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Double Fine Happy Action Theater pulls back the curtain Feb. 1
When a Double Fine rep told us to expect Double Fine Happy Action Theater in February, we didn't really expect it to be the first day of the month, but here we are. Imagine our surprise when Tim Schafer announced the Feb. 1 launch date on Twitter earlier today. Double Fine head honcho Schafer neglected to include pricing in the Tweet. A rep at CES did tell us it would cost a "reasonable" price. Sadly, that's more of a concept and less of a real, actual price. We've contacted Double Fine and will update this post accordingly.
Double Fine's Happy Action Theater conjures up Kinect magic
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.
Double Fine Happy Action Theater premieres in February
To say we were taken aback when Double Fine unveiled its Kinect-exclusive Xbox Live Arcade game, Double Fine Happy Action Theater, is an understatement. It was due in 2011 but saw a delay, and now it's gearing up to launch next month. Our man on the ground at CES 2012, Mike Schramm, confirmed the news with a Double Fine representative. Yet, with a February launch planned, why wasn't the game part of next month's House Party promotion? "I would've loved to see it in House Party," the rep told Joystiq. Seems like a perfect fit to us, though the representative went on to say that the target audience for Double Fine Happy Action Theater is between ages 2 and 12, and the target demographic for the House Party promotion is a bit older. We should hope so -- best not to let your kids play Alan Wake's American Nightmare. Double Fine Happy Action Theater features 18 different mini-games, including some clones of classic titles Space Invaders and Breakout. Mike was able to spend some time with the game and will be posting a preview soon, so keep your eye out for that. In the meanwhile, we suggest watching the debut trailer about a hundred more times.
Best of the Rest: Dave's picks of 2011
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP This masterpiece is 98 percent of the reason I bought an iPad. Okay, maybe not quite -- it's more like 99 percent -- but Sword & Sworcery is a puzzle so perfect in its assembly, I haven't fully recovered. I'm sad I won't ever again experience the drive for discovery I felt the first time I was thrust into its picturesque locales. At the same time, I'm grateful I could spin that vinyl so long ago and step into another world.
How Tim Schafer ended up as a main voice in upcoming Kinect XBLA game Haunt
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']
Double Fine's Stacking to nestle in your PC
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."
Three DoubleFine dev diaries detail Sesame Street's storybook world
This post was brought to you by the letter "D," which stands for "Double Fine," "developer," "diaries" and "delicious cookies." This post was also brought to you by the number 3, which stands for, uhm, the number 3. Look, there's a reason they didn't ask us to make the Sesame Street game, okay?
PSA: Iron Brigade (formerly Trenched) available worldwide now
Double Fine has announced that Iron Brigade (which is the updated version of Trenched, renamed and revamped for sale overseas) is now available worldwide on Xbox Live Arcade. The game is available for 1200 Microsoft Points (about $15). Double Fine is also selling an official release day I-shirt (not a T-shirt, they say -- "that would get us sued") for $20 on its website. Anyone who already owns Trenched will find an update when they log into the game, changing the name and adding new items, leaderboards on which to compete, and a new survival mode. We loved Trenched back when it released in June, and we're sure that by spending a little sit-down time with Iron Brigade, we can probably learn to love it too.
Ron Gilbert's Double Fine game is based on unused pre-Maniac Mansion concept
Ron Gilbert is beginning to talk about the game he went to Double Fine to make. Gilbert said he is returning to a concept that he's been kicking around for years. "It predates Maniac Mansion and Monkey Island," he noted on his blog, giving us feverish visions of classic adventuring. Dare we hope to combine items to solve puzzles? Gilbert isn't ready to share details on this new mystery game, except for images of two of its playable characters. The filenames on the images are "TheScientist" and "TheMobster." We'll let you solve the puzzle of which is which!
Once Upon a Monster's 'Unidentified Furry Objects' DLC lands on Xbox Live
Double Fine's Kinect-powered Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster has a new downloadable chapter available starting today, "Unidentified Furry Objects." Oddly enough, today's letter is F, as Xbox.com is currently listing the DLC as free of charge. Previously the DLC was priced at 400 MS Points. Update: Microsoft has confirmed the DLC is indeed 400 MS Points ($5). The free listing on Xbox.com refers to a gameplay trailer for the DLC. In "Unidentified Furry Objects," the Sesame Street gang greet some extra-terrestrials who land on Earth and then help them on a special mission -- well, the gang save for Oscar. We're pretty sure he's not the best ambassador for the block, you know? %Gallery-140070%
Trenched -- no, Iron Brigade -- comes to Europe Nov. 30, everyone gets new survival mode
The official worldwide name change of Double Fine's XBLA mech shooter, from Trenched to Iron Brigade, will occur on November 30, the developer announced today. That's when the long-delayed European version will finally come out, bringing with it new Iron Brigade content around the world. In Europe, of course, that new content is all of the game, because it hadn't been released there previously. But even in places where Trenched previously existed, an automatic update will add an infinite "Survival Mode with ten new pieces of high-powered loot, along with a new leaderboard to track players on this Survival Mission." The leaderboards and multiplayer will be cross-region, allowing everyone to discover this new material together.
