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Having just picked up the original Psychonauts for PS2, I don't have much to say about this yet.
If it is a sequel though, the obvious challenge will be smoothing out their platforming and game mechanics while retaining the same level of writing quality. That can get quite hard with some sequels.
The PS2 port is notorious for fucking up the already mediocre gameplay and making it much much worse. At least that's what I've heard. I have the PS2 version too, and (aside from the humor) never really understood why people like the game so much. But as soon as you say PS2 version, you're thrown out of all discussion about the game's merits.
I might consider picking this up again if the reviews said they improved the platforming beyond "playable".
Well.
Well.
Well fuck.
Not like it's easy to find. I found a PS2 copy. Desperate times. Apparently now I'm doomed. DOOMED.
Terrible.
Psychonauts ruined for me. Forever.
Stigma on
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Vargas PrimeKing of NothingJust a ShowRegistered Userregular
edited October 2007
I'm just going to sit in the corner and quietly pray to whatever pagan gods might see fit to grant me a sequel to Psychonauts.
Because it sees improbable that a company that has only released one game that was a massive commercial failure has the money, time, or influence to make new content based on that game. Especially when they're working on their next game which will probably make or break the company.
Then why is it any more likely that the same company would work on producing a port, putting extra time into developing additional content, or at the very least altering the game to fit into a new control scheme, for another platform when it previously failed on three previous platforms. That doesn't make a tremendous amount of sense either. In fact I would say it makes even less sense. Something episodic would be on a much smaller scale, it technically doesn't need the cost of manufacturing since they could release it on download services, and it will likely gain more sales since a lot of previous customers aren't going to repurchase it because of a change in control scheme.
To be fair, Okami was a complete and utter commercial failure and it's getting a Wii port. (May have been mentioned already.)
If it's on the Wii, it's gonna have some nifty additions
sigh
Don't get my hopes up, people.
Well, realistic hopes would be 480p and widescreen. I'd probably buy it again just for that.
Hell, I'd be happy with a better framerate than the PS2 version had. I actually never finished the game, I got stuck on the level where you are underwater and playing from the point of view of a giant fish IIRC. I think I then bought Guitar Hero and kind of forgot about finishing it.
I'll definately rebuy it for the Wii since I got rid of my PS2 altogether.
Lindsay Lohan on
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augustwhere you come from is goneRegistered Userregular
edited October 2007
I've got it on Steam and I can pump up the resolution.
Because it sees improbable that a company that has only released one game that was a massive commercial failure has the money, time, or influence to make new content based on that game. Especially when they're working on their next game which will probably make or break the company.
Then why is it any more likely that the same company would work on producing a port, putting extra time into developing additional content, or at the very least altering the game to fit into a new control scheme, for another platform when it previously failed on three previous platforms. That doesn't make a tremendous amount of sense either. In fact I would say it makes even less sense. Something episodic would be on a much smaller scale, it technically doesn't need the cost of manufacturing since they could release it on download services, and it will likely gain more sales since a lot of previous customers aren't going to repurchase it because of a change in control scheme.
First of all, creating a new game means creating new content. New art and writing, new voice acting new gameplay. This has to be more time and work than porting.
Second of all, ports are often done by or with the help of third parties anyway. The publisher could just had it off.
Third, Psychonauts never came out for a Nintendo console, where it probably would have done best, so a Wii port would probably be a good idea. Especially since it may have finally gotten some decent word of mouth and press at this point.
Hey, episodic would be cool I just don't think they have the creative energy right now to release to the limited episodic game audience.
I can see how your argument about it selling better on a Nintendo platform might play out okay if it were only released on the Xbox, but it was released on the Xbox, the PS2 and the PC. I mean being realistic here, the PS2's sales numbers as far as hardware goes pretty much crushed everyone else and has the most diverse catalog of genres of that generation. If it were going to sell a ton of units, it would have been on that particular console from simple sheer numbers of systems in households.
Except actual trends show otherwise. PS2 had the numbers, yes, but these kinds of games just seemed to sell better on Nintendo hardware. The popular theory seems to be that the number of owners is actually the problem. On the PS2, it's exceptionally easy for a game to be buried under an avalanche of other games and never see the commercial success it deserves. The Gamecube didn't see quite as many shovelware games, so the cream tended to rise to the top more often and get the buyer's attention more successfully.
Because it sees improbable that a company that has only released one game that was a massive commercial failure has the money, time, or influence to make new content based on that game. Especially when they're working on their next game which will probably make or break the company.
Then why is it any more likely that the same company would work on producing a port, putting extra time into developing additional content, or at the very least altering the game to fit into a new control scheme, for another platform when it previously failed on three previous platforms. That doesn't make a tremendous amount of sense either. In fact I would say it makes even less sense. Something episodic would be on a much smaller scale, it technically doesn't need the cost of manufacturing since they could release it on download services, and it will likely gain more sales since a lot of previous customers aren't going to repurchase it because of a change in control scheme.
