Joystiq

Schafer would 'love' more Brutal Legend content on PC

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:00:00 EST

If Brütal Legend takes off on Steam after its launch on February 26, Double Fine founder Tim Schafer would love to add more modes, tweaks and multiplayer content to the game, he told RPS.

"It's actually been fun to continue work on it," Schafer said. "I mean, we have a wishlist from when we made this version. But since we are a small developer publishing it ourselves, we have to go with the best version we can make and then hope it's successful so we can add more."

Schafer mentioned a few specifics he would like to see in Brütal Legend, such as alternate game modes in multiplayer, new playable factions, updates to the current unit feedback system and an advanced mode featuring traditional RTS-style controls. He didn't see any singleplayer updates or sequels in Brütal Legend's future, since those tended to be more expensive and expansive.

A sequel to Psychonauts, for example, would probably be cheaper than one for Brütal Legend, considering the cost of music licensing, Schafer said.

"I mean, it's been longer since Psychonauts and we wouldn't have to do any music licensing," he said. "So we could probably afford to do it more if we got some funding. I feel like a Brütal sequel would cost twice as much as Psychonauts. It's easier to imagine Double Fine doing a sequel to Psychonauts. But for creative reasons, there's no preference of one over the other."

Schafer would 'love' more Brutal Legend content on PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch a live stream of Joystiq's PAX panel with Erik Wolpaw, Tim Schafer, Kotaku [Update: It's over!]

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 15:00:00 EST

Joystiq's Ben Gilbert is sitting down with Valve's Erik Wolpaw (writer on the Portal series), Double Fine's Tim Schafer (company president and fundraising maven) and Kotaku's Jason Shreier at PAX Prime today, to talk "Plot vs. Play."

This ragtag group will dissect the importance of narrative over gameplay, vice versa, inside-out and inverted, and it's all captured live for you to watch below via Twitch TV. The panel begins at 3 p.m. ET, or as the indoctrinated few call it, right now.

Update: The panel and live stream are now finished. If you missed the action, keep an eye on the PAX Prime 2012 page on Twitch TV, which should update with the day's recording.

Watch a live stream of Joystiq's PAX panel with Erik Wolpaw, Tim Schafer, Kotaku [Update: It's over!] originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 02 Sep 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Critical Path' trailer is loaded with games industry talent

Mike Suszek — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 16:30:00 EST

A trailer for Critical Path, a "transmedia project exploring the art, philosophy, politics and psychology of video games" recently surfaced. The trailer, created by a Los Angeles-based studio named Artifact, shows dozens of game designers talking about their craft and the place games take in the history of expressive media. The project aims to "give game designers their due as innovators and influencers of culture."

Critical Path is described as the culmination of "two years of filming and archiving" interviews, according to Artifact's site. "User feedback will influence future interviews, which will be added to the archive on an ongoing basis."

Among the 37 names listed at the end of the trailer are Warren Spector, Jenova Chen, John Carmack, David Cage, Cliff Bleszinski, Ken Levine, Peter Molyneux, Tim Schafer and Hideo Kojima. You can watch the trailer here.

'Critical Path' trailer is loaded with games industry talent originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 22 Jul 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rise of the Fund-it Pundits

Ludwig Kietzmann — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:10:00 EST

You'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

Rise 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.

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Schafer: 'It's not that stressful to get a whole bunch of money all of a sudden'

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:30:00 EST

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."

Schafer: '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.

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Double Fine made this bizarre and hilarious prototype for a Kinect adventure game

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 09:30:00 EST

Double Fine's Tim Schafer was the guest of honor last evening at New York University's Game Center, joining Zynga New York's creative director (and NYU professor) Frank Lantz for an "Inside the Gamer's Studio" conversation. Schafer, however, brought more than just good conversation. He showed off two separate versions of a prototyped game that Double Fine ended up shelving. The prototype, ~~for no reason at all~~, is dubbed "*Specs."

