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Tag: Double Fine

  • Broken Age Revealed To Have All-Star Cast At VGX

    At VGX 2013, Tim Schafer showed up to give us a better look at his Kickstarter-funded adventure game Broken Age. While showing us some new gameplay from the title, Schafer also revealed that the game will have a cast of characters voiced by some of the best talent around.

    As you may already know, Broken Age stars two characters – a young boy living on a spaceship and a young girl living in a tribal village. At VGX, it was revealed that the young boy, named Shay, will be voiced by Elijah Wood. He’s a fan of classic PC point-and-click adventure games and was asked to be a part of the project after he expressed interest in Broken Age during its Kickstarter campaign.

    Aside from Elijah Wood, it was revealed at VGX that Jack Black and Wil Wheaton will also be voicing side characters in the game. Jack Black had previously worked with Double Fine on Brutal Legend, voicing the protagonist Eddie Riggs.

    The first part of Broken Age will be released in January 2014 on Steam Early Access. Double Fine will use the funds raised from these sales to finish development of the game.

    [Image: gametrailers/YouTube]

  • The Cave Spelunks Its Way Onto iOS

    The Cave Spelunks Its Way Onto iOS

    Earlier this year, Sega and Double Fine teamed up to release The Cave – an original adventure/puzzle game designed by Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert. At launch, the game was only available on PCs and consoles, but some mobile gamers can now enjoy one of the most original titles of the year.

    Sega announced today that The Cave is now available iOS devices for $4.99. The entire original game has made the jump to iOS, but with the requisite touch controls that make or break titles like this. It’s not made exactly clear how the touch controls works in the below trailer, but I’m going to assume that on-screen digital controls will take the place of buttons in this mobile outing.

    Before you go running off on your spelunking adventure, it should be noted that The Cave only supports the iPhone 4S/iPod Touch 5/iPad 2 and iPad Mini or above. It also requires iOS 6.1 and comes in at a hefty 1.13 GB.

    If The Cave sounds like something that you’d like to experience, you can grab it from iTunes here.

    [Image: SegaAmerica/YouTube]

  • Massive Chalice Kickstarter Ends With Over $1.2M

    Double Fine, the developer behind games such as Psychonauts and Brutal Legend, ended its second big Kickstarter campaign today. The Massive Chalice Kickstarter raised $1,229,015 – well over its goal of $725,000.

    Massive Chalice is being described as a tactical strategy game in a fantasy setting. Players will defend their territory, complete requests, and build their kingdom using customizable heroes. The heroes can also be retired and married off to produce bloodlines filled with progressively more powerful heroes that will inherit epic “Bloodline Relics.” The game’s production is being helmed by Brad Muir, who is best known for being the project lead on Iron Brigade.

    Double Fine is still working on completing its first big Kickstarter project, Broken Age. That game is a point-and-click adventure game in the style of classics such as Grim Fandango and The Secret of Monkey Island.

    Over the course of the Kickstarter campaign, Double Fine has been producing numerous video updates and discussions of the ideas behind Massive Chalice. In the video below, Muir and other Massive Chalice developers talk about the design decisions that will go into the game:

  • Double Fine’s Massive Chalice Kickstarter Hits $1 Million

    Three weeks ago, Double Fine started up another massive Kickstarter project, asking fans for $725,000 in pre-funding for Massive Chalice. The game studio has now proven that its success with Broken Age was not a fluke.

    The Massive Chalice Kickstarter project has now surpassed $1 million, with eight days left to go. The quickly-funded project shows just how much trust gamers put into Double Fine, the creators of games such as Psychonauts and Brütal Legend. Other developers have not fared as well, namely Precursor Games, which recently halted its Kickstarter campaign for Shadow of the Eternals when it became clear its funding goal would not be met.

    For hitting the million-dollar mark, Double Fine has promised to produce biweekly “teamstreams” with developers showing off their latest work. Massive Chalice Project Lead Brad Muir stated that the livestreams will include concept art and prototypes as the project ramps up – all the way to alpha and beta tests.

    “We’re really early with Massive Chalice, we’re still in pre-production,” said Muir. “It’s just really inspiring to me and the team that people believe in this idea and they believe in the studio, and I’m super-excited that we’re gonna get to make this game. It’s awesome. Thanks.”