First of all, creating a new game means creating new content. New art and writing, new voice acting new gameplay. This has to be more time and work than porting.
Second of all, ports are often done by or with the help of third parties anyway. The publisher could just had it off.
Third, Psychonauts never came out for a Nintendo console, where it probably would have done best, so a Wii port would probably be a good idea. Especially since it may have finally gotten some decent word of mouth and press at this point.
Hey, episodic would be cool I just don't think they have the creative energy right now to release to the limited episodic game audience.
I can see how your argument about it selling better on a Nintendo platform might play out okay if it were only released on the Xbox, but it was released on the Xbox, the PS2 and the PC. I mean being realistic here, the PS2's sales numbers as far as hardware goes pretty much crushed everyone else and has the most diverse catalog of genres of that generation. If it were going to sell a ton of units, it would have been on that particular console from simple sheer numbers of systems in households.
Except actual trends show otherwise. PS2 had the numbers, yes, but these kinds of games just seemed to sell better on Nintendo hardware. The popular theory seems to be that the number of owners is actually the problem. On the PS2, it's exceptionally easy for a game to be buried under an avalanche of other games and never see the commercial success it deserves. The Gamecube didn't see quite as many shovelware games, so the cream tended to rise to the top more often and get the buyer's attention more successfully.
So you're saying that if this game is released on the Wii (this gen's PS2), it'll be buried and fail?
I would SO totally play through this game again if it were released on the PSP.
My first experience playing through it was about as good as you can get, though, as it was on my HTPC connected to my 41''HDTV@720p - the game still looks glorious to this day. :-D
Because it sees improbable that a company that has only released one game that was a massive commercial failure has the money, time, or influence to make new content based on that game. Especially when they're working on their next game which will probably make or break the company.
Then why is it any more likely that the same company would work on producing a port, putting extra time into developing additional content, or at the very least altering the game to fit into a new control scheme, for another platform when it previously failed on three previous platforms. That doesn't make a tremendous amount of sense either. In fact I would say it makes even less sense. Something episodic would be on a much smaller scale, it technically doesn't need the cost of manufacturing since they could release it on download services, and it will likely gain more sales since a lot of previous customers aren't going to repurchase it because of a change in control scheme.
First of all, creating a new game means creating new content. New art and writing, new voice acting new gameplay. This has to be more time and work than porting.
Second of all, ports are often done by or with the help of third parties anyway. The publisher could just had it off.
Third, Psychonauts never came out for a Nintendo console, where it probably would have done best, so a Wii port would probably be a good idea. Especially since it may have finally gotten some decent word of mouth and press at this point.
Hey, episodic would be cool I just don't think they have the creative energy right now to release to the limited episodic game audience.
I can see how your argument about it selling better on a Nintendo platform might play out okay if it were only released on the Xbox, but it was released on the Xbox, the PS2 and the PC. I mean being realistic here, the PS2's sales numbers as far as hardware goes pretty much crushed everyone else and has the most diverse catalog of genres of that generation. If it were going to sell a ton of units, it would have been on that particular console from simple sheer numbers of systems in households.
Except actual trends show otherwise. PS2 had the numbers, yes, but these kinds of games just seemed to sell better on Nintendo hardware. The popular theory seems to be that the number of owners is actually the problem. On the PS2, it's exceptionally easy for a game to be buried under an avalanche of other games and never see the commercial success it deserves. The Gamecube didn't see quite as many shovelware games, so the cream tended to rise to the top more often and get the buyer's attention more successfully.
So you're saying that if this game is released on the Wii (this gen's PS2), it'll be buried and fail?
It really depends on how quickly it gets released. The Wii doesn't really have a massive amount of shovelware yet, but I wouldn't be suprised if this was the case for other similar games a few years down the line.
Raz was shrunk down behind the logo. The characters on the left are Sasha and Milla flipped horizontally, likewise Oleander on the right.
You ruined Christmas
Well the good news is that the longer he doesn't talk about it, the more likely it's a sequal. If it's just a port then we'll probably hear news I'd imagine before the end of the year. I don't think Doublefine is a multi-project studio?
Got this via Steam not too long ago and beat it. The collection stuff is a bit overdone, but the game was pure gold for the most part. The writing and voice acting were great, art style was unique and well done, and I actually enjoyed the platforming a lot, and I was just using the keyboard to do it.
steejee on
The Great DAMNED STEAM SALES AND WII/U Backlog Just Finished: Borderlands (waste of $7)/Mario Brothers U/The Last Story/Tropico 4 Currently Playing: NS2/ZombiU/PlanetSide 2/Ys/Dota2/Xenoblade Chronicles On Hold: Prince of Persia: Warrior Within/GW2/Scribblenauts Coming Next: Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones/X-Com Classic
This story shouldn't be on 1UP's front page. Reader, accept our apologies. Last night, there was an enormous fuss made over the stumbled realization that the projects section of Double Fine's website included a "coming soon" section with Psychonauts art. Given there is no Psychonauts section on Double Fine's website, everyone started speculating.
