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Schafer: Publishers "scared of new IP," and that's Double Fine's speciality
Posted: 07.02.2012 12:20 by Simon Priest Comments: 1
Double Fine boss Tim Schafer bemoans how difficult it is to get publishers backing new IP, as they'd prefer something already established and opt for sequels. Going digital helps.

Double Fine has turned away from traditional big projects and instead gone for downloadable titles, like Costume Quest and Stacking. Happy Action Theater made because asking was small.

They prefer safe bets than gambling on a new property, says Schafer. "Publishers often don't want to release anything new, I mean they're scared of new IP, and Double Fine specialises in new IP."

"That's always been our challenge, is getting a publisher to invest millions of dollars in something brand new like Brutal Legend." The console action game starred impressive vocal talents and was well received by critics in general, but it fizzled in sales and a sequel was never sought out.

"It has helped to have games that are smaller, like digital download games are smaller so the budgets are smaller, like Happy Action Theater. The whole reason it got made was that I was asking for very little money to get it made," Schafer continued. Happy Action Theater is aimed at a very young audience with Kinect.

"And once it proved the power of it, money was invested in it, but the original thing that we were asking for was very small." Have you snapped up any of Double Fine's new digital line of goods, video gamer?

Comments

By The_Tingler (SI Veteran Member) on Feb 07, 2012
The_Tingler
It's very sad that really, but it's been that way for years unfortunately. It's worse now.

The worse thing for me is that Double Fine's digital titles haven't really floated my boat. Stacking was a bit dull (although I'll try it again on PC), Costume Quest really needed to be a bigger title, Iron Brigade/Trenched was a nice idea that wasn't for me, and anything Kinect is out completely! Oh, and I gladly would've bought Brutal Legend on PC. Shame.