Broken Age - Double Fine's Kickstarter Adventure Game

[Boleskine]

 

[Metro]

I've lost track, has the second half of this abortion shipped yet?

 

[Boleskine]

I've lost track, has the second half of this abortion shipped yet?

From the backers update:

- Parts of the Shay's Act 2 are playable; puzzles and animations still being integrated
- Tim finished writing for Shay, moving onto writing for Vella
- Voice recording planned for early July
- Next documentary episode in about one month

I'm not sure what a good estimate for release would be based off that - maybe August/September?

 

[J_C]

I've lost track, has the second half of this abortion shipped yet?

From the backers update:

- Parts of the Shay's Act 2 are playable; puzzles and animations still being integrated
- Tim finished writing for Shay, moving onto writing for Vella
- Voice recording planned for early July
- Next documentary episode in about one month

I'm not sure what a good estimate for release would be based off that - maybe August/September?

I'd rather say that it will be nov/dec if we are lucky. And to think that when they decided to cut the game into episodic content, they mentioned an april release for Act 2.

 

[Pyke]

Im looking forward to seeing what they produce with a more restricted budget and a proven production line of tools...I think Act 2 will be a lot 'tighter' than Act 1 because of their limitations.

If anything it will be an interesting experiment!

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Im looking forward to seeing what they produce with a more restricted budget and a proven production line of tools...I think Act 2 will be a lot 'tighter' than Act 1 because of their limitations.

If anything it will be an interesting experiment!

You know people will buy STASIS off you even if you're honest about Double Fine, right?

Spoiler

 

[PlanHex]

- Tim finished writing for Shay, moving onto writing for Vella

I hope this doesn't mean that the two characters will be completely separate again.
Game definitely needed more puzzles that required interaction between the two.
Why even have two protagonists if you're not gonna do stuff like that?

 

[tuluse]

I hope this doesn't mean that the two characters will be completely separate again.
Game definitely needed more puzzles that required interaction between the two.
Why even have two protagonists if you're not gonna do stuff like that?

Tim said that it gives the player multiple problems to solve at once. So if you get stuck with one character, you can switch and play the other one for while.

Of course the game is far too easy and short for that to matter.

 

[buzz]

Uhm, I don't know much about how development works, but why is Tim writing for part 2 right now and is still not finished? I thought writing was supposed to be done pretty early in game development, especially since this is an adventure game. Don't the other people (art, animation, puzzle implementation) have to wait for him before wrapping up their jobs?

 

[tuluse]

Uhm, I don't know much about how development works, but why is Tim writing for part 2 right now and is still not finished? I thought writing was supposed to be done pretty early in game development, especially since this is an adventure game. Don't the other people (art, animation, puzzle implementation) have to wait for him before wrapping up their jobs?

 

[pakoito]

Uhm, I don't know much about how development works, but why is Tim writing for part 2 right now and is still not finished? I thought writing was supposed to be done pretty early in game development, especially since this is an adventure game. Don't the other people (art, animation, puzzle implementation) have to wait for him before wrapping up their jobs?

AFAIK they designed the scenery first, then put characters and key/lock puzzles, then repainted any needed area changes and transitions between them. That's the impression I got from the documentary anyway.

 

[Pyke]

Uhm, I don't know much about how development works, but why is Tim writing for part 2 right now and is still not finished? I thought writing was supposed to be done pretty early in game development, especially since this is an adventure game. Don't the other people (art, animation, puzzle implementation) have to wait for him before wrapping up their jobs?

I assume they are talking about dialogue. Writing *should* happen as early as possible, but in general it can be done later in the project. Programmers and artists can implement the puzzles as long as they have the puzzle design done. The dialogue writing isn't really integral to the game design part of the process and can be added in at any time. BUT if its done earlier you can change things while you are implementing the puzzles in terms of clues or additional info.

BUT having your writing come in too late in the process generally means that things have to be redone. Animations need to be retimed, music may need to be redone, and entire sections may just not work properly from a flow point of view.