You can stop that now; Double Fine President, CEO and Creative Freak Tim Schafer tells 1UP this is all a big misunderstanding. "It's crazy, isn't it? We just put that in there as a placeholder for the Psychonauts page we're eventually going to have. But we made it dark and people freaked out," he told us. "While I'm sorry people got their hopes up, I'm happy that people got excited about it. Who knows? Maybe some clever publisher will see how much excitement that dark little banner generated, and send us a few million dollars to make a new Psychonauts game! "
Well, love or hate Psychonauts, this entire thing confuses me. Psychonauts didn't sell very well. I'm fairly sure that's true. Given how cutthroat the entire industry is, how could a game that failed financially justify a sequel?
This confuses me.
Well, in reference to my older post, I'm not confused anymore.
I don't understand why some publisher doesn't have Tim Schaffer on lock and key inside a giant mega studio somewhere just making up crazy shit for video games. I think it's clear at this point that everyone of his games have possessed great quality and have provided for unique experiences and concepts.
I mean if you guys can just imagine the sorta stuff that this batshit crazy guy can come up with if he basically had blank checks handed to him on a regular basis.
Guess I'm in the camp where people hail him as a damned genius who needs more exposure and support.
I don't understand why some publisher doesn't have Tim Schaffer on lock and key inside a giant mega studio somewhere just making up crazy shit for video games. I think it's clear at this point that everyone of his games have possessed great quality and have provided for unique experiences and concepts.
I mean if you guys can just imagine the sorta stuff that this batshit crazy guy can come up with if he basically had blank checks handed to him on a regular basis.
Guess I'm in the camp where people hail him as a damned genius who needs more exposure and support.
The financial failure of Psychonauts would be the reason, unfortunately.
I heard that Schafer doesn't generally like to do sequels. Any truth to this? Psychonauts DEFINITELY made it seem like a sequel was possible, if not inevitable.
And, like most Psychonauts threads, I take another opportunity to remind you all that I've been using the name "Raz" for nearly ten years now. Though I was delighted by the coincidence.
And, like most Psychonauts threads, I take another opportunity to remind you all that I've been using the name "Raz" for nearly ten years now. Though I was delighted by the coincidence.
I want to say something sarcastic and disagree, but somehow I'm compelled not to...
To anyone who considers Psychonauts a financial failure - maybe it's posted in this thread somewhere, but I haven't seen any hard numbers that tell us how much revenue the game generated versus how much it cost to produce. Unless that's known, you can't really call it a failure financially. I'm sure they really really hoped it would sell 3 million copies, but just because it wasn't a blockbuster doesn't mean it didn't make back its money. My company generally sells very few copies of our games (much less than Psychonauts, I'm sure) and yet we consistently generate more revenue than it cost to produce the games. That's the only worthwhile measure of a game's financial success.
That being said, I'm not surprised major publishers aren't knocking down their door to buy them out. What they produce isn't mainstream in the slightest (though perhaps Brutal Legend will be a sea change for them).
Houk on
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FencingsaxIt is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understandingGNU Terry PratchettRegistered Userregular
edited October 2007
Apparently it lost the company bajillions, according to its wiki.
I've done a little bit of digging and apparently Psychonauts sold 13,000 copies on the Xbox platform in the ten days that it was available during its first launch month. Apparently it did not rate at all on NPD after that.
Ah, found some more on wikipedia: "According to Schafer, as of June 14, 2007 Psychonauts had sold 400,000 copies (not counting digital distribution, or the Double Fine company store)."
What I'm not able to find (not a surprise) is an actual operating budget and a solid revenue number to compare it against. Cuz like I said, even if raw sales were bad (and they were, at least initially), that doesn't mean it was a financial failure.
But reading about Majesco at the time this was released, it seems their company was in a bit of a clusterfuck so any numbers might not mean anything anyway. Doublefine is still in business though, so I have to assume they got some money somewhere along the line. Unless they've been living off donations and Brutal Legend advances, which is perfectly likely.
You have to remember as well that June 14 is over two years after release. And after what... 8 months it had only shipped less than 100,000 copies. I don't understand how a game can sell 300,000 more copies over a 16 month period than it shipped in the first 8.
You have to remember as well that June 14 is over two years after release. And after what... 8 months it had only shipped less than 100,000 copies. I don't understand how a game can sell 300,000 more copies over a 16 month period than it shipped in the first 8.
