Rise of Nations developer Big Huge Games has been saved from closure by baseball star Curt Schilling's company 38 Studios to bolster its original property Copernicus.

The acquisition includes all of Big Huge's tools, technology, assets, properties and works-in-progress--several of which were revealed by media leaked in April.

"BHG's cross-platform RTS/RPG engine will accelerate the realization of our Online Entertainment Experience for the Copernicus IP," said 38 Studios CEO Brett Close.

38's Copernicus is an original fantasy property designed with contributions from Spawn creator Todd McFarlane and fantasy author R. A. Salvatore, intended to be realised in many forms and crowned by an MMO built on the Unreal 3 engine... Read more

Rise of Nations developer Big Huge Games has canceled its two known projects, Kotaku reports, alongside rumors that several companies have expressed interest in buying the otherwise doomed studio from THQ, including Curt Schilling's 38 Studios.

One of the two games was a PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 action-RPG, Ascendant, being led by Oblivion designer Ken Rolston. The other was the "quirky" Wii project, God: The Game. A trailer and screenshots for Ascendant, along with numerous ... Read more

Following recent word that THQ "plans to close [Big Huge Games] if a sale is not completed in the near future," the studio has been forced to reduce its staff.

"Some of the staff were notified that they were not going to be part of the future direction of the studio," THQ representative Julie MacMedan confirmed with Joystiq. While MacMedan refused to detail how many staffers were affected, Develop reports, via anonymous sources, that the studio saw a "huge amount of layoffs."

Responsible for such titles as Rise of Nations (PC) and Catan (X360), Big Huge is known to be working on on "quirky" Wii game and an RPG led by Oblivion designer Ken Rolston. THQ is still pursuing a sale of Big Huge Games, MacMedan asserted.

In related news, THQ today announced that, as a whole, it has "substantially completed the actions necessary to achieve its previously announced plan to reduce fiscal 2010 budgeted annual spending by $220 million."

Publisher THQ today announced that Big Huge Games, developer of the excellent RTS franchise Rise of Nations, is now up for sale.

"THQ informed the staff at its Big Huge Games studio in Timonium, MD, that it plans to close the studio if a sale is not completed in the near future," said THQ in a statement to CrispyGamer. "These actions were unfortunate but were necessitated by the difficult economic environment."

The move is part of a series of cutbacks at THQ due to disappointing financial results. The company plans to eventually slash 24% of its workforce.

THQ acquired Big Huge Games in January of last year. The studio most recently released Catan (XBLA) and collaborated with the now-closed Ensemble Studios on the Age of Empires III expansion Asian Dynasties.

Big Huge was reportedly working on two unannounced projects: an RPG scheduled for a 2009 release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, as well as a separate Wii title.

THQ also noted that Heavy Iron Studios (Up, WALL-E) and Incinerator Studios (Nicktoons: Globs of Doom, Cars) have been spun off into independent companies.