Schafer also has some choice words for Activision's Bobby Kotick, but our therapist says we need to spend more time focusing on positivity.
Schafer: Comedy games need a big hit before publishers will approve
by Justin McElroy 
on Jul 14th 2010 12:30PM
53
Schafer also has some choice words for Activision's Bobby Kotick, but our therapist says we need to spend more time focusing on positivity.
Reader Comments (53)
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 12:32PM Cleric said
They need to be funny, and not 'video game' funny. Because 'video game' funny is rarely funny, just more of 'hey remember this? You get this joke!'
Sam and Max and Conker are the closest thing to genuinely funny I've found, and even they're so-so.
Sam and Max and Conker are the closest thing to genuinely funny I've found, and even they're so-so.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 12:55PM gatotsu911 said
@Cleric
I would add to that list House of the Dead: Overkill and the Paper Mario games, which while not a constant yuk-fest have had many legitimately laugh-out-loud moments, increasingly so with each subsequent game.
Reply
I would add to that list House of the Dead: Overkill and the Paper Mario games, which while not a constant yuk-fest have had many legitimately laugh-out-loud moments, increasingly so with each subsequent game.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 1:10PM BlackEyedMonkey said
@Cleric
I actually thought The Simpsons Game was funny but I'm also a big fan of the show.
Reply
I actually thought The Simpsons Game was funny but I'm also a big fan of the show.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 1:48PM johnperkins21 said
@def PD I was going to say the Uncharted games as well. When Nathan said "marco" when jumping in the pool on the second game I chuckled. When he said "fish out of water" when he jumped out of the pool, I actually laughed loudly.
A game needs to be fun first. Being funny should not be the goal, being fun should be. If it's fun AND funny, well then that's just a bonus.
Reply
A game needs to be fun first. Being funny should not be the goal, being fun should be. If it's fun AND funny, well then that's just a bonus.
Posted: Jul 15th 2010 8:08AM ravissimo said
@Cleric
i think two of the funniest games i've played are Day of the Tentacle and Grim Fandango. I also love the Sam & Max games, but they're more off-the-wall/slapstick and doesn't necessarily appeal to everyone. I felt like Day of the Tentacle and Grim Fandango had particularly funny characters as well as surprising situational humor.
One problem with funny games is that they're mostly point & click adventures and they're mainly pretty linear. Brutal Legend is unique in that it's action/adventure and funny. We need more of that, but in a bigger way. A game like Red Dead Redemption or GTA IV, but with constant funny commentary and hilarious characters.
IMO, linearity is the biggest problem. Funny lulz require audio commentary. Less audio = more linear, but more audio commentary = bigger money/time investment. We need a eureka game that is low or moderate on investment & time but has a unique set of audio commentary that increases replayability, thus making the player more likely to pick up the sequel.
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i think two of the funniest games i've played are Day of the Tentacle and Grim Fandango. I also love the Sam & Max games, but they're more off-the-wall/slapstick and doesn't necessarily appeal to everyone. I felt like Day of the Tentacle and Grim Fandango had particularly funny characters as well as surprising situational humor.
One problem with funny games is that they're mostly point & click adventures and they're mainly pretty linear. Brutal Legend is unique in that it's action/adventure and funny. We need more of that, but in a bigger way. A game like Red Dead Redemption or GTA IV, but with constant funny commentary and hilarious characters.
IMO, linearity is the biggest problem. Funny lulz require audio commentary. Less audio = more linear, but more audio commentary = bigger money/time investment. We need a eureka game that is low or moderate on investment & time but has a unique set of audio commentary that increases replayability, thus making the player more likely to pick up the sequel.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 12:45PM Trojan said
I wish more people would buy funny games. Monkey Island, Sam and Max, etc.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 12:50PM thisredengine said
@Trojan Point-and-click adventure games had their time in the early to mid-90s. Today, it's a niche genre. It has nothing to do with the games being funny or not.
Reply
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 12:49PM copa said
I think Portal and Portal 2 count as comedy games, and all indications are that both have been / will be tremendous financial successes.
Brutal Legend could have been a phenomenal blockbuster. Engaging characters, gorgeous soundtrack, and a fantastic sense of humor.
What Tim is not willing or able to admit, is that there is one important difference between Brutal Legend and Portal. Portal was a fun game to play. If you're going to make a comedy game, you can't forget the game part.
Brutal Legend could have been a phenomenal blockbuster. Engaging characters, gorgeous soundtrack, and a fantastic sense of humor.
What Tim is not willing or able to admit, is that there is one important difference between Brutal Legend and Portal. Portal was a fun game to play. If you're going to make a comedy game, you can't forget the game part.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 12:54PM Ashkental said
@copa
If Brutal Legend's combat was a bit more in-depth without that RTS elements, it would've been a Smash-Hit because of word of mouth.
