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Tim thinks game sale fanatics are SCUMM 08 Apr, 2009 / Comments: 10

By Jason


In one of his rare semi-serious DFAN posts, Tim talks about his position on game sales and the people who obsess over them, partially in response to an article he was quoted on.

While Mojo pointing out the existence of each and every DFAN news post is so 2002, I felt like this one was worth mentioning, especially since he throws an LEC story in there:
Story time!

Around 1992, I felt like SCUMM games were getting the short end of the stick at LucasArts in many ways. Management didn't seem to like them, and in fact seemed to want to sweep them out the door. So I went into the General Manager's office in my flannel shirt and Eddie Vedder hair and I asked him, "Are you trying to shut down SCUMM games?"

He was surprised enough to put down the tiny kitten he was strangling and look me in the eyes. "Listen," he said, "As long as there are people at this company who want to make SCUMM games, we'll make them."

I was totally surprised, and a little suspicious. Could it really be up to the developers to pick what games get made? Do they really have that much power? I think the Sam and Max 2 team might take issue with what he was saying. But then again, getting cancelled didn't stop that team. They left to start their own company and made their game in the end. So I think a more true version of that statement would be, "As long as there are people who want to make that kind of game, that kind of game will be made."
Bam.
10

10 Comments

  • Jake on 08 Apr, 2009, 22:43…
    "Game sale fanatics" sound like people who wait until games are on sale for cheap. I was confused by that headline for a while.
  • Scummbuddy on 08 Apr, 2009, 23:54…
    I read it as "Tim thinks game fanatics are SCUMM/lunatics."

    I was highly upset until reading through the news post made no sense to the headline as I had read it.
  • Capn_Nacho on 08 Apr, 2009, 15:13…
    I thought this was a really interesting and (uncharacteristically) insightful little piece. I was particularly impressed with the clarification that "you're not hoping for some game that’s superficially like the one you just played" but, simply, more great games. What I find perplexing and a bit sad, though, is that I'm sure there's a great many Halo (etc.) fans who are more than happy to dig deep from a trough of crappy imitators of their favorite games.

    One of my favorite things about Tim is the wide variety of brilliant atmospheres, themes and characters he has explored throughout his career. That he has said he plans to do a 180 with the theme and tone of each successive game (from the childish exuberance of Psychonauts to the [admittedly exaggerated and cartoonish] violence and brutality of Brutal Legend) just makes me even more excited. As absolutely fucking stoked as I am to play Brutal Legend, I actually hope DF doesn't do a sequel to it because I love the variety and excitement of every new world he creates!
  • Udvarnoky on 08 Apr, 2009, 17:06…
    To be fair, you can't claim that it's only shooter fans who are willing to support a market of low-quality knockoffs. If it weren't for delusional adventure gamers, the kind of garbage we've always seen in the genre wouldn't have found success. Do not underestimate the need of certain adventure gamers for titles that meet certain nostalgic interface/presentation requirements, writing quality and passable design be damned.
  • Capn_Nacho on 08 Apr, 2009, 17:34…
    Of course! We've all played awful games of every genre just because they are similar to our expectations. I was hoping the "etc." covered this point, sorry if I seemed brash. Halo is just an easy modern example, since practically every shooter from every point in the quality spectrum seems to derive from it these days.
  • Kroms on 08 Apr, 2009, 15:38…
    Just thought I'd point-out that Brutal Legend is intentionally cartoonish, or over-the-top.

    Of two minds about sequels. As long as it doesn't stretch out to the way others do sequels (and I can totally see EA stretching out BL to ten years, OR handing over the franchise to another dev), I'm fine. If it's contained and not milked to death, I'm fine. But if it just becomes a cash cow to be kicked around, forget it.`
  • Capn_Nacho on 08 Apr, 2009, 17:31…
    My statement that the game was cartoonish was more of an admission that Brutal Legend and Psychonauts had more in common tonally than might initially be obvious, as the little we have seen from the game (the "sexy in a weird way" bit) has had a sense of humor similar to Psychonauts.

    And I think the EA Partners setup probably leaves the sequel decision in DoubleFine's hands. Tim mentioned in the 1up preview that he would actually consider doing a sequel to BL, unlike other games he has made.
  • Udvarnoky on 08 Apr, 2009, 16:46…
    I think Double Fine retains the rights to Brutal Legend, so they'd probably have some control over the fate of sequels.
  • Kroms on 08 Apr, 2009, 16:48…
    I know this was true in the Activision days, not sure now.
  • Udvarnoky on 08 Apr, 2009, 16:53…
    I think the way EA Partners works - and what makes it so awesome - is that it allows the developer to continue to own its property (with EA being more of a glorified distributor), but I admit I really don't know for sure.