Curt Schilling Wants A Government Bailout

Curt Schilling's 38 Studios is having issues. They recently pulled out of the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo because their new game, codenamed "Project Copernicus," isn't going to be ready on time. That game is being built with tens of millions of dollars guaranteed by Rhode Island taxpayers, in the form of a loan extended to the company to lure them to the state. Two weeks ago, 38 Studios defaulted on a loan payment, and if they go under, it'd be Rhode Islanders on the hook for more than $112 million.

The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation held an emergency meeting today to discuss what should be done with 38 Studios. Schilling wants them to throw good money after bad, and, as WPRI puts it, "pleaded for additional state assistance." It sucks, admits the governor, who has criticized his predecessor's support of the initial loan program, but some more tax credits might be preferable to eating the whole mess.

Hey, here's a thing Curt Schilling said last year!

"There can be no question our country is in the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes. I also think there can be no question that it falls on us, the individuals, to find a way out of our own personal crisis."

Schilling has been vocal in his criticism of the ARRA stimulus, even though it directly funded the Rhode Island job creation program that handed out $75 million to 38 Studios. He's also had not-so-nice things to say about the government's various bailouts, even though, yes, one could argue that's exactly what "additional state assistance" could be construed as. But Schill has never particularly thought ahead. That photo up there is him getting the logo for Green Monster Games tattooed on his arm—a year or so before the company changed its name and logo.

No action by EDC on Schilling's company [WPRI]