'Unidentified Furry Objects' landing in Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster next week
We can tell you how to get, how to get more Sesame Street. Warner Bros. has announced the first DLC for Double Fine's Once Upon a Monster: "Unidentified Furry Objects." In this chapter, the residents of Sesame Street encounter some mysterious muppets who fall from the sky in an adorable spacecraft. What are their intentions? Do they come in peace? Do they like cookies? You'll have to download the 400 Microsoft Point chapter on November 22 to find out more about these mysterious travelers. In the meantime, you can examine the eyewitness pictures of the aliens' first encounter with human muppets, in our gallery.%Gallery-139594%
Double Fine Happy Action Theater will make you a pigeon toilet
You heard that correctly, though that's obviously not the only thing happening in this trailer for Double Fine's newest cavalcade of Kinect funtimes. There's also ball kicking, and fireworks, and dancing, and hot lava! Pretty much everything you need to know about Happy Action Theater is here, although you haven't really seen the game sold until you see someone pull a Terminator 2. Double Fine Happy Action Theater will release next year this holiday on Xbox Live, courtesy of Microsoft Studios.
Iron Brigade DLC official, involves Mars and bears
That DLC for Trenche- er, we mean, Iron Brigade, that was kind of sort of revealed back in August is now official. And it's officially weird. At least, the premise is. Titled "Rise of the Martian Bear," the premise goes like this: nemesis and all-around poster boy for the evils of Monovision, Vlad, was defeated, but not before he had time to transfer his consciousness into his pet bear. And that did the obvious thing and ran to Mars in order to regroup and rebuild the forces of evil and what we presume is more red-tinged bad reality television. Rise of the Martian Bear doesn't have a release date, though Double Fine told us it should be "soon." Like, really soon. Meanwhile, once you do get your hands on it, you'll bask in the wonder of new missions and an objective-oriented wave-based survival mode. Which is kind of hard, judging by the small bit we played last week.
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).
A wonderful little story about Double Fine
Here's a wonderful start to your Tuesday courtesy of I Heart Chaos. As a youngster, Chris Machado toured the workplace of Double Fine, one of his favorite studios. Not only did he get to see how the game sausage is made, but team Double Fine bought him two tickets to tour Alcatraz. Several years later, Machado was diagnosed with a brain disease called hydrocephalus, and was forced to undergo several surgeries. But before his third stay at the hospital, he received an unexpected delivery: A care package from Double Fine cheering him on, the contents of which you can see right here. That's nice, isn't it? We thought it was nice. [Thanks, Orin]
Psychonauts comes to Mac, gets Steam update and iOS app
If your allegiance to the Mac platform was the only thing holding you back from playing Psychonauts, then today is your day: Double Fine has announced the game is available for Mac OSX. The Mac port is currently available on the Mac App store and Steam, along with other digital distribution channels. Accompanying it is a free iOS app that allows you to view all of the game's Memory Vaults right on your iDevice, along with new commentary from Tim Schafer and Scott Campbell. The PC version of the game has also been updated to allow for achievements and cloud saves on Steam, plus it scales down the difficulty of the Meat Circus. Additionally, we'd like you to do a us a favor and not google "meat circus."
Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster demo available now
Two important Xbox accessories will enhance your enjoyment of a new demo available on Xbox Live right now: a Kinect (required) and a child (optional). The demo of Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster will probably be a more magical, heartwarming experience if you experience it with an authentic youngster, but we won't look askance at you if you take a de facto adults-only trip into the storybook world. Your Kinect may look askance at you, however, if you get too close to the TV or step outside its view.
Trenched renamed Iron Brigade worldwide
Trenched is changing its name to Iron Brigade in all regions once it releases in Europe this month, Double Fine's Greg Rice and Brad Muir revealed on Whiskey Media's Big Live Live Show Live. By changing the name, Double Fine is averting a messy legal battle with the "Trench" trademark holder that was halting the game's release in certain European regions. Having two separate titles would prevent people from playing online multiplayer together, Muir said. The title update will include a new survival mode and weapons, costumes and gesture unlocks, and Muir confirmed more DLC is in the works. We have contacted Double Fine for more details about the name ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.
'Double Fine Action Arcade Soundtrack' collects Flash game hits
Have you ever bought the soundtrack to a Flash game before? You might want to now. The "Double Fine Action Arcade Soundtrack" contains 40 tracks from the developer's Flash games, including Tasha's Game, My Game About Me, and Host Master and the Conquest of Humor., composed by Bert Chang and Razmig Mavlian. The $9.99 download also throws in several bonus tracks from the two Double Fine musicians. If you'd like to hear the soundtrack before buying, you can preview the soundtrack on iTunes, or you can, you know, just go play those Flash games with your speakers on. [Thanks, Shawn!]