Joystiq

Brutal Legend postmortem: Scrum, content explosion and lawsuit drama

David Hinkle — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:15:00 EST

It's been a bumpy road to release for Brütal Legend. Tim Schafer's had to change publishers, deal with a pesky lawsuit, soldier through PR missteps and even handle some post-release DLC. This is all common knowledge, but in a lengthy postmortem at Gamasutra, Caroline Esmurdoc, executive producer at Double Fine, goes in depth on the development strategy for the title and talks about what went right and what went wrong in the creation of this rock gaming opus.

Double Fine adopted the Scrum method of agile software development for Brütal Legend, which allowed the company to create a renderer, terrain and a playable Eddie Riggs for Tim in a mere month. Content creation was fairly steady, Esmurdoc admitted, but around January of this year, the game's content jumped from the 2.5GB generated over three years to a massive 9GB, thanks to multiple teams unloading assets for the game simultaneously.

Esmurdoc also touched on the lawsuit, though she couldn't go into specifics beyond mentioning that the transition between publishers caused "internal unrest and morale dips among the team", and that Double Fine learned Activision would not be publishing Brutal Legend when the game was suspiciously absent from a list of the publisher's upcoming games. Double Fine then pursued a new publishing partner.

Brutal Legend postmortem: Scrum, content explosion and lawsuit drama originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jack Black discusses the demon slayer's workout on Jimmy Kimmel Live

JC Fletcher — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:00:00 EST

This week, Jack Black continued his bizarre Brütal Legend promotional tour with an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, somewhat in character as Eddie Riggs. As we watched Black upturn furniture and do clap push-ups, we started to realize that he's getting rather a lot of mileage out of that muscle suit. And then we couldn't help but wonder: what do you think that suit smells like right now?

And how do you even clean the inside of a foam rubber muscle suit? Do you use household cleaners of some kind, or does the film industry have a specially formulated solution just for cleaning bodysuits?

... Oh, right, the Kimmel segment's after the break, in four parts.

Continue reading Jack Black discusses the demon slayer's workout on Jimmy Kimmel Live

Jack Black discusses the demon slayer's workout on Jimmy Kimmel Live originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Brutal Legend

Randy Nelson — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST

I have to start by being brutally honest with you: Brütal Legend is not the game I hoped it would be. As a huge fan of director, designer and writer Tim Schafer's body of work - especially Double Fine's debut effort, Psychonauts - I had prepared myself for a wonderfully written, laugh-out-loud funny, constantly surprising experience filled with compelling characters that would have me grinning in anticipation of where it was taking me next.

What I came away with after beating the game in about six hours (granted, I didn't embark on many of the battle- and racing-based sub-missions, but I did do quite a lot of exploring) was the opinion that Eddie Riggs is a truly awesome character, along with a sense of wonder at the fantastic - and very metal - world Schafer and crew had created. Unfortunately, I also came away with a questioning of why so much of the game felt like a b-side to the hit single that had been its first couple of hours.

Gallery: Brutal Legend (10-13-09)

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Review: Brutal Legend originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brutal Legend video talks about the competition

David Hinkle — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:52:00 EST

If you're like us, you're still writhing about in agony from the last round of Brütal Legend videos unleashed upon the internet. It's okay, we had little hope things would get better -- that is, until we were handed this latest video. It's actually entirely watchable and even makes a few funny comments about the various games being released around Brütal Legend, including Assassin's Creed 2's feathered protagonist Ezio and how those night-vision goggles that come with Modern Warfare 2 aren't as awesome as slamming an axe into a demon's face. Check it out above.

Brutal Legend video talks about the competition originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don't watch this Brutal Legend video

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

We're going to put this up front: There's really no reason to watch these Brütal Legend videos. They were shot during a press event at the Key Club in Hollywood, during which Jack Black dressed up as -- and pretended to be -- the game's protagonist, Eddie Riggs. The videos are unequivocally groan-inducing affairs. We're sure that the idea seemed funny at the time, but it falls pretty flat in execution. It's like watching bad improv, which, we suppose, is exactly what it is.

There are a few notable tidbits in here, like Tim Schafer explaining that he didn't have the nerve to approach Jack Black for the project until he found out Black was a Psychonauts fan. Still, that one nugget -- which we've heard before -- will cost you five minutes of awful. For the truly masochistic, two more videos can be found after the break, one of Tim Schafer interviewing Jack Black, and another of Black playing Brütal Legend.

Continue reading Don't watch this Brutal Legend video

Don't watch this Brutal Legend video originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jack Black shares more Brutal Thoughts on roadies

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Brutal Legend's upcoming Rocktober release is nearly at hand, marking this new episode of "Brutal Thoughts" one of the last. This latest episode feels more phoned in than others, with Jack Black simply talking about roadies, and why they're genetically different from the rest of humanity. Perhaps it's just us, but testicular punchlines (ed: ouch) just don't cut it (ed: ouch, again) with us anymore.

