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'Broken Age Act 2' drops on April 28th for PC, PS4 and Vita
Get ready for the curtain call: The second and final act in Double Fine's Kickstarted adventure series Broken Age launches for PC in North America on April 28th (29th in Europe), IGN reports. Plus, the full game -- Acts One and Two -- will hit PlayStation 4 and Vita on those same regional dates. Broken Age Act 1 launched January 28, 2014, and we found it to be a sincere, optimistic adventure that had us yearning for more.
'Doom' designer John Romero tells you about the game while playing it
Most Blu-rays and DVDs these days come with filmmaker commentary tracks, but it isn't too often you get to hear a game developer give play-by-play while running through something they created. That's the thrust behind the latest episodes of Double Fine Productions' "Devs Play" YouTube series, spotted by Polygon. Here we have one of Doom's co-creators John Romero playing a handful of maps from the legendary first-person shooter that runs on basically any platform. He breaks down everything from the work that went into differentiating it from id's other FPS Wolfenstein 3D, how the team used texture irregularities to denote secret rooms and even how he's watched speed runs that not even he can replicate. Oh, and he designed the first level last, incorporating everything he'd learned throughout the other missions to make the initial one the most interesting.
The adventure game classic 'Grim Fandango' is coming to PS4 and PS Vita
Just because LucasArts as an active game studio is no more doesn't mean that some of its original franchises are going the way of the dodo -- far from it. Double Fine's Tim Schafer has revealed at Sony's E3 event that the classic 1998 adventure game Grim Fandango will be re-released on the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita. Details of the remake aren't available just yet, but it's safe to presume that some visual upgrades are coming to Manny's journey through the Mexican Land of the Dead. Update: Double Fine has confirmed via Twitter that the remake is also coming to PC, Mac and Linux platforms.
Dropchord drops into Leap Motion store, OUYA and mobile versions to come
Leap Motion owners better start stretching their air keytar muscles now that Double Fine's Dropchord is available for purchase in the Airpsace store for both PC and Mac. In terms of innovation, the game itself isn't particularly earth-shattering -- if a score-based arcade game and a music visualizer got together and had a baby, it would be Dropchord. What's enough to pique our interest is the fact that its gesture controls have been optimized for use with Leap Motion, allowing it to showcase the device's motion-activated potential. That being said, the game is also heading to other platforms in the near future. It'll land on OUYA on July 31st and iOS and Android devices on August 1st. You can check out the full press release after the break or head on over to Airspace to purchase the game for $2.99.
Broken promise: Double Fine's 'Broken Age' Kickstarter mess
"The world of video game design is a mysterious one," Double Fine's Kickstarter pitch reads. "What really happens behind the closed doors of a development studio is often unknown, unappreciated or misunderstood." Those words were written around February 2012, ahead of the longtime adventure game developer's Kickstarter campaign launch in order to introduce its latest effort to the world. The project required $400,000, Double Fine's Tim Schafer said -- a goal eventually shattered by more than $3 million in pledges -- and would unfold "over a six-to-eight-month period." A "small team" led by Schafer promised to create a point-and-click adventure game in the vein of Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion. That game, first known as Double Fine Adventure, is now Broken Age -- a fitting title considering what came next. Last evening, Schafer took to the Kickstarter backer page to explain what's going on with Broken Age (now well beyond the "six-to-eight-month period" originally promised): "I designed too much game," he said. That means it's not ready, in case that isn't clear. Moreover, a half-done version of the game -- pared down from its original scope -- will launch on Steam's "Early Access" section long before the full game's planned launch, and long before Kickstarter backers will play what they paid for, in order to fund the final half.
Double Fine classics hit Humble Bundle, $35 nets Broken Age pre-order
Heads up, folks, just go ahead and grab your wallet right now. That's because the latest Humble Bundle has arrived, and it includes a number of stellar titles from Double Fine. Here, you can name your own price for Costume Quest, Psychonauts and Stacking, and if you beat the average, you'll also score a copy of Brutal Legend. All payments of $1 or more will net you a Steam key for the games, which are available -- some for the first time -- on Windows, Mac and Linux. As a unique twist to the promotion, payments of $35 or more include early backer access to Broken Age, the crowd-funded game that was previously known as Double Fine Adventure. As always, you can allocate some (or all) of your payment to charity, which benefits the EFF and Child's Play. Click on through to the Humble Bundle and you'll find bonus incentives for doling out some cash.