  • Double Fine Goes For Another Round On Kickstarter With Massive Chalice

    Double Fine, the studio behind Psychonauts, Brutal Legend and more, proved Kickstarter as a viable platform for game funding back in 2012 with Broken Age. Now the developer is back with a new game that it hopes fans new and old alike will fund.

    The game in question is called Massive Chalice. It’s a strategy RPG that promises to combine the gameplay of Final Fantasy Tactics with a story inspired by Game of Thrones. Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect from the game:

  • Your story emerges as you defend against attacks, complete quests, and respond to randomized events in your attempt to preserve the kingdom.
  • Line of sight and fog of war mechanics come into play as your squad explores beautiful dynamic 3D battlefields where danger may lurk behind any corner.
  • Distinct, customizable heroes learn new melee, ranged, and arcane abilities as they age and gain combat experience.
  • Arrange marriage alliances to ensure your heroic bloodlines can handle any future combat situation.
  • Battle alongside your ancestors by equipping your heroes with uniquely powerful Bloodline Relics.
  • Invest your resources in forging new weapons and armor—and gamble on polluting a bloodline by researching dangerous demonic artifacts.

    • If you need more info, watch the pitch video below:

    The Kickstarter for Massive Chalice could either end well, or horribly. Some backers seem to take offense to game studios trying to fund a game while they’re still working on another Kickstarted project, while others don’t really mind it all. Double Fine is obviously banking on the latter and ensures that a separate team is still working on Broken Age even as others are starting to work on Massive Chalice.

    Of interest to players, of course, is the price. Those interested in Massive Chalice can get the game for $20 with increasingly higher tiers offering bonuses like development documentaries, soundtrack, art, posters and T-shirts.

    Double Fine is hoping to raise $725,000 for the project, with over $190,000 already pledged. With 28 more days to go, it’s pretty obvious that Double Fine will get all the money it needs and then some for the game.

  • Gamers Have Pledged Over $100 Million To Games On Kickstarter

    It’s no secret that games are popular on Kickstarter. Games of both the video and tabletop variety have taken to Kickstarter to seek funding for their insanely creative ideas. After a stellar 2012, and a promising 2013 ahead of us, Kickstarter has shared that the games category has reached a new high on the crowdfunding site.

    Kickstarter announced that games have pulled in over $100 million over the past four years. All that money was supplied by 633,242 gamers as they pledged support to 1,476 successful projects. 2012 was the banner year for gaming on Kickstarter as the company says nearly 1,000 projects were submitted last year as many developers and game makers tried to emulate the success of the Double Fine Adventure.

    Speaking of Double Fine Adventure, that particular project really kicked off the frenzy of gamers throwing money at games they wanted to see become reality. Gamers broke $1 million in total funds pledged in 2011 with $3.8 million pledged over the course of the year, but the year of the Double Fine Adventure saw that number skyrocket with gamers pledging a total of $83.1 million over the course of the year.

    This year is looking even better for gamers as gaming projects have already raised over $22.4 million in the first three months of the year alone. If it keeps at this pace, games could easily break $100 million this year alone.

    Kickstarter will be at PAX East this weekend with the Kickstarter Arcade showing off video and board games that have been successfully funded and brought to fruition thanks to the crowdfunding platform. Some of the games at the event will include God of Blades, Strike Suit Zero and Cards Against Humanity.

  • Brütal Legend is Coming to PC, Beta is Live

    Using the silliest press release in recent memory, Double Fine today announced that Brütal Legend will be coming to PCs soon. The title is already up for pre-order on Steam, and each pre-order comes with access to the multiplayer beta, which has already begun. Also, hats.

    From the Double Fine announcement:

    So powerful is the game’s raw lifeforce that even its creators cannot contain it any longer. Owners will receive immediate access to the Brütal Legend PC multiplayer beta, which is now live and already blowing souls. All preorder customers will also be granted two exclusive Team Fortress 2 items, Eddie Riggs’ hair and his guitar Clementine, all the better to spread the word of Metal throughout the virtual land.

    “Adding a PC release to Brütal Legend’s list of conquests risks raising the world’s ambient Metal saturation to dangerously high levels,” said Double Fine President Tim Schafer, “which is why we’re conducting this closed beta test for preorders.”