Jack Black shares more Brutal Thoughts on roadies originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jack Black cosplays as Eddie Riggs at VMAs

Justin McElroy — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:30:00 EST

Okay, sure, he may have looked ridiculous dressed up as Eddie Riggs at last night's MTV video Music Awards, what with that awful wig and foam arms that would have been laughed off the set of Popeye. And yeah, we know he's got a stake in the project's success, but you have to love Jack Black's commitment to Brütal Legend, one that we wish all big-name celebrities could share when they appear in games of their own.

Seriously though, Jack, let's have a talk about that wig.

Jack Black cosplays as Eddie Riggs at VMAs originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PAX 2009: Brutal Legend lets you decide about the F-word

Kevin Kelly — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST

Tim Schafer showed us the opening cinematic for Brutal Legend at PAX, where they revealed the band that Jack Black's Eddie Riggs roadies for: Kabbage Boy. It's a band full of hipster d-bags (one guy wears a Phantom of the Opera half-mask) and they think they're metal. The only problem is that they sound like every emo-alternaband out there, much to Eddie's chagrin. Hopefully we'll get to reveal who's in the band soon, until then just let your speculation run wild.

All of that inside, the cinematic included a very novel way to select if you want to hear the super-cussin' & swearin' version of Brutal Legend, or go the sanitized and parental-safe route. Eddie notices one of the musicians crawling around on top of his behemoth-sized, Stonehenge-on-acid set (which Eddie has already been chastised for not tailoring to their "tween" audience), and is not happy. He spouts, "I don't know how many times I've told you not to crawl around up there! I don't know what the F....."

And then the game freezes. A menu screen pops up and you have to choose if you want to hear naughty words or not, and when you resume he finishes the word appropriately. Much better than choosing from a menu screen, eh? There another option-setting moment like this a bit later in the scene which was cut short, but we imagine it'll have something to do with violence and blood spurts. Thanks for making even the settings fun, Double Fine.

PAX 2009: Brutal Legend lets you decide about the F-word originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Jack Black and Jellybean, the guitar-playing cat

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 06:00:00 EST

As far as internet memes go, you can't do much better than amusing cat-themed images. Jack Black, sage that he is, knows this all too well. As such, the latest edition of Brutal Thoughts is packed to the brim with hilarious cat action. Granted, it's not quite as satisfying as the last, battle axe-infused episode, but it has its moments. Watch it now and be among the first to witness Jellybean, the cat with serious face-melting skills.

Oh, there's some Brütal Legend footage in there too. Also with cats.

Video: Jack Black and Jellybean, the guitar-playing cat originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jack Black + battle axe = awesome episode of Brutal Thoughts

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST

We weren't fans of the last episode of Brütal Thoughts, Jack Black's bi-weekly video series promoting Brütal Legend. But boy, does this make up for it. Black wields a rather impressive battle axe and uses it to great effect! It's obvious the actor is having a lot of fun with his role; it suits him rather perfectly, no? Just make sure you watch all the way to the end -- things will be broken.

See also:

Jack Black + battle axe = awesome episode of Brutal Thoughts originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jack Black's latest 'Brutal Thoughts' missing Schafer, humor

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST

Jack Black returns for yet another episode of "Brutal Thoughts." The weakest episode so far explores the "wild" world of roadies, courtesy of someone named "Meatbones." The punchline ... is rather mediocre. There's no Schafer in this episode, and even Black looks like he's phoning this one in. Give it a watch, and then relive the (much better) previous installments here:

Jack Black's latest 'Brutal Thoughts' missing Schafer, humor originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim Schafer electrocutes Jack Black on video

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:45:00 EST

We hope EA is paying Jack Black a pretty hearty check, as he's been a pretty vocal advocate of Tim Schafer's upcoming Brutal Legend. It probably helps that he's the main character, but we're still surprised by the actor's continued presence in the game's promotion. The latest episode of "Brutal Thoughts" has Schafer doling out the pain to Black by transforming him into a human videogame character.

See also:
Jack Black pumped for 'that Brutal Legend movie'

Tim Schafer electrocutes Jack Black on video originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jack Black pumped for 'that Brutal Legend movie'

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:01:00 EST

In anticipation of his upcoming ~~movie~~ game, Brütal Legend, Jack Black is getting pumped. He's curling axes and mic stands, making silly faces and, apparently, taking toxic levels of anabolic steroids. Things are ready and on course for the game's October release then, no?

Yes. Thankfully confirmed by a calm and collected Tim Schafer halfway through the video, the game's "almost done" and ready for the stage this fall. Maybe Schafer could've told Jack before he took all those steroids? Meh, we'll consider it payback for School of Rock. We kid! We kid!