Double Fine music game, Dungelot 2 and 7th Guest 3 all coming soon to iOS
There was big news this week of three different high-profile games coming to the App Store soon. First up, Tim Schafer's great Double Fine studio is working on a music game called Dropchord, which will be available for Windows, Mac and iOS at launch. The game is set to work with the Leap Motion Controller, which tracks your hand movement in the air above it, and then turns those movements into gestures on a screen. No idea if that means Leap will plug into iOS devices (perhaps via Bluetooth?), but we'll know soon: The game is set for a reveal at SXSW later on next week. Second, the excellent puzzle-esque roguelike Dungelot is getting a sequel called (duh) Dungelot 2, and it features some updated graphics, a few new tiles and lots of other tweaks and improvements. You can see screenshots of this one above, and it looks solid. Developer Red Winter is hoping to have the game done by May. And finally, The 7th Guest 3 is currently in development, according to Trilobyte co-founder Charlie McHenry. Just like The 7th Guest and The 11th Hour, the game will feature lots of original puzzles that tie into a mysterious backstory set in a giant, creepy mansion. It sounds like the game should be lots of fun for fans of the series, and it's set to be done in about a year, with the help of a Kickstarter campaign coming soon. So that's a longer wait than the others, but we'll definitely keep an eye out for all three of these.
Leap Motion and Double Fine team on Dropchord, give air guitar skills an outlet
Emerging technology often needs a halo app to lure us in. For the upcoming Leap Motion controller, that app could come through the unusual (if welcome) channel of Double Fine's Dropchord. The game's exact mechanics are a mystery, but the music focus and exclusively gesture-based input should finally reward those who've spent years shredding invisible guitars. Gamers who don't want to spring for a peripheral just to get one game will have the option of an iOS version sometime after Leap Motion gets first crack on May 13th. Knowing Double Fine's reputation in motion gaming, the extra hardware just might be worthwhile -- see Giant Bomb's proof after the break.
OUYA working with Psychonauts and Words with Friends creators, The Cave also enroute
OUYA CEO Julie Uhrman took to the stage at DICE 2013 today to reveal two new partnerships, one with Psychonauts creator Tim Schafer's studio Double Fine Productions, and the other with Words with Friends creator Paul Bettner. So far, that means both Double Fine's Reds and The Cave are headed to OUYA, while Bettner's Verse studio only announced it was working on two unannounced titles. "I believe we're about to see another disruption even bigger than this last," Bettner said, referring to his previous work in the mobile game space. "Gamers want the App Store in their living room. OUYA will be the first to deliver it," he said. The OUYA arrives in March for Kickstarter backers, and in April for the rest of the world (even later for retail). It's unclear exactly when Schafer and Bettner's games will arrive on the Android-powered console, but we'd expect The Cave to be there sooner than later (it's already available on other platforms). Update: This post originally stated that Tim Schafer created the Monkey Island series, when in fact it was created by Ron Gilbert. While Tim Schafer worked on the Monkey Island series, he is not its creator. Sorry about that, readers (and Ron Gilbert)!
The Cave trailer introduces playable characters
This trailer for Double Fine's The Cave has said cave talking about the game's diverse cast of characters. The game is heading to Wii U, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC in January 2013.
Ron Gilbert's platformer / adventure game 'The Cave' also headed to Wii U eShop
The Cave isn't just destined for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, apparently. During a demo at PAX Prime this afternoon, DoubleFine rep Greg Rice pointed out that the game's also headed to the Nintendo Wii U's eShop.The platformer slash adventure game wasn't actually playable on Wii U at the studio's booth, so it's unclear how different (if at all) the game will be on Nintendo's next home console. We're hoping that the Wii U's tablet controller (the WiiPad™) has a giant touchscreen button that simply says "Solve," though it'll probably be something more clever.
Humble Indie Bundle V includes Psychonauts, Limbo, Superbrothers, Amnesia, Bastion (as a bonus)
The fifth iteration of the Humble Indie Bundle has gone live, granting donors their choice of Mac, PC or Linux versions of Psychonauts, Limbo, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP and Amnesia: The Dark Descent, as well as the soundtracks for each game. Anyone that pays above the average price (currently $6.71) will also receive Baston and its soundtrack.Seeing as the Steam release of Sword & Sworcery EP is still only available on PC, this bundle is currently the only way to buy it for OSX. As per usual, patrons can decide how much of their purchase price goes to the developers, to charity, and as a tip to Humble Bundle folks.
