Broken Age: Act One review: Not quite kick-finished

$3.3M crowdfunded game has heart and humor, just not an ending.

Read the whole story

 

[M-S-G]

Is it better than Samorost?

 

[slogger]

Basically it's the the prequel to the main chapter which isn't done yet but still part of the Kickstarter?


Also, lol, for crowdfunded projects that share progress and releases with backers the idea of an 'embargo' is meaningless... at least if you're a backer.

 

[Bengie25]

bdombek[/url]":2k64hjz7]Ummm... Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe this game is under review embargo until January 27.

A quick search brings up a lot of sites releasing reviews in just the past few days. Not to say they are not supposed to, but these are reputable sites that are quite good at being respectful.

 

[Sufinsil]

bdombek[/url]":1i55dcaw]Ummm... Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe this game is under review embargo until January 27.

They changed their minds a few hours later after the backlash. Reviewers had codes before backers had the game in their hands.

 

[Sufinsil]

slogger[/url]":sylln6b2]Basically it's the the prequel to the main chapter which isn't done yet but still part of the Kickstarter?


Also, lol, for crowdfunded projects that share progress and releases with backers the idea of an 'embargo' is meaningless... at least if you're a backer.

And requires more sales beyond the KS to finish the rest of the game.

My concern is what is Double Fine left with once the game is finished. They burned through all this money with nothing left to develop future games. Back to KS they go again...

Edit:
My concern is not with what they did with the KS funds. I know all of it went into the game and documentary. The concern is Double Fine is requiring additional funding to finish the game from various sources, one being selling copies on Steam in 2 weeks. More money from game purchases are going into completing the game, which means there is less of a audience to sell to after the game is fully released.

Does not hurt to hope Double Fine could exist self funding their games not requiring KS every time or publisher money.

 

[minion781]

Sufinsil[/url]":1ymczpgr]

slogger[/url]":1ymczpgr]Basically it's the the prequel to the main chapter which isn't done yet but still part of the Kickstarter?


Also, lol, for crowdfunded projects that share progress and releases with backers the idea of an 'embargo' is meaningless... at least if you're a backer.

And requires more sales beyond the KS to finish the rest of the game.

My concern is what is Double Fine left with once the game is finished. They burned through all this money with nothing left to develop future games. Back to KS they go again...

Why is this a problem again? Not every game that graces our <insert gaming media of choice> needs to get a sequel. I know it can be disappointing, but sometimes its better to just the story as it is.

 

[KrazyKen]

minion781[/url]":tzpbet5v]

Sufinsil[/url]":tzpbet5v]

slogger[/url]":tzpbet5v]Basically it's the the prequel to the main chapter which isn't done yet but still part of the Kickstarter?


Also, lol, for crowdfunded projects that share progress and releases with backers the idea of an 'embargo' is meaningless... at least if you're a backer.

And requires more sales beyond the KS to finish the rest of the game.

My concern is what is Double Fine left with once the game is finished. They burned through all this money with nothing left to develop future games. Back to KS they go again...

Why is this a problem again? Not every game that graces our <insert gaming media of choice> needs to get a sequel. I know it can be disappointing, but sometimes its better to just the story as it is.

In regards to Broken Age, Double Fine isn't working on a sequel. They're working on the rest of the game they promised. To not deliver would be a major black eye for the studio.

 

[jmfirth]

bdombek[/url]":215z3ho6]Ummm... Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe this game is under review embargo until January 27.

The review embargo was lifted in a backers-only update[1][2][3][4].

[1]: https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/statu ... 9792366594
[2]: http://www.gameranx.com/updates/id/1985 ... e-embargo/
[3]: http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/bro ... embargoes/
[4]: http://www.vg247.com/2014/01/14/broken- ... r-backers/

 

[multiplex10]

Sufinsil[/url]":35q0y7zt]My concern is what is Double Fine left with once the game is finished. They burned through all this money with nothing left to develop future games. Back to KS they go again...

When you fund a project on Kickstarter, you're funding THAT PROJECT. Not future games. That's how it's supposed to be.

 

[L_K_M]

For one, switching between characters serves no gameplay purpose.

This may be technically true, but I found that it did serve a gameplay purpose for me personally. Adventure games can be frustrating when you get stuck. This happened to me only once in Broken Age (the puzzles are a bit too easy, particularly because the game manages your inventory for you; you rarely find useless items, and once an item isn't useful anymore, it's tossed out). So when I got stuck, I simply switched to the other storyline. By the time I got back, my head had cleared a bit, and I was able to progress quite quickly.

