Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Double Fine Adventure unveiled as 'Broken Age']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/double-fine-adventure-unveiled-as-broken-age/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/double-fine-adventure-unveiled-as-broken-age/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/24/double-fine-adventure-unveiled-as-broken-age/#comments Double Fine Adventure unveiled as 'Broken Age'Double Fine Adventure, the adventure game whose progress has been a secret to all but Kickstarter backers, was revealed as "Broken Age" at a PAX East panel today. The website for the game is now live, offering art and plot information to the rest of us outside of the privileged Kickstarter class.

"Broken Age is a point-and-click adventure telling the stories of a young boy and girl leading parallel lives," the website explains. "The girl has been chosen by her village to be sacrificed to a terrible monster--but she decides to fight back. Meanwhile, a boy on a spaceship is living a solitary life under the care of a motherly computer, but he wants to break free to lead adventures and do good in the world. Adventures ensue."

Pre-orders are still available on the site, and provide access to the backer-only forums, as well as all past and future episodes of the documentary series about Broken Age's development, by 2 Player Productions.

JoystiqDouble Fine Adventure unveiled as 'Broken Age' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 24 Mar 2013 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>broken-agedouble-finedouble-fine-adventurekickstartermacpax-east-2013pcSun, 24 Mar 2013 12:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Kickstarter game projects earn $83 million in 2012]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/08/kickstarter-game-projects-earn-83-million-in-2012/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/08/kickstarter-game-projects-earn-83-million-in-2012/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/08/kickstarter-game-projects-earn-83-million-in-2012/#comments Most recall Double Fine's conquest of Kickstarter in 2012. It's the drive that initiated "The Year of the Game," a year where some of the biggest and most successful Kickstarter campaigns were attached to video game projects. In a 2012 retrospective post, Kickstarter reveals a total of $83 million was earned for video games through successful Kickstarter drives, the most out of any category on the crowd-funding website.

A total of 2,796 video game projects asked for funding on Kickstarter in 2012; 911 projects successfully reached goal thanks to 561,574 backers. Compared to the stats found in other categories last year (we're looking at you, Dance!), it's difficult to argue against 2012 truly being "The Year of the Game" on Kickstarter.

JoystiqKickstarter game projects earn $83 million in 2012 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Jan 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>double-finedouble-fine-adventurekickstarterTue, 08 Jan 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Kickstarter declares 2012 'the year of the game']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/07/kickstarter-declares-2012-the-year-of-the-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/07/kickstarter-declares-2012-the-year-of-the-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/07/kickstarter-declares-2012-the-year-of-the-game/#comments

Seven of the eleven Kickstarter projects to surpass $1 million in funding belong to the games category. In a post entitled "The Year of the Game," the crowd funding site reveals that games have gone from the eighth most-funded category in the site's three-year history to the second.

This year has seen over $50 million pledged toward game projects on the site, with film and design several million behind at $42 million and $40 million, respectively. In 2011, games only had $3.6 million in funding and in 2010 it was at a mere $519,885.

The great change began in February, when Double Fine Adventure surpassed a million dollars in 24 hours and concluded with $3.3 million pledged. The most recent game to surpass a million was Uber Entertainment's Planetary Annihilation. Head on over to Kickstarter for "the year of the game" breakdown.

JoystiqKickstarter declares 2012 'the year of the game' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>double-fineDouble-Fine-Adventurekickstarterpcplanetary-annihilationuber-entertainmentFri, 07 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Double Fine Kickstarter backer rewards now shipping]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/17/double-fine-kickstarter-backer-rewards-now-shipping/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/17/double-fine-kickstarter-backer-rewards-now-shipping/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/17/double-fine-kickstarter-backer-rewards-now-shipping/#comments Are you a proud (or otherwise) backer of the Double Fine Adventure Kickstarter project? If so, you could be in for some good news very soon, as the Kickstarter rewards have begun shipping, reports VG247.

Rewards include T-shirts, posters and art books, and lunch with Tim Shafer and Ron Gilbert themselves. Shipping time on that last one probably depends on how long it takes Double Fine to find a box large enough to house Tim, Ron and a reasonably sized table.