    “By purchasing this game, you are waiving your legal rights to recourse if the fire beast Ormagöden bathes the world in flame and ushers in the Age of Metal,” commented our lawyer.

    “Shh,” added Mr. Schafer.

    See? Silly. Come to think of it, It’s the type of humor game companies could use more of.

    The PC version will be getting the upgrades that PC gamers are used to finding in games that have been well-ported by developers. High resolution support, anti-aliasing, uncapped framerates, “major improvements to latency/lag in multiplayer,” and other features will, according to Double Fine, all be implemented before the game is out of beta.

  • Double Fine’s The Cave Launches Next Week

    Double Fine’s The Cave Launches Next Week

    Gamers might have found it a bit harrowing to watch January fly by as the release date for The Cave remained the elusive “January 2013,” but Double Fine and Sega have finally pinned down the launch day.

    The Cave will be released in one week, on January 22 in the U.S. and January 23 in Europe. The game will cost $15 through the PlayStation Network or for PC, or 1200 Microsoft Points through Xbox LIVE. The title will also be ported to the Wii U, and a release date for that version will be announced “soon.”

    The Cave is a 2-D platforming adventure game where players take on the role of three of seven different characters – The Hillbilly, The Scientist, The Monk, The Twins, The Knight, The Adventurer, and The Time Traveler. The chosen characters will explore a gigantic cave system using exploration, puzzle-solving, and teamwork.

    The creator of The Cave is Ron Gilbert, creator of classic titles such as Maniac Mansion and Monkey Island. The game’s developer, Double Fine, was responsible for the cult-classic Psychonauts. With an ancestry of that sort, expectations for The Cave‘s gameplay and humor couldn’t be higher.

    The trailer for the game seen below is a combination of two separate character trailers that were released last month.

  • Second The Cave Character Trailer Released

    Earlier this month, Double Fine and Sega revealed the first character trailer for The Cave. The game is an upcoming 2-d platformer that will combine elements of exploration, puzzle-solving, and teamwork between the game’s characters.

    The first trailer gave gamers a glimpse at The Hillbilly, The Scientist, The Monk, and The Twins characters. This week, The Adventurer, The Knight, and The Time Traveler are featured, though a repeat of the footage of The Twins from the first trailer is also included.

    Each character in the game enters The Cave for something different, but they will have to pass through each others’ “worlds” within The Cave to accomplish their missions. The Adventurer will be looking for her lost colleagues, The Knight is on a quest for a powerful sword, and The Time Traveler enters The Cave to “right a wrong a million years in the making.”

    Judging from the trailers and other info released about the game, The Cave may end up being the sleeper hit of January 2013. It’s unique look and gameplay give it the appearance of a well-crafted game worthy of its Double Fine heritage.

  • New The Cave Character Trailer Released

    New The Cave Character Trailer Released

    Since its announcement in May, not much has been revealed about Double Fine and Sega‘s new 2-D platforming game The Cave. We know that the title will combine elements of platforming, exploration, puzzle-solving, and teamwork between the characters. Speaking of characters, it’s clear that Double Fine has created seven unique characters who will provide plenty of replay value through different abilities and story arcs.

    Today, Sega released the first in a series of character trailers highlighting the individual characters. Their motivations and skills will be put to the test in the metroidvania-esque interior of The Cave.

    The first trailer reveals a bit bout the The Hillbilly, The Scientist, The Monk, and The Twins. Each of these characters will enter The Cave to uncover or discover something personal. They will also commit surprisingly silly acts of violence and murder.

    The video is narrated by The Cave itself, which should also be a clue to gamers about the title’s odd sense of humor. It also reveals that the game’s release window has been narrowed to sometime in January 2013.

  • Sega and Double Fine Announce “The Cave”

    Sega and Double Fine have teamed up to create a fun-looking puzzle-platforming game called The Cave. The companies officially announced the game today, and have released a launch trailer which demonstrates the game’s quirky aesthetic. The game combines elements of platforming, exploration, teamwork between multiple characters, puzzle-solving, and various genre references. It also has dragons.

