The International House of Mojo

As you were hopefully already aware, Tim was tasked with giving the keynote address at the GC Developers Conference in Leipzig. So how did the big speech about creativity turn out? Read Gamasutra's snazzy write-up to get the answer to that question.

Update: Gamespot reports that while Schafer didn't give out any details on the new game (which is unsurprising to anyone who's read Schafer's recent statements to Shacknews), he did reveal that the game is scheduled for release some time next year. While this may not satisfy those who recall Psychonauts' projected Spring 2003 release date, it's nonetheless an exciting development.

Source: Gamasutra

Yes boys and girls, it was bound to happen; Double Fine has a brand spanking new web site, and it looks pretty kicking. Currently there aren't too much new stuff when it comes to content (there is a forum and a wallpaper section however), but apparently we'll get both minigames and projects "soon."

So, sweet!

Leading the updates this week are cutscene commentaries for Reality 2.0 by the usual suspects, giving you valuable enlightenment and immeasurable entertainment. Also included is the usual smorgasbord of concept art and some already available but nonetheless irresistible reading material. If a misguided friend tells you that Sam & Max and summer are like oil and water, counter with this as compelling evidence to the contrary.

Wait, one more thing. Double Fine has thrown caution to the wind and intrepidly continued their line of Action Comics buttons with this fourth edition. Try hopelessly to contain your excitement while you order the set, christened "Polaroids," and read the interview with Mark Hamer at the same time.

Gamasutra reports that Tim Schafer will be giving a keynote address at European game developer conference in Germany in three weeks time:

Organizers of the upcoming European game developer conference, GCDC, due to be held in Leipzig from August 20 to 22, have announced that the event will feature a keynote address by Double Fine founder Tim Schafer (Psychonauts, Grim Fandango, Full Throttle)...

Commented Frank Sliwka, GCDC conference director, "Tim Schafer is an exceptional figure within the development community and his keynote speech at this year's GCDC will provide exciting insight into the creative game development process.?

You may well be able to find out more at the official website.

Source: Gamasutra

As Benny notes on the forums, the UK PC version of Psychonauts is being sold by Play.com for a paltry ?5. I mean really, come on. Even if you already own the game, at that rate it's cheaper than conventional roofing material.

It never had a chance, really, not with this interview Wii60 had with Dave Grossman a few days ago. Grossman discusses Sam & Max, episodic gaming, the adventure genre, and all that other good stuff in a Q&A for the ages.

But Telltale's not stopping with interviews. In two weeks they'll be heading to the San Diego Comic-Con, and their presence there, which includes a panel with the Hothead Games guys (of the Penny Arcade episodes), a booth with new Steve Purcell merchandise, and a signing session with Purcell, Grossman, and Mike Stemmle is all detailed on their blog.

And finally, just when you thought Vivendi was plain donating their money to Double Fine, the third set of Double Fine Action Buttons has been released! Based on the world renowned web comic by Nathan Stapley, this collection of four buttons is entitled, "My Buttons About Me" and the product page comes complete with an interview with the man himself.

As you may remember, the new and downsized E3 is imminent...this week, in fact, and while certain publishers are taking a pass on the expo's successor (or just plain making their own damn event, in the case of Insecticide's publisher Gamecock), the majority of the heavy hitters will still be there.

As the venerable "Incognito79" notes in the forums, Sierra has issued a list of games they'll be displaying, including a conspicuous "To Be Announced" title. As you know, Sierra/Vivendi is the publisher of Double Fine's new game. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but could it be?

In any event, we should at least be hearing stuff about some of our other games this week. Insecticide for sure. Maybe Ubisoft will finally re-announce CSI and set us straight on a release date. And E3 is as good a time as any for LucasArts to rip the duct tape from their mouths about the new Indiana Jones, which has literally been nowhere to be seen since E3 2006. Time will tell!

Update: Well, the expo's over and there was no Double Fine presence at all. But hey, it can't be too many more years, right? Also, while CSI: Hard Evidence wasn't mentioned by Ubisoft at the event either, Emily at Telltale does offer some comfort.

According to Tim Schafer in his writeup of Psychonauts' inclusion on Gametap, Majesco is no longer manufacturing boxed copies of the game. He also approximates (and I believe some of you have been curious about this) that the game has sold 400,000 copies to date. While that number is not record setting, it's pretty good to know that the game apparently had legs despite the dreadful early sales reports. And as Tim notes, the game's lifespan has been indefinitely prolonged thanks to its presence on Gametap, Steam, and other digital outlets.

You know what else is now on Steam? Sam & Max. Fancy that.

It's true! Expect it to appear on the client next week, on the 14th. Of course, this doesn't pertain to you, since you pre-ordered the aforementioned Excellent Game the first day you could. But you know.

Speaking of Gametap, the service has recently undergone some pretty major changes. First off, it's now international. Secondly, the subscription system works a little differently. You can now use Gametap for free with access to a limited number a games (no, the Sam & Max episodes are not among their number), with paying customers now falling under the distinction of "Gold Membership." Gametap also now offers games for digital purchase a la Steam (on which Psychonauts is already available for the same asking price), as you've learned if you clicked my link to above.

