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Activision Blizzard drops Brütal Legend 31 Jul, 2008, 10:16 / 59 comments


Well, it seems that my usual unbridled optimism has proven incredibly misguided. As Nappi pointed out in his comment to the previous post, Gamespot has posted an update on the Activision/Vivendi situation, and it is unfortunately not good:
"The only franchises that Activision Publishing will release are based on Crash Bandicoot, Ice Age and Spyro, as well as Prototype and one other game that has not yet been announced," the representative said. "We are reviewing our options regarding those titles that we will not be publishing."
This leaves Brütal Legend without a publisher, and in an uncertain situation at the moment, as far as I'd know. Let's hope this news isn't as bad as it seems, and that Double Fine will have little trouble finding a new publisher for this game.

:~

Update by Tingler: Sierra have given a quote to gaming blog Destructoid about the Ghostbusters game, which reads simply:
"It is not cancelled and will not be cancelled."
They sound very sure of that. This means that there's definitely hope for all the other games, including The Rockin' Game Brütal Legend. Don't lose hope yet!

Update #2 by Jason: "Brütal Legend is fine," says DFAN.

Update #3 by Thrik:

Variety has provided some more details which imply that Brutal Legend has been completely dropped by Activision Blizzard, and not simply forgotten about or sold under another Activision Blizzard brand as many have speculated:
"Double Fine ... is very close to sealing a new deal to release the game. I don't know who it will be, but I understand that it may not be a traditional publisher. It could be a more "unique" arrangement."
That's all we've got, but I'm going to go ahead and guess that digital distribution is on the cards here. The most likely candidate would be Valve's Steam, which has been burning off plenty of copies of Psychonauts for some time now.

Hopefully an actual in-store release will still occur though, because clearly this is a big game that deserves more than to be exclusively distributed via downloads.
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59 Comments

  • Rainman on 03 Aug, 2008, 11:15…
    That's great news that they have something worked out for Brutal Legend but it if it not a real publisher EA, Ubisoft, Sega, THQ etc then the game will tank at retail just like Psychonauts because you need a very large marketing budget to push triple AAA titles & Activision clearly thought they were not up to the task (the biggest company in the industry)

    There is no PC version of Brutal Legend at least as part of their last deal though they did say it could happen one day (decoded as if the game was a success you could see a PC version some months later). The delay & change of publisher could see a PC version but I would not get your hopes up.

    Also the PC market would be a drop in the bucket even with digital distribution in order to recoup the millions poured into development.

    I really hope Double Fine sign up with someone like EA or Ubisoft because without their support the game will get great reviews but no-one in large numbers will buy it & two retail duds in a row would be very damaging for Double Fines future prospects.
  • The Tingler on 03 Aug, 2008, 16:29…
    We'll see. I hope it all works out for them and us, whatever happens.
  • Capn_Nacho on 03 Aug, 2008, 16:41…
    Keep your hopes high by repeating this mantra: "JACK BLACK = MONEYS"!
  • Nappi on 31 Jul, 2008, 17:48…
    I bet Jack Black will finance, promote and publish the game himself because, so it seems, he likes metal.
  • Thrik on 31 Jul, 2008, 19:43…
    Teee. That'd be both mental and most excellent.
  • mrcolinp on 31 Jul, 2008, 17:25…
    My money's on something crazy, like MTV or Virgin Records or something.

    Blaze that trail Schafer!
  • Jayel on 31 Jul, 2008, 17:38…
    actually they don't sound that far fetched. Didn't MTV and Virgin used to publish software?
  • neon_git on 31 Jul, 2008, 19:50…
    MTV published Rock Band fairly recently. I think they may have also published one or more of the Guitar Hero games.
  • Capn_Nacho on 31 Jul, 2008, 19:14…
    Yeah, I know Virgin did- they published the 7th Guest and Broken Sword 1&2.
  • The Tingler on 31 Jul, 2008, 21:26…
    Until they sold off their games publishing arm in the mid-90s.

    Pity, they also did LucasArts budget games.
  • Udvarnoky on 31 Jul, 2008, 16:56…
    Unless the new publisher is EA or something, Brutal Legend is going to be in the hands of a publisher with substantially less money and muscle when it comes to marketing it, which is the only thing I can really see from this news. Granted Brutal Legend is the kind of game that mostly sells itself, but I was looking forward to seeing how Vivendi (the people who own motherfucking Blizzard, who make more than the national deficit every hour on WoW) was going to expose this game and shove it down people's throats.