 

[Metro]

It means Tim is a shit developer -- something we all already knew. They got over $5 million to fund this through KS, Humble Bundles, and e-panhandling and it's being cobbled together like Double Fine is a group of half a dozen college-aged indie devs working out of their garage.

 

[Whiran]

It means Tim is a shit developer -- something we all already knew. They got over $5 million to fund this through KS, Humble Bundles, and e-panhandling and it's being cobbled together like Double Fine is a group of half a dozen college-aged indie devs working out of their garage.

Hey now, half a dozen college-aged indie devs can make some incredible games. Don't be hating on them like this.

buzz, it means that what was said earlier about the state of the game's development "wasn't the entire or whole truth" as such more like a guideline within a larger framework of schedules that could include a hundred year's worth of projects. Within that context then the game was pretty much done.

 

[Boleskine]

The latest documentary episode for Broken Age was released today.

They seem to be projecting December as a possibility for Act 2 to come out.

 

[mindx2]

For those that don't get the email updates (the backer-only videos won't work though, sorry):

Project Update #40: DFA EPISODE 16: THIS TIME IT’S JUST FOR LOVE
HI! We're back with a fun video-filled update for you! First off, it's time for your first peek at Broken Age Act 2 development! In this episode we explore the aftermath of Act 1's release, the work the team put into the iPad version, and pre-production for the second half of the game...

https://vimeo.com/100261200
Project Update
As always, the team is actually quite a bit ahead of the documentary due to 2 Player’s production cycle, so it seemed like a good time to catch you up on where things are. We are currently in our final sprint for Shay’s half of Act 2. At the end of next week his section of Act 2 will be playable from start to finish with blocked animation!

Then it’s off to the studio for another voice recording session with Khris Brown and our amazing cast. This will allow us to get our friends at SuperGenius back on the project to start working on final animations for Shay’s half of Act 2 while the team rolls on to blocking out Vella’s section.

And because it deserves a closer look, I’ll just leave this render of everyone’s favorite hipster lumberjack showing off his new style right here...

We’re bringing Grim back!
Double Fine is pleased to announce that, along with the console exclusive PlayStation 4 and Vita versions of Grim Fandango, Manny will also reap once again on PC, Mac, and Linux!

And that’s not all, folks! All versions will be launching simultaneously, so everyone can play on day one and not have to worry about those spoilers you’ve been successfully avoiding for the past fifteen years. (Pro-tip: stay off Twitter.)

But hopefully, after all those years of patience, you can hold out just a BIT longer. Until then, here’s a retrospective on the game from 2 Player Productions!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNhE7zxJymE&noredirect=1
SIDEQUEST: My Seat Only Goes Back so Far

After exploring the members of the Broken Age development team, we thought it would be nice to switch gears and cover the business side of the project. Justin Bailey just celebrated his two year anniversary with the company and since he's been featured so prominently in the Double Fine Adventure documentary, we thought it was time to have a chat with him…

https://vimeo.com/100165718
Good New Games
Mountain

In case you missed it, last week we announced our third Double Fine Presents title, Mountain, from David OReilly. You may know David’s work from his amazing animated short films, his crazytown Adventure Time episode, or most recently the incredible hologram video game sequences in Spike Jonze’s film Her.

Mountain is David’s first step into the interactive world and it’s beautiful, relaxing, and most definitely unlike anything you’ve played before. It is a completely procedural terrarium of sorts that provides an ambient, minimalist, zen-like experience full of secrets and mysteries. It’s something that is begging to live in a small window of your desktop at all times and be taken in passively over time.

The game is now available on iOS and PC, Mac, and Linux for $.99.