JoystiqDouble Fine Kickstarter backer rewards now shipping originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>double-finedouble-fine-adventurekickstartermacpcTue, 17 Jul 2012 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Rise of the Fund-it Pundits]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/20/rise-of-the-fund-it-pundits/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/20/rise-of-the-fund-it-pundits/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/20/rise-of-the-fund-it-pundits/#commentsYou're reading Reaction Time, a new weekly column that claims to examine recent events, games and trends in the industry, but is really just looking for an excuse to use the word "zeitgeist." It debuts on Fridays in Engadget's digital magazine, Distro.
In 1998, Tim Schafer asked the world to buy his darkest, funniest and greatest graphic adventure, Grim Fandango. Players planet-wide gave a big ol' shrug, despite the impassioned clamor of genre buffs and the constant yelling of critics, who could only find so many synonyms for "masterpiece."

In 2012, Tim Schafer asked the world to give him $400,000 for a new point-and-click project, which had yet to be designed, documented or even described. This time, he got over $3.3 million.

This stratospheric level of success on Kickstarter, a venue for crowd-sourced funding that's now being directed at unconventional games, is not the norm. Tim Schafer and his Double Fine studio are in the midst of a perfect storm of publicity. The designer's cherished legacy, and his perceived role as the charming genius who just can't catch a break in a harsh industry, are the components of a great underdog story. And maybe lifelong Grim Fandango guilt is the glue that holds it all together.

Continue reading Rise of the Fund-it Pundits

JoystiqRise of the Fund-it Pundits originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>distrodouble-finedouble-fine-adventureiosiphonekickstartermacmobilepcpinkerton-road-studiosreaction-timetim-schaferFri, 20 Apr 2012 15:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Schafer: 'It's not that stressful to get a whole bunch of money all of a sudden']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/schafer-its-not-that-stressful-to-get-a-whole-bunch-of-money/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/schafer-its-not-that-stressful-to-get-a-whole-bunch-of-money/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/23/schafer-its-not-that-stressful-to-get-a-whole-bunch-of-money/#comments

You might be surprised to hear it, but Double Fine head Tim Schafer isn't feeling too much pressure after receiving over $3 million from fans for his upcoming adventure game. "I don't know if I could describe it ... it's kind of relaxing," he told a crowd of attendees at a New York University-hosted forum last evening, much to the crowd's delight. Answering seriously, Schafer said, "It hasn't really felt that way," referring to the stress. "It just felt like, the whole thing, all the backing just felt like a big wave of goodwill and support. It was very emotionally ... it was a big happy moment for the company."

Beyond his jokes about stress and receiving enormous piles of cash, Schafer said that he was "actually terrified of making a game for just $200,000." (The final Kickstarter aimed to raise $400,000.) He questioned whether he was still capable of producing a project for such scant resources, having spent the last decade making successively larger projects - at least until Brutal Legend launched. Thankfully, fans raised well over the original target, meaning Schafer, Ron Gilbert, and Double Fine "can actually put a real team on it now and have a whole year to make it." So there you have it, folks: expect that adventure game at some point in early 2013.

As for Kickstarter itself, Schafer spoke highly of the new avenue it provides game creators who want to self-publish. He stopped himself short of calling it anything beyond that, however. "I think it's a great new way to make things happen that couldn't happen before," he said. More specifically, he thinks of it - symbolically - like the Sundance Film Festival. "That changed the [movie] business a lot, but it didn't destroy all of it," he said. "It made Hollywood better. It made more diversity in the kind of movies getting made, what kind of actors were in them - it made the whole art form richer I think. I think a similar thing could happen in gaming."

JoystiqSchafer: 'It's not that stressful to get a whole bunch of money all of a sudden' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>double-finekickstarternew-york-universitynyunyu-game-centersundance-film-festivaltim-schaferFri, 23 Mar 2012 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Double Fine Adventure Kickstarter concludes with $3,335,265 amassed]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/13/double-fine-adventure-kickstarter-concludes-with-3-335-265-amas/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/13/double-fine-adventure-kickstarter-concludes-with-3-335-265-amas/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/13/double-fine-adventure-kickstarter-concludes-with-3-335-265-amas/#comments "It's been an amazing experience," Tim Schafer said as the last bit of funding rolled in for Double Fine Adventure. "So much love."

