One of the most exciting things about gaming is watching how rapidly the industry evolves. Erratically adapting to new technology and ideas, it's this unpredictability that makes games so exciting - with another new shocker always just around the corner.
When you're surfing on the buzz of innovation, there's simply no time to dwell needlessly on the past. The juggernaut might have just crushed our old toys, but look - we've just been given some new ones. The thrill of the future can numb the pain of the past, but when things start to feel stagnant it's easier to look back.
One of the toughest things about gaming is watching how rapidly the industry evolves. Many of us grew up with gaming during a period of huge experimentation. There's a tendency for people to snub the suggestion that gaming was better before it became so mainstream, but it is fair to say that things felt more interesting.
Take away the huge potential market, and you don't have to worry about mainstream appeal. The budgets behind games were substantially smaller, but limited resources aren't always damaging: Working within tight parameters has a tendency to make people much more creative, and you don't have the same pressures from a marketing team. The more money a guy gives you to fund a project, the more time you can expect to have them looking over your shoulder.
When the guy giving out the money isn't get any back, heart-breaking things tend to happen quickly. In the past 20 years we've seen a number of once-popular genres almost disappear entirely, but one of the hardest things to say goodbye to was LucasArts' incredible Point and Click adventures.
When 3D gaming came into vogue, LucasArts didn't know how to adapt. After leading the PC market for years with their hand-drawn art and fun midi music, a brand new audience swooped in and changed everything. CD soundtracks and mind-blowing polygons saw their old-school approach steering dangerously towards irrelevance, until eventually the man with the money had to step forwards and tap them on the shoulder.
Their first 3D attempt was Grim Fandango, a skeletal film-noir critical gem that died as soon as it hit the shelves; a result too bitter to be enjoyed for the irony. Consoles crippled the PC market, and the Point and Click genre was indefinitely shelved. By the time we all realised how much we missed it, it seemed too late to do anything about it. The guys who'd been putting the cash on the table had found easier ways to make far more money, and saw no incentive to travel back in time. Gems like Time Gentlemen, Please! kept the spirit alive, but it seemed the days of glory were over.
It was - quite simply - one of the most exciting gaming events of the decade. First of all, we were getting a brand new adventure game made by Ron Gilbert and Tim Schafer. You know, the guys who made Monkey-f**king-Island. It might not mean anything to your average Call of Duty fan, but those guys are perfectly catered for already.
Comments
12 comments so far...
KMakawa on 14 Feb '12 said:
I pledged in hopes that they make something along the lines of Monkey Island, Broken Sword, Discworld Noir and whatnot.. true point & click games.. I miss those days.
I highly doubt they will, and they'll come up with something like Stacking(which I really dont like.
Best of luck to them.
c3dpo on 14 Feb '12 said:
TLDR: sorry!
when you start a article about games and innovation moving so quickly???
Really, who other than Nintendo are leading innovation and are actually innovating anything???
Answer is not many, a few kinect games / move. Nothing using the apparently robust Voice recognition of Kinect?????
So better GFX are classed as innovation? Not in my oppinion sorry.
The one thing you do have right is that companies wont take a chance on new IP's or innovating something existing.
nathar on 14 Feb '12 said:
Games budgets tend to be a lot larger that the relatively small amount DF asked for, so i suspect thats the reason we wont see many games being crowdsourced ike this - the budgets for most are way beyond the goodwill we have towards companies.
I think the really interesting thing here is the prospect that one of the larger devs/publishers will do the same for a popular IP, only beginning development when they recieve a set amount. It may be that double fine have actually shown some of the larger companies that this is another way they can take our money. We already pay for content that should be in game in the first place or created by the community, so I fear that someone like Kotick is paying attention to this story..
I pledged specifcially because this is a point and click, and if youve seen their pitch video..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pSteVDn78s
..they make it clear that this is specifically for P&C so i can't imagine they can back out of that now. Apparently the extra cash they recieved will go on more versions, languages, voice acting etc. And of course as backers we get input into the game as its made so we will all get the chance to flame Tim Shaffer if he starts going in a different direction
10699 on 14 Feb '12 said:
Maybe if you'd have read the article your comment would be worthwhile to read to then.
KMakawa on 14 Feb '12 said:
Yep it was the video and the whole idea of bypassing a publisher, and giving a developer more independance -- is what made me pledge. Point & Click have fast died out, all but left are some stupid games like"So Blonde"
So here is hoping that this is the first step to reviving the Point & Click genre. Do you remember Dreamfall / The Longest Journey?? I mean oh my god.. such an awesome series.. All but dead now due to everyone looking towards shooters all day.
I miss those days.
WHERESMYMONKEY on 15 Feb '12 said:
Me too. The end to that game was bloody heartbreaking. Least you can get it off live on xbox originals well ou used to be able to not sure they're still up.
Back on topic proper. Sure this kind of funding isn't going to work for everyone, but as far as this project goes its a bloody dream come true for so many and how any publisher wouldn't bite shaefers hand off for it is insane. Just look at how well the monkey island remakes did or how well Telltale are doing and you can see that point and clicks definately aren't dead.
Still if Double Fine decide to find more games this way i'll put up the cash for every last one of em. They've never made a bad game and if this is successful hopefully it'll see more smaller or experimental projects funded this way.
As gaming journalists CVG should be encouraging this and showing us whats on offer not decrying it, then again It's publishers ad space that pays the bills so it'd not be in your best interests to.
Barca Azul on 15 Feb '12 said:
Me too, great idea.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/667 ... -adventure
They have over 1.7M now!
jdkoke on 16 Feb '12 said:
Nae that I'm in the habit o sticking up for CVG but where did they decry it? I thought it was a balanced article and one of the better things written on CVG, just my opinion
AvatarIII on 17 Feb '12 said:
I've upped my pledge to $30 (about £19) because I want them to make it to $2 million (5 times their original request) I'd quite like to see them make it to $4m, so we've got a nice round 10x original request
they still have 25 days to do it!
my guess is that at some point they literally won't be able to put any more money into the game though,
WHERESMYMONKEY on 17 Feb '12 said:
I think they reached that point about 3 days ago. They could always just rename it. Double fine adventure series. They've already got enough cash to turn the single adventure game into a trilogy. I'm sure if some of the funding went on to help out with psychonauts 2 nobody would mind either.
Barca Azul on 17 Feb '12 said:
Made my pledge too, I think its fantastic the way its going. 1.9M now and lots of platforms.
I bet there are a few Publishers that were dubious, are now losing the wry smile from their faces and thinking WTF?
Question is, how many people could have done this? Is it just the Schaffer/Double fine connection, the genre, ect..
How many would pledge for a Bobby Kotick Kickstart for example? Not many im guessing and certainly not the 58K that have already for this!
I find it all quite exciting.
dwhlufc on 17 Feb '12 said:
I'm going to come across dumb but if I make the donation will I get a copy on ps3 for free?