...and now for a trio of Kickstarter games!:

Sunset

Tale of Tales has been making games for over 10 years, and is best known for artistic and experimental games like The Path, The Endless Forest, and The Graveyard. Sunset is an atmospheric first-person thriller that follows a housekeeper named Angela Burnes as she discovers a fictional 1972 South American Republic at the brink of war by intimately exploring the house of the wealthy eccentric Gabriel Ortega. There's beauty, mystery, and even romance, as you decide where you stand in the conflict, rather that’s a lover, a traitor, a spy or an ally. Their Kickstarter is live and knocking down stretch goals as we speak right here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/taleoftales/sunset-a-first-person-videogame-thriller

TerraTech

TerraTech lets you design, construct, and organise a fleet of unique vehicles to lead to victory as you battle your way across the lawless frontiers of new alien worlds in a quest for glory and profit. In the distant future, Earth's natural resources have finally been depleted, and as an off-world prospector it's your job to travel to alien planets, gather up all the good stuff and blast it back home to get paid. With harvesting, crafting, building, and physics this one seems to be pressing all the right buttons. There’s still a few weeks left in their campaign so head on over and let’s give them a push towards that goal!:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/payloadstudios/terratech-physics-based-vehicle-construction-and-c

Shovel Knight

These guys killed it on Kickstarter last year and the game is finally here! There have been a ton of words written about how great it is, so I’m not sure what else to say other than THEY’RE ALL RIGHT! This truly is the greatest love letter to the NES age that you could wish for, and it’s got a nice thick coat of modern game design right on top of it.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/250760/

That’s it for now! Thanks for the patience as we work to make Act 2 the best it can be!

DFA Episode 16 Show Notes:
00:16 -- Go way back to DFA episode 2 if you want a refresher on Tim’s notebook and his approach to writing.

03:41 -- This piece of Camden’s interview is from DFA episode 14, on the eve of the backer beta release.

04:16 -- Stick around after the credits to see exact sales numbers for Broken Age (as of July 8th).

04:33 -- Hard to believe but the Double Fine Adventure kickstarter ended two and a half years ago.

07:30 -- The giant painting behind Tim is what gives that specific conference room the nickname “Granny”. Other pet names for various Double Fine rooms include Lola and Cold Room.

8:00 -- Oliver is obviously remembering some past trauma involving tinkle fairies.

09:40 -- The yarn pals were made by a generous fan and gifted to Tim.

12:45 -- A Johnny-Come-Lately is a newcomer or a novice. A Johnny-Leave-Early seems to be someone who doesn’t stick it out til the end of something.

23:01 -- Amnesia Fortnight fans will note the Little Pink Best Buds shirt Tim is wearing.

 

[Metro]

Zzzzz.

 

[HanoverF]

Very gloomy episode, Broken Age performed according to very conservative estimates and now Tim and the gang look like they're stuck on a slowly sinking ship they're contractually obligated to go down with. The even quickly dismiss the idea that more copies will be sold once both acts are complete.

 

[Metro]

Good. That's what happens when you make a mediocre to poor game. They put so little effort and creativity into this it's appalling. Especially when you compare it to true indie developers who have been making solid adventure games for the last several years with a tenth of the budget and marketing hype Tim had.

 

[Aeschylus]

Well, when significantly more work goes into the animation of an adventure game than the story and puzzle design, it does not particularly deserve to do well.

 

[pakoito]

Well, when significantly more work goes into the animation of an adventure game than the story and puzzle design, it does not particularly deserve to do well.

"We like to think that it is the logical evolution adventure games would have taken if they were still an active genre."

And they are not wrong. BA is an adventure game Ubisoft would make the same way Dragon Age is an RPG EA does, or latest Wolfenstein having even less meat than a '92 mode 7 release. Evolution. Streamlining. :incloosive:

 

[DeepOcean]

Up to 6 months ago I still had some respect for Tim Schaefer for making part of the adventure gamming history but it is the same thing that happened with the brazilian soccer team coach, the man looks old and tired, living of the past he doesn't understand anymore.

 

[Boleskine]

I think Broken Age is still a good game, even if it's an easy one. It may not be what some hoped for in design and challenge, but it doesn't have many technical or design flaws.