    According to Kirk Hamilton over at Kotaku, who got a hands-on with the game, players will choose three characters from a larger cast of seven and take them on a journey through a large cave packed with symbolism and nooks to explore. Hamilton compares the exploration aspects of the game to the 2-d Metroid and Castlevania games. The characters each have different powers, meaning that multiple play-throughs with different party make-ups will reveal different portions of the cave. From Kotaku:

    Each character will have one unique ability, and that ability will come in handy in each character’s one designated section of the cave. See, the cave is one giant map—it’s seamless, and from the area where characters choose their characters onwards, there won’t be any breaks or loading screens.

    The game is scheduled, like so many recently announced or delayed games, for release in early 2013. The game will be available for download on the Xbox Live Arcade, the PlayStation Network, or on PC.

    (via Kotaku)

  • Wasteland 2 Raises $900K In Two Days

    Wasteland 2 Raises $900K In Two Days

    We reported earlier this week that Brian Fargo of InXile Entertainment was attempting to revive the classic Wasteland franchise. He had shipped the idea around to publisher with no avail. Upon finding the success that Double Fine had with Kickstarter, he took to the Web site to ask for $900,000.

    It’s only been two days and the Wasteland 2 Kickstarter has already raised the $900,000 it needs to become a real thing. While it didn’t hit the mark as fast as Double Fine did, it’s still a momentous occasion for fans of classic games.

    Like Tim Schafer before him, Brian Fargo was live tweeting the lead up to hitting their funding. It’s a wonderful look into a truly humbled game designer who has fought so hard for this game to have the fans back him up when nobody else would.

    @BrianFargo
    Brian Fargo    What makes this even more exciting as it feels like history is all being made here. Let the power return to the developers! 18 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @BrianFargo
    Brian Fargo    It’s possible to make the initial funding in the first 48 hours at this rate! There are sure smiling faces at work today. 16 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @BrianFargo
    Brian Fargo    If we can raise another $160k today we will have achieved our initial goal in less than 2 days. 😉 We have hit tipping point for sure. 16 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @BrianFargo
    Brian Fargo    It’s like the best telethon ever… 95% funded… I’m Gobsmacked. 9 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @BrianFargo
    Brian Fargo    My friends thought I was crazy to try this. “You’re in the middle of the desert making a movie so people send you money?”, says them. 😉 8 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @BrianFargo
    Brian Fargo    We are sure getting close! Sold out of the 10k pledge tier! 7 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @BrianFargo
    Brian Fargo    I know there was concern with the amount we requested but we could not have done WL2 justice with just 300-400k. 7 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @BrianFargo
    Brian Fargo    Woot!!! We did it!!!! Fantastic! I am going to sleep like a baby tonight. Once again I am awed by the support! A dream come true today. 6 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @BrianFargo
    Brian Fargo    And again… you have all been amazing and only through your efforts would this have ever happened! To think 20+ years… 6 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    Some of the actual details about the game were revealed last night on the Twitter as well. Fargo said that they will be making it as close to the original Wasteland as they can. This includes the ability to create your party with NPCs joining along the course of the game. He also said that they were wanting to go with an isometric top-down view, but he’s going to leave that up to the fans.

    He also confirmed that he would doing an iama on Reddit soon, so fans should look forward to that.

    I know it’s like beating a dead horse now, but Kickstarter has been absolutely amazing for developers after Double Fine proved you could fund a multi-million dollar game through the Web site. I don’t know if this will have an everlasting effect on game development, but crowd sourced publishing seems to be here to stay for now.

    The Kickstarter campaign is now at a little over $965,000. It still has 32 days before it’s funded so it could potentially hit the multi-million mark just like Double Fine. If you would like to help fund the next wave of classic RPGs, you can do so here.

  • Notch Provides Psychonauts 2 Details

    We reported last week that Notch, the creator of Minecraft, offered to fund Psychonauts 2 via Twitter. The Internet gamer population literally exploded with the news. The hype may have gotten a little out of hand, however, and Notch took to his blog to set the record straight.

    Notch clarifies that his tweet that offered to fund Psychonauts 2 was a semi-joke tweet. The problem, of course, is that Notch has the money and the guts to fund a project like Psychonauts 2 so the Internet obviously took it seriously.

