the team together and found a new studio called Epic Baltimore. In February 2013 Epic founder Tim Sweeney confirmed that the company, renamed Impossible Studios in the meantime, had been closed. The members were offered the opportunity to reform the studio under the existing name.

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