You have to remember as well that June 14 is over two years after release. And after what... 8 months it had only shipped less than 100,000 copies. I don't understand how a game can sell 300,000 more copies over a 16 month period than it shipped in the first 8.
Yeah. That shouldn't happen. Like, ever.
Guess thats what a cult following plus loads of word-of-mouth does to a game. Man, I wish there was a Psychonauts Wiimake though... it would have been an excellent time, jamming pointy objects into friends' feet until they picked it up since not having a PS2/Xbox/decent PC would no longer be an excuse.
Posts
Uh what? I see coach and a female character who could be the female teacher.
Well.
Well.
Well fuck.
Not like it's easy to find. I found a PS2 copy. Desperate times. Apparently now I'm doomed. DOOMED.
Terrible.
Psychonauts ruined for me. Forever.
Does anyone have any spare goat's blood?
sketchyblargh / Steam! / Tumblr Prime
Well, realistic hopes would be 480p and widescreen. I'd probably buy it again just for that.
It looks like they just rearranged the box art.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/75/Psychonautsbox.jpg
http://www.doublefine.com/themes/site_themes/default/images/P_Banner.jpg
Raz was shrunk down behind the logo. The characters on the left are Sasha and Milla flipped horizontally, likewise Oleander on the right.
To be fair, Okami was a complete and utter commercial failure and it's getting a Wii port. (May have been mentioned already.)
Hell, I'd be happy with a better framerate than the PS2 version had. I actually never finished the game, I got stuck on the level where you are underwater and playing from the point of view of a giant fish IIRC. I think I then bought Guitar Hero and kind of forgot about finishing it.
I'll definately rebuy it for the Wii since I got rid of my PS2 altogether.
It's pretty keen.
Except actual trends show otherwise. PS2 had the numbers, yes, but these kinds of games just seemed to sell better on Nintendo hardware. The popular theory seems to be that the number of owners is actually the problem. On the PS2, it's exceptionally easy for a game to be buried under an avalanche of other games and never see the commercial success it deserves. The Gamecube didn't see quite as many shovelware games, so the cream tended to rise to the top more often and get the buyer's attention more successfully.
My first experience playing through it was about as good as you can get, though, as it was on my HTPC connected to my 41''HDTV@720p - the game still looks glorious to this day. :-D
It really depends on how quickly it gets released. The Wii doesn't really have a massive amount of shovelware yet, but I wouldn't be suprised if this was the case for other similar games a few years down the line.
You ruined Christmas
Well the good news is that the longer he doesn't talk about it, the more likely it's a sequal. If it's just a port then we'll probably hear news I'd imagine before the end of the year. I don't think Doublefine is a multi-project studio?
PC version supports widescreen.
Just Finished: Borderlands (waste of $7)/Mario Brothers U/The Last Story/Tropico 4
Currently Playing: NS2/ZombiU/PlanetSide 2/Ys/Dota2/Xenoblade Chronicles
On Hold: Prince of Persia: Warrior Within/GW2/Scribblenauts
Coming Next: Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones/X-Com Classic
If only it supported lounge.
2009 is a year of Updates - one every Monday. Hopefully. xx
And indeed, this turned out to be a placeholder image.
My Backloggery
Well, in reference to my older post, I'm not confused anymore.
Console market.
I mean if you guys can just imagine the sorta stuff that this batshit crazy guy can come up with if he basically had blank checks handed to him on a regular basis.
Guess I'm in the camp where people hail him as a damned genius who needs more exposure and support.
The financial failure of Psychonauts would be the reason, unfortunately.
And, like most Psychonauts threads, I take another opportunity to remind you all that I've been using the name "Raz" for nearly ten years now. Though I was delighted by the coincidence.
I want to say something sarcastic and disagree, but somehow I'm compelled not to...
2009 is a year of Updates - one every Monday. Hopefully. xx
They had that idea already. It's $20
Edit: Also, that one.
That being said, I'm not surprised major publishers aren't knocking down their door to buy them out. What they produce isn't mainstream in the slightest (though perhaps Brutal Legend will be a sea change for them).
What I'm not able to find (not a surprise) is an actual operating budget and a solid revenue number to compare it against. Cuz like I said, even if raw sales were bad (and they were, at least initially), that doesn't mean it was a financial failure.
But reading about Majesco at the time this was released, it seems their company was in a bit of a clusterfuck so any numbers might not mean anything anyway. Doublefine is still in business though, so I have to assume they got some money somewhere along the line. Unless they've been living off donations and Brutal Legend advances, which is perfectly likely.
Guess thats what a cult following plus loads of word-of-mouth does to a game. Man, I wish there was a Psychonauts Wiimake though... it would have been an excellent time, jamming pointy objects into friends' feet until they picked it up since not having a PS2/Xbox/decent PC would no longer be an excuse.
In my 3DS: Super Smash Bros, AC New Leaf
Last game completed: Steamworld Dig