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The COVID-19 Humble Bundle pairs great games with a great cause
There's a new Humble Bundle on offer, and it's packed with great deals for a great cause. The special one-week COVID-19 Bundle features more than $1,000 worth of games and comics and can be yours for just $30 (£25.50) -- or more, if you're feeling charitable, as buyers are encouraged to give what they can. All of the proceeds will go to support organizations responding to the coronavirus outbreak, including those delivering protective gear to healthcare workers and providing healthcare to vulnerable patients.
'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.
Broken Age gets physical with simultaneous retail release
Broken Age Act 2 is due to arrive this spring, and when it does you'll be able to buy the full Double Fine adventure on disc. The developer is once again teaming up with Nordic Games to get PC, Mac and Linux copies of Broken Age onto shelves, and that's "simultaneously" with the release of the concluding act. Simultaneously is the watchword for Broken Age this year. As Double Fine's Greg Rice put it last month, the studio aims "to launch on PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, PS Vita, iOS, Ouya and Android next spring as close to simultaneously as human possible." That now includes a retail release on three platforms (at least), so springtime will be a busy time for the Californian studio.
Broken Age's second act slips to early 2015
Double Fine's Broken Age raised $3.3 million on Kickstarter back in 2012, but creator and studio founder Tim Schafer admitted last year that he wrote a game "so big that it would need even more money." Thus, Broken Age was split in twain, and the funds raised from sales of the first act helped fund the creation of the second act, which was due to arrive before year's end. Now, the release date for the conclusion of Broken Age has shifted to early 2015, according to producer Greg Rice. "The goal now is to get all the finale work done so we can hit Alpha on all of Act 2 by the end of the year. That means, as you may have guessed based on recent updates and documentary episodes, the Act 2 ship that will deliver the complete adventure is now looking like it will be early next year," Rice wrote on the Double Fine forums. "The game is looking really good and the team is working super fast, but we just gotta give the game the time it needs to really deliver on everything we're hoping it will be." Double Fine had to let go of 12 of its employees last week, when an unannounced project with an unnamed publisher fell through. Schafer told Gamasutra at the time that despite the setback in staffing, the development of Broken Age would not be impacted. [Image: Double Fine]
Unannounced Double Fine game canceled, 12 staff let go
Double Fine, the development studio behind games like Broken Age and Costume Quest 2, has been hit with a wave of layoffs. Gamasutra reports that 12 staff were let go after an unannounced project fell through with a publisher, though the studio will continue its work on other games unimpeded. "Our remaining projects - Broken Age, Massive Chalice, and Grim Fandango Remastered, were unaffected," studio founder Tim Schafer told Gamasutra. Neither the publisher in question nor the reason for the unannounced game's cancellation were disclosed. [Image: Double Fine]
Double Fine's Broken Age now on Ouya
Double Fine's adventure game Broken Age is now available on the Ouya microconsole, bringing two of Kickstarter's highest-earning gaming projects together at last in holy crowdfunded union. Broken Age earned over $3.3 million when it turned to Kickstarter's crowdfunding platform for support, later expanding its scope for a split release. The Ouya met with similar success, earning more than $8.5 million by the end of its Kickstarter campaign. Broken Age backers who pledged $15 or more toward the project will receive a free code for the Ouya version via the Humble Store. [Image: Double Fine]
Game Music Bundle 7: Journey, Broken Age, Luftrausers
Who needs AC/DC and Aerosmith for their gym workouts when you could listen to smooth grooves of video game soundtracks? The Game Music Bundle 7 from Loudr offers 17 albums of audio delights, including tunes from Austin Wintory (Journey, The Banner Saga), Peter McConnell (Broken Age, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft), and Disasterpeace (The Floor is Jelly, Fez). The Game Music Bundle has been running for more than two years now, but if you're just now learning about it, here's how it works: for $1, you'll receive the soundtracks for The Banner Saga, Device 6, Broken Age, The Floor is Jelly and Luftrausers. By paying $10, you'll unlock 12 more albums, including a new solo piano arrangement of music from Journey. To see all 17 albums being offered and scoop up your copy of the bundle, check out the official site. Just don't wait too long, as this particular collection will only be available until May 1. [Image: Loudr]