    Maybe I should be happy that the game's existence is apparently not in danger, and that a PC version might come out, but you know, damn. We've already been through this.
  • Capn_Nacho on 31 Jul, 2008, 19:16…
    You've just reminded me: the whole Majesco debacle at least scored us a PC version of Psychonauts, so what the hell. I'm sure Brutal will sell great.
  • The Tingler on 31 Jul, 2008, 21:41…
    And a PS2 version of course. That said, I'm sure Microsoft would've at least released Psychonauts in Europe at the same sodding time, and in the same month they actually advertised and not five months afterwards.
  • Thrik on 31 Jul, 2008, 13:52…
    I'm just going to throw this out there and speculate that Gamecock may be this unique publisher mentioned in the quote.
  • The Tingler on 31 Jul, 2008, 15:45…
    Jesus Christ, I hope not.
  • Thrik on 31 Jul, 2008, 16:02…
    Why?
  • Thrik on 31 Jul, 2008, 18:27…
    Yeah, Gamecock definitely isn't the biggest publisher around. They're relatively new though, only founded last year. Obviously they have some serious money behind them to have such a big production line going already, although I've no idea how they compare to Majesco's budget. I suspect Gamecock knows how to use their budget a lot better than Majesco though.

    The reason I suspected Gamecock is because they're intentionally trying to grab people's attention through silly stunts, and have gotten quite a bit of a reputation for it (not all good).

    On the flip side of the silliness, they do seem very committed to quality games, giving developers freedom, and apparently obscure their own information on the box so the developers get as much limelight as possible. Mental actions for a publisher these days!

    As far as publishers go they're definitely out of the norm, which is why 'unique' made me think of them. ;

    Personally I hope Brutal Legend is published by a much bigger entity with much more experience, as although Gamecock could work out well IMO it's a clear risk. Could be MTV, as someone suggested. ;
  • Udvarnoky on 31 Jul, 2008, 16:59…
    The only good thing about Gamecock is that they seem like the sort of people that would let the developer do their thing instead of intervening, which is probably a prerequisite for someone like Tim anyway.

    Has Gamecock ever published a hit? Yeah, Brutal Legend is a game that ought to be easy to sell, much more so than something like Insecticide anyways, but Gamecock hasn't shown much competence in the area of marketing. After the Psychonauts debacle, Gamecock would look suspiciously like another Majesco to me.
  • neon_git on 31 Jul, 2008, 16:43…
    I can't speak for Chris, but it seems to me that they're a bunch of childish dicks with no real idea what they're doing.
  • The Tingler on 31 Jul, 2008, 21:39…
    Those three pretty much summed up what I was thinking.

    You've just got to look at Insecticide to see how Gamecock can screw things over royally. Both the DS and the PC version (first part anyway) appeared months late and with no fanfare, with the first part turning up on one website several days in advance and for twice the price.

    And let us not forget, the guy in charge once helped Daikatana to glory and brought about the great Gathering of Developers publisher, the artist-driven dream, which then got sold off to Take 2. And retaliated to criticism about his "jackass marketing stunts" made by John Romero by publicly slamming Romero's personal life.
  • Tal on 02 Aug, 2008, 14:41…
    Speaking of Insecticide, did anyone ever receive those bug zapper things? I submitted for one almost immediately and haven't heard the first thing about it since.
  • Remi O on 31 Jul, 2008, 13:33…
    Steam? Has the game actually even been announced for the PC?

    I mean, great; if it gets released as a download only for the 360 or whatever, then that's awesome. I wouldn't have to go to the store or open a package or anything, and that appeals to the lazy side of me.
  • Thrik on 31 Jul, 2008, 13:50…
    I think that's totally up in the air now the publisher is out of the picture. If Double Fine can get it working on the PC and release it digitally, chances are they will — and there's no more obvious choice than Steam. The marketing costs of a traditional PC release aren't there, so if a new publisher allowed it chances are they'd go for it.

