9 ms·

Double Fine launched a new game on Kickstarter

93 points by 6thSigma 13y ago

M4v3R 13y ago
Wow, the campaign was launched just a while ago, and while I was watching the video it already gathered $35,000. Insane momentum. Edit: After I wrote this comment it already had $39,000.
- wikwocket 13y ago
  Many repeat Kickstarters get very quick surges when they launch. They usually send a blast out to supporters of the first Kickstarter, so they have a captive list of hot leads ready to go. (This shows the power of email lists btw) Also,I believe the media is more eager to cover them, as it is bigger news when a past KS success launches follow-up projects, as opposed to an unknown launching a new project.
  - pasquinelli 13y ago
    that and, double fine was never an unknown in the first place.
mey 13y ago
http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/doublefine/double-fines-massive-chalice/ http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/doublefine/double-fines-mas...
famousactress 13y ago
I like that it looks like they learned a lot from the last kickstarter. Some noteable differences: - Using an existing engine they're familiar with - Asking for lots more money - Cutting on shipping costs for rewards by moving them to higher tiers - Targeting fewer platforms, initially
ambiate 13y ago
I've always noted that it was interesting that link selling (in a non-obvious manner) was not an incentive for these Kickstarter projects. Donate $20 and get your name and link to your website on our contributors page! Shrug.
josh2600 13y ago
I've wanted a replacement for Final Fantasy Tactics forever. That was a really amazing, cerebral game. I think that Advanced Wars is kind of the epitome of this genre, but I'd love to see what they can do. These games are all about the execution; really easy to overcomplicate the interface.
- ambiate 13y ago
  I remember finding the 'Jobs Menu', but never finding out how to change jobs and focus points in categories until I was half way into the game. It was a ruff experience of mostly pure melee and potions for those first 30 hours.
  - dalore 13y ago
    That would have been frustrating. I bet after that it was quite easy compared to the first 30 hours :)
- obviouslygreen 13y ago
  If you're looking entirely for the gameplay (or if you also enjoy Japanese themes, art, and humor), try the Disgaea games. Vastly better gameplay than FF: Tactics, though the art and tone are almost polar opposites.
  - josh2600 13y ago
    Loved Disgaea but I feel like the endgame is too repetitive and boring. Like, in one of the games, if you wanna go to the penguin world you're looking at like 150+ hours of grinding. It's not World of Warcraft you know? So I guess I'm looking for depth, but not depth for the sake of depth, more like real continuous flow. I liked Disgaea a lot though back in the day.
- sublimit 13y ago
  Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (for GBA) is the spiritual successor. It has a similar job system and gameplay to an extent, but you might consider it easier or even toned down. Regardless, I think it has a bunch of unique touches for a tactical RPG, and the whole atmosphere of it is really captivating. It's one of those games that come across as an experience beyond a stream of bits, which is something the genre benefits from. It does seem like Massive Chalice would be a similar breath of fresh air, if it ever gets finished.
scott_karana 13y ago
I was going to make a cynical reply about them not finishing their first project, but this looks FANTASTIC. I guess I'm a funder now instead :)
- arrrg 13y ago
  What? Not finished? I guess you are technically correct, but I got my money’s worth a long, long time ago. They have been delivering kick-ass videos all the damn time. This documentary is fucking awesome. I think only non-backers or very confused backers could say something weird like it not being finished. I don’t think I want them to ever finish, I want to get my documentary fix.
  - scott_karana 13y ago
    Hah, fair enough. I just want to get my hands on it already! ;)
  - just_observing 13y ago
    "I think only non-backers or very confused backers could "say something weird like it not being finished." I backed it. I do not have a copy of the game to play. That means it is not finished. If I am wrong in that please do tell me how.
    - arrrg 13y ago
      You are an annoying pedant who takes everything way too literal and you should think long and hard about that but not wrong.
      - vectorpush 13y ago
        You're just wrong. It's not pedantry to say they did not finish their project if the product has not been released, especially in light of huge delays and extreme budget excess. Maybe you're content with documentary videos instead of the promised product but it's certainly a fair assessment to say that the project is not finished.
Irregardless 13y ago
I'd be extremely hesitant to trust these guys with a single cent right now. They requested $400k in their last Kickstarter and received over $3.3 million, but that project (now called Broken Age) is STILL overbudget and delayed [1]. They're funneling profits from other games into it already, and now they're asking for more money so they can work on a new game? Or is this just their way of getting a much needed cash infusion after all other avenues have failed, so they can fund their ailing project and then worry about this one later? All this on top of the fact that their most recently released game, The Cave, was mediocre at best [2]. [1] http://www.gameinformer.com/games/broken_age/b/pc/archive/2013/04/26/double-fine-breaks-tradition-with-a-modern-adventure.aspx http://www.gameinformer.com/games/broken_age/b/pc/archive/20... > Broken Age was originally planned to be completed in April, but according to the documentary the schedule has been extended until September. The costs of a lengthened development have forced Double Fine to search for more money. Double Fine still welcomes supporters that missed the Kickstarter deadline, but in the documentary Isa Stamos, director of product development, affirms that the studio either has to dramatically increase funding or reduce the scope of the game. In Episode 8, Double Fine’s vice president of business development, Justin Bailey, reveals that profits from the release of Brütal Legend for PC will almost entirely feed into Broken Age. > Despite the desire to stick within the confines of the Kickstarter money, Double Fine is facing the reality many developers face in the middle of production. Facing setbacks and asking publishers for more time or money is common in the video game industry, but possibly going over budget with loads of crowd-funded money is new territory. [2] http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/the-cave http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/the-cave
- mey 13y ago
  As a backer of Broken Age, I have similar fears. I do believe in their creative talent, but I wish this kickstarter was being done after Broken Age was delivered.
  - datasage 13y ago
    Its better for the company and team continuity if this project gets off the ground before the other one finishes. If they wait until the end, they would end up going through a bit of turnover in the downtime between projects.
kinnth 13y ago
This just pisses me right off. You do one kickstarter, get huge support and then claim the rest of your company needs more. Get real, release the game and give more back to your fans with this game, stop asking us to fund your ideas! I develop games for a living and having the bloody luxury of a kickstarter because of who you were doesn't mean your going to make a great game. This has actually really annoyed me and I for one will not be supporting it but ill be supporting one of the many other indie devs who work there asses off on a single game because they love what they do!
- Anderkent 13y ago
  Because obviously putting more people on Broken Age will make it release faster. Man-months, right?!
babuskov 13y ago
I listened to Tim at NordicGame last week, and one thing was obvious, although it seems he does not realize it yet: So far, he has been constrained by the publishers to release the game. During his talk, he said something like: "When do you release? When you run out of money". When you see the publisher as only viable source of money, you know that it has to be DONE, NOW. In that case, it's easy to cut the feature list and just do essential things and release. As 37 signals guys would say: do less ;) Now, that they see they have many avenues to get money and still don't see the end of it, it's hard to constrain the scope of the project. There is no publisher to do the reality check.
etler 13y ago
While reading 1000 years on english history on wikipedia one day, I was thinking of a game just like this! I really like the whole legacy and bloodline idea. I hope they have a historical recap so you can see the epic history of your kingdom.
marxdeveloper 13y ago
is it me or this new projects sounds a lot like Rogue Legacy?

