Broken Age: Double Fine's 3.3 Million Dollar Kickstarter Game

RainbowDespair

I was wondering when a big company would use Kickstarter to fund a new videogame and it looks like DoubleFine will potentially be the first.

Doublefine wants to make a new old-school graphic adventure game and they need your help! If you're not familiar with Doublefine, their staff includes both Tim Schafer (Day of the Tentacle) and Ron Gilbert (Maniac Mansion) so they're uniquely qualified for this kind of project.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/66710809/double-fine-adventure

Goal: $400k in a little over a month

For $15, you essentially preorder the game (along with getting access to the beta and a documentary of the making of the game). Higher donations bring various rewards.

Very interested to see how this plays out. They already have over $10k pledged and it hasn't even been up an hour.

ultimakay

I've thrown in $100 to the cause, it will be very interesting to see what happens if this gets funded.

Maddoc

If they had gotten Steve Purcell on for the art, I would for real serious have a difficult time resisting that $1000 reward.

Also it took me no time at all to toss fifteen bucks into the proverbial hat, a point and click adventure game by Ron Gilbert and Tim Schafer? This is like my childhood coming back to life again.

Zxerol

Although this isn't the first of this sort of grassroots development funding, I still find it absolutely fascinating. Big publishers don't want to bankroll your game because it isn't an FPS? Go straight to your audience instead. Hell of a thing, and I hope it works out.

cj iwakura

They should let Steve Purcell do everything. (Well, certainly writing and art.)

The Wolfman

Old-school adventure, huh? Once they've raised a few hundred thousand, they should change their homepage.


One born every minute!
Oh Roger, don't you know anything about adventure games? Never give your hard earned money to shifty strangers! Now they've split town, and you're living the rest of your life in a refrigerator box.
Restore Restart Quit

DeMoN

You know, I'm really a huge fan of adventure games, but I've replayed Psychonauts and Brutal Legend about 3 times each, and each time I talk to everyone and listen to as much dialog as I can find.

If doublefine excels at anything, it's dialog and characters. So hell yeah I'll back this.

Steev

Yeah, as soon as I saw this go up on twitter, I contributed $30. And you know what? I don't think I've even played much of Tim Schafer's adventure games. I remember playing a demo of Full Throttle back in the day, but that's about it.

TychoCelchuuu

The video is hilarious, by the way, so make sure to watch it.

Steev

TychoCelchuuu wrote:

The video is hilarious, by the way, so make sure to watch it.

Yeah, I'm watching it for a second time. Good stuff.

Shimshai

I just skimmed through the kickstarter page but I couldn't help but notice the Pyschonauts typo. Like nails on a chalkboard to me.

I'd love to chip in a few € or $ but I'm really not in a position to do so. Will definitely buy the finished product though, along with Mojang's Psychonauts 2.

Good lord, they're up to $55k already! I don't think they'll have much trouble hitting the mark.

Taramoor

I hope it doesn't turn out like The Fool and His Money.

Athenor

I would give anything for another Full Throttle. As that likely won't happen due to Lucasarts being a shell of their former selves, this is still pretty kickass.

Thank goodness the Humble Bundle was already in progress, or, you know, they might be inclined to include this as a third charity, or something. >.>

Librarian's ghost

Well I'm in for $100. It will be pretty cool to see my name in the end credits. I noticed that one person had already pledged $5,000 and three people had gone the $1000 level. I would have liked the autographs at $250 but $100 is already pushing it for me.

Dr_Keenbean

Next payday I'm in for $100. $250 if I can spare it.

I'm really excited about this. I've recently been on a kick playing through old adventures games specifically: the Quest for Glory series, Sam & Max, and Full Throttle.

Taramoor

I liked the extra premium rewards on the Doublefine site.

Pledge $50k to be a character in the game.

Pledge $150k to get all other rewards, plus Tim will sign and give you his still shrink-wrapped, triangle-box copy of Day of the Tentacle.

TychoCelchuuu

Taramoor wrote:

I liked the extra premium rewards on the Doublefine site.

Pledge $50k to be a character in the game.

Pledge $150k to get all other rewards, plus Tim will sign and give you his still shrink-wrapped, triangle-box copy of Day of the Tentacle.

More specifically:

Pledge $150,000 or more:
Tim Schafer (that’s me) will give last four remaining Triangle Boxed Day of the Tentacles, in original shrink-wrap.” (Limit of 1) (Holy crap, what am I thinking? I only have four of those!)

Berserkis

i just saw this! thats amazing! i hope they succeed in getting the funds

GSM

Yeah, I'll probably send them $15, because, you know...

UncleSporky

GSM wrote:

Yeah, I'll probably send them $15, because, you know...

ManetherenWolf

holy crap they almost have 100k now. they got another 5k while i was watching the video. (and another 3 while typing this... holy hell)

Alice Leywind

It's been like 2 hours, and they're already a 4th of the way there. This is amazing to watch.

naengwen

In the time it took me to donate they went up 10k, holy crap

GSM

While the European adventure games (stuff from Benoit Sokal, Amanita, etc), low budget adventure-lite fair (Capcom's experiments, CING's DS VNs) and amateur projects (AGS originals, fan remakes) have been enjoyable, there is a real hunger for a new full-size next-generation adventure game.

Just look at those numbers go up.

Steev

It'll be interesting to see how high that number is by this time tomorrow.

mere_immortal

Holy crap they're nearly a third of the way there already.

Steev

via Twitter:

Tim Schafer wrote:

Wow, thanks to all the Backers of our Kickstarter project! You guys are going to make me tear up. If I weren't so damn tough, I mean.