Broken Age on sale for 33% off, game contains 15 minutes of credits [Update: Sale over]
The first act of Double Fine's Kickstarted adventure game, Broken Age, is currently on sale for its lowest price ever on Steam. For $16.74 you can get the game, or for $20.09, you can snag the game as well as a copy of the soundtrack. Hurry though, because at the time of posting, you've only got two and a half hours to take advantage of the deal. The release of Act 1 existed partly to fund the development of Act 2, so the back half of the game isn't ready to go just yet. Those who purchase ahead of Act 2's release will be given the conclusion as a free update, according to Double Fine. Double Fine also announced a slew of statistics regarding Broken Age's production, in case you're the type who was ever curious about just how many lines of code go into creating a game like this. (Hint: it's a lot.) It's also been a time-consuming project: over the course of 22 months (or 339 man-months), the team has created 1,181 cutscenes, recorded 4,417 lines of voice, and consumed more than 680 gallons of coffee. Broken Age also takes 15 minutes (at a resolution of 1024x768) to show off 12,846 name strings during the credits. Broken Age: it's kind of a big deal. Update: The sale for Broken Age has come to its conclusion. The game is $24.99 once more. [Image: Double Fine]
Schafer: Broken Age split release a success, second half now funded
Broken Age, the Double Fine adventure game too big for its $3.3 million Kickstarter campaign, released its first half last month. Now, studio founder Tim Schafer tells GamesIndustry International that the release has been a success, and that part two has been successfully funded. "We've made enough that we can make the second half of the game for sure," Schafer told GamesIndustry, before noting that he believes the first half isn't quite done yet, since it has yet to release on iPad like the studio promised it would. Still, Schafer seemed upbeat. "We've shipped enough that people can see we weren't kidding, and that's a big relief. Because I think there's a lot of pressure on Kickstarter projects, especially the really big Kickstarter projects, to just not screw it up for everybody else. It's such a great, positive thing for us, and being able to be funded by our fans opens so many doors for us to do original, creative things that we just wanted to live up to [expectations]." The decision to break Broken Age into two parts was not one met with overwhelming enthusiasm by some backers (just take a look at the comments). It would seem that the wallet speaks louder though, and the wallets want a conclusion to Broken Age. [Image: Double Fine]
Joystiq Weekly: News, reviews and original content from January 27 - February 2
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" recap of the week's most happening ... happenings. Yes. We'll summarize the biggest news, freshest reviews and original content from each week every Sunday, just in case you missed it while tending to your weekday grind. We'll also segue into each section with a reaction gif to the top story, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Now that we've reached life's designated "timeout" known as the weekend, let's dive in to this week's biggest moments:
Broken Age Act 1 Review: To Part
Financed by a Kickstarter army of fund-it pundits to the tune of over $3 million, Broken Age is a bespoke graphic adventure like no other. And yet the point of this old-school clique, of course, was to guarantee a game that was just like all those others – old adventures in the grand LucasArts legacy. It should have been nostalgia, made on-demand by Double Fine, but there's more to it; a modern personality. The delta between what should have been – and what is – lies right in the middle of Broken Age, a sincere story of a boy and a girl breaking free of expectation and tradition. Shay and Vella exist in separated worlds, but you can visit either at any point, funneling your curiosity into the regular point-and-click mold: relaxed exploring, conversing with the locals, and collecting odd inventory objects that are sure to have some weirdly sensible use later. These are the old, uncluttered ways, paired with truly new-feeling art and an irresistible optimism that simply can't be found elsewhere, today or yesterday.