And so much money! The Kickstarter project, which aimed to collect a mere $400,000 for a new, classically designed adventure game from Schafer's San Francisco-based studio, concluded with a total of $3,335,265 in funding -- after just over a month. An accompanying documentary will capture its creation, step-by-step.

"I don't want to say this is the end of the whole game industry as we know it ... it's not, it's not!" Schafer joked, surrounded by festivities in the Double Fine office. As the Kickstarter clock counted down, the visibly grateful designer said fans no longer had to accept no for an answer when it came to their favorite "niche" entertainment. "You can choose."

JoystiqDouble Fine Adventure Kickstarter concludes with $3,335,265 amassed originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androiddouble-finedouble-fine-adventureiosipadiphonekickstartermacmobilepctim-schaferTue, 13 Mar 2012 20:18:00 EST<![CDATA[Double Fine Kickstarter hits 3 million, drive closing on Ustream [update: corrected time]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/13/double-fine-kickstarter-hits-3-million-drive-closing-on-ustream/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/13/double-fine-kickstarter-hits-3-million-drive-closing-on-ustream/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/13/double-fine-kickstarter-hits-3-million-drive-closing-on-ustream/#comments The allure of t-shirts proved irresistible (also, we assume, the continued allure of new video games, etc.) The "Double Fine Adventure" Kickstarter, on its last day of availability, has crossed $3 million in contributions. As of writing, the developer has $3,018,892 to put into both a new adventure game and a documentary about its development.

If you think this is exciting, just wait until 3pm PDT/6pm EST, when Double Fine will begin broadcasting the final two hours of the drive live on Ustream. Watch Tim Schafer rake it in in real time!

JoystiqDouble Fine Kickstarter hits 3 million, drive closing on Ustream [update: corrected time] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androiddouble-finedouble-fine-adventurekickstartermacmobilepcTue, 13 Mar 2012 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Ask Tim Schafer anything this Sunday]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/02/ask-tim-schafer-anything-this-sunday/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/02/ask-tim-schafer-anything-this-sunday/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/02/ask-tim-schafer-anything-this-sunday/#comments
Double Fine has raised well over $2 million on Kickstarter, and in exchange it's given you these minutes of unintentional amusement. Well, you'll eventually get a video game and stuff too, but enjoy these bloopers from the developer's Kickstarter pitch video for now.

For amusement of a more informative variety, studio head Tim Schafer will host an "ask me anything" thread on Reddit this Sunday from 1-3pm PST (4-6pm EST). Don't ask him about all his hilarious bloopers, though, just in case he's really embarrassed by them.

JoystiqAsk Tim Schafer anything this Sunday originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2-player-productionsdouble-finedouble-fine-adventurekickstarterredditFri, 02 Mar 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Schafer stigma: How his successful Kickstarter went to your head]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/the-schafer-stigma-how-his-successful-kickstarter-went-to-your/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/the-schafer-stigma-how-his-successful-kickstarter-went-to-your/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/the-schafer-stigma-how-his-successful-kickstarter-went-to-your/#comments I first heard about Kickstarter at San Diego Comic-Con 2010 in an early morning panel about black writers and artists in the graphic-novel industry, titled "Nappy Hour." I was there to secure a seat in the following panel -- which was a Dark Horse feature and may have included an appearance by the wonderful Gerard Way, writer of The Umbrella Academy and singer in this amazing band you probably haven't heard of (don't judge me) -- but "Nappy Hour" turned out to be one of the best presentations I saw that weekend.

Throughout the panel, author and performer Pam Noles mentioned Kickstarter as an underground, free-spirited way of funding creative projects, and said she had used it to fund a few of her own endeavors. I imagined an online co-op of artists and philanthropists holding hands and running through rich, green fields together, composing sonnets about how wonderful everything was, and supporting only the most remarkable of projects. When I got home and checked it out myself, I found a site similar to Etsy, but where the items for sale were half-finished, semi-formed ideas from people who seemed dedicated to carrying them out.