In the first video (seen above), rudimentary concepts for the game are introduced. Two convicts sit in a prison cell, a shiv on the floor between them. The player character isn't one of the two convicts, or even the shiv, but instead a possessed amulet that's using its power of influence to guide the actions of those around it (inanimate objects included). As it turns out, one of the two convicts has said amulet in his hand when the prototype kicks off.

The two emotions that the amulet can produce - love and hate - are represented by blue and red cursors on-screen, each mapped to one of your hands. With just two emotions, a handful of set pieces to interact with, and a Kinect, a variety of potential outcomes with varying levels of hilarity ensued.

*Double Fine senior gameplay programmer Anna Kipnis explained the name via Twitter. "We name prototypes after Chinatown bars at DF (running out of bars now)," Kipnis said, in reference to San Francisco's Chinatown. "Psychonauts was Li Po. Brütal Legend was my favorite bar in Chinatown, Buddha Bar." So there's that! This is "Specs."

Continue reading Double Fine made this bizarre and hilarious prototype for a Kinect adventure game

Double Fine made this bizarre and hilarious prototype for a Kinect adventure game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Double Fine Adventure Kickstarter concludes with $3,335,265 amassed

Ludwig Kietzmann — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:18:00 EST

"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."

Double 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.

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Double Fine remembers 'Amnesia Fortnight' in GDC postmortem

JC Fletcher — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:30:00 EST

In a GDC panel called "Creative Panic: How Agility Turned Terror Into Triumph," project leads from Double Fine's quartet of "Amnesia Fortnight" projects each outlined the process and inspiration behind their games -- with the exception of Costume Quest's Tasha Harris, who didn't share her insights because she wasn't there. "Amnesia Fortnight is a psychedelic mushroom and we all took it," studio head Tim Schafer said, before adding that it was really a two-week team game design exercise held in the middle of Brütal Legend work.

Born from a break in AAA development, the Amnesia Fortnight forged a new direction for the company when Brütal Legend 2 was canceled.

Continue reading Double Fine remembers 'Amnesia Fortnight' in GDC postmortem

Double Fine remembers 'Amnesia Fortnight' in GDC postmortem originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 21:00:00 EST

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

The 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.

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Double Fine Kickstarter adds new rewards, Schafer and Gilbert talk it out

Jessica Conditt — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:15:00 EST

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.

Double 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.

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Double Fine's adventure coming to PC, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android devices [Update]

Xav de Matos — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:35:00 EST

Double Fine has just announced that its upcoming Kickstarter-funded adventure project will be DRM-free on the PC, Mac, and Linux when the project finally launches. A closed beta for Kickstarter supporters will be available on Steam.

"We got a little bit more money than we thought we'd get," Double Fine's Tim Schafer said in a YouTube video announcing the platforms. "So the game is going to be just a little bit better. Well, it's going to be a lot better, actually." The project will also be available on iOS devices and "certain Android phones."

Schafer also added that, due to the astounding amount that has been donated (now over $1.8 million!), the game will include full voice in the English version as well as subtitle support for French, Spanish, Italian, and German. Another few bucks and we're sure they'll add Klingon.

Update: Double Fine's Greg Rice tells us that backers of the project will have access to the PC, Mac, and Linux versions of the game. Granting access to the mobile version by backing the game via Kickstarter is "not currently possible."

Double Fine's adventure coming to PC, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android devices [Update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Double Fine Kickstarter passes $1 million in under 24 hours, breaking yet another record

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:11:00 EST

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?!

Double 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.

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Double Fine breaks Kickstarter funding records

Xav de Matos — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:30:00 EST

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.

Double 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.

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Double Fine's Kickstarter adventure surpasses $400K goal

Xav de Matos — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:45:00 EST

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."

Double 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.

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Double Fine returning to its adventure game roots with Kickstarter project [update: Funded!]

Xav de Matos — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:59:00 EST

Double Fine has announced that it will finally return to its adventure game roots. Utilizing the crowd-sourcing power of Kickstarter, Double Fine will hope to fund the project. As rewards for funding, the developer will offer bonuses such as "advance access to the game, original art from its development, and a bowling night out with the team."

