38 Studios is Working on a Game, Apparently, Afterall (Kingdoms of Amular)

[Fordel]

I actually thought an accountant was included with their first paycheck to be honest. Not only because it's humane, but a bunch of broke ex-NFL players can't be very good publicity.

No one gives two shits about the no-name guy who is just filling the slots. Be it off the field or on it.

That's one thing that always stood out to me about the NFL, how utterly expendable the players are. The season is so small that teams can not afford to give anyone but the absolute best of the best any slack at all. The other leagues have time to 'waste' on potential up and comers, or for recovery on injured players.

NFL? If you aren't a super star, then you will be used up until you get worn down and/or broken and then you are gone and forgotten. The End.

[HaemishM]

You pay state income tax for every game you play in that state. 

That makes no fucking sense. Surely you should only get taxed by your home state since even if I go on a business trip to another state for my company, my income was earned as a resident of my home state. How the fuck is that legal?

[Paelos]

Because states started running out of money. 

But seriously, it's because states changed their income laws to be "where the income is earned." If you go on a business trip to meet with somebody, that's one thing. If you go on a consulting call to service a corporation in a different state? Your corp is required to file taxes in that state, and you are required to file a return there.

The worst states for this are usually northern states and California. There's a chicken and egg argument here. The reality is that both NY and California have the US's worst tax rates and the highest cost of living. The other reality is that the biggest population boom states are Florida and Texas (no state income tax). Did the migration happen because of the taxes? Or did the taxes go up in response to the migration? I personally believe the taxes caused it, because we have a retiring population who can choose where to go (warmer, tax-free states). My parents live in Florida full time now as an example due to the taxes.

[kildorn]

From what I was reading it's mostly a specific tax targeted on athletes playing away games. Don't buy too much into it though, it's a stupid amount of paperwork, but doesn't actually increase the marginal rate paid since anything you pay state X counts against taxes owed to your home state (unless you live somewhere with no state income tax, at which point you get boned)

[Ingmar]

You pay state income tax for every game you play in that state. 

That makes no fucking sense. Surely you should only get taxed by your home state since even if I go on a business trip to another state for my company, my income was earned as a resident of my home state. How the fuck is that legal?

It's been like that for decades, depending on the state. Sjofn's mom had to pay New York state income tax even though she never set foot in New York, because Sjofn's dad worked in NYC - because they filed jointly they both had to pay in both NY and New Jersey. It still worked out less than filing separately apparently.

[HaemishM]

The joint filing thing makes sense.

Athletes paying taxes because they have an away game in Carolina makes no sense.

[Sky]

If I play a show in Vermont, I have to file in VT.

[HaemishM]

So wait, that means if I do a book signing in another state, I have to file there too? That's insane.

[Ingmar]

I think it depends on the state, but yeah. I think it probably has something to do with the fact that they get game checks rather than a 1st and 15th type salary, so the income is earned in another state, but I'm really just speculating.

[Paelos]

So wait, that means if I do a book signing in another state, I have to file there too? That's insane.

Yes, within limits. If it's under $600 of income, I'd say fuck you to that state. If they issue you a 1099 from there? You're boned. If you are on a salary, it needs to be negotiated with your employer based on your travel and withholding.

[Sjofn]

My taxes were always a mess when I lived in NJ, because I worked in multiple states and had to file everywhere I worked. Such a headache.

[HaemishM]

So wait, that means if I do a book signing in another state, I have to file there too? That's insane.

Yes, within limits. If it's under $600 of income, I'd say fuck you to that state. If they issue you a 1099 from there? You're boned. If you are on a salary, it needs to be negotiated with your employer based on your travel and withholding.

Good thing I pay all my royalty taxes under self-employment tax. Considering I've probably sold books in 50 states and a number of countries without any idea where the purchases were made, my taxes would be a goddamn nightmare if they start attaching that to royalties.

[Chimpy]

Royalties from sales are different than wages though I think.

[Paelos]

Royalties from sales are different than wages though I think.