Personally, I loved the game. The generally somewhat low difficulty of the puzzles was really the only downside I found. The graphics are fantastic, the music is unbelievably good, dialogs are well written, the voice actors do a tremendous job, and I just loved the story; it had a good mixture of creepiness and poignancy. The ending of act 1 is very clever, and completely reframes one of the two storylines.

I had a fantastic time playing the game.

 

[samred]

Sufinsil[/url]":1294ztpe]

bdombek[/url]":1294ztpe]Ummm... Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe this game is under review embargo until January 27.

They changed their minds a few hours later after the backlash. Reviewers had codes before backers had the game in their hands.

AFAIK, critics did not get earlier access than backers. (I wouldn't know for sure; I got my copy because I paid into the Kickstarter all the way back in March 2012, when Ars was barely a twinkle in my eye.)

 

[Nevir]

> Some characters like the lead boy, the overbearing mother, and the hipster lumberjack fall flat

Interesting.

The hipster lumberjack was my favorite character to interact with, and I found both main characters compelling and full.

 

[glap1922]

multiplex10[/url]":3gh0hgam]

Sufinsil[/url]":3gh0hgam]My concern is what is Double Fine left with once the game is finished. They burned through all this money with nothing left to develop future games. Back to KS they go again...

When you fund a project on Kickstarter, you're funding THAT PROJECT. Not future games. That's how it's supposed to be.

I agree, but sales post kickstarter should be there to (in theory) make enough to launch either a company or another product.

If you can't deliver on your promise with those funds then you won't be able to use normal sales to fund future projects.

 

[LuDux]

minion781[/url]"zupzxxt]Why is this a problem again? Not every game that graces our <insert gaming media of choice> needs to get a sequel. I know it can be disappointing, but sometimes its better to just the story as it is.

It does if you deliberately leave it unfinished or end it on a deliberate cliffhanger.

 

[Elij17]

3.3 Million for half a game? Aren't backers kind of upset by that?

 

[battlebottle]

Some characters like the lead boy, the overbearing mother, and the hipster lumberjack fall flat

Really? Those were all among my favourite characters in the game. If not my outright favourite.

 

[battlebottle]

Elij17[/url]":3nmr83ae]3.3 Million for half a game? Aren't backers kind of upset by that?

The backers are still getting the second half.

Also Double Fine has spend somewhere in the region of 8 million to date and are releasing the game in two acts so they can use money raised from selling the first act to finish making the second.

 

[Bengie25]

daggar[/url]":ckr1mz29]

The game's few puzzles take a backseat to story

That is a good thing, not a bad one. Adventure game puzzles are poor things that amuse only fourth-rate brains who want something to stave off their intellectual insecurities. They're MENSA meatings in code. People who consider adventure games to be an intellectual exercise are very poor thinkers.

At best, they are pacing mechanism for a fixed, linear storyline. When the puzzles take the foreground, the results are dismal.

Edit: tagfix.

MENSA meatings sound scary.

 

[punkmaggit]

My wife is literally frothing at the mouth to play this. She wasn't a backer and just now has fully realized how much she likes Double Fine games. Costume Quest and The Cave were two of her favorites on the PS3.

 

[ShadowBob]

Nevir[/url]":1gv0x7f7]> Some characters like the lead boy, the overbearing mother, and the hipster lumberjack fall flat

Interesting.

The hipster lumberjack was my favorite character to interact with, and I found both main characters compelling and full.

Agreed. Hipster lumberjack was one of the best characters.

I also disagree that there is a "wrong" completion order for the stories.

 

[Clovis42]

Elij17[/url]":2z6ujeyd]3.3 Million for half a game? Aren't backers kind of upset by that?

I'm a backer and I am not upset. It is important to note that I did not pay $3.3 million. I paid $15 for a Tim Schafer adventure game. I now have half of what I paid for and I've really enjoyed it. I also got to watch the backer videos which were made by 2 Player Productions. I think I may have enjoyed those most of all. I actually backed their Minecraft documentary too. There was a lot of coverage about why the game cost that much in the documentary.

This reminds me of people complaining about Anita Sarkessian's Kickstarter. I didn't back that one, but if I did, I'd be fine too. I don't care what she does with the total amount people gave her as long as she delivers on what each person paid for.

 

[Sufinsil]

glap1922[/url]":384whg98]

multiplex10[/url]":384whg98]

Sufinsil[/url]":384whg98]My concern is what is Double Fine left with once the game is finished. They burned through all this money with nothing left to develop future games. Back to KS they go again...

When you fund a project on Kickstarter, you're funding THAT PROJECT. Not future games. That's how it's supposed to be.

I agree, but sales post kickstarter should be there to (in theory) make enough to launch either a company or another product.

If you can't