The project is already listed on Kickstarter, asking a hefty $400,000 for its completion. Double Fine also plans to "create a unique, serialized documentary available only to Backers," developed by the team at 2 Player Productions.

According to the Kickstarter page, the game will be in development with a small team over a six-to-eight month period. The game is described as "a classic point-and-click adventure utilizing modern touch technology."

In related news: though Minecraft creator Markus 'Notch' Peterson had offered to help fund a sequel to the cult-hit game Psychonauts, Double Fine isn't ready to announce the title. "These things take time to figure out -- if they can be figured out -- so please don't expect any Psychonauts 2 announcements any time soon," video game icon Tim Schafer wrote on Twitter.

Schafer promises he and Notch are having a "lovely chat" about the possibility, and jokingly says the indie millionaire is a tough negotiator -- at his insistence that the game be dubbed "PsychoNotch."

Update: Moments ago, Double Fine achieved its goal of $400,000. At the time of publishing this update, the project has 8,880 backers and is currently sitting at $404,168. The funding process took less than ten hours.

Double Fine returning to its adventure game roots with Kickstarter project [update: Funded!] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Schafer needs a millionaire to fund Psychonauts 2, Notch raises hand

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:45:00 EST

Double Fine's Tim Schafer would love to make Psychonauts 2, he told Digital Spy -- he's pitched it to publishers a few times, but no one has ponied up for the project, and Schafer still needs a few million dollars to back it up. Enter: Notch.

After learning of Schafer's problem, Markus "Notch" Persson, creator of Minecraft and resident indie millionaire, tweeted at Schafer, "Let's make Psychonauts 2 happen," followed by ";D Also, I'm serious." This afternoon, the official word from Double Fine is, "Tim and Markus are talking. Who knows what might happen?"

Notch has followed up candidly, tweeting that he and Schafer are talking via email, hinting that they may talk more at GDC, and finishing with a warning: "Anyway, please don't get your hopes too high yet. Everything is extremely vague!"

There it is, ladies and gentlemen. The potential multi-million-dollar business deal to create Psychonauts 2, started on Twitter and including a winky, open-mouthed-smiling emoticon. Ah, technology.

Schafer needs a millionaire to fund Psychonauts 2, Notch raises hand originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Double Fine's Happy Action Theater conjures up Kinect magic

Mike Schramm — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:45:00 EST

Double Fine's next project, Happy Action Theater, just appeared on the floor of CES, right on time according to Tim Schafer's Twitter account. The game, available in February for what a Microsoft rep called a "reasonable" price, is basically a collection of 18 different minigames, featuring sandbox-style fun for the younger audience.

But don't let that tame description fool you: Happy Action Theater isn't just a standard minigame collection made for kids. Instead, it appears to be one of the best experiences on Kinect yet, and a perfect marriage of Double Fine's expertise at finding almost instant fun, and its skill at wringing some impressive feats out of that Kinect camera.

Continue reading Double Fine's Happy Action Theater conjures up Kinect magic

Double Fine's Happy Action Theater conjures up Kinect magic originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Tim Schafer ended up as a main voice in upcoming Kinect XBLA game Haunt

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:40:00 EST

In Haunt, Parappa the Rapper developer Nana-OnSha's upcoming Xbox Live Arcade game, players will use Kinect to direct a main NPC voiced by Tim Schafer around a spooky, and somewhat goofy, haunted house -- that much we knew. And in a recent interview with Gamasutra, executive producer Masaya Matsuura and producer Dewi Tanner revealed how the main character came to be voiced by the Double Fine head and well-known goofy gentleman.

"He's very, very interesting for it," Masaya said when asked about Schafer's participation. Apparently the main character's voice had already been recorded, but after hearing Schafer's speech at a GDC "Choice Awards" ceremony, the Nana-OnSha folks reconsidered. "We talked about 'maybe something is missed,' still," Matsuura said. "And one day you told me about how Tim would be a good voiceover actor," he added to Tanner.

Tanner said that Tim's time was understandably constrained, being the head of another game studio and all, but the team "managed to squeeze him in nonetheless ... a couple of afternoons and we were pretty much done." Tanner also pointed out that Haunt isn't exactly a serious endeavor, and Schafer's "passé humor" was perfect for the role. The game is still absent a solid launch date, but it's probably safe to say it's gonna miss its previously scheduled 2011 release window. Tanner teased in the interview that, "We're just winding up the game right now; things are looking clean right now, so it should be a smooth submission." So, uh, soon-ish!

Update: This piece originally listed Tim Schafer as the main character in Haunt, rather than the main NPC. It also listed Masaya Matsuura as the creative lead, rather than executive producer. Our apologies!

[Image credit: 'skwathill']

How Tim Schafer ended up as a main voice in upcoming Kinect XBLA game Haunt originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Double Fine's Stacking to nestle in your PC

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:50:00 EST

Double Fine has revealed its matryoshka-infused adventure, Stacking, will soon come to PC. The news came from Double Fine's Tim Schafer and Lee Petty during X-Play's Best of 2011 award show. Stacking took home the title of 2011's best downloadable game, with Schafer and Petty revealing the PC port in a rather unique way, which you can see in the video after the break (skip to 1:00).

No other details were revealed, save to say that the PC version will be available "soon."

Continue reading Double Fine's Stacking to nestle in your PC

Double Fine's Stacking to nestle in your PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Double Fine's 'Amnesia Fortnight' game design jams saved the company

JC Fletcher — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:30:00 EST

The recent downloadable releases from Double Fine, as well as the upcoming Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster, all had their genesis in the company's "Amnesia Fortnight" events, in which small teams would make quick game prototypes. Schafer says that if not for those informal sessions, the company might not still be running.

"We had done one Amnesia Fortnight in the middle of Brutal Legend, and one at the end, so we had eight prototypes," studio head Tim Schafer explained to Edge. "I thought eventually we'd start working on smaller games with the extra money that we got from these huge games, and then we found out that Brutal Legend 2 wasn't happening." With nothing else going on, Double Fine started looking for deals for the best four Amnesia Fortnight prototypes.

"The thing I like about it is that we had a catastrophic event and the company saved itself purely based on the creativity of the team. Lee [Petty, responsible for Stacking], Tasha [Harris, who came up with Costume Quest], Brad [Muir, of Trenched], and Nathan [Martz, the game design puppeteer behind Sesame Street]- their ideas."

Had the Amnesia Fortnight not have been a success, we can only imagine that Double Fine would be forced to hold "Amnesia Fifteenminutes" within the fortnights, in which each employee rushed out prototypes while rushing out their other prototypes.

Double Fine's 'Amnesia Fortnight' game design jams saved the company originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim Schafer's original pitch for Once upon a Monster

David Hinkle — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 17:30:00 EST

Hey, did you guys know that Once Upon a Monster was originally intended to be a zombie game? Yup, it's true -- this behind-the-scenes footage of Tim Schafer pitching the idea to a top Warner Bros. exec proves it.

Continue reading Tim Schafer's original pitch for Once upon a Monster

Tim Schafer's original pitch for Once upon a Monster originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Learn more about Tim Schafer than you ever wanted to

Justin McElroy — Wed, 18 May 2011 14:30:00 EST

Okay, you like Tim Schafer. Sure, who doesn't? But are you ready to really get inside the mastermind of Grim Fandango, Psychonauts and Brutal Legend? And we mean deep inside ... like, "cut him open with a lightsaber and sleep inside him tauntaun style" deep. If so, you'll want to watch "Tim Schafer's History of Videogames Adventure," a charming Gamespot documentary about the developer's life presented as an adventure game of sorts.

Did you know, for instance, that Lucasarts staffers were permitted to select Star Wars concept art to hang on their office walls? The video's full of all sorts of gems like that, and if you can get past how visibly uncomfortable Schafer is with talking about himself for this long, it's well worth watching.

Learn more about Tim Schafer than you ever wanted to originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 May 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trenched is a third-person tower-defense game

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 13:45:00 EST

When Trenched was revealed by Tim Schafer at the end of this year's Game Developer's Choice Awards ceremony, we knew next to nothing about it. Though we can't tell you how we feel about it ourselves, previews are showing up all over the web that describe the game as a third-person tower-defense title set in an alternate history post-WWI world.

G4 explains that the tower-defense-style battles of Trenched take place atop walking, upgradeable trenches. As it turns out, television monsters (referred to as "tubes") are attacking the world's mobile trenches and handicapped hero Frank Woodrof is bent on defending them. You'll employ Woodrof's ultra-manliness to defeat said "tubes" and restore alternate reality's normalcy. Or, ya know, Double Fine's bizarre version of normalcy in the world of Trenched. Schafer's team expects the game out on Xbox Live Arcade at some point in 2011.

Trenched is a third-person tower-defense game originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trenched is Double Fine's next game, 'is extremely, extremely manly'

Christopher Grant — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 23:45:00 EST

Tucked away at the very end of the Game Developer's Choice Awards ceremony tonight was the announcement teaser for Trenched, the latest in developer Double Fine's series of downloadable games. This one is being published by Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox Live Arcade and we've got an off-screen capture of what Tim Schafer called the "extremely, extremely manly" trailer for you just after the break.

[Update 12:50am - We've put the official, non-shakycam trailer after the break for your viewing pleasure.]

Gallery: Trenched

Continue reading Trenched is Double Fine's next game, 'is extremely, extremely manly'

Trenched is Double Fine's next game, 'is extremely, extremely manly' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Double Fine tells how it got to Sesame Street

JC Fletcher — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST

The announcement that Double Fine's next game would be a licensed (!) Sesame Street (!!) game for Kinect (!!!) was something of a shock. In an interview with Gamasutra, studio head Tim Schafer and project lead Nathan Martz explained how the project grew out of a shared love of Muppetry and an original idea that just happened to be perfect for the franchise.

Martz came up with the idea for an "uplifting" game during the same Amnesia Fortnight event that spawned Costume Quest and Stacking -- a game that involved "cute, furry little monsters, making music and having fun," as Schafer described it. As work continued on the prototype, which already featured cute Henson-esque monsters like "Marco" (above, the one who isn't Cookie Monster or Elmo), the idea of pursuing the license came up -- and then when Sesame Street and WB made a deal for games, Double Fine saw an opportunity.

The game focuses on the Sesame Street idea of the "Whole Child Curriculum," teaching social and emotional skills as well as healthy living habits. In addition, though, Schafer asserts that it will be funny. He calls Sesame Street a "secret comedy show" and intends to keep the same tone in the game. "They're satirical -- they don't just make bland shows for kids, they make them actually funny," Schafer said. "I think that's important for the kids and especially for the parents who watch them together. We're hoping that this is something parents play with their kids."

Double Fine tells how it got to Sesame Street originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Real-life Stacking dolls go on sale, promptly sell out

Mike Schramm — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 03:00:00 EST

The dolls from Double Fine's upcoming Stacking title have been made real and were -- at least for a short time -- available for sale on the developer's site. Made in Russia, the real-life Matryoshka dolls were produced only in limited quantities and, as of this writing, are sold out.

So, if you really wanted these, you'll likely have to start monitoring eBay. A least your predicament means that Double Fine picked up some extra cash. Tim Schafer himself says he hopes Costume Quest vinyls may appear sooner or later, to compliment the Eddie Riggs figure already available.

Real-life Stacking dolls go on sale, promptly sell out originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What's in a Name: Double Fine

David Hinkle — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:30:00 EST

It's time for another origin story of an industry presence. Today, we've got Double Fine's Tim Schafer, who can thank Uncle Sam for the inspiration of his studio's name:

It came from this sign that used to be on the Golden Gate Bridge. I used to drive down from Sonoma when I was a teenager to see rock shows in the city, and I'd see that sign that said, "Slow to 45 mph, Double Fine Zone" and I thought, man, if I had a band I would name it "Double Fine" so that people would think I bought a really expensive billboard on the GG bridge. All of San Francisco is now declared a Double Fine Zone. Since I never got around to starting that band, or even learning how to play an instrument, I had to use the name somewhere!

Double Fine is currently working on a title for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network called Stacking. Like this feature? Be sure to check out the What's In A Name Archives.

What's in a Name: Double Fine originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC giving Molyneux lifetime achievement award, tapping Schafer to host again

David Hinkle — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 22:20:00 EST

That's right, one of the most prominent game designers to hail from that magical land across the pond (Merlin and dragons, anybody?) is going to be honored at GDC 2011 with a lifetime achievement award. Peter Molyneux, best known for the creation of the "god game" genre (and child coercion), will be honored during the show's Game Developer's Choice Awards. Not a bad way to celebrate a career that's over 23 years in the making.

In addition, Tim Schafer will return as host of the show. He will give a talk on March 2nd and, we imagine, go around the show with a desk on wheels, interviewing random attendees, Conan style. That's what we'd do, anyway.

GDC giving Molyneux lifetime achievement award, tapping Schafer to host again originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 22:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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THQ needs your money to publish more Double Fine games

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:20:00 EST

Between the adorable (and enjoyable) Costume Quest last October, and the forthcoming (and quite charming) Stacking some time this year, we're quite looking forward to the other two downloadable titles in Double Fine's four game roadmap. And though THQ isn't the only publisher that could release them, it would sure like to be. "I really wanna do a lot more with Tim [Schafer]. I've always been a huge Tim fan. Grim Fandango to me is one of the greatest works of art in gaming," THQ Core Games head Danny Bilson gushed to us this afternoon.

He said the choice to publish Stacking was an easy one. "Stacking I fell in love with. When Tim brought that in, I was like, 'Let's do this game! This is fantastic!'," he said. The game was later moved to THQ's "Kids, Family, and Casual" department (like Costume Quest), though Bilson's desire to publish more Double Fine games clearly hasn't diminished.

He reiterated that, currently, his studio only has a two-game contract with Double Fine: the aforementioned Costume Quest and Stacking. "There's a few more that I've identified, but I haven't made those deals yet," Bilson told us. He then paused before adding, "We've gotta get some hits rolling so I have more money to spend, to be honest with you." And between Homefront, Red Faction: Armageddon and Stacking, there's ample opportunity for that money to be made in the first quarter of 2011.

THQ needs your money to publish more Double Fine games originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Double Fine's first 'Action Cast' reveals 'early 2011' release for Stacking

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST

Tim Schafer and his perfect-for-radio vocal stylings have taken to the casting of pods, releasing the first ever Double Fine "Action Cast." For the inaugural episode, Schafer talks Costume Quest with the game's creative leads (Tasha Harris and Gabe Miller), among other topics. Of note, Schafer says that DF's next downloadable title, Stacking, is "essentially done" and "should be out in early 2011," a more specific launch window than we had previously heard. Also potentially of note, Tasha Harris says she's animating a "super secret project" right now. What could it be?!

As the first show is a pilot, the studio is basing its decision to make more on listener response, so go get vocal in the post's comment section. We quite like the show and are hoping for more .... not that we're trying to influence your opinion or anything.

Double Fine's first 'Action Cast' reveals 'early 2011' release for Stacking originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Psychonauts 2: Tim Schafer is 'ready to do it'

Justin McElroy — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 21:01:00 EST

From our "It's Fun to Dream" file comes a story from the latest issue of PSM3, in which Double Fine's Tim Schafer says he's ready to do a sequel to his classic action platformer Psychonauts. So ... Psychonauts 2: Revenge of the Milkman coming fall of 2012, pre-order now to get your commemorative goggles. Right?

Not so fast, bucko. Schafer wants to make a new Psychonauts, but he still needs to find someone to help foot the bill. "It's really a question of getting a publisher who's interested in doing it," he told the magazine. "Over the years it's gotten into the hands of a lot of people ... so if all these people were going to buy the sequel it would be a big hit."

So, any of you have a few spare millions kicking around? Maybe if everybody pooled together? Let's see, we have ... $7.12, a piece of Bazooka and a marble. That's ... that's not going to cut it, is it?

Psychonauts 2: Tim Schafer is 'ready to do it' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndieCade 2010 award winners announced

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Last night's IndieCade 2010 awards ceremony recognized some of the best independently-developed games released over the past year, as well as Tim Schafer, who was not released over the past year. The full list of winners can be found after the jump.

You're probably familiar with some of them, provided your gaming tastes wander off the beaten path -- there's Playdead's haunting platformer Limbo, Ian Bogost's Atari 2600 gem A Slow Year, and Steph Thirion iPhone title Faraway, which won something called the "Sublime Experience Award." We're sure the other honors are just as prestigious, but that's the best name for an award we've ever heard.

Continue reading IndieCade 2010 award winners announced

IndieCade 2010 award winners announced originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 10 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim Schafer to be honored with lifetime achievement award at IndieCade 2010

Mike Schramm — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 23:45:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

IndieCade will be awarding its Honorary Trailblazer Award for Lifetime Achievement to none other than Tim Schafer, he of the Secret of Monkey Island series, Psychonauts and most recently Brütal Legend. Schafer was chosen for the honor as a role model to indie gamers everywhere, and for personifying "the risk-taking, boundary pushing spirit at the heart of the indepedent gaming community," according to a statement from the conference.

IndieCade 2010 takes place in about a week on October 8-10, 2010 in Culver City, California. Schafer will get his award presented to him by former (and current) colleague Ron Gilbert at the ceremony on Thursday night, hosted by Levar Burton.

Tim Schafer to be honored with lifetime achievement award at IndieCade 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Gilbert reunites with Tim Schafer at Double Fine

JC Fletcher — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Adventure game legend Ron Gilbert, who recently completed work on the Deathspank games, has accepted a position with Double Fine. But what, exactly, is that position? "We haven't really talked about that. I'm the boss of Tim," Gilbert said in an interview with Kotaku. Double Fine head Tim Schafer added, "He's the official Ron Gilbert. Though he started out as vice Ron Gilbert, we want to make sure he works out."

The addition of Gilbert to Double Fine is a rather auspicious reunion: Gilbert and Schafer worked together at LucasArts, collaborating on the design of The Secret of Monkey Island and its sequel. Gilbert is also responsible for the creation of the SCUMM engine that powered many LucasArts adventure games.

Schafer told Kotaku that Double Fine plans to continue working on multiple small games like Costume Quest. Gilbert is designing one of those games. Though he wouldn't go into specifics about it, he said, "It's an idea that I've been batting around for many, many years," adding that it's "very different than DeathSpank, and "fans of those old adventure games will like it." Later, Gilbert clarified, "That's not saying I'm making an adventure game." In case you thought you had it all figured out.

Ron Gilbert reunites with Tim Schafer at Double Fine originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Double Fine: Ten years, two heads, one comic strip

JC Fletcher — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:40:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Psychonauts's Raz is back!*

*In this special comic drawn by Double Fine's Scott Campbell in honor of the studio's tenth anniversary. What did you think we meant?

... Oh, yeah, that would have been cool too. Anyway, the strip features not only existing Double Fine characters and mascots, but some that didn't make the cut!

Double Fine: Ten years, two heads, one comic strip originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim Schafer: Brutal Legend 2 isn't happening

David Hinkle — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:40:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

During his recent Develop panel, Tim Schafer -- creator of Brütal Legend and head of Double Fine Productions -- revealed that the potential for a sequel to Jack Black's journey through a fantastical world of rockitude is nonexistent. "Apparently when they said it was a done deal, they meant there was no deal, and we're done," he told attendees.

Double Fine fans shouldn't mourn the game's loss, however; the studio is currently at work on four new titles, so it's not like Schafer is riding off into the sunset -- unless that's part of one of the four games Double Fine is working on, in which case you heard it here first.

Tim Schafer: Brutal Legend 2 isn't happening originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Double Fine's next projects: four 'smaller' games

Kyle Orland — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

After releasing only two games over its first ten years of existence, Tim Schafer's Double Fine Productions is heading in a slightly different direction and working on four smaller projects, each with a different producer.

Speaking at a keynote presentation at the Develop Conference this morning, Schafer didn't reveal many details about the new game projects. He did, however, mention who was heading up each one. They are:

Lee Petty, art director on Brütal Legend, is leading a game Schafer described as "sort of retro but also really new."
Nathan Martz, lead programmer on Brütal Legend, is working on a game that's "quite cutting edge."
Brad Muir, who designed a lot of the combat and multiplayer on Brütal Legend, is working on a game that "focuses on gameplay mechanics."
Tasha Harris, lead animator on Brütal Legend (and former senior animator at Pixar) is heading up a fourth game.

Schafer didn't say what systems or formats the games would target, but did mention that some would be available as downloads while others would be retail products. He off-handedly mentioned that the quick development process meant some of these projects would be coming out this year, but quickly caught himself. "I didn't announce that," he said. "I see you writing that down. ... That was not a ship date."

Schafer said the transition to multiple smaller projects happened in the wake of the unexpected cancellation of a planned Brütal Legend sequel. "Apparently when they said it was a done deal, they meant there was no deal, and we're done," he said.

Continue reading Double Fine's next projects: four 'smaller' games

Double Fine's next projects: four 'smaller' games originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Schafer: Comedy games need a big hit before publishers will approve

Justin McElroy — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

We had always assumed that we don't see more comedy in games because nothing could ever be funnier than the end of Limbo of the Lost. But speaking with Eurogamer before his upcoming Develop Conference keynote, Grim Fandango designer Tim Schafer said the comedy boom will come when publishers start connecting chuckles with dollar signs. "The industry is imitative," he said. "A lot of people are chasing the last thing that was a big hit. What we need is a big hit comedy game. As soon as we have one, everybody will follow, of course."

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 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pixar, Molyneux and Schafer also giving talks at GDC 2010

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:45:00 EST

Worried that you're only gonna get one legendary game developer speaking at this year's GDC? Well quit it, because it turns out that March's pontification festival will also feature the likes of Double Fine's Tim Schafer, Lionhead/MGS Europe head Peter Molyneux, Square Enix FFXIII director Motomu Toriyama, a couple of "Pixar notables," and fantasy wordsmith R.A. Salvatore.

According to Gamasutra's announcement of the speakers, the gentlemen will join "almost 350 other lectures, keynotes, and panels" taking place at the early March event, giving speeches on everything from comedy in gaming (Schafer, of course) to intuitive game design (Molyneux), and even a sneak peek (the first, actually, if we're not mistaken) of 38 Studios' upcoming MMO (with R.A. Salvatore). For all you zipper and chain-clad folks, Toriyama's speech on creating "The Crystal Mythos" might be more up your alley. If none of that sounds exciting to you, then there's always the other 345 or so folks at the event or ... umm ... a bar down the street maybe? Listen, are you alright?

Pixar, Molyneux and Schafer also giving talks at GDC 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Psychonauts only costs $2 until Thursday on Steam

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:32:00 EST

Stand up. Walk over to your couch, and remove its cushions. Stick your hand into the exposed crevasses of your sofa, taking care not to lose any fingers in any reclining mechanisms which may be hiding within your chair. Dig out eight quarters, or twenty dimes, or forty nickels, or two-hundred pennies, or any combination of these denominations which add up to 200 cents.

Deposit your recently excavated horde in your bank account, or the bank account of a trusted friend or relative. Access Steam, and use these funds to purchase Psychonauts, which, until tomorrow, only costs 200 cents. Download the game, and play it. When you get a free moment, return the cushions to your couch, so it can collect more funds for the next time Steam slashes the price on one of our favorite games ever.

[Thanks, Dao]

Psychonauts only costs $2 until Thursday on Steam originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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