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The road to releasing a Double Fine game is never easy. There are always twists, turns and unexpected bumps along the way. Psychonauts was dropped mid-development by Microsoft and picked up then-ambitious Majesco. Psychonauts had it easy compared to Brutal Legend, however. Psychonauts didn't have a merger force the initial transition (Activision plus Vivendi), its new potential home saying "no, thanks" and being forced to suddenly secure a new partner in Electronic Arts.
That must have taken a toll on the team, right?
It very much did, according to a postmortem in the latest issue of Game Developer magazine penned by executive producer Caroline EsmurdocIt over at Double Fine. Exerts from the postmortem have been published on Gamaustra, providing startling insight into Brutal Legend's development.
When the merger happened and it was unclear if Activision actually wanted the game...
"The merger announcement and subsequent diminution in publisher contact with Vivendi personnel, especially after such a previously harmonious relationship, caused internal unrest and morale dips among the team. Company meetings often included frustrating discussions about what little we knew about the current situation at our publisher, and what the various possible outcomes would mean for Double Fine."
The immense distractions for Double Fine leadership when Activision decided to sue...
"Most of the team was shielded from the drama ... But Double Fine’s leadership was not, and the distraction and stress took its toll on individuals and on our deliverables. ... The lawsuit took its toll on the team, on the company, on our product and on our optimism. Wrong, any way you slice it."
Maybe third time will be the charm for Double Fine. Hope I didn't jinx it.
Source: Gamasutra
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Displaying 1–7 of 7
Purplehasiso
I actually had fun watching my cousin play this. It had something alot of games out there dont;a decent soundtrack. It also had alot of character and it was unique and had a great sense of humor. Something recent games are having trouble finding. You can always tell when the developer of a game is making art, or just something to make profit. This, IMO, was art.
JohnnyBuku
I wanted to love it and at first i did, but the lame RTS killed it for me. The world was a blast to explore and the characters were awesome, but in the end not enough to keep me from sending it back to GameFly, unbeaten...
SoviakUnion
I bought it, but was disappointed with it. It wasn't what I was expecting, especially after playing the demo. The art style was awesome, the voice acting was great. I liked driving around looking for stuff, but the missions were awful and I hated the RTS gameplay. i'll get their next game though, hopefully it will be a hit!!!
jungleman67
brutal legend actually sold quite well. It made a 10 million dollar profit. not too good but not bad. 650000 sold. okami also made quite a good profit. 600,000 copies sold on both consoles
losingreality7
Its always really awkward how everyone claims to want and need original games but don't support those precious few games out there like brutal legend! I support these titles as much as i can because they are needed, if you wish to speak on the evolution of games please be there for when it happens.. lol i sound all dramatic but seriously great game and just plain fun in a way modern warfare will never be!
DPsx72
I haven't started it yet but I do have a copy. I was surprised by Psychonauts so I wanted this new game too. And even if they don't sell a lot, I think it's ok if a game sells moderately and becomes one of those sleeper games that isn't well known but is fully recommended by those who play it. I've seen a lot of those games in the past, they get a slow start and then catch on. Okami, Psychonauts, Tomba, Ico, Beyond Good and Evil, maybe Fatal Frame too, etc. In a way it's good for collectors like myself since the game becomes desirable and there aren't millions of copies floating around.
mcied
poor double fine and tim schafer. It seems they always have a hard time, make great funny games but then don't sell well. If I recall Brutal Legend has had mediocre sales.
Displaying 1–7 of 7