Here's what I'm trying to figure out: their ~90,000 backers were a mix of long-time adventure game fans and indie hipsters. I'm not sure how many hardcore point and clickers were left over as potential customers after the kickstarter campaign. The game was designed to have broader appeal and reach outside of the adventure niche, and part of that was making it casual/tablet friendly, as well as keeping difficulty low.

If the game hadn't been crowdfunded, the total estimated sales (kickstarter + actual release) would maybe be considered a moderate success, at least in the adventure market.

However, since those kickstarter backers don't count as customers or actual purchases at release, the net sales become disappointing. So, where are the missing sales from their projections/expectations? Is the game failing more in the adventure community, or is it more failing to reach a broader audience? In the backer video from today Tim and the developers didn't seem too enthusiastic about the iPad/mobile sales, either.

My guess would be both - adventure gamers didn't find the game to be "classic" enough in the design or challenge, and many felt the budget focused too much on art and animation. I can't really explain or understand why Broken Age didn't do better in the "casual" or wider PC markets, though.

The game generally had pretty good reviews in "mainstream" press. So what really stopped it from selling more copies? It certainly had an anticlimactic release with the early backer access, broken review embargo, and subsequent loss of interest or lack of generating buzz. If DF wants to improve sales with Act 2, what do they need to focus on - more challenge, which could scare away those casual gamers, or something else?

I imagine that having the complete game would help in case people are skeptical of buying an unfinished game which ends just as the story gets interesting. Did Broken Sword 5 get a boost when they released Part 2?

Either way I think the huge gap between Act 1 and 2 (which is looking to be about a year or possibly more) could hurt them, as the industry moves really quickly and people may lose interest or otherwise forget about Broken Age. It's going to need a ton of positive reviews, especially from the dedicated adventure gamers, to gain momentum.

 

[buzz]

I can't really explain or understand why Broken Age didn't do better in the "casual" or wider PC markets, though.

Because casual gamers don't care about adventure games, especially casual gamers that use phone and tablets.
There's this interesting adventure/experimental game on the smartphones called DEVICE 6, easily one of the best things you can get out of the platform. I never saw one person besides myself even trying it, let alone play it. And that's a game that fully utilizes the smartphone functions, unlike a typical adventure game where point and clicking and dragging might get tedious.
Casual gamers are rather preoccupied with Angry Birds, Candy Crush Saga, Hold my Water, 2048, Flappy Bird and other assortment of small puzzle or arcade games or tower defense games. The smartphones are not a great platform for "serious" gaming, they consume a fuckload of battery for every simple thing, only have one single physical button, you need to hold the goddamn thing in your hands, smooch the already small screen to reach objectives and all the things that would rather make consumers play small games than that shit.

Personally, I don't think Tim's number 1 priority was selling the game to the Wii U and Candy Crush audiences. Broken Age is still at the end of the day an adventure game in most of its functionality. There is a big part of the game spent on Machinarium-type of puzzles, but afterwards it's all about adventurey puzzles like reaching unreachable objects, mixing objects, finding lost shit, riddles, the Space Weaver quest was clever enough on its own. The game is easy, yes, but I don't think one released kickstarter adventure game did the opposite. Not Broken Sword, not Moebius, not even Tex which most people liked. It's like everyone still has a trauma from the 90s when everyone complained about shitty and illogical puzzles, and they just don't want to dip into that territory any longer.

Like I said, what really was missed in Broken Age was that humane touch and the attention to details. For me, the comments your characters make while observing everything around them is what made adventure games tick for me. BA sorely lacks that, too many things are just background and the art style doesn't help either. They've spent so much animating a bunch of bland, not-funny characters and it didn't impress anyone.
At the end of the day, it wasn't the mechanical depth or the puzzles that drew people to LucasArts adventure games in specific, it was everything else from the music (did Broken Age even had a soundtrack? lol) to the characters and that feeling that you're truly exploring something new and fun.

 

[Metro]

This shit will be bundle fodder before part two comes out.