93 points by 6thSigma 13y ago

M4v3R 13y ago

Wow, the campaign was launched just a while ago, and while I was watching the video it already gathered $35,000. Insane momentum. Edit: After I wrote this comment it already had $39,000.

wikwocket 13y ago
Many repeat Kickstarters get very quick surges when they launch. They usually send a blast out to supporters of the first Kickstarter, so they have a captive list of hot leads ready to go. (This shows the power of email lists btw) Also,I believe the media is more eager to cover them, as it is bigger news when a past KS success launches follow-up projects, as opposed to an unknown launching a new project.
- pasquinelli 13y ago
  that and, double fine was never an unknown in the first place.

mey 13y ago

http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/doublefine/double-fines-massive-chalice/ http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/doublefine/double-fines-mas...

famousactress 13y ago

I like that it looks like they learned a lot from the last kickstarter. Some noteable differences: - Using an existing engine they're familiar with - Asking for lots more money - Cutting on shipping costs for rewards by moving them to higher tiers - Targeting fewer platforms, initially

ambiate 13y ago

I've always noted that it was interesting that link selling (in a non-obvious manner) was not an incentive for these Kickstarter projects. Donate $20 and get your name and link to your website on our contributors page! Shrug.

josh2600 13y ago

I've wanted a replacement for Final Fantasy Tactics forever. That was a really amazing, cerebral game. I think that Advanced Wars is kind of the epitome of this genre, but I'd love to see what they can do. These games are all about the execution; really easy to overcomplicate the interface.

ambiate 13y ago
I remember finding the 'Jobs Menu', but never finding out how to change jobs and focus points in categories until I was half way into the game. It was a ruff experience of mostly pure melee and potions for those first 30 hours.
- dalore 13y ago
  That would have been frustrating. I bet after that it was quite easy compared to the first 30 hours :)
obviouslygreen 13y ago
If you're looking entirely for the gameplay (or if you also enjoy Japanese themes, art, and humor), try the Disgaea games. Vastly better gameplay than FF: Tactics, though the art and tone are almost polar opposites.
- josh2600 13y ago
  Loved Disgaea but I feel like the endgame is too repetitive and boring. Like, in one of the games, if you wanna go to the penguin world you're looking at like 150+ hours of grinding. It's not World of Warcraft you know? So I guess I'm looking for depth, but not depth for the sake of depth, more like real continuous flow. I liked Disgaea a lot though back in the day.
sublimit 13y ago
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (for GBA) is the spiritual successor. It has a similar job system and gameplay to an extent, but you might consider it easier or even toned down. Regardless, I think it has a bunch of unique touches for a tactical RPG, and the whole atmosphere of it is really captivating. It's one of those games that come across as an experience beyond a stream of bits, which is something the genre benefits from. It does seem like Massive Chalice would be a similar breath of fresh air, if it ever gets finished.

