Double Fine Raises $400k Overnight to Develop a Modern Adventure Game

Well, this has been a strange week for Double Fine. Two days after Minecraft creator Markus “Notch” Persson dragged Double Fine founder Tim Schafer into the spotlight by offering to pay for the development of Psychonauts 2, Double Fine Productions launched a Kickstarter campaign aimed to raise $400,000 to finance and document a brand-new point-and-click adventure game. The necessary funds were met in less than twelve hours.

The Kickstarter page, which launched at about 9 p.m. Wednesday night, describes the venture as the first attempt by a major studio to finance a game entirely via Kickstarter and develop it in the public eye. Suppporters can Pre-order the game by donating $15 via Kickstarter which entitles access to a private discussion forum where fans can view development news, provide input, and vote on design decisions.

“The conversation won’t just be a one-way street,” Schafer explained in an introductory video. “This is a game for adventure fans, funded by adventure fans, so we want to make it with adventure fans.”

In addition to involving fans in the development process, Double Fine is also hoping to use the game’s public funding to take advantage of distributing a large-scale title without the red tape and constraints that publishers and investment firms tend to create. Schafer, creator of genre-defining adventure games including The Secret of Monkey Island, Manic Mansion: Day of the Tentacle, and Grim Fandango, expressed his frustration at the industry’s lack of faith in old-school adventure games and the difficulty of obtaining funding for game designs that have ceased to be mainstream.

“If I were to go to a publisher right now and pitch an adventure game, they’d laugh in my face,” Schafer said.

In addition to access to the private forum and the game upon release, those who pledge at least $15 will have access to the PC Beta and a special video series about development created by 2 Player Productions, creators of Minecraft: The Story of Mojang. Double Fine estimates that about one-fourth of the funding they receive will be put towards the creation of the videos.

“You know how they say you don’t want to see how a sausage gets made?” Schafer said. “We’re going to show you how the sausage gets made. We are going to take our sausage and shove it in your face, warts and all.”

Because they have already reached their funding goal, additional money Double Fine raises will be allocated into the game and documentary for potential use in a music budget, increased voice over, or even additional release platforms.

Rewards for pledges of $30 and up include access to a digital game soundtrack, and an exclusive poster. Supporters who donate $10,000 and up can enjoy a private meal with Schafer and fellow adventure gaming legend Ron Gilbert, an assuredly creepy picture of Gilbert smiling, or a copy of one of the last four remaining unopened copies of a limited edition version of Manic Mansion: Day of the Tentacle.

Notch claims that even though he donated $10k, he chose to receive a painting instead of a lunch with Schafer and Gilbert.

@Ashra37 @TimOfLegend @Dracogen Not me! I did donate 10k, but I chose a painting

— Markus Persson (@notch) February 9, 2012