10 Expensive Video Games Nobody Wanted

It's not very often that you hear a city has bankrolled the production of a video game, but it has happened. Well, to be less hyperbolic, developer 38 Games requested a $75 million dollar from the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation.

And was granted it.

So, it would be fair to assume that there was a lot riding on the studio and, subsequently, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. It looked good, with its single player Warcraft/Fable vibe going for it. It was bright, it was entertaining to play, and there was tonnes of life to it.

All it had to do was sell well... which it didn't do. Selling only a third of its intended "break even" target of three million, Reckoning was dubbed a commercial failure despite scoring well.

Consequently, 38 Games couldn't make the repayments on their whopper of a loan, filing for bankruptcy before the game had even been out a year. And who got left with the bill?

The taxpayer, of course. Which marred Reckoning's reputation for some years to come.

It's seen better days since its revival in 2020, with THQ thankfully not bankrupting Austria to re-release it.