But we (the consumer) was misadvertised about it's features and people that got it thinking it was Hack n' Slash got screwed.
I for one loved it, even the RTS elements (ooookkk, I love RTS) and the multiplayer was fun because nobody nowadays know how to make RTS Strategies and I ended up never losing 1 battle online =P.
Reply
If Brutal Legend's combat was a bit more in-depth without that RTS elements, it would've been a Smash-Hit because of word of mouth.
But we (the consumer) was misadvertised about it's features and people that got it thinking it was Hack n' Slash got screwed.
I for one loved it, even the RTS elements (ooookkk, I love RTS) and the multiplayer was fun because nobody nowadays know how to make RTS Strategies and I ended up never losing 1 battle online =P.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 1:40PM The Spy said
@Themoreyouknow
http://wiki.teamfortress.com/w/images/9/9a/Heavy_sandwichtaunt12.wav
it has its comedy.
Reply
http://wiki.teamfortress.com/w/images/9/9a/Heavy_sandwichtaunt12.wav
it has its comedy.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 3:07PM Verrier said
@Ashkental
Remember that the Brutal Legend demo was super popular, everyone loved it. One of the highest rated demos on Xbox Live.
So, if they had just made the entire game like the demo, they would have had a hit. But instead they decided to advertise it as an action game, including in the demo, and then throw a subpar RTS at the customers instead. Not a great way to do things.
Reply
Remember that the Brutal Legend demo was super popular, everyone loved it. One of the highest rated demos on Xbox Live.
So, if they had just made the entire game like the demo, they would have had a hit. But instead they decided to advertise it as an action game, including in the demo, and then throw a subpar RTS at the customers instead. Not a great way to do things.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 3:30PM thisredengine said
@Ashkental Exactly, I imagined Brutal Legend would have been more well-received if they were just more upfront instead of pulling the wool over everyone's eyes regarding the gameplay.
I think Tim just made a slight boo-boo in that regard and is off-handedly blaming the game publishers for why the game didn't do as well as he thought considering all the hype.
Reply
I think Tim just made a slight boo-boo in that regard and is off-handedly blaming the game publishers for why the game didn't do as well as he thought considering all the hype.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 12:50PM Ashkental said
Yeah! I know! We need Brutal Legend 2 with moar Lulz!
And c'mon, forget the RTS thing and make it an Open World Hack n` Slash! Or just get the whole RTS thing right!
And c'mon, forget the RTS thing and make it an Open World Hack n` Slash! Or just get the whole RTS thing right!
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 12:52PM WC said
Wait... Did he just say that the industry needs a big comedy hit so the rest of the industry can make sucky games and leech off the good one?
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 12:56PM SpeeGold said
"I am the milkman. My milk is delicious."
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 12:59PM Nap said
We need a new Conker's Bad Fur Day or something along those lines with popular movie references and adult humor. :(
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 1:10PM C1 said
Tim needs to go make another Grim Fandango already
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 2:54PM Lucky The Fox said
@(Unverified)
No, he doesn't. That would be like making a sequel to Titanic.
Reply
No, he doesn't. That would be like making a sequel to Titanic.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 3:06PM Lucky The Fox said
@(Unverified)
I was rather referring to the fact that the story already had a complete closure.
By the way, how the hell do I verify myself?
Reply
I was rather referring to the fact that the story already had a complete closure.
By the way, how the hell do I verify myself?
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 1:15PM advancedcaveman said
Brutal Legend was in fact fun to play if you actually bothered to play it. Instead, people just had the same old whining console gamer reaction where they piss and bitch and moan about anything even remotely RTS related. PC people gave the standard curmudgeonly grog nard reaction, bitching and whining about how Brutal Legend failed to be a highly sterile, clerical number harvesting game where you slouch at a computer Quasimodo style and carefully calculate the statistical probabilities of every single aspect of the game in an orgy of stuffy fun-sucking.
I don’t believe anyone actually bothered to play Brutal Legend. Everyone either fled upon hearing it’s an RTS, or they sat atop their nerd tower and scoffed because it’s an RTS where you can’t click on things and micromanage your clicks per minute ratio in order to grind away any possible entertainment and turn the game into an interactive pie chart.
I don’t believe anyone actually bothered to play Brutal Legend. Everyone either fled upon hearing it’s an RTS, or they sat atop their nerd tower and scoffed because it’s an RTS where you can’t click on things and micromanage your clicks per minute ratio in order to grind away any possible entertainment and turn the game into an interactive pie chart.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 1:47PM jsx92 said
I love RTS, but Brutal Legend was crap. How can you have RTS and have me worrying about my guy's health? You can't tell troops what to do if you're hiding behind a rock waiting for your health bar to refill. After two failed attempts at the RTS tutorial in single-player and then two losses online to someone playing the game like an "interactive pie chart" I sent the game back and will never play it again.