Peter McConnell's Broken Age score available Jan. 28
Peter McConnell's original orchestral soundtrack for Double Fine's Broken Age will be available for download next week. McConnell's previous work can be heard in Double Fine's Brutal Legend and Psychonauts, as well as in classic LucasArts adventure games Grim Fandango and Monkey Island. The full soundtrack will be available for download on Bandcamp when the game's first act officially launches on January 28. Samples of select tracks can be heard right now over on McConnell's Soundcloud page. Broken Age is an adventure game about two teenagers, Vella Tartine and Shay Volta, living separate lives in their own distinct worlds. The two are linked by their coming-of-age predicaments, and players can switch between each teen at any time. We streamed a good chunk of the game yesterday, so feel free to give our archived video a peek.
Joystiq Streams: Don't taze me, Broken Age [Update: It's over!]
The time is upon us. The golden moment when we stare backward across the years and wonder if it has really been so long since we last pointed, clicked, and frolicked in the comedic fields of a Tim Schafer adventure game. Were we ever so young? So foolish? So accustomed to looking through our inventory and wondering just what the heck we're supposed to do with a "cold wet hamster"? No more looking back, though! Today, Joystiq Streams is captained by Ludwig Kietzmann as he dives into Broken Age, the brand new Tim Schafer-directed Double Fine adventure game. For those who may not have backed the game on Kickstarter and want a taste, join us at 4p.m. EST on the Joystiq Twitch channel. Anthony John Agnello will be hanging in the chat, relaying your questions to Ludwig as we go.
Broken Age goes public on January 28, taking pre-orders now
The first act of Double Fine's graphic adventure game Broken Age will be available to the public on January 28 for PC, Mac and Linux. The game will launch two weeks after being made available to Kickstarter backers today. Broken Age is available for pre-order on Steam at a 10 percent discount ($22.49) until it launches. Double Fine earned over $3.3 million on Kickstarter in March 2012 for its "Double Fine Adventure" crowdfunding campaign, which was given the name Broken Age one year later. A backers-only update on the game's Kickstarter page revealed that the game will skip Steam's Early Access program and launch in full on Steam with season pass support. While Broken Age will land on iOS, Android and Ouya at an undisclosed date, the concluding second act of the game will launch as a free update to owners later this year.
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.
Tonight's VGX lineup features GOTY in the middle of a world exclusive sandwich
If you plan on camping out with us during our liveblog of tonight's three hour VGX 2013 awards show, you can get a head start on the evening's activities by checking out the schedule of events. Among the noteworthy events for the evening are 12 "world premieres" for games like Quantum Break, Titanfall and Broken Age. Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime will also take the stage for a game demo during the show's first hour. Given that an ad for a next-gen Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition showed up today, it would explain the slot for tonight's Tomb Raider-centric announcement during the first hour. Those that are in it for the awards will be interested to know that the Game of the Year winner will be crowned during the early parts of the show's second hour. Additionally, the Best Indie Game will be determined near the end of the show's second hour and Character of the Year announced during the third hour. A few of the awards segments will be determined by fan vote, dictating whether the the Best Action Adventure or Best Sports Game will be announced in the first hour and Best Shooter or Best Studio award will presented in the third hour.
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, friends gather to demo games at Day of the Devs
Double Fine is gathering some of its indie friends together next month for an event called Day of the Devs, a public showcase in San Francisco that will see Double Fine, Tribute Games, Gaijin, Capybara Games, Supergiant, Honeyslug, iam8bit and Chris Hecker in attendance. "It all started with us just wanting to show Broken Age to our backers and fans," Double Fine brand manager Greg Rice told Joystiq during a phone interview. "And we knew that if we were going to invite those people out, we were going to need a larger space – so we figured if we had the space, we might as well invite some of our friends to show their games." Day of the Devs was concocted as a simple gathering that wouldn't force developers to plan and detract from their own development schedules, Rice went on to say. Developers just show up and demonstrate what they've been working on to anyone willing to attend.
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.