    Notch gives fans an update on what is happening right now. First and foremost, Notch and Tim Schafer haven’t talked that much after the whole Twitter fiasco. They exchanged a few emails, that’s it. They are planning to meet at the Game Developers Conference in March. Double Fine is going to be busy anyway with their new adventure game funded through Kickstarter.

    As for the actual funding of Psychonauts 2, Notch says that the budget for making a sequel is three times higher than what he initially thought. There are apparently other interested parties that would be willing to fund it. He wouldn’t be investing in the game as a charity, but because he thinks it would be profitable. He also would not be interested in influencing the game creatively, but would only be interested in the high risk investment.

    It would be wise to realize that none of this is set in stone yet. He’s not used to this whole investment thing, but he does have advisers that would help him out if he were to take on the project.

    He does feel that Double Fine might want to use Kickstarter again to fund a Psychonauts 2 since the company has raised almost $2 million in their current campaign for an adventure game.

    Notch leaves the Internet with these wise words that many fans would be smart to adhere to:

    Point is, stop hyping over this, internet! You’re going to scare me into doing things secretly instead of being open and transparent via twitter. I am incredibly scared of the very real risk of people feeling let down just because I took a chance at something that doesn’t end up panning out.

    Also, I realize you won’t stop hyping, so I’ll just go into hiding for a few years if it falls through.

    I couldn’t agree more. Hype is the best and worst thing that can happen to a game. When hype ends up being bad, it usually creates an environment where nothing can happen. So be happy with the current game being made by Double Fine and let’s handle the Psychonauts 2 issue when it comes up.

  • Minecraft Creator Pledges To Fund Psychonauts 2 Over Twitter

    Minecraft creator Notch might have pulled the greatest Twitter stunt that the gaming world has ever seen.

    Many people have given up hope on a sequel to Tim Schafer’s Psychonauts since it would require a substantial investment and many publishers don’t want to touch the franchise since the first game performed so poorly.

    Recently, Tim Schafer said in an interview with Digital Spy that he would love to make a sequel to Psychonauts:

    “I’d love to do that game, but I’d have to convince someone to just give me a few million dollars, that’s all.”

    This is where things get interesting. Notch, earlier today, sent Schafer a tweet:

    @notch
    Markus Persson    @TimOfLegend Let’s make Psychonauts 2 happen. 8 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    Everybody thought it was a joke, but then Notch clarified that he was was serious:

    @notch
    Markus Persson    @rockpapershot Not sure if it’s news yet, but when/if it is, you get to at least say it was a result of your tweet. ;D Also, I’m serious. 8 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    The conversation went on until it was more prudent to take the conversation to a more private setting. Steven Dengler, a financer for Tim Schafer’s studio, Double Fine, does make a valid point. Keeping the conversation in the open would raise hopes too much. It just might not work out, but if there’s one man who has the ridiculous gobs of money to fund a game like Psychonauts 2 – it’s Notch.

    But wait, what does Schafer have to say about all of this, it’s his studio and game after all.

    @TimOfLegend
    Tim Schafer    Oh wait. Hm. This is interesting. 1 hour ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    We’ll keep you updated on this story as I’m sure it’s going to explode over the week with potential details.

    Twitter has reasonably exploded at the news with industry peers and gamers welcoming the news as a step towards not only an awesome game, but perhaps a new publishing model.

    @JimSterling
    Jim Sterling    I want @Notch and @TimOfLegend to make Psychonauts 2 and prove that there are other ways to get your game made these days. DO EET! 17 minutes ago via Silver Bird ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @werezompire
    Robert Boyd    Wait, did @notch just offer to finance Psychonauts 2?! o_O 3 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @britishgaming
    Mark Brown    On the back of Notch’s offer to finance Psychonauts 2… Hey Yu Suzuki! I’ve just been paid. LET’S MAKE SHENMUE 3. 6 hours ago via Twitter for iPad ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @teh_tommy
    Tommy    I would also love to see @TimOfLegend make Psychonauts 2 with aid from @notch, this would be amazing on so many levels. 12 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @choochoobear
    Randal Milholland    Psychonauts 2 AND gay marriage? What world have I woken up to? Are twinkies healthy finally, too? ONE WAY TO FIND OUT #DreamBig 13 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto