Speaking to about 400 people at the Providence Business News’ Business Excellence Awards dinner, former Boston Red Sox pitcher and 38 Studios founder Curt Schilling claimed that his new gaming company will help the Providence business community become a national and global force in four to six years.
It was the first time Schilling has spoken publicly since moving to Rhode Island after receiving a controversial loan of $75 million from the state. The loan became a hot topic during Rhode Island’s gubernatorial race, something Schilling poked a little fun at during his brief keynote speech.
Pointing to a screenshot of a warrior battling a giant, he said, “That’s actually Governor-Elect Chafee and I on Election Day.”
Despite his levity, Schilling seems confident that 38 Studios will be a success and will have a positive impact on the Providence community. “I will give you my word we will be intimately involved in the educational community and making sure the incredibly and insanely talented students that RISD and Brown and URI are turning out want to stay here, because the talent is going elsewhere and that’s a shame.”
“This business and this company is on a trajectory to be a multibillion-dollar business and company, and a multibillion-dollar industry in Providence,” he said. “And that’s world-changing.”
38 Studios currently has two projects in the works — a single player RPG called Kingdoms of Reckoning: Amalur and a MMO codenamed Copernicus.
