38 Studios: 'We thought the governor was an ally'

The former creative director of 38 Studios, Steve Danuser, told NECN that the Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee turned his back on the studio in their time of need. "We just needed a little more help, and we thought the state would have our backs on that," he told the television station. "We thought the governor was an ally. It didn't turn out that way."

The former creative director of 38 Studios, Steve Danuser, told NECN that the Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee turned his back on the studio in their time of need.

"We just needed a little more help, and we thought the state would have our backs on that," he told the television station.

"We thought the governor was an ally. It didn't turn out that way."

Danuser was the creative lead on 38 Studio's role-playing game, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. He along with all of 38 Studios staff are now unemployed after a studio-wide lay-off that took place last week.

"The governor has turned his back on a lot of taxpaying Rhode Island citizens who work here and it's unfortunate because we had a lot of great people who wanted to contribute to Rhode Island and now they can't."

The state of Rhode Island gave 38 Studios a $75 million in loan guarantees to move its business from Massachusetts to Providence two years ago. If 38 Studios boss Curt Schilling failed to make the loan repayments, Rhode Island taxpayers would be responsible for the money.

Danuser told the media he has a few questions for Governor Chafee, who said he would not be giving the studio any more "easy" money.

"Why did you do it? Why didn't you help us?" asked Danuser. "He (the governor) said a lot of things, he's broken confidentiality. He's done a lot of things to materially hurt us and I don't understand it."

The governor said he would see if there were any investors interested in the company.

Our 38 Studios news coverage can be viewed here.