Double Fine Says "Screw Publishers! Let's Do This!"

As I'm sure you're well aware, this past Wednesday Double Fine Productions announced that they were doing something crazy: funding a game through Kickstarter. You may be aware of Kickstarter, as there have been several notable projects funded through the start-up funding site. This isn't the first time Kickstarter has been used to fund a game, but those are usually relegated to iOS developers looking for a few thousand dollars in order to make hex-based roguelikes. Just ask Pat, he loves to talk about this.

Anywho, Double Fine is the beloved publisher of games like Pychonauts, Stacking, Costume Quest, and some game called Iron Brigade. That one looks like a complete rip-off of Trenched. Headed up by industry legend (and friend-of-the-site) Tim Schafer, Double Fine also employs Ron Gilbert, who along with Schafer worked on classics like Grim Fandango and Day of the Tentacle.

After suffering through development hell with Brutal Legend (a game I truly enjoyed), Double Fine decided to try their hand at smaller, more focused downloadable titles. The results have been extraordinary, and has brought Double Fine even more fans. Their most recent projects have been XBox Kinect titles Once Upon a Monster, and Happy Action Theater. But some fans have been waiting for the day when Schafer and Co. would return to their adventure game roots.

That day has come.

Accompanied with a hilarious pitch video, Double Fine had asked their fans to pledge $400,000 in order to fund a new adventure game, tentatively titled Double Fine Adventure. There are several tiers of rewards for pledging money, with some reward levels reaching $10,000. Normally, a Kickstarter with a goal of $400K would take quite a long time to reach their goal, if ever.

But DF fans, including Notch, came to the rescue, and raised the money in a matter of hours. In less than 12 hours, the project was fully funded, with an overabundance of money continuing to pour in. Tim Schafer has been truly ecstatic about the response, tweeting "$407,470. I love you, world. Double Fine fans are the greatest fans in the whole world. Your gonna make me cry. :) :) :)"

Rock and Tim: Bestest Friends!

If you're interested in contributing to the project, there's still plenty of time. Schafer has said that all money over their goal will be put into hiring more voice talents (::cough::Nolan North::cough::), localizations, documentaries, and overall production. There is truly something amazing happening here, and it warms my heart to see gamers come together for something that they love.

DOUBLE FINE ADVENTURE KICKSTARTER