Yes, they are. Those are passive income.

[HaemishM]

Fucking taxes. 

[Jamiko]

First the house, now the sock.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2012/10/04/curt-schilling-sell-bloody-sock/1613111/

[Paelos]

Just get a real job, Curt. I mean it's not that bad.

[Fabricated]

Also, he's technically connected to a failed MMO, which means he has more than enough qualifications to get a great paying job in the MMO industry.

[Paelos]

He is easily qualified enough to help that Elder Scrolls MMO team make increasingly franchise-raping decisions.

[Draegan]

He is easily qualified enough to help that Elder Scrolls MMO team make increasingly franchise-raping decisions.

Actually, you need to launch a failure to hit that tier.  Just look at Rich Vogel.

[Trippy]

NetDevil is a better example.

[Severian]

Here's a partial list of the 38 Studios Providence assets being auctioned off tomorrow morning:

http://sjcorio.com/corio/auctions/38studios/38Studios_lots_5.PDF

6 Summit Stainless Steel Dishwashers
"Reckoning print signed and numbered, Schilling, McFarlane, Ralston, Salvatore #2/1500"
4 "38 Studios, LLC BADASS Countdown Clocks'
63 Aeron chairs
1 Massage table
etc.

Edit: Also, a nice Boston Globe article on where various ex-employees landed: link

"From the ashes of Curt Schilling’s failed video game company 38 Studios comes Fart Cat..."

[Stormwaltz]

Six... dishwashers... 

[UnSub]

Probably one per floor.

[Mrbloodworth]

Aeron Chairs go for like 600 a pop. 

[Kageru]

Yes.. they're pretty impressive pieces of (over-)engineering though. Apparently they were a favored item in dot-com implosion fire-sales.

They're about twice that new here in Aus.

[Mrbloodworth]

I can get a net/woven backed chair at wallmart.

[rattran]

Auctioning off Aeron chairs is about the definition of the Dot.Boom failures. Pissing away all your capital on comfy, but fucking expensive chairs for everyone. Not that good ergonomic chairs aren't great. I have a similar one at home that I miss terribly on the road.

[Pezzle]

6 of the 15 fridges go for 1700-2000 a pop

[Fabricated]

63 Aeron chairs

Oh hey the rhinestone studded, gold-plated "Rolex" of ergonomic chairs and signature of failed dotcoms as mentioned.

[Merusk]

Good lord that's way too much kitchen equipment, even for 300 employees.

And they bought their copiers/ fax/ scanners instead of leasing or having a print contract. (Since they're on the auction.)

There's a ridiculous amount of speakers on there, too. 

How big was their art department that there's 100 Wacom devices?! 

[Paelos]

Because they weren't running a business. If they were they would have understood dead overhead.

[Pezzle]

Opps
wrong forum

[Trippy]

63 Aeron chairs

Oh hey the rhinestone studded, gold-plated "Rolex" of ergonomic chairs and signature of failed dotcoms as mentioned.

You people are way behind the times, not to mention apparently working in barbaric working environments. High-end "task chairs" are ubiquitous now in tech companies here in the Bay Area, both large and small. At Google and Apple, for example, the Steelcase Think chair (which I didn't like cause of all the plastic) is their standard issue task chair. And the Aeron is Facebook's standard issue chair, I believe.

When the next tech bust comes the symbol of excess is going to be the standing desk (especially the motorized variant), not the Aeron chair. As I'm sure all of you are aware by now sitting has been determined to be the greatest scourge to mankind since the bubonic plague*. It's a miracle we've survived to the post-industrial age given all the sitting we've done. The startups here in the Bay Area that offer standing desks are very proud to list that as one of the benefits for working at that company.

* I might have made that up

[Merusk]

I'd agree on the sitting thing.  It's been my biggest complaint since graduating that Architectural offices, where stools and standing were a mainstay, won't adopt standing desks.  I miss being able to stand up in the middle of the day to work because my legs and ass are fatigued.