Bullio

UncleSporky wrote:

GSM wrote:

Yeah, I'll probably send them $15, because, you know...

Whenever I see that gif I wonder what Simon Pegg movie that is.

Athenor

You know, I personally would KILL for a good point and click adventure. I think Telltale's success shows that. Honestly, I see this whole thing as a giant middle finger to big publishers who don't listen to their fans.

Oh, assuming the product is good, of course. Shitty point and click adventures are such a chore.

Mulletude

I think Tim Schafer is completely awesome so how can I resist.

TychoCelchuuu

It's fun to hit F5 and watch the total jump up by $15,000.

naengwen

Oh geez, I click on the page and it's 144k. I click on the comments, 155k.

Someone got the 10k reward, it seems

Dr_Keenbean

Well once I found out you don't get charged until the end I jumped on it.

I half expect funding to be nailed, like, tomorrow.

ManetherenWolf

well. donated my $15 to the cause. I figure I'll buy the game anyway more likely than not. Might as well get in on the ground floor of it!

Dartboy

As awesome as this is, I can't help but wonder what actual indie teams must be thinking about it. The garages with a couple guys trying to raise just enough money to pay for the software and tools they need to make anything. And then here comes someone relatively well-known in the game field saying, "Hey, I was kinda thinking of making an adventure game..." to which the entire internet responds, "TAKE OUR MONEY!!!"

Seriously though, it'll be interesting to see what comes out of this. If they can raise enough money, would they essentially be bypassing publishers all together?

Iblis

Tossed in $15 myself. Amazed at how fast this is going though!

TychoCelchuuu

Dartboy wrote:

As awesome as this is, I can't help but wonder what actual indie teams must be thinking about it. The garages with a couple guys trying to raise just enough money to pay for the software and tools they need to make anything. And then here comes someone relatively well-known in the game field saying, "Hey, I was kinda thinking of making an adventure game..." to which the entire internet responds, "TAKE OUR MONEY!!!"

Seriously though, it'll be interesting to see what comes out of this. If they can raise enough money, would they essentially be bypassing publishers all together?

Well, frankly, Tim Schafer has already proven that he can make stupendous, hilarious games, and that the team at DoubleFine can do the same. Even the video asking for money is hilarious. Actual indie teams that make stuff as amazing as Tim Schafer could probably raise massive amounts of money too. Imagine a Kickstarter by Notch to fund something, for example.

BionicPenguin

I didn't even realize that was a video at the top of the kickstarter page until I read this thread. So good.

Turkey

TychoCelchuuu wrote: »

Dartboy wrote:

As awesome as this is, I can't help but wonder what actual indie teams must be thinking about it. The garages with a couple guys trying to raise just enough money to pay for the software and tools they need to make anything. And then here comes someone relatively well-known in the game field saying, "Hey, I was kinda thinking of making an adventure game..." to which the entire internet responds, "TAKE OUR MONEY!!!"

Seriously though, it'll be interesting to see what comes out of this. If they can raise enough money, would they essentially be bypassing publishers all together?

Well, frankly, Tim Schafer has already proven that he can make stupendous, hilarious games, and that the team at DoubleFine can do the same. Even the video asking for money is hilarious. Actual indie teams that make stuff as amazing as Tim Schafer could probably raise massive amounts of money too. Imagine a Kickstarter by Notch to fund something, for example.

As someone who's been involved in a few failed Kickstarter projects, I hold no ill will at Double Fine, and think it would be goosey of anyone to do so. If anything, I'm glad this is making so many people look at Kickstarter. At least SOME of these hundreds (probably thousands by the time I post) of backers will look at other projects and back them too.

Maddoc

Dartboy wrote:

As awesome as this is, I can't help but wonder what actual indie teams must be thinking about it. The garages with a couple guys trying to raise just enough money to pay for the software and tools they need to make anything. And then here comes someone relatively well-known in the game field saying, "Hey, I was kinda thinking of making an adventure game..." to which the entire internet responds, "TAKE OUR MONEY!!!"

Seriously though, it'll be interesting to see what comes out of this. If they can raise enough money, would they essentially be bypassing publishers all together?

Bypassing publishers is basically the entire idea here

They wanted to make a point and click adventure game, but if they brought that to any publisher they'd be laughed out of the building. Thus fuck those guys they'll get this shit done themselves.

Also, to echo Tycho's sentiments on the matter, this is motherfucking Ron Gilbert and Tim Schafer. Making an adventure game. Not to poo poo all over indie devs, but when they make something like Monkey Island I'll start throwing money at them too.

TOGSolid

TychoCelchuuu wrote:

Dartboy wrote:

As awesome as this is, I can't help but wonder what actual indie teams must be thinking about it. The garages with a couple guys trying to raise just enough money to pay for the software and tools they need to make anything. And then here comes someone relatively well-known in the game field saying, "Hey, I was kinda thinking of making an adventure game..." to which the entire internet responds, "TAKE OUR MONEY!!!"

Seriously though, it'll be interesting to see what comes out of this. If they can raise enough money, would they essentially be bypassing publishers all together?

Well, frankly, Tim Schafer has already proven that he can make stupendous, hilarious games, and that the team at DoubleFine can do the same. Even the video asking for money is hilarious. Actual indie teams that make stuff as amazing as Tim Schafer could probably raise massive amounts of money too. Imagine a Kickstarter by Notch to fund something, for example.

I'm pretty sure Notch's "kickstarter" at this point is his dividend from his investment portfolio that just prints money for him while he does lines of cocaine off the back of a hooker dressed like a Creeper.