costume quest
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Amazon's 'Costume Quest' animated series hits Prime Video March 8th
Two years after it revealed a show based on the Costume Quest games was coming to Prime Video, Amazon has revealed episodes will start streaming on March 8th. The Costume Quest animated series follows a group of young trick-or-treaters who try to figure out how to use superpowered costumes and defeat monsters that have lived in their world for a century.
Costume Quest 2 comes knockin' on Halloween
Costume Quest 2 is due out on October 31 for consoles and PC, courtesy of a partnership between developer Double Fine and indie publisher Midnight City. There's no word on which consoles Double Fine is targeting, specifically. Costume Quest 2 stars Wren and Reynold, heroes of the original Costume Quest, plus an improved battle system and new costumes. The game is in full development right now, and once the team decided to go for it, work "got up and running really fast," Double Fine co-founder Tim Schafer tells IGN. This is Double Fine's first sequel. Double Fine regained the rights to the Costume Quest IP in November, after losing them to Nordic Games when Costume Quest publisher THQ went under and held a bankruptcy auction in April. We reviewed Costume Quest when it launched in 2010, and found it to be charming and "kind of magical." [Image: Midnight City]
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.
Daily iPad App: Costume Quest lets you be a kid again
We may have to wait until early next year for the highly anticipated (an robustly funded) new title from Double Fine Productions, but to help hold us over, the company has released one of its most charming previous games for iOS devices. Costume Quest lets you play as one of a pair of young twins on Halloween night. You soon discover that the neighborhood isn't just filled with spookily dressed kids, but monsters as well. A kidnapping occurs, hilarity ensues and the story marches on at a fairly brisk pace. It's a relentlessly nostalgic experience as you trot the dimly lit streets with fellow trick-or-treaters, but the game takes a dramatic turn during battle segments where you must dispatch the demons that are terrorizing your town. As soon as you enter a battle, your character and their costume transform from cardboard and tin foil to full-sized robots, knights and other heroic figures. Being an RPG at heart, combat in Costume Quest is turn-based, and on the iPad's touchscreen you can tap specific icons during attack or defense to boost your performance. The game may appear a bit cartoonish -- and to be fair, the visual style and overall theme seem very casual -- but this is no walk in the park. Battles will test both the reflexes of your finger and the strength of your character, and you may find that you need to gain an experience level or snag some Battle Stamps before you can best certain foes. The game fits well on the iPad, and moving your character around the screen is done by either dragging your finger to new areas or tapping on the spots you'd like to travel. I played the game on the third-generation iPad, and while it was buttery smooth most of the time, I did notice a few instances of stuttering, though nothing that affected my overall enjoyment. Costume Quest is a bargain at US$4.99, and with its lengthy story and plethora of bonus objectives, it'll take you a while to beat it. It's a perfect game for the Halloween season, and if you've not yet given it a whirl on other platforms, you should do yourself a favor and pick it up on iOS.
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."
Double Fine wants to win back Stacking, Costume Quest rights
Double Fine wants to tie up all of the loose ends within its catalog and is seeking the distribution rights to its games formerly published by THQ, Stacking and Costume Quest. Nordic Games picked up the distribution rights to these games during THQ's bankruptcy auction in April, though Double Fine attempted to secure the rights from THQ as early as February. Double Fine owns the intellectual properties for Stacking and Costume Quest, so if it wants to make new games within each series, it can. "We're still trying to get the rights to Costume Quest and Stacking," Schafer told Game Informer. "We can still make more of those games. We still have the IP, but we'd love to have all of the IP and distribution rights in house." On top of those distribution rights, Double Fine wants to regain the Brutal Legend IP from EA and the Iron Brigade IP from Microsoft, Schafer said. These are difficult positions for Double Fine, but for us, deciding which war to watch is just as hard: Battle of Heavy Metal and Mechs or the Battle of Kids in Costumes Playing with Toys From the Old Country. Decisions, decisions.