Anyway, I'm not sure how interested some of you guys are in Gametap beyond its Sam & Max connection, but it must be said that it's been making some huge improvements, and between stuff like Sam & Max, The Last Express, Beyond Good & Evil and now Psychonauts, it's got a collection of games that might, just might, be worthy of your ten bucks a month.

As you know from reading Telltale's latest blog update, the good folks there plan on keeping you entertained throughout the summer with weekly Sam & Max content (including historical pieces and extras from the bonus DVD), the reprisal of their newsletter, and so much more! It's their clever way of keeping us reading while they toil away on more Sam & Max games, and it's working.

The less active but more orange Double Fine web page wants your attention as well, and they're competing for it by upping the ante on their merchandise offerings: Introducing a second batch of Double Fine Action Buttons, this set dubbed "The Happyheads." Included on the product page is a rare interview with Scott Campbell. Tim may not play clean, but he plays to win.

See here, as well. The man has excellent taste.

...Double Fine Action Buttons, available now from the company store! This set of four prominently features characters from Scott Campbell's excellent web comic. But it would be pretty rude to merely re-read the 400+ pages of that without also re-reading the other awesome Double Fine Action Comics, which on the whole we haven't pimped in far too long.

To check out the version of this news that has a Song of the South reference, click here, and also get ordering.

How many Telltale interviews can we post news about in a single day? The answer is three!

This one comes from the San Francisco Chronicle, and you can see it here. Watch Steve Purcell be cool, Emily be all laid back and relaxed, and Dave talk about episodic gaming, not blinking. He has no time to blink. He has to make more games! And possibly a weekly poem too.

Tim Schafer and Scott Campbell are also present. "I like the APE show," says Tim with a smile.

Conclusion: the next Double Fine game will be about apes... as in monkeys... as in Monkey Island!

Source: Telltale blog

... like about November time. Yes, Mojo: up-to-date as usual.

Seriously though, it's still an interesting read with a lot of insight. This was just before Psychonauts came out on Steam so hear Tim's opinions on that, little hints at Double Fine's next project, as well as him admitting *gasp* that LucasArts may actually be getting better. Find the scans right here.

And just as a bonus for being late, here's a nice little article on Monkey Island 2 from the same issue. Enjoy!

Source: gamesTM

The Double Fine Company Store has entered a new realm of awesome by offering Milkman Conspiracy Buttons, which couldn't be any cooler a product unless it was these Milkman Conspiracy Refrigerator Magnets. Also Marek of Idle Thumbs fame noticed that Tim will be the host of the GDC awards.

You know, GDC, the event we told you to attend because Telltale will be presenting there, and will also be winning the award they were nominated for? Don't miss the opportunity to see Tim Schafer hand out an award for a Sam & Max game, yours for only $1675!

Despite a persistent, confusing list of contrasting release dates, Amazon claims that the PS2 version of CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder is now shipping. Retail price is $19.99. The release date for the new CSI game, Hard Evidence, has not yet been officially announced but March 13 is the date that keeps getting tossed around.

Yahtzee!

So on and off during the past year, ever since Tim demanded the backwards compatibility of his company's rather Excellent Game Psychonauts with the Xbox 360, there've been various reports about its upcoming inclusion in one of Microsoft's semi-regular lists of updated games. An update on the situation from a few months ago seemed particularly promising.

Well, the latest report from Joystiq, which points out that Psychonauts appeared in a briefly viewable, and subsequently withdrawn, list of newly compatible games for the upcoming December update, still doesn't mark our victory yet, but it sure seems like we're very, very close to seeing Raz and his fellow campers jumping around on our 360's.

(Well, your 360's, as I still don't have one. But don't let that diminish the joy surrounding the probable certainty of Psychonauts' compatibility.)


Thanks to reader Sean Stilts for the heads up

Source: Joystiq

Ben Gorman brings word that a Scandinavian newspaper called Verden's Gang has thrown some love in Psychonauts and Sam & Max's direction.

First Psychonauts, which presumably was released throughout continental Europe this year, was named "best platformer", edging out games like the brilliant New Super Mario Bros. and LocoRoco.

Sam & Max: Culture Shock didn't win as such, but was named a runner up after Dreamfall in the adventure category. Little surprise there, seeing that Dreamfall is a Scandinavian game.

Congrats to both Double Fine and Telltale!

From the "Most Excellent News" department comes this second Psychonauts soundtrack which features all the cut-scene music that was missing from the original CD. We're talking 18 tracks of unreleased music, some which probably was the best in the game. And that is definitely something you'll want to spend $14 on.

It's less than a buck per track!

Go shop.

Hey, turns out we missed a Tim Schafer interview on Gamespot, and I thought it was worth mentioning anyway because of how good it is. Read Tim's thoughts on Psychonauts on Steam, digital distribution, and, briefly, the new game. He doesn't mention it being multiplayer, but it totally is.

Update by Gabez: Also on the subject of slightly late news: Psychonauts gets on a list for the best games you've probably never played before. :~