scott_karana 13y ago

I was going to make a cynical reply about them not finishing their first project, but this looks FANTASTIC. I guess I'm a funder now instead :)

arrrg 13y ago
What? Not finished? I guess you are technically correct, but I got my money’s worth a long, long time ago. They have been delivering kick-ass videos all the damn time. This documentary is fucking awesome. I think only non-backers or very confused backers could say something weird like it not being finished. I don’t think I want them to ever finish, I want to get my documentary fix.
- scott_karana 13y ago
  Hah, fair enough. I just want to get my hands on it already! ;)
- just_observing 13y ago
  "I think only non-backers or very confused backers could "say something weird like it not being finished." I backed it. I do not have a copy of the game to play. That means it is not finished. If I am wrong in that please do tell me how.
  - arrrg 13y ago
    You are an annoying pedant who takes everything way too literal and you should think long and hard about that but not wrong.
    - vectorpush 13y ago
      You're just wrong. It's not pedantry to say they did not finish their project if the product has not been released, especially in light of huge delays and extreme budget excess. Maybe you're content with documentary videos instead of the promised product but it's certainly a fair assessment to say that the project is not finished.

Irregardless 13y ago

I'd be extremely hesitant to trust these guys with a single cent right now. They requested $400k in their last Kickstarter and received over $3.3 million, but that project (now called Broken Age) is STILL overbudget and delayed [1]. They're funneling profits from other games into it already, and now they're asking for more money so they can work on a new game? Or is this just their way of getting a much needed cash infusion after all other avenues have failed, so they can fund their ailing project and then worry about this one later? All this on top of the fact that their most recently released game, The Cave, was mediocre at best [2]. [1] http://www.gameinformer.com/games/broken_age/b/pc/archive/2013/04/26/double-fine-breaks-tradition-with-a-modern-adventure.aspx http://www.gameinformer.com/games/broken_age/b/pc/archive/20... > Broken Age was originally planned to be completed in April, but according to the documentary the schedule has been extended until September. The costs of a lengthened development have forced Double Fine to search for more money. Double Fine still welcomes supporters that missed the Kickstarter deadline, but in the documentary Isa Stamos, director of product development, affirms that the studio either has to dramatically increase funding or reduce the scope of the game. In Episode 8, Double Fine’s vice president of business development, Justin Bailey, reveals that profits from the release of Brütal Legend for PC will almost entirely feed into Broken Age. > Despite the desire to stick within the confines of the Kickstarter money, Double Fine is facing the reality many developers face in the middle of production. Facing setbacks and asking publishers for more time or money is common in the video game industry, but possibly going over budget with loads of crowd-funded money is new territory. [2] http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/the-cave http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/the-cave

mey 13y ago
As a backer of Broken Age, I have similar fears. I do believe in their creative talent, but I wish this kickstarter was being done after Broken Age was delivered.
- datasage 13y ago
  Its better for the company and team continuity if this project gets off the ground before the other one finishes. If they wait until the end, they would end up going through a bit of turnover in the downtime between projects.

kinnth 13y ago

This just pisses me right off. You do one kickstarter, get huge support and then claim the rest of your company needs more. Get real, release the game and give more back to your fans with this game, stop asking us to fund your ideas! I develop games for a living and having the bloody luxury of a kickstarter because of who you were doesn't mean your going to make a great game. This has actually really annoyed me and I for one will not be supporting it but ill be supporting one of the many other indie devs who work there asses off on a single game because they love what they do!

Anderkent 13y ago
Because obviously putting more people on Broken Age will make it release faster. Man-months, right?!

babuskov 13y ago

I listened to Tim at NordicGame last week, and one thing was obvious, although it seems he does not realize it yet: So far, he has been constrained by the publishers to release the game. During his talk, he said something like: "When do you release? When you run out of money". When you see the publisher as only viable source of money, you know that it has to be DONE, NOW. In that case, it's easy to cut the feature list and just do essential things and release. As 37 signals guys would say: do less ;) Now, that they see they have many avenues to get money and still don't see the end of it, it's hard to constrain the scope of the project. There is no publisher to do the reality check.

etler 13y ago

While reading 1000 years on english history on wikipedia one day, I was thinking of a game just like this! I really like the whole legacy and bloodline idea. I hope they have a historical recap so you can see the epic history of your kingdom.

marxdeveloper 13y ago

is it me or this new projects sounds a lot like Rogue Legacy?