Double Fine, Codemasters, former president Rubin, more seeking payment from THQ
THQ may be no more, but several parties have filed claims against the defunct video game publisher. The Kurtzman Carson Consultancy group shows Double Fine, Codemasters and even individual former executives Jason Kay and Jason Rubin are seeking financial compensation for unpaid obligations from THQDouble Fine (PDF link) is looking for $595,000, claiming THQ offered up Stacking and Costume Quest as free PlayStation Plus downloads without Double Fine's knowledge, and that none of the PS Plus revenue was shared. Codemasters (PDF link) is looking for an exact $1,002,714.25, seeking reimbursement for unpaid royalties and storing quantities of Bodycount, Dirt 3 and F1 2011 discs in a warehouse somewhere. Kay (PDF link) and Rubin (PDF link) are seeking $2.1 million each for failed "employment obligations." The two claim unpaid vacation time, sick leave and severance.THQ's final assets were auctioned off for nearly $7 million earlier this week, including Darksiders, Homeworld and the Drawn to Life series. The results of the first auction were posted in January, facilitating the transfer of ownership for Saints Row 4, Homefront, Company of Heroes 2 and more.
Double Fine trying to get Costume Quest, Stacking IP back from THQ
Double Fine has self-published Costume Quest and Stacking on PC, but THQ still holds some of the rights to those games as publisher of the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. Those games are among the properties being sold off in THQ's latest auction – however, they're being sold as a bundle with dozens of other properties. Officially, they can't be sold outside of the lot, but Double Fine is hopeful."THQ retained limited distribution rights that we bid on during the previous process to reclaim them prior to their expiration," Justin Bailey, VP of business development, told Polygon. "We are optimistic about regaining these distribution rights, as this process has already demonstrated that when there are parties interested in specific assets, those assets are worth more when sold separately." Double Fine has yet to hear back from THQ about any potential deals.
Steam Summer Sale, final day: BioShock, Bastion, Double Fine bundle
This is it. Dig around your couch cushions, look under the rug and peek between the seats in your car (if you haven't sold it, that is) for any extra change. The final day of the Steam Summer Sale is here.The last day is going out with a whimper, offering the BioShock franchise for $9.98, Bastion for $3.74, a Double Fine bundle including Costume Quest, Psychonauts and Stacking for $7.49, and Splinter Cell: Conviction seeing a range of deals, starting with the game itself for $4.99. Jagged Alliance: Back in Action is $9.99, Operation Flashpoint Complete (Dragon Rising and Red River) runs $13.74, Football Manager 2012 is $7.50, and Space Pirates and Zombies is $2.49.Indie Bundle XI includes Hydrophobia: Prophecy, Orion: Dino Beatdown, Star Ruler, Waveform and World of Goo for $9.99.And that's that, everyone. Summer's over. Now get back to work; you have to pay off all those games you bought somehow, and it's certainly not going to happen if you take the time to play them.
Double Fine deals found in the Amazon, Psychonauts and Costume Quest under $5
Amazon's PC digital distribution service has a few Double Fine titles on discount this week. Psychonauts -- the original Inception -- is available for $3.99, Costume Quest is a treat at a mere $2.99 and you can nest at ease with Stacking at $7.49.If you've yet to play or own any of these games (for shame!), then pick 'em all up for $10 with the "Oh So Fine" bundle.
Witcher 2, Double Fine games, more in Steam Holiday Sale today
Pace yourself! Steam's Holiday Sale is only in day two, and you can already get Costume Quest for $3.74 (or with Psychonauts for just $2 more!), Lego Batman for $5, The Witcher 2 for $24, The Witcher 1 for $2.49, and Modern Warfare 2 for $15. You're definitely going to be broke after this year's sale but, on the upside, you'll be able to play a lot of games until your electricity is shut off and you're evicted.
Costume Quest is out on PC tonight -- go play it right now
Costume Quest is available on PC right now, Double Fine announced at an event in San Francisco, just in time for you to teach your 6-year-old cousin how to really work that cowboy hat for the most candy possible. The PC version includes the add-on Grubbins on Ice and is $14.99 on Steam right now, so go get your candy on! Double Fine has has expressed interest in releasing its games on PC, and it now has the means to do so with the backing of Dracogen Strategic Investments -- Costume Quest may be the first of many Double Fine PC titles, dressed up to look like a solitary event (now that's a costume idea if we've ever heard one).
Double Fine's 'Amnesia Fortnight' game design jams saved the company
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.