I thought it was wonderful.

Continue reading The Schafer stigma: How his successful Kickstarter went to your head

JoystiqThe Schafer stigma: How his successful Kickstarter went to your head originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidAuditoriumauditorium-2-duetcipher-primedouble-fineDouble-Fine-Adventureiosipadiphonekickstartermacmicrosoftmobilepcplaystationps3Tim-SchaferWill-StallwoodxboxThu, 01 Mar 2012 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Double Fine's 'The Cave' is not the Kickstarter adventure game]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/double-fines-the-cave-is-not-the-kickstarter-adventure-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/double-fines-the-cave-is-not-the-kickstarter-adventure-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/double-fines-the-cave-is-not-the-kickstarter-adventure-game/#comments We already knew that Double Fine had at least two projects cooking at the moment, but now we know more about one of them -- a recent trademark filing for "The Cave" apparently isn't attached to the development studio's Kickstarter project. A Double Fine rep confirmed as much to GameSpot this week in a statement which read, "While we can't comment on unannounced projects, we can say that Double Fine's Kickstarter-funded adventure game has not been started, designed, or even imagined yet. No trademarks have been filed on its behalf."

Like so many trogloxenes, the "Cave" project is still shrouded in darkness. We are, however, less than a week from GDC and the beginning of near-monthly trade events, so we imagine it won't be too long before any information at all about the game is revealed.

JoystiqDouble Fine's 'The Cave' is not the Kickstarter adventure game originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>double-finekickstarterthe-cavetrademarkThu, 01 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Double Fine Kickstarter adds new rewards, Schafer and Gilbert talk it out]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/double-fine-kickstarter-adds-new-rewards-schafer-and-gilbert-ta/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/double-fine-kickstarter-adds-new-rewards-schafer-and-gilbert-ta/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/24/double-fine-kickstarter-adds-new-rewards-schafer-and-gilbert-ta/#comments

Double Fine's fundraiser for its point-and-click adventure title exploded on day one and has currently raised almost $2.1 million, and there are still 18 days left. To celebrate, reward its backers and entice even more, Double Fine has revamped its rewards for denomination-specific donations as follows:
  • $30 tier: Digital Soundtrack of the Documentary
  • $60 tier: Double Fine Adventure Book (digital PDF)
  • $100 tier: Special edition box set with the game disc and DVD/Blu-Ray documentary
  • $500 tier: Double Fine Adventure Book (physical copy)
As standard for Kickstarter projects, hitting a higher reward tier gets backers all of the rewards from previous tiers as well. For extra incentive, the 35-minute discussion between Tim Schafer and Ron Gilbert -- filmed before the Kickstarter began -- demonstrates the passion and thought that will be fueling Double Fine's game; check it out above.

JoystiqDouble Fine Kickstarter adds new rewards, Schafer and Gilbert talk it out originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventuredouble-fineDouble-Fine-AdventurekickstarterPoint-and-ClickrewardsRon-GilbertTim-SchaferFri, 24 Feb 2012 18:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Double Fine Adventure surpasses $2 million on Kickstarter]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/20/double-fine-adventure-surpasses-2-million-on-kickstarter/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/20/double-fine-adventure-surpasses-2-million-on-kickstarter/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/20/double-fine-adventure-surpasses-2-million-on-kickstarter/#comments
So, that Double Fine Adventure Kickstarter. You know, the one you contributed to. With 22 days left on the campaign, the total sits at $2,005,826 -- 501 percent of the developer's $400,000 goal.

When the project hit its goal (in about eight hours), Double Fine studio head Tim Schafer said the extra money would go into more production values for the games and accompanying 2 Player Productions documentary. The result of that, so far, has been multiplatform, multilingual development of the game.

How many of the world's 6,909 known languages can Double Fine translate into, if the money keeps rolling in like this? Think of all the populations who have never experienced an adventure game!

