Thank Everquest II for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Former pro-pitcher Curt Schilling founded 38 Studios in part due to disappointment in Everquest II.

Speaking to CBS Sports, Schilling said Everquest II didn't live up to his hopes, and that certain elements made him ask "what were they thinking?"

Talking to Sony Online Entertainment staff about his frustrations, he discussed the possibility of founding his own company, and received several expressions of interest which he later countered with job offers.

Schilling mostly funded 38 Studios privately, joined by "high net-worth individuals" and a state grant from Rhode Island, and now has 400 employees.

The former athlete said he expectes 38 Studios to become a "multibillion dollar entertainment company", expanding to different kinds of media, but admits some aspects of development are harder than he expected - most notably, cross-platform programming.

"The only thing I've seen that could be harder is missile defense systems," he said.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is 38 Studios' first game, and is out now on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It will be followed by an MMO set in the same world, currently codenamed Copernicus.