'Brutally Fun' countdown does not signal 'Brutal Legend' [update]

by Ross Miller { Sep 11th 2007 at 2:55PM }

At 11:00 p.m. ET, the brutally fun countdown on Xbox.com will reach zero, thus signaling a time when Satan and His Minions will ride out from the Gates of the Underworld on flaming steeds of bone and hatred to conquer the world. Probably.

In the event his conquest gets delayed, we're wagering a guess that the countdown will coincide with a new announcement from Tim Schafer's Double Fine studios, who recently registered a trademark for the title Brutal Legend. Of course, with all the work put into Epic Saga: Extreme Fighter, we really don't know how the developer would have had time to work on two projects at once.

Double Fine's previous title, Psychonauts, was a critical darling whose lackluster sales can only be attributed to an unfortunately-timed pan-dimensional rift. Fortunately, we don't have long to wait and see what the countdown means (though its speculated connection to a Ninja Gaiden 2 announcement now appears unlikely).

Update: And Brutal Legend eludes us yet again. The countdown was for Ninja Gaiden 2 after all -- we're disappointed and overjoyed at the same time.

Tags: brutallegend, doublefine, microsoft, timschafer

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

ScreamingSkull @ Sep 11th 2007 3:06PM

So countdowns are here to stay?

AlanRickman @ Sep 11th 2007 3:14PM

A countdown to an announcement would be kinda lame.

Vegnagun @ Sep 11th 2007 3:18PM

Imagine if it was a countdown to the beginning of a countdown to an announcement.

I just esplode your head with logic.

AlanRickman @ Sep 11th 2007 3:47PM

Didnt Joystiq do one of those one time a while back? It was a post saying "wait for the post at midnight!" And that post was just some announcement?

Shagittarius @ Sep 11th 2007 3:18PM

I hope its not another genre thats so old I have no interest in it.

Now would be just about right for Doublefine to pull out an RTS...

I have my fingers crossed for something new and fresh, Tim Shafer rocks.

slackerdan @ Sep 11th 2007 3:23PM

psychonauts was a great game. I liked it better than anything in that genre since Mario 64, which was the last great platform game for that plumber guy. I'd like to see a hit for Mr. Schafer considering he is creative and original. That would mean he isn't sequel happy or making party games, or mascot sport games. Damn you wii people I will say it... enough with the bastardized mario in anything games.

ScreamingSkull @ Sep 11th 2007 3:27PM

B-but, aren't you looking forward to Zelda: The Crossbow Chronicles? And Tim Schafer does indeed rock.

OnimushaSoki @ Sep 11th 2007 3:59PM

Can't say I liked PSYCHONAUTS... not sure why, I just never got into it and couldn't even force myself to sit down and play it more than 30 minutes at most any time it was fired up.

But I liked Tim's earlier titles. :] Grim Fandango. The "tentacle" series. Monkey Island series.

Sean @ Sep 11th 2007 3:38PM

Hopefully it's an announcement that Primal Rage is coming to XBLA.

Pureshooter @ Sep 11th 2007 3:46PM

Is this a sequel to Brutal: Paws of Fury?

I hope not...

Shagittarius @ Sep 11th 2007 3:49PM

Hey I worked on that game and ummmm...ok your right it doesn't need a sequel.

Kazi @ Sep 11th 2007 4:04PM

I saw this countdown last night and discussed with several people why anyone should care about this count down. It doesn't have anyone's name on it, just on xbox's site. Brutally Fun, how descriptive. There's no double fine up there, nothing. I'm glad you shed some light on this matter.

Now I know there's a reason to care about this count down. They should take a cue from this count down http://www.esp-web.co.jp/products/information/0907/index.html straight up, it says who the countdown is for, and what it's on. Though it's no mystery that this game is on the 360.

I can't wait for the age when nondescript countdowns take over the internet.

Nappi @ Sep 11th 2007 4:10PM

Got to love these kind of "worldwide" releases.

It's a little over 11:00 pm here (GMT +2) now. When the countdown hit zero nothing interesting happened. The clock just disappeared.

(If you want you can always play with your system clock to see this exciting sequence yourself.)

wes luger @ Sep 11th 2007 4:16PM

Some day, probably long after I'm dead and buried, there will be an article that mentions Tim S, Double Fine or maybe even Psychonauts without including some version of the phrase "the game that critics love but no one bought."

That will be a good day.