11 PSN games discounted by 50% tomorrow
Tomorrow's PSN update will be notable for what it adds to the PlayStation Store, though you may be a little fonder of what it's set to remove: fifty percent from the price of 11 games in an "11 for 2011" sale. Among the discounted games are Double's Fine enchanting Costume Quest for $7.49, hypnotic brick breaker Shatter for $3.99 (its excellent soundtrack is also discounted to $2.99), and Hoard for $7.49 -- a fitting saving for a dragon looking to amass a boast-worthy pile of presents and a roast-worthy mass of peasants. Sony has also included other well-received games like Swords and Soldiers, Tumble and Space Invaders Infinity Gene in the sale (valid in the US, Canada and Mexico through January 31). Have a peek at the full list after the break. Warning: Peggle is in there too.
THQ needs your money to publish more Double Fine games
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.
Costume Quest's 'Grubbins on Ice' on PSN Dec. 21
PS3 owners won't have to wait long to get their Grubbin hands on some new Costume Quest DLC. "Grubbins on Ice," the winter-themed content released on Xbox Live yesterday, will make its way to PSN on December 21. That's still in time for Christmas, for those of you who want to reinforce the tradition of playing Costume Quest on a holiday. The DLC brings the quest to a new area, the snowy Repugia, and, more importantly, new costumes including a ziplining pirate, an eyeball costume that can zoom out the in-game camera to find secrets, and a Yeti costume that can shield the party -- and is also nice and warm.%Gallery-109638%
Get into Harms Way, Doritos Crash Course and Bomberman Battlefest on XBLA today
The two final contenders in the Doritos-sponsored "Unlock Xbox" game design contest have been fully realized and released as Xbox Live Arcade games today, for free. Until December 26, you can cast your vote for either Doritos Cash Course (download) or Harms Way (download) through the Xbox Unlock ad on the Dashboard, with the winner to be announced on December 29 and offered a 50G (that's dollars, not Achievement points) part-time, game consulting gig with Doritos. Perhaps overshadowed by the flavorful showdown, the previously announced Bomberman Live sequel, Battlefest (download), is also available on the Arcade today for 800 Microsoft Points ($10). Additionally, the third Lara Croft: GoL challenge pack add-on, "A Hazardous Reunion" (download), has been released for 400 points ($5), along with the "Marvel Pinball" tables (download/trial) for Pinball FX 2, priced at 800 points. Update: The Costume Quest DLC "Grubbins on Ice" (download) has also been released today for 400 points.
Costume Quest dons DLC this December with 'Grubbins on Ice'
Double Fine's earnest candy collection adventure, Costume Quest, is set to receive a new downloadable add-on in December for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Gamespot has the first word on "Grubbins on Ice," which sees the soon-to-be-rotund rascals entering Repugia, the snow-dusted realm of the Grubbins. Though the turn-based combat remains the same, Grubbins on Ice will introduce new costumes and patterns, along with several enhancements for the original game. An accompanying patch will address Costume Quest's save system (you'll now be able to save at phone posts within the neighborhood) and allow you to pause during cutscenes. Grubbins on Ice will also adjust the speed of the dialogue textsoyoucanfinishreadi- We'll let you know as we hear an exact release date and price.
Costume Quest review: Anything can happen on Halloween
As anyone with kids or young siblings will tell you, finding quality games to play with them can be kind of a chore. Most are either too frustrating, too simple or just impossibly stupid. ... The games, that is. Not the kids. For those stumped parents, brothers and sisters out there, Double Fine's new RPG-lite Costume Quest is going to be sweeter than the candy the game's heroes and villains pursue so relentlessly. But even the mature, grown-up adults among you may be tempted to indulge in a piece or two, if you've got the patience. %Gallery-99218%
XBLA in Brief: Dream Chronicles, Costume Quest
Super Meat Boy might be the highlight of this week's XBLA releases (you should read our review!), but that doesn't mean it's the only release. There are two others this week, including Double Fine's first foray into the downloadable space, Costume Quest, and Dream Chronicles ... which is a hidden object game. Check out a preview of each in the latest XBLA in Brief, and stay tuned for our upcoming review of Costume Quest. [iTunes] Subscribe to XBLA in Brief directly in iTunes. [Zune] Subscribe to the XBLA in Brief directly. [RSS] Add the XBLA in Brief feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [M4V] Download the M4V directly.
