Schilling pitches game company

Red Sox ace teams up with Todd McFarlane, R.A. Salvatore for Green Monster Games; first game in preproduction.

Posted Sep 8, 2006 2:47 pm PT

I have a +3 fastball and a rosin bag of holding!

When professional athletes hang up their gloves, skates, cleats, and other pieces of sports equipment when they retire, most opt for a career in sports broadcasting, coaching, or pitchman for topical creams. Not Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, though.

The Sox's ace has formed a game company focusing on massively multiplayer online games called Green Monster Games, named after the famous left-field wall at Fenway Park in Boston. The company's first game is currently in preproduction--no release date or game details have been announced.

"The challenge is not simply in publishing a game but in publishing a game that changes the landscape of the online marketplace," said Schilling. "Our company motto is 'If you can't do it better than it's ever been done before, work for someone else.'"

Schilling knows that, like with baseball, getting a game together is a team effort and has enlisted the help of some other entertainment luminaries. Serving as art director will be Todd McFarlane, creator of the Spawn comic and noted baseball memorabilia junkie. R.A. Salvatore, a fantasy writer who will keynote the upcoming Dark Age of Camelot Roundtable in Las Vegas, will be the publisher's creative director.

When Schilling isn't on the field mowing down batters with his split-fingered fastball, he's mowing down enemies with fireballs in PC games. A longtime Everquest fan, Schilling teamed up with Sony Online Entertainment earlier this year to help fight Lou Gehrig's disease. A virtual Schilling was put into the game, and every time gamers defeated him, money was donated to the ALS Association.

It appears that SOE may be teaming up with Schilling once again on Green Monster Games--though it's not clear in what capacity. The news was brought to GameSpot's attention by the MMOG publisher, which was unable to comment when asked about its involvement in the new company.

28 Comments

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jgoucher12

Curt is going to bring the MMO to it's knees, I got faith, just like back in 2004

Posted Oct 25, 2006 7:24 am PT
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hemakm3

Don't feel too excited.

Posted Sep 12, 2006 7:07 am PT
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sjboisvert

Sounds like a trifecta of mediocrity to me. A baseball player who foots the bill, a tired comic creator, and the author of a slew of generic D&D fantasy novels. The only thing they're missing is Dave Perry, and then they'd have the perfect team to create sub-par games with tons of hype.

Posted Sep 11, 2006 11:25 am PT
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japam

There was a Schilling mob in Everquest? Bwahahahhah! Anyway, best of luck to them.

Posted Sep 11, 2006 10:38 am PT
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music_guru

I'm sure Rich is happy.

Posted Sep 11, 2006 4:12 am PT
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just4pool93

schilling is cool

Posted Sep 10, 2006 8:40 am PT
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1337pwnage

i knew this was coming ever since i saw schilling wearing an everquest hat at a press conference

Posted Sep 9, 2006 10:43 pm PT
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CyphenX

Heh, wows. I'd say this was right out of left field, but axia_777 already beat me to it.

Posted Sep 9, 2006 5:16 pm PT
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axia_777

This is out of "Left Field" for me. Very strange. I predict a major crash and burn for this company before the game ven gets half way done. LOL, what a waste of millions of dollars. I could be wrong, but I put money on me being right. CRASH AND BURN BABY!!! CRASH AND BRUN!!!!

Posted Sep 9, 2006 1:35 pm PT
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dennis_phong

why do this???

Posted Sep 9, 2006 11:27 am PT
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Gamer1729

Nice.

Posted Sep 9, 2006 11:21 am PT
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SavoyPrime

Ummm...I don't know exactly what to say about this.

Posted Sep 9, 2006 7:48 am PT
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bcfish

Since old Curt and the RedSox are out of the playoffs (hahahahahaha! Good day to be a Yankee fan!), this will give the old man something to do in October.

Posted Sep 9, 2006 7:31 am PT
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FuriousBroccoli

"Our company motto is 'If you can't do it better than it's ever been done before, work for someone else.'"

Coming from 3 people who have never made a video game before? Sounds like a grrrrrreat place to work.

Not.

Posted Sep 8, 2006 8:59 pm PT
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nappan

I would at least LIKE to think that between a hardcore gamer like Schilling, and a fantasy/D&D lover/writer like Salvatore, and Todd McFarlane (although Spawn hasn't exactly shone in games so far) that the games they produce will be of the highest quality, and in genres that get short shrift all too often. I hope. That said, it's all wait and see.

Posted Sep 8, 2006 8:37 pm PT
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ketsuatama

I think Curt's persona is far more palatable than other personalities who have put their names to generally crap games; half-a-dollar anybody?

Posted Sep 8, 2006 7:23 pm PT
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wedgewu

Schilling is a pretty hardcore gamer - there was a picture somewhere online showing his PC setup. He has like 4 monitors and some REALLY nice gaming gear. I hope his game company turns out well!! GO SOX!!!! ;-)

Posted Sep 8, 2006 4:43 pm PT
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thepeter

Potential!

Posted Sep 8, 2006 4:09 pm PT
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birdinflight

R.A. Salvatore is a fantasy legend. Too bad no game developer has ever been able to harness his talents right.

I have lot of respect for Curt Shilling (especially his work with ALS). So I wish them all the best of luck.

Posted Sep 8, 2006 3:59 pm PT
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trick_man01

I'm not very excited over this, but I hope he makes a good game.

Posted Sep 8, 2006 3:36 pm PT
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ConManWithGun

MMO BASEBALL you make ur own person and you join a team then raise money and then start your own team preaty basic game its gonna be crap

Posted Sep 8, 2006 3:25 pm PT
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bossjimbob

Cool. The more the merrier.

Posted Sep 8, 2006 3:18 pm PT
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dukerav

Whoa, that came out of nowhere.