    I didn't think you could even get downloads as big as Brutal Legend via the 360 and PS3 digital distribution systems, which is most likely going to top multiple gigabytes. Last I checked Microsoft cap games at 350mb.

    Other than digital distribution I can't really think what else the quote could mean. But digital distribution on the consoles isn't really in its prime time when it comes to full AAA games... :~
  • Udvarnoky on 31 Jul, 2008, 17:07…
    Wait, can't you buy/download Psychonauts to your 360? No way in hell is that under 350mb.
  • Remi O on 31 Jul, 2008, 16:46…
    Be that as it may; the fact remains that they won't just drop the 360 and PS3 release unless they're on some sort of strange drugs. Most of us -- not necessarily Mojo die-hards I suppose, but the world -- are probably more curious about the console releases.

    I'm not gonna say for certain what cap MSFT put on downloads (though 350mb sounds small to me; I've downloaded larger demos than that,) although if we *really* were to speculate here, I suppose they could release the game episodically.
  • The Tingler on 31 Jul, 2008, 15:44…
    While digital distribution sounds a good idea (especially in that it means a PC release, so hooray), it will definitely come out boxed on consoles too - they've been working too long to suddenly stop developing for them. And Thrik's right, it'd be too big for a console download.
  • ThunderPeel2001 on 31 Jul, 2008, 13:31…
    Should we let Activision know how angry we are?
  • Remi O on 31 Jul, 2008, 13:33…
    Create a petition.
  • The Tingler on 31 Jul, 2008, 15:45…
    How about a podcast?
  • ThunderPeel2001 on 01 Aug, 2008, 13:39…
    FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK.

    I created a petition but the stupid website had an error and I lost it all. ARGH.
  • The Tingler on 01 Aug, 2008, 23:08…
    I smell a plot to destroy your petition. The dark side of the force surrounds Activision.
  • The Tingler on 31 Jul, 2008, 12:01…
    I was going to update but I thought one Ghostbusters-and-not-Brutal Legend post was enough - while Ghostbusters has not been cancelled and will be released, Activision WILL NOT be the ones publishing it. So Brutal Legend may be fine, but it probably won't be in the hands of Activision.

    Does Thrik's new info mean a PC release? Yay! But yes, I want a proper boxed copy in shops too - with decent enough marketing it could really sell well.
  • neon_git on 31 Jul, 2008, 13:25…
    My first thought about the "unique arrangement" was that it could be a music label publishing the game. It could happen. Maybe Tim feels that Majesco weren't quite incompetent enough so he's look for people who know even less about publishing games this time.

  • Nappi on 29 Jul, 2008, 16:32…
    http://www.doublefine.com/news.php/site/comments/more_information/

    Move the mouse and you'll miss it.
  • Thrik on 29 Jul, 2008, 18:58…
    Thank god for that update.
  • Capn_Nacho on 29 Jul, 2008, 20:25…
    God, I love Tim.
  • Scummbuddy on 29 Jul, 2008, 12:26…
    Telltale and Double Fine need to merge...
  • counting_pine on 30 Jul, 2008, 21:57…
    Yeah, sometmes I feel like DoubleFine and Telltale represent different sides of the old LucasArts coin.

    Telltale got more of the puzzley goodness, DoubleFine - I'm being perhaps quite controversial here - got more of the general awesomeness, or at least got Tim.

    I think it would be nice to see it all reunited - on paper, at least.
  • neon_git on 29 Jul, 2008, 13:31…
    Why? The only people who would gain anything from that are the lawyers.
  • Diduz on 29 Jul, 2008, 13:01…
    I don't think that merging is all that good...
  • Thrik on 29 Jul, 2008, 13:31…
    Mergers always cause casualties. Jobs are made redundant, the companies have differing policies, people who previously had a lot of creative control no longer have it, etc.

    I don't think I'd like to see a Telltale/Double Fine merger.
  • Scummbuddy on 30 Jul, 2008, 01:30…
    Fine... Publishing deal then. Or a bit fat placebo! It's all the same crap!
  • Scummbuddy on 30 Jul, 2008, 01:31…
    *big. ARGH! Where's my Edit button tobacco?!
  • tabacco on 30 Jul, 2008, 16:39…
    Hey don't pin that one on me :)
  • Remi O on 30 Jul, 2008, 02:08…
    There's a tobacco called "Edit button?"
  • jp-30 on 29 Jul, 2008, 10:50…
    J. F. C.
  • Jayel on 29 Jul, 2008, 15:25…
    my sentiments exactly
  • Thrik on 29 Jul, 2008, 09:25…
    This is obviously horrific news, but I do think Brutal Legend is liable to come out of this better than Psychonauts did (sucks that Double Fine have had this happen twice now).

