Just came across this exciting bit of news. Adventure game legends Tim Schafer, Ron Gilbert and the rest of the folks at Double Fine Productions will be working on a point and click adventure for their next project, and have created a Kickstarter page to promote and fund it. I think they'll be doing all right in that regard. The goal was $400,000, and they're at $651,278 664,989 673,932 (It keeps going up as I type this!) only a day into the project!

Part me wants to be all cynical and say, "Well, what has Tim Schafer really done over the last decade since the admittedly stellar Psychonauts? Not much. And why should I support a game without even knowing the barest details about it?" And then there's the other part that says "WAAAAANNNNTTTT!"

Anyway here's more info, and a fun little video with Tim Schafer pitching the project:

http://kck.st/A9k3jH

This is amazing, this just goes to show you how the middle man can be cut out in this day and age and what gates are opening up for smaller/indie people to do what they want without losing all the right sto their ip's/control.

They are already up to 2x what they needed and will be abl eto spend even more money on the project and do mor eof what they want.

With Ron Gilbert/Tim and it being a point and click adventure game it seems it can be anything. 

Notch (The guy behind MInecraft, another shining example of indie going big) made a twitter post the other day talking about how he'd help fund a new Psychonauts with Tim. I'd take a wild guess and say he probably put a bit of money into this as well.

Originally Posted By Andromus (9 FEB 2012 10:01am)

 

Part me wants to be all cynical and say, "Well, what has Tim Schafer really done over the last decade since the admittedly stellar Psychonauts? Not much. And why should I support a game without even knowing the barest details about it?" And then there's the other part that says "WAAAAANNNNTTTT!"

 

 

 

Double Fine made a few games that were well recieved but sold poorly (Costume Quest, Stacking, Brütal Legend). Only Costume Quest was released on PC though, and that was long after its console release.

This looks like a project worth following. I really hope they will be able to retain the charm of their older titles, and at the same time create something that feels fresh and interesting. And it would not surprise me if Notch was the one who donated $10 000. He has in the past stated that he loves the old Lucas Arts point & click adventure games, and he has been very generous thus far (just look at how much money he has spent on the different indie bundles). 

Yep, it was Notch who donated $10 000. He gave up the lunch with devs award from kickstarter so if someone else donated that much, they'd get it. And he's probably going to hang out with them anyway.

That is very interesting to read, very impressive and encouraging both to hopes of more adventure games and to hopes of more such crowdsourced indie projects - especially since my interest lies more heavily with indie projects these days than those in the mainstream.

The video was both interesting and amusing; I look forward to seeing this documentary that they propose showing the development process.

Wow, over a million dollars have been given now. I know they have plans to use the overage to make aspects of the game better, more voice acting, extra localizations, etc, but I wonder if they won't have to rethink the entire scope of the game itself if the money continues to come in at even a fraction of the current rate.

Tim tweeted they need $20 million to make Psychonauts 2, soooo...

Too bad Uru couldn't drum up the same interest with their fund raising drive.

Originally Posted By Fnord (9 FEB 2012 1:43pm)

 

ouble Fine made a few games that were well recieved but sold poorly (Costume Quest, Stacking, Brütal Legend). Only Costume Quest was released on PC though, and that was long after its console release.

 

Yeah, I found that odd. I thought they would have wanted to go after the PC market more agressively, considering Ron and Tim's history of classic PC games, and the number of PC gamers who would likely buy those games based on that reputation. The response to this Kickstarter project proves that, definitely.

Oh, though in looking over the Double Fine site I just came across a news item that says Stacking is coming to the PC this spring.

I went to the Kickstarter web site and did a little reading on the requirements, etc, and I just don't 'get it' as to how it works. I mean it sounds like any person in the USA could just post a game project and then take the money and run. (Assuming their their project was accepted and they reached their goal on Kickstart.)

This can't be correct. I must be missing something here . . .

or, what if the person who is rasing money on Kickstarter is someone who has no background in game making, and he/she gets the money and starts on the game and then gives up when they find out they don't know enough to make a game, or they lose interest in the game project. Do they keep the money that's left?

The whole idea of Kickstarter sounds like a scammers dream for making easy money.

I know I must be wrong. Someone explain how Kickstarter works.

Taken from the accountability section of Kickstarter's help section:

1. How do I know a project creator is who they claim they are?

   Perhaps you know the project creator, or you heard about the project from a trusted source.

   Maybe they have a first-person video. That would be hard to fake. "Is it really U2?!" Well, it is if Bono's talking about the project.

   Still not sure? Ask the project creator a question via the "send message" button next to the creator’s name at the top of the project page.

   At the end of the day, use your internet street smarts.

2. How do I know a project will be completed as promised?

   Each project is crafted solely by its creator, and it’s up to them to make the case that they can successfully bring their project to life. Part of every creator’s job is earning their backers’ trust, especially backers who don’t personally know them.

   Creators are encouraged to share links to their personal website(s), as well as any websites that show work related to the project, or past projects.

   The web is an excellent resource for learning about someone’s prior experience. If someone has no demonstrable prior history of doing something like their project or is unwilling to share information, backers should consider that when weighing a pledge. If something sounds too good to be true, it very well may be.

And I imagine any one who took the money and ran would be open to all sorts of legal action, much like any scammer anywhere else.