Kickstarter-funded Double Fine Adventure game coming to Mac, iOS
Double Fine's CEO Tim Schafer, who made almost two million dollars last week through Kickstarter for his next game, has announced that thanks to all the extra donations (the project was originally budgeted at just US$400,000), Double Fine will be able to put all sorts of extra features and compatibility into the title. Most important for us, the game will be available on the Mac and iOS right away. Originally Mac support was listed but not confirmed. Now Schafer says that yes, Mac users will get a native version. The game will also include voicework, and get translated into several languages. Buyers who've already picked up the game through Kickstarter will get access to a closed beta, a DRM-free version of the final product and codes for the title through Steam. Presumably, that Steam version will include the Mac port through SteamPlay. It's not clear how the iOS versions will be distributed. At any rate, this is all great to hear. Double Fine got a tremendous show of support from fans and this is the first sign that the company is ready to get to work. The stil unnamed game is due out this fall, so look for it then.
The Daily Grind: Would you fund an MMO via Kickstarter?
So the gaming world is abuzz with news of DoubleFine's huge Kickstarter payday. While it's true that there are only a handful of gaming studios with the resume necessary to make such a splash, it's also true that little-guy dev outfits around the globe are now aware of the funding potential inherent in connecting with your fans. RPG maker Obsidian has begun exploring its options, Brian Fargo is interested in creating a sequel to Wasteland via crowdfunding, and it's only a matter of time before a fledgling MMORPG designer follows suit. For this edition of the Daily Grind, let us know how you feel about a brave new publisher-free world. Would you enjoy cutting out the proverbial middleman when it comes to your gaming dollars, and more specifically, would you contribute to an MMO via Kickstarter? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Trenched is a third-person tower-defense game
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.
Pixar, Molyneux and Schafer also giving talks at GDC 2010
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?
Joyswag: Brutal Legend and Eddie Riggs statue
If you check your calendar of ridiculous marketing dates, you'll likely see that today is Rocktober 13th, the very date foretold by the Great Marketing Powers of EA upon which Brütal Legend would be released. [Ed: It's also Twofer Tuesday at your local pizzeria ...]. To celebrate the one-off holiday, we're giving away a copy of the game on Xbox 360 and two limited edition (only 1000 ever made) Eddie Riggs statues. The grand prize winner gets the game and the statue while the runner-up will have to make do with just the statue. To enter: Leave a comment letting us who would win in a rock god free-for-all: Ozzy? Rob Halford? Lemmy? You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec which, historically, has long feared the metal.) Limit 1 entry per person per day This entry period ends at 7:01PM ET on Friday, October 16 At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive a copy of Brutal Legend on Xbox 360 ($60 ARV) and a limited edition Eddie Riggs statue ($100 ARV); and another winner to receive just the limited edition Eddie Riggs statue ($100 ARV) For a list of complete rules, click here %Gallery-68364%
Brutal Legend is prejudiced against whole bodies
Aside from being somebody's stalking victim personal hero, Tim Schafer is a quirky and cool game designer ... but we just found out he has a much darker side. His latest game, Brütal Legend, is nothing more than an avenue for him to express his bizarre discontent for whole bodies. He's confirmed via Double Fine's official site that the game will include severed legs. Yes, severed legs, and we're not talking about a lamp, people!%Gallery-41208%
Variety source: Brutal Legend move slowed by Activision/Blizzard
Why isn't someone jumping on Brütal Legend? It's a question we've asked ourselves numerous times since Activision/Blizzard merged and left the game out in the cold. But, apparently, it's not that there isn't an answer. It's that we're asking the wrong question. The real question is, "Why is Activision/Blizzard in the way?" according to one unnamed Double Fine source, which called the company "an impediment" and said it was "blocking the process." Variety theorizes (probably correctly) that if one company is willing to talk trash about another, a deal probably isn't terribly close. Listen you two, if it's any help, Joystiq Publishing's offer still stands, and we're willing to offer up anything you want ... as long as you don't want money.
Return to Quest Quiz: Tim Schafer
Alright, Tim Schafer, you win. After targeting various industry folks with a typically contrived adventure game puzzle and then assembling their responses in our GDC Quest Quiz feature, we simply weren't prepared for your relentless response to our silly challenge. Not only did you trick us into doing all the hard work, but you successfully navigated through our made-up-as-we-went-along chicane of bizarre logic. But don't grow complacent in your victory -- we'll get you next time.The PlayerDouble Fine's Tim Schafer, designer of Full Throttle, Grim Fandango, Psychonauts and upcoming god of gwar epic, Brütal Legend. Prior to the release of those games, he worked on The Secret of Monkey Island, Monkey Island 2 and Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle.The PuzzleYou're standing in front of a cave. The goal is to get inside the cave, taking care to foil the ferocious robot bear guarding the entrance first.The Inventory (1) perforated parasol (1) rubber chicken with a pulley in the middle (1) sealed manila envelope (1) miniature macaroni Tim Schafer statue Make your way past the break to read our adventurous e-mail exchange.