    There're obviously the facts that Brutal Legend is likely to resonate with more people due to its themes, as well as it having received a healthy dose of PR and being in people's minds.

    But also, the other licenses that Activision Blizzard is dropping are very big. They're not just going to let IPs such as 50 Cent, Jason Bourne, Ghostbusters, and World in Conflict sit in limbo, especially after all the marketing they've received — they'll be actively making deals to sell them before people forget about them.

    Brutal Legend is probably quite an attractive buy, and I think a publisher more significant than Majesco will be interested this time around.

    :~
  • The Tingler on 29 Jul, 2008, 09:57…
    What I don't get is WHY such big-name games are being sold. What business is Activision actually in?

    This is the first time I've ever seen EA with a more original and attractive upcoming release list than Activision!
  • Thrik on 29 Jul, 2008, 10:15…
    I'm guessing they're trying to reduce their portfolio to a small number of key licenses they they're well known for, rather than trying to be like EA and whatnot and owning millions.

    Seems a bit backwards, but I guess they can afford to do this type of thing seeing as they now own properties like World of Warcraft — revenue is almost certainly not an issue. Although you'd think if they were trying to drill down to a number of key quality titles, Brutal Legend would be one of them...
  • The Tingler on 29 Jul, 2008, 16:03…
    I think the general idea (the words 'long term' back this up) is to make franchises rather than original games. As good as Brutal Legend will undoubtedly be, it will likely be a one-off game. The same could be said for Ghostbusters, which will probably also be a one-off.
  • Diduz on 29 Jul, 2008, 07:24…
    This is terrible. Vivendi guaranteed a financial backup for the game, which sounds rather expensive (Jack Black, the famous heavy-metal singers...). I am afraid that another publisher would be tempted to scale down the project.
    This sucks. Royally.
  • InsoFox on 29 Jul, 2008, 06:54…
    Part of me thinks they'd be better off without activision.
  • Hümmelgümpf on 29 Jul, 2008, 05:30…
    I hope the new publisher won't suck much. I'm angry at Activision because they rushed VtM: Bloodlines, and as for Sierra/Vivendi... Suffice it to say, I played Magna Cum Laude. It still hurts.
  • Metallus on 29 Jul, 2008, 05:21…
    I'm getting the feeling that this article might not be super reliable. It also says that Ghostbusters was dropped, and I saw a massive, expensive GB presence at Comic-Con just yesterday. It doesn't really make a lot of sense to spend a lot of money jerking people around.
  • Udvarnoky on 29 Jul, 2008, 05:24…
    The article does address Ghostbusters' Comic-Con appearance, but yeah, it's probably best to wait and hear more.
  • The Tingler on 29 Jul, 2008, 06:51…
    The article says that they will be 'reviewing' those games they're currently not publishing, so I think there's still hope. I don't think Activision would be so monumentally stupid as to drop Ghostbusters, so there's hope for all of them. And with Jack Black's support, Brutal Legend was looking to be a sure thing.

    But yeah, I didn't think a publisher could go from 'I quite like them' to 'most hated lying bastard publisher on the planet' with one news post. Arguably the two games I was most looking forward to being kicked out? Where's me effigy-building kit...
  • clone2727 on 29 Jul, 2008, 14:49…
    They'd better not drop Ghostbusters! I completely agree that canceling Brutal Legend or Ghostbusters would be one of the stupidest decisions ever made, not to mention they're also the games I'm really looking forward too.

    Of course a company can go from being liked to being hated with one news post. Sam and Max cancellation anyone?
  • The Tingler on 29 Jul, 2008, 20:01…
    Don't talk about Sam & Max: Freelance Police!

    Funny enough, I was thinking about it in comparison to this story. A game the entire gaming press is clamouring for, massive audience, lots of hype building... then cancelled because some bureaucratic bookworm didn't like it.