Jack Black pumped for 'that Brutal Legend movie' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 May 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq impressions redux: Brutal Legend

Kevin Kelly — Thu, 14 May 2009 19:00:00 EST

We imagine that we'll have several more looks at Brütal Legend before it drops in Rocktober, and that's just fine with us. We took a look at the opening scenes of the game back in April, along with other key moments like the creation of The Deuce (protagonist Eddie's hot-rod) the start of a headbangin' revolution. This time around we spent an hour with the legendary Tim Schafer as he took us into the full-fledged stage battle mode.

If there's one thing we took away from it, it's that people will be going nutshit for this game. Find out what that means after the break.

Gallery: Brutal Legend (05-14-09)

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Joystiq impressions redux: Brutal Legend originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 May 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq impressions: Brutal Legend

Randy Nelson — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:57:00 EST

click to make brutally large!

While others were stuck in boring panels or roped into demos of ridiculous new peripherals, we spent an afternoon during last week's Game Developers Conference at Double Fine, the idea factory of Tim Schafer, designer of such bona fide classics as Full Throttle, Grim Fandango and Psychonauts. We were there to see his latest, hotly anticipated creation in action for the first time -- a little game you may have heard of called Brütal Legend.

We went in with a rough idea of what to expect: an action game set in a world inspired by heavy metal, with, we hoped, loads of trademark Schafer humor. We came out having seen a game that honestly exceeded our expectations. Brütal Legend is what you'd expect from Double Fine and more. It's not just a one-man crusade; it's a war set to a thunderous soundtrack and filled with surprises.

Gallery: Brutal Legend (04-03-09)

Continue reading Joystiq impressions: Brutal Legend

Joystiq impressions: Brutal Legend originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VGA 2008: See God of War 3, Br�tal Legend, Uncharted 2 & Lost and Damned

Justin McElroy — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:15:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Video

If you missed the VGAs last night, you needn't worry, we've prepared the full virtual experience for you this morning. First, go read our liveblog of the event. Then, watch the delightful batch of trailers we've got for you after the break. Finally, imagine Jack Black is yelling at you in his underwear. You are there!

Enjoy this first crop of media from Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, God of War 3, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Brütal Legend. We'll have the rest of the media for you in a bit.

Continue reading VGA 2008: See God of War 3, Br�tal Legend, Uncharted 2 & Lost and Damned

VGA 2008: See God of War 3, Br�tal Legend, Uncharted 2 & Lost and Damned originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brutal Legend appearing at Spike VGAs (oh, and Jack Black as host)

Christopher Grant — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:03:00 EST

Filed under: Culture

Though still wandering a shadowy, publisher-less limbo, Brütal Legend stands tall in the minds of gamers everywhere, who are eager to see (and, perchance, if the Gods are favorable to their plight, experience) the latest from Tim Schafer and his crew at Double Fine. It is something of a blessing that we're able to count master thespian, raconteur, and all around rabble-rouser Jack Black amongst that group of gamers - not only is Mr. Black the centerpiece of Brütal Legend, he's the host of this year's Video Game Awards on Spike.

Astute readers may know we've had our fair share of complaints about the VGAs in the past. While last year included a roster of worthy winners (note: this blogger was, and is, a VGA judge) the actual show itself left ... well, it left a lot to be desired. While we're not sure how much better this year's show will be, Spike is replacing longtime host Samuel L. Jackson with someone who actually knows how to hold a game controller. Shocking! And Mr. Black is bringing a date to the show: "the world premiere of Brütal Legend gameplay."

You know what that means? The Spike VGAs just became must-see TV for nerds everywhere, who will undoubtedly cringe at the desperate gestures to the mainstream audience while celebrating the more obscure "world premieres" littered throughout the show. Included with the price of admission (free) is: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, God of War III gameplay, Fight Night Round 4, Mafia II, Terminator Salvation, Watchmen: The End is Nigh, "a special announcement regarding Gears of War 2" (imulsion maps?) and more. Set those TiVos for December 14 at 9:00 PM ET - just be ready with that skip button.

Brutal Legend appearing at Spike VGAs (oh, and Jack Black as host) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jack Black: Br�tal Legend coming 'someday'

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360

At the MTV Movie Awards a few weeks back, Jack Black came wearing a huge gash across his neck. But you'll want to direct your attention below the wound -- no, not to the pantaloons -- to Black's slightly more subtle statement: a "Brütal Legend" tee. We're not sure how many casual viewers have attempted to google the term, only to be stifled by the key command for an umlaut, but those of us attuned to Black's sense of style certainly appreciate the nod to Tim Schafer's seemingly in limbo project, for which Black lends his vocals. When questioned about his getup, Black responded, "I just wanted to represent. I do this video game Brütal Legend. It's coming someday."

MTV Multiplayer followed up with Sierra on Black's impromptu plug, reporting that the publisher was, obviously, grateful for the nationally televised marketing. Still, Sierra declined to elaborate on Black's vague promise, saying only, "we are excited to reveal more details regarding our plans for Brütal Legend very soon."

Jack Black: Br�tal Legend coming 'someday' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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