Reply
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 2:34PM Verrier said
@advancedcaveman
Ah, the pathetic "You're playing it wrong if you don't like it!" non-argument.
I've played RTS games since the original Red Alert on PC came out in 1995.
Brutal Legend is not a good RTS. Brutal Legend is a shitty, dumbed down RTS that noone in their right mind would enjoy. If you like strategy, Brutal Legend has none. If you like action, Brutal Legend has none. It's truly the worst of both worlds.
Reply
Ah, the pathetic "You're playing it wrong if you don't like it!" non-argument.
I've played RTS games since the original Red Alert on PC came out in 1995.
Brutal Legend is not a good RTS. Brutal Legend is a shitty, dumbed down RTS that noone in their right mind would enjoy. If you like strategy, Brutal Legend has none. If you like action, Brutal Legend has none. It's truly the worst of both worlds.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 2:58PM glamajamma said
@advancedcaveman
I played it like I played GTA. I just ran around and had fun screwing with stuff.
Reply
I played it like I played GTA. I just ran around and had fun screwing with stuff.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 1:40PM bluedeviltron said
Grand Theft Auto (everything from III to IV) and Bully are funnier than anything Tim Schafer's ever done. Are those not considered "comedy" games?
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 4:56PM Hellion4242 said
@bluedeviltron
Of course not. Those are murder simulators.
Reply
Of course not. Those are murder simulators.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 1:44PM darkprime said
I guess he's never played God Hand on PS2.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 1:46PM Chico said
I consider the Lego games "comedy". They are made with all sorts of comical references to the movies they are based on... and they are pretty funny.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 1:56PM urbanyeti said
Anyone remember A Bard's Tale for PS2? That gameplay was a pretty average hack and slash but it was honestly one of the funniest games I've ever played. Completely mocked and played with the tropes of RPGs while still be a fun play.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 2:12PM Mr Khan said
Comedy is a hard field to tread in in the first place. We've all seen enough bad comedy movies to know that.
Its a question of creating a comedy game as a whole that few studios out there are up to, quite frankly.
Its a question of creating a comedy game as a whole that few studios out there are up to, quite frankly.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 2:32PM Verrier said
Brutal Legend had about 3 good jokes in it, and all of those were in the demo.
Schafer can't forget that no amount of jokes is going to be worth it if the gameplay itself is as subpar as Brutal Legend's was. Watered down, repetitive RTS action over and over? Nobody really likes that.
Schafer can't forget that no amount of jokes is going to be worth it if the gameplay itself is as subpar as Brutal Legend's was. Watered down, repetitive RTS action over and over? Nobody really likes that.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 2:50PM Crayola Q Pants ESQ said
While I'm cool if Schafer gets his projects greenlit, I have to admit that I don't really look forward to when Comedy is the next big thing. Can you imagine the deluge of painful unfunniness that would follow as soon as everyone is told "hey make your game funny"?
Reminds me of how unfunny sites like IGN and Gamespy are in their attempts of humor, now that they're following the blog trend.
Reminds me of how unfunny sites like IGN and Gamespy are in their attempts of humor, now that they're following the blog trend.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 2:54PM gevenstaines said
i guess sam and max was/were not successful enough...
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 3:04PM Lucky The Fox said
I guess what he means with comedy games is the type of game that people would purchase primarily for the humour as that definition would knock off a lot of the games mentioned in this thread. How many of you bought Team Fortress 2, Red Alert 3 or GTA4 because of their writing? Alternatively, how many of you bought any JRPG because of its gameplay rather than writing?
90s point and click adventure games definitely sold because they were funny. No one bought them just to get challenged by logic puzzles.
90s point and click adventure games definitely sold because they were funny. No one bought them just to get challenged by logic puzzles.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 3:08PM Doctor Doom said
My man Conker had an awesome game. I don't recall if it sold real well though.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 3:10PM mrmobius said
I found that a lot of the dialogue in Okami was amusing, and was part of the reason as to why I found it so endearing. I want a game that is entertaining first, and then uses comedy to improve the game, and not merely as a way to paint over the cracks of a poor game.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 4:10PM Otimus said
The problem is, is no one wants funny games.
Well, okay, I want funny games, and a few people here want funny games.
But most people just want to "shoot thangs and take a nap".
Well, okay, I want funny games, and a few people here want funny games.
But most people just want to "shoot thangs and take a nap".
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 5:47PM MannyCalavera said
I was in a Schafer game some time ago, man... i loved them days!
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 6:33PM comradetrotskii said
Comedy Game is definitely how I would describe Brutal Legend.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 7:06PM Lerkero said
I don't really need a game to focus on comedy, I just need games like Gears of War to stop pretending that they're serious.
Posted: Jul 14th 2010 7:16PM making11s said
Want a funny comedy? Then keep Jack Black the hell away from it.
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