JoystiqDouble Fine Adventure surpasses $2 million on Kickstarter originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidcha-chingdouble-finedouble-fine-adventureiosiphonekickstartermacmobilepcMon, 20 Feb 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Double Fine Kickstarter passes $1 million in under 24 hours, breaking yet another record]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/double-fine-kickstarter-passes-1-million-in-under-24-hours-bre/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/double-fine-kickstarter-passes-1-million-in-under-24-hours-bre/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/double-fine-kickstarter-passes-1-million-in-under-24-hours-bre/#comments Double Fine will be able to fund at least two and a half adventure games and/or put an awful lot of money into creating an incredibly extravagant one, as the developer's Kickstarter project has just topped $1 million dollars. After being announced late last evening, the project's page already reflected a number exceeding the goal of $400K within just over eight hours.

With another 33 days to go, and an incredible amount of momentum as is, we're thinking the sky's the limit for the Double Fine folks. And they'll get to that sky in their fleet of private jets, all custom designed to nest within one another like the characters in Stacking, and Tim will be the mothership. It's all so clear now! What have we done?!

JoystiqDouble Fine Kickstarter passes $1 million in under 24 hours, breaking yet another record originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>double-finedouble-fine-adventurekickstarterpctim-schaferThu, 09 Feb 2012 19:11:00 EST<![CDATA[Double Fine breaks Kickstarter funding records]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/double-fine-breaks-kickstarter-funding-record/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/double-fine-breaks-kickstarter-funding-record/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/double-fine-breaks-kickstarter-funding-record/#comments It seems that Double Fine can attach the moniker of "record holder" to its latest venture. A representative from the crowd-source funding site Kickstarter has confirmed to Joystiq that Double Fine's adventure game fundraiser now holds the company record for raising such a high amount of money in a short amount of time.

"I can confirm that there's not been a project that has raised as much as this one in such a short timeframe," the spokesperson revealed. Kickstarter says it does not keep a running tally finalized projects, but its listing of 'Most Funded' ventures shows a number of concepts that came close to the one million dollar mark, since 2009.

The Kickstarter spokesperson also confirmed that Double Fine's project "now has more backers than any other project on the site." The current total of backers sits at over 17,000.

Double Fine's project -- which took about 8 hours and 11 minutes to fund -- currently sits at over $675,000 ... and there are still 33 days left.

JoystiqDouble Fine breaks Kickstarter funding records originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>double-finedouble-fine-adventurekickstarterpcTim-SchaferThu, 09 Feb 2012 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Double Fine's Kickstarter adventure surpasses $400K goal]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/double-fines-kickstarter-adventure-surpasses-400k-goal/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/double-fines-kickstarter-adventure-surpasses-400k-goal/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/double-fines-kickstarter-adventure-surpasses-400k-goal/#comments It took about 8 hours and 11 minutes. Late last night, developer Double Fine revealed a new project, one that would only be created with help from fans. Dubbed 'Double Fine Adventure,' the game would bring the developer back to its rich adventure game heritage, which helped put company icons Tim Schafer and Ron Gilbert into the industry's spotlight.

The asking price was high -- $400,000 to create a brand new PC-based, "classic point-and-click adventure utilizing modern touch technology -- but gamers were more than willing to help.

Funding for the game still runs for an additional 33 days and support does not seem to be slowing. On the official Kickstarter page, Double Fine notes that "extra money" earned during this process will be "put back into the game" as well as a behind-the-scenes documentary following the creation of the new title, which will only be distributed to those who back the project. The additional fund also mean the game "can appear on more platforms, be translated into more languages, have more music and voice, and an original soundtrack for the documentary, and more."

At the time of publishing, the Kickstarter project has 9,464 backers, putting $432,249 towards Double Fine's next adventure. Joystiq has contacted Kickstarter to find out if Double Fine's project is the fastest project to hit such an impressive funding total in the company's history, but have yet to hear back.

A jovial Schafer wrote on Twitter: "Okay, on to the next project! the next thing we need to do is get this Black Sabbath reunion back on track, people."

JoystiqDouble Fine's Kickstarter adventure surpasses $400K goal originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Double-FineDouble-Fine-AdventureKickstarterpcTim-SchaferThu, 09 Feb 2012 05:45:00 EST