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Broken Age skips Early Access, hits Steam with season pass
Broken Age is no longer launching as an Early Access game on Steam, instead hitting as a full release with a season pass that includes parts one and two. "You may recall that at one point Broken Age was planned for release under the Steam Early Access program," Double Fine wrote in a backers-only update on Kickstarter. "This is no longer the case. For various logistical reasons, and because we believe Act 1 is a polished and satisfying piece of content in its own right, Broken Age will be a standard Steam release that includes a 'Season Pass' granting access to Act 2 once it is complete. Anyone who has Act 1 – either by being a backer, or by buying the game separately – will receive Act 2 as a free update when it's ready." Double Fine announced in July that it would launch Act 1 on Early Access, intending to raise enough money to complete and release Act 2, but a season pass launch can achieve the same end. Backers of the Double Fine Adventure Kickstarter have access to Broken Age Act 1 today, distributed via Steam keys on the Humble Store. Act 1 requires Steam to download, though once Act 2 launches, a DRM-free version will hit Humble.
Double Fine's Broken Age part 1 hits Kickstarter backers on Jan. 14
Broken Age part one is due out on Tuesday, January 14 for backers of the game's Kickstarter (yes, all 87,142 of them), Double Fine confirmed to Joystiq. Broken Age is the result of the Double Fine Adventure Kickstarter campaign, which raised $3.3 million in March 2012, after asking for just $400,000. That campaign historically kicked off the level of attention gaming Kickstarters enjoy today. "Haven't shipped a game of my own in 4.5 years, an adventure game in 16, a point-n-click in almost 20. Next Tuesday is going to be exciting!" Double Fine founder Tim Schafer tweeted. In July 2013, Double Fine announced that it needed more money to complete Broken Age, and it would split the game into two parts, the first of which would land on Steam Early Access in January. Sales from the first half of Broken Age and other Double Fine games are intended to sustain production of the second half.
Start digging with The Cave on Android
Android fans need go without oddball adventure game The Cave no longer, as the game found its way to that platform late last week. The Cave costs $4.99 on the Google Play store, and arrived a few weeks after making an appearance on Ouya. The adventure game comes from The Secret of Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert and Double Fine, the developer Gilbert left in March. The Cave first launched in January on PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac, Linux and Wii U. Our review of the XBLA version considered it the "cruelest of Double Fine's games," noting its sharp writing and somewhat tiresome repetition.
Cheaters prosper in Double Fine's puzzler Hack 'n' Slash
Double Fine has announced a new hacking-themed puzzle game called Hack 'n' Slash, due in the first half of 2014 for PC, Mac and Linux on Steam. Hack 'N' Slash started out as an idea during Amnesia Fortnight, Double Fine's internal game jam, and was then chosen by the public to become a fully-realized game. It stars a young elf who uses her hacking skills to cheat at an action/adventure game. We're also told there are algorithms, which we hope is shorthand for dancing alligators. Funding for Hack 'n' Slash was achieved through a joint effort between Double Fine, Indie Fund, Humble Bundle, Hemisphere Games, make all, AppAbove Games, Adam Saltsman, The Behemoth, Morgan Webb, and Rob Reid. It's part of a two-game financing deal that also includes Spacebase DF-9, Double Fine's Early Access space station management sim.
Elijah Wood joins the cast of Broken Age, first half coming in January
Elijah Wood will be voicing Shay in Double Fine's Broken Age, a new trailer revealed during Spike's VGX show. As previously announced, Schafer reminded us that fans can dive into the first half of Broken Age in January via Steam Early Access.
The Cave hops onto Ouya
Double Fine's spelunking adventure game, The Cave, is now available on Ouya, joining counterparts on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PC, Mac, Linux and iOS. We gave The Cave a go on XBLA and found it to be "the cruelest of Double Fine's games, and perhaps the most sharply written." Ouya received an update in November granting it a fresh UI and a beta for external storage. Ouya launched pre-orders for a white, limited edition console with double the internal storage, 16GB, for $130. That's $30 more than the standard console. Pre-orders before December 8 should arrive in time for the holidays, Ouya says.
Double Fine regains Costume Quest, Stacking rights from Nordic Games
Double Fine once again controls Costume Quest and Stacking after regaining distribution rights from Nordic Games. Nordic Games acquired the rights to Costume Quest and Stacking when it bought the properties in THQ's bankruptcy auction in April. THQ previously published both games. Nordic and Double Fine have a deal to publish retail versions of Psychonauts, Costume Quest and Stacking in North America and Europe in the first half of 2014, for PC and Mac. "I am pleased that we have regained full control over Costume Quest and Stacking, following a daring and top-secret midnight raid on the Nordic Games headquarters in Vienna," Double Fine CEO Tim Schafer said in a press release. Nordic CEO Lars Wingefors cleared the air in the same release: "We can't wait to partner with Double Fine for this upcoming retail launch of three of its most excellent games. However, I feel compelled to point out that we were happy to transfer distribution rights for Costume Quest and Stacking back to Double Fine in an entirely non-secretive and heist-free manner." As early as May, Double Fine expressed interest in regaining distribution rights for both games, though it never lost the IP rights.
Double Fine's Spacebase DF-9 makes up $400K Indie Fund investment in 2 weeks
Double Fine's sci-fi social sim Spacebase DF-9 has recouped its initial Indie Fund investment, earning over $400,000 within two weeks of joining Steam's Early Access program. The investment marks Indie Fund's most expensive venture to date, requiring assistance from Humble Bundle, The Behemoth, and other outside sources. "A typical project for us has been in the range of $50k - $150k," organizers note. "We've also funded a few projects for smaller amounts, but never a project the size of Spacebase DF-9." Headed up by indie luminaries like Jonathan Blow and Ron Carmel, Indie Fund supplies promising game projects with flexible-budget funding, helping developers stay financially independent without seeking the aid of publishers. Other recent Indie Fund success stories include Pocketwatch Games' Monaco and The Swapper, both of which earned back their investment within days of their initial release.
Adventure Time creator contributing his voice to Broken Age
Oh, my, glob. Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward will contribute his voice to Double Fine's adventure game Broken Age, Polygon reports. The partnership was shared during the studio's Day of the Devs event, a free-of-charge gathering that has allowed fans to play indie projects from Gaijin Games, Supergiant Games and more. The announcement concerning Ward's involvement was initially made on Broken Age's backer forums, a restricted-access space meant to host discussion between the game's development team and those who donated $15 or more to the project on Kickstarter. The reveal of Ward's involvement follows the September announcement that Jack Black and Jennifer Hale are contributing to the project. The first half of Broken Age is planned to launch on Steam Early Access in January, which is hoped to generate enough revenue to fund the rest of the project's completion. Backers will get access to the first half before those on Steam Early Access and will also get the full game once it's released.
Double Fine plants sci-fi seed in Spacebase DF-9 management sim
Double Fine launched its sci-fi management sim, Spacebase DF-9, on Steam Early Access today. The game, compatible with PC, Mac and Linux, is available for $25, or $30 with the soundtrack. In Spacebase DF-9, players construct a space station and nurture its growth. Spacebase DF-9 is played from a three-quarters top-down perspective and challenges players with finding and collecting resources, dispatching enemy invaders, keeping citizens happy and providing for them, and handling any malfunctions that may pop up. As with other Early Access games, buying into this Alpha version of Spacebase DF-9 contributes to its continued development. Double Fine has opened up an area on the official game's website, as well as the requisite Steam community section, where players can leave feedback. Head past the break for a Double Fine tutorial video that provides some tips for new players as well as an overview of the mechanics.
Costume Quest in iOS getup, out now
It's not a trick - Double Fine really is treating iOS players to Costume Quest, out now on the App Store for $5, with the Grubbins on Ice DLC available for $2 extra. It's an unexpected arrival for the kindergarten RPG that's an oddball mixture of trick-or-treating, turn-based RPG combat, and typical Double Fine humor. That said, it's bang in time for Halloween. We put four chocolate stars in Costume Quest's candy bucket back in 2010, our review deeming it "sweeter than the candy the game's heroes and villains pursue so relentlessly."
Psychonauts figurines now up for grabs at Double Fine's store
If your friends came home from PAX Prime with an armful of Psychonauts figures and didn't give you a single one (the jerks), Double Fine has put the full set of ten up for sale at its online store, marking the first time the collection has been available to the public at large. Featured characters include Whispering Rock campers Razputin, Lili, and Dogen, along with agents Sasha Nein, Milla Vodello, Coach Oleander, and Ford Cruller. The set also features Boyd Cooper, Dr. Loboto, and Sheegor (with bonus Mr. Pokeylope in tow). Double Fine is selling blind-packaged figures at $7 a pop, or you can purchase the complete set for $70.
The Cave's sinister spelunking reaches iOS this week
The Cave is coming to iOS this week on Thursday, October 3. Sega made the announcement on its blog today, pricing the iOS port at $4.99 (£2.99/ €4.49) for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Created by Double Fine in collaboration with Ron Gilbert, The Cave is an adventure game centered around a talking cave that lures in unsuspecting adventurers. In our review, we enjoyed the "sharply written" story, calling it "perfectly pitched through puzzles and your own wicked participation."
Fez, Mark of the Ninja, FTL head up Humble Indie Bundle 9
Humble Bundle's ever-busy organizers have launched Humble Indie Bundle 9, a pay-what-you-want compilation spotlighting Polytron's Fez, Klei's Mark of the Ninja, and other standout indie hits. Buyers will receive Double Fine's metal-infused action-RTS Brutal Legend, the DLC-bundled Trine 2: Complete Story, and stealth-action game Mark of the Ninja, which makes its Mac and Linux debut as part of the collection. The package also includes a beta version of Klei's Eets: Munchies, marking the first time the game has ever been available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Backers who beat the average purchase price will also receive Subset Games' space roguelike FTL: Faster Than Light and the dimension-twisting platformer Fez, which is newly available for Mac and Linux.
Broken Age reunites Double Fine with Jack Black, Jennifer Hale
Remember when Double Fine got Hollywood superstar Jack Black to star in a video game? Well, it's happening again with Broken Age, the studio's Kickstarter-funded point-and-click adventure in which Black plays the excellently named Harm'ny Lightbeard, apparently the "lifter of clouds." If you've not heard of Jack Black, that means you've not seen School of Rock, and that in turn means we can't be friends - sorry. The other big-name returnee to Double Fine's recording booth is Jennifer Hale, gaming's equivalent of Hollywood talent as far as voice acting goes. Hale has appeared in all video games ever made, but she's probably best known for her role as Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect games. If you have a minute, it's worth going through her game-ography and just gaping in awe at her career. After proving to be be more expensive than anticipated, Broken Age will arrive in halves. The first half is due in January, available via Early Access. Double Fine will use the income generated from the first half to sustain funds to make the rest of the game.
Double Fine working on DLC for 'The Playroom' on PS4
During the PlayStation Indie Arcade event tonight at PAX Prime, Sony's Adam Boyes announced Double Fine is working on DLC for PS4 tech demo, The Playroom. The DLC will be available to all PS4 owners free of charge. The Playroom, first demoed at E3 this year, includes a variety of micro-games and augmented reality experiences meant to showcase the features of the PS4. The Playroom will be bundled with every PS4 system when it launches on November 15.
Double Fine's Dropchord entrances iOS, Android and Ouya users
Double Fine's rave simulator rhythm-driven Dropchord launched for iOS, Android and the Ouya this week for $3. Dropchord assigns ends of a line to each of a player's fingers and tasks them with gathering notes and dodging scratches. The game focuses on getting the highest score possible and its leaderboards encourage competitive play with friends. Dropchord's neon visuals pulse to the beat of its electronic soundtrack and switch styles with each song. The game's Standard Mode moves players through stages while gradually adding new gameplay mechanics, while a Full Mix Mode supplies an endless session that gradually becomes more difficult. Dropchord previously launched on PC and Mac for the hands-oriented Leap Motion.
Double Fine's Dropchord on Leap Motion now, other platforms dated
Double Fine announced that its Leap Motion-powered rhythm-action game, Dropchord, is now available for Windows and Mac, with ports for Ouya, iOS, and Android set to launch next week. The Leap Motion is a movement-sensing USB peripheral that tracks individual finger joints and player gestures. Created by a team of developers who previously worked on Double Fine's Kinect Party, Dropchord challenges players to manipulate an on-screen light beam using their fingers, dodging obstacles as they collect notes and build upon a backing music track. Dropchord is priced at $2.99. An Ouya version will premiere on July 31, and ports for iOS and Android will arrive on August 1.%Gallery-194372%
Double Fine's Broken Age goes to Steam Early Access for additional funding
In order to make the version of Broken Age that it has planned, Double Fine needs more capital than the $3.3 million it crowdfunded in March of 2012 through its historic Kickstarter campaign, founder Tim Schafer has said in a backers-only update on Kickstarter. "Even though we received much more money from our Kickstarter than we, or anybody anticipated," Schafer said, "that didn't stop me from getting excited and designing a game so big that it would need even more money." Thus, a new plan was formed: Double Fine will release a refined version of the first half of the game through Early Access in January of 2014, which is expected to generate enough income to sustain production until the rest of the game is completed. Development costs will also be offset by the profits made from other Double Fine games. Folks that backed the original Kickstarter campaign will be given beta test access before the Early Access launch. They'll also get the first half of the game through Steam Early Access and a copy of the full game once it's completed.
Crowdfund Bookie, June 23 - 29: Massive Chalice, Armikrog, A Hat in Time
The Crowdfund Bookie crunches data from select successful Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns that ended during the week and produces pretty charts for you to look at. The Kickstarter campaigns for Massive Chalice, Armikrog, A Hat in Time, Our Darker Purpose, Afterland, Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet and Siegebreakers concluded this past week and there was much money to be had. Double Fine's Massive Chalice earned the most moola this week ($1,229,015), and had the most backers of the group, with 31,774 people funding the project. Afterland had the highest average pledge per person, with each funder averaging a $73.29. Take a gander at the results and our fancy charts after the break.
