Curt Schilling claims Amalur IP is groundbreaking, worth $1 billion

The Kingdoms of Amalur IP--including Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and the MMO codenamed Copernicus--represents a billion-dollar opportunity if someone picks it up at auction next month, 38 Studios founder Curt Schilling said today on Twitter.

"If someone were to buy Amalur, put team back on it, it's a billion dollar franchise," Schilling said. "2 years later and still no ones done what we we're doing."

Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter estimated last year that the Amalur MMO could fetch $20 million. Schilling, however, was likely referring to the potential for the franchise, not just the game.

Few details on Copernicus are known. Following its bankruptcy in summer 2012, 38 Studios released a number of images and one flythrough video for the game. In addition, Copernicus was, at least at one point, planned as a free-to-play game.

Schilling has not always been so optimistic about Copernicus. A 2012 report of 38 Studios' downfall quoted the former Major League Baseball pitcher as saying, "the game wasn't fun." He explained that though the visuals were on track, the game's combat and other world elements were not compelling enough, at least not yet.

Schilling maintained that the MMO was always improving, and it appears he is holding to that belief.

Sequel rights for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Copernicus are two of many 38 Studios/Big Huge Games assets available during a telephone liquidation auction on December 11. Multiple "well-known" studios are reportedly interested in purchasing the assets, either piecemeal or as a lot, though no names have been made public.

Bids are due in the auction by December 4. Proceeds will go to the state of Rhode Island, which assumed ownership of the franchises when 38 Studios and subsidiary Big Huge Games went bankrupt last year.