MTV won't pick up Br�tal Legend

by Justin McElroy { Aug 13th 2008 at 11:10AM }

With its rock 'n' roll aesthetic and Jack Black-connection, currently publisher-less Brütal Legend seemed like a natural fit to be picked up by MTV Games, the way Variety saw it. But, the publisher denied the hunch saying, "We are big fans of [Double Fine chief] Tim Schafer. We hope the game finds a good home."

Well, that's just great. So, who'll pick it up? We can rule out Activision and MTV ... and almost certainly Majesco. While we don't know who the most likely candidate is now, we'd like to humbly offer the services of Joystiq's publishing arm. Here's what we can promise.

1. No interference from us, except when we occasionally but adamantly demand that our likenesses replace those of the lead characters.
2. No knowledge of how to actually publish a game, specifically in regards to marketing, manufacturing and distribution channels.
3. Lots of hugs.

So, how bout it, Tim? Can we work together?

Tags: activision, brutal-legend, double-fine, mtv-games, tim-schafer

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Reuben @ Aug 13th 2008 11:16AM

This is very upsetting. I am really looking forward to this game, me being a giant fan of Tim Schafer. Some good news better be on the way, says I.

Fernando Rocker @ Aug 13th 2008 11:16AM

This is my most anticipated title on the 360 (and Fragile on the Wii).

Looks very original, with great music, and with the creativity of Tim Schafer.

Fernando Rocker @ Aug 13th 2008 11:18AM

By the way... Ronnie James Dio is awesome!

The_Punisher @ Aug 13th 2008 11:37AM

Really? Fragile is ur favorite game on the Wii?

Why don't you make it your sig?

The Beta Max @ Aug 13th 2008 11:23AM

C'mon Microsoft, do the right thing and publish this game!

Desi_D @ Aug 13th 2008 12:09PM

MS already screwed with him once (Psychonauts was dumped by MS and then never really found a proper marketing support from Majesco).

Noshino @ Aug 13th 2008 11:25AM

Get back the tiny dead Tim from the robot bear and Tim will sign up with you guys!

Jack of No Trades 85 @ Aug 13th 2008 11:25AM

I wonder why people won't publish this game? Is it to creative for mainstream gaming?

I can't wait for this game to come out. Plus I love me some rock n roll.

MTV is a sellout to pass on this.

Wiinterfang @ Aug 13th 2008 11:26AM

MTV became a sell out 20 years ago.

Jack of No Trades 85 @ Aug 13th 2008 11:29AM

True

Noshino @ Aug 13th 2008 11:33AM

If Im not wrong, most of Schafer's games haven't been very well, not only that, but also it seems that development is longer than average (Im not saying that is something bad, but publishers see that, and the fact that they don't sell well, and don't really give his titles too much attention)

EA has been good lately, hopefully they pull another one and publish Brutal Legend

Haggard @ Aug 13th 2008 2:27PM

Yeah, I hope EA grab it under the 'partners' thing - that way they handle all the hard business crap, and Double Fine are left to do whatever they want with it.

I'm sure Valve would be happy to handle the PC publishing too. Psychonauts is already on Steam.

Paul (PSN: heypaul) @ Aug 13th 2008 2:28PM

As brilliant as Tim Schafer is, his games haven't been big sellers since the point and click days. It's a shame really, when a pioneer of the industry can't find a publisher, despite how we "core" gamers adore him, yet attach John Madden's name to anything, and you're guaranteed to sell millions year after year.

bounchfx @ Aug 13th 2008 11:29AM

seriously? what the hell is wrong with publishers?

are they that afraid of awesome that they just won't pick it up?

I swear it's this kind of shit that makes it so aggravating to be a part of the industry. trash games get published all the time but when a gem is available everyone passes. this also has the potential to ride off of the Guitar Hero/RB success due to it being tied in to ROCK AND ROLL.

jerks

Wiinterfang @ Aug 13th 2008 11:33AM

They are afraid of losing money and gathering a cult following.

Obie @ Aug 13th 2008 11:30AM

Eventhough that trailer didn't show any gameplay, it showed a ton of personality...and that alone makes me wanna check it out.

Fernando Rocker @ Aug 13th 2008 11:31AM

If the game include Fallout Boy, Nickelback, Nirvana and My Chemical Romance, MTV would pick this game immediately.

Fernando Rocker @ Aug 13th 2008 11:33AM

God, I hope a game like that never happens.

Wiinterfang @ Aug 13th 2008 11:40AM

Guitar hero: Pansy edition.

Jack of No Trades 85 @ Aug 13th 2008 11:44AM

lol,

You should check out some Devil Driver Fernando.

Shadows Fall & Devil Driver is some great hardcore metal.

Wiinterfang @ Aug 13th 2008 11:55AM

I actually like Nickelback, but the other ones can burn in hell.

Dovi @ Aug 13th 2008 11:59AM

"Guitar hero: Pansy edition."

Comes with plastic razor blade.

Wiinterfang @ Aug 13th 2008 12:08PM

Now you can pretend to cut yourself even if you are too pansy to do it in real life, making you even lamer than your emo brother that steals your little sister pants at night.

dark_inchworm @ Aug 13th 2008 12:10PM

Nickelback is the biggest pile of shit to "grace" this planet in the entire span of recorded history. Nickelback is probably a greater disgrace than the Iraqi war (slight exaggeration). I don't care about MCR or Fall Out Boy, but I don't see how you could hold Nickelback above Nirvana.

Shit, fuck, goddamn.

dark_inchworm @ Aug 13th 2008 12:10PM

that was for Wiinterfang btw

jukeboxhero141 @ Aug 13th 2008 12:16PM

What failure puts Nirvana on par with My Chemical Romance?

Fernando Rocker @ Aug 13th 2008 12:37PM

Just that Nirvana practically ruined the rock music, killed the heavy metal, and inspired the creation of bands like Nickelback.

Wiinterfang @ Aug 13th 2008 12:39PM

Didn't knew nirvana was there too, they aren't that great.

Dovi @ Aug 13th 2008 12:41PM

"Just that Nirvana practically ruined the rock music, killed the heavy metal, and inspired the creation of bands like Nickelback."

Exactly how did they accomplish all that?

ChooChooCharlie @ Aug 13th 2008 12:48PM

@ Fernando

Actually that probably is why they didn't pick it up. They have to maintain a certain image for their overly sensitive, pre-pubescent, wrist-cutting demographic.

Metal would frighten the emo kids away.

Jack of No Trades 85 @ Aug 13th 2008 12:48PM

@ Dovi

The record companied refused to do anymore of the big hair bands like Def Lepard & Tesla thats why most of those bands went over to europe where they could be signed. Fuck Nirvana. Most of the 70's 80's rock bands have 1000x more talent.

FOXHOUND @ Aug 13th 2008 12:50PM

Despite the biased Wikipedia entry, I still say the two tracks of "Someday" and "How You Remind Me" sound way too alike. This isn't my only reason for disliking Nickelback, but it's one to note.

http://www.thewebshite.net/nickelback.htm

Boffo the Sock @ Aug 13th 2008 12:57PM

"Fuck Nirvana. Most of the 70's 80's rock bands have 1000x more talent."

I can agree with you here to an extent, but not if your examples are Def Leppard and Tesla.

Jakka (Not sure why he got banned?) @ Aug 13th 2008 1:15PM

Fernando, ever heard of "Metal" by Tenacious D?

"Grunge tried to kill the metal Ha,hahahahaha
They failed, as they were thrown to the ground."

We know that you hate Nirvana and arguing with you is like convincing me to listen to 2Pac, but for the love of Jimi Hendrix don't group 2Pac and Nirvana with shits like 50 Cent or Nickelback.

PranaFerox @ Aug 13th 2008 1:49PM

Nirvana did the world a great great service when it ruined the careers of all those bands. The fact that anyone would lament the death of the "big hair bands" is absolutely grotesque.

Nirvana didn't destroy metal; Nirvana destroyed all those phony, preening wastes of oxygen/eyeliner that where pretending to be metal.

Good. Fucking. Riddance.

Jakka (Not sure why he got banned?) @ Aug 13th 2008 1:49PM

Did my fucking account got banned again? Because I just wrote over 500 words explaining how Nirvana possibly saved the entire Metal genre from becoming like modern hip-hop...either way if this comments shows up then I guess I'll just have to retype it again...

Jakka (Not sure why he got banned?) @ Aug 13th 2008 2:02PM

@ Prana

Thank you very much, you saved my a bit of time by writing that up.Now to keep it short:

Nirvana was the Darwin of music industry.If a bunch of "emo shitheads" that had a four-year-old band was able to kill you off with a single album then you couldn't call yourself a band in first place.All the good bands survived and all of the bad ones died.If it didn't happen,Metal would've probably gone mainstream and become a ruined wreck of it's former past glory just like today's Hip-Hop.So in the end, we'd end up with even more Nickelback-alikes and mainstream Metal.And mainstream Metal is something you truly stay the fuck away from.

So instead of bitching how about how Nirvana ruined music,the next time you watch 50 Cent on MTV,praise Kurt for making Metal a niché genre - thus saving it from becoming like modern Hip-Hop.

And to end this with a Nirvana style smilies:

xP xP xP xP xP xP xP xP

Haggard @ Aug 13th 2008 2:31PM

Well put, Jakka.

Jack of No Trades 85 @ Aug 13th 2008 11:31AM

I agree. How can uncreative, simple pos games get published, but this can't?

I wonder if the publishers know something about this game that we don't?

Wiinterfang @ Aug 13th 2008 11:37AM

They now that metal die in the 80's and nobody will possible gonna buy a game base on that let along appeal to the masses, that's why the guitar hero franchise never took off....wait a minute!!!!

emirabal @ Aug 13th 2008 11:46AM

Awww, you guys are so nice.

DVersion @ Aug 13th 2008 12:04PM

*huddled and rocks back and forth*
...Brutal Legend is fine
...B-brutal Legend is fine
...Brutal Legend is fine.

bdl0325 @ Aug 13th 2008 12:04PM

Well it's not really a surprise, while his games are awesome, they just don't sell well. Even though tv spots for this, with some amazing music and footage, would make it sell sooooo fast. He really needs to find a way to start his own publishing company. Maybe he should start by making a few downloadable games with mass appeal for some startup money....(or just sell his soul to one of the big 3)

Dovi @ Aug 13th 2008 12:27PM

"What failure puts Nirvana on par with My Chemical Romance?"

Nirvana ruined groove metal!1!!1one11

Bryan @ Aug 13th 2008 12:31PM

That sucks. Hopefully someone will pick up the game.

FOXHOUND @ Aug 13th 2008 12:38PM

I'm probably going to catch hell for spouting a bit of truth, but who cares, it's the internet and it'll be long forgotten by this time tomorrow.

I faintly know Schafer's track record when it comes to game sales... and while these games (GRIM, PSYCHONAUTS, et al) have a cult following, unfortunately, they've never really picked up on a well-known & massive scale. That's the only reason I could see this game not catching any particular publisher as of yet.

However, I would rather this game never see the light of day than let it get disassembled of its intent and turned into something entirely different ... i.e., seeing some kind of whiny rock crap that Fernando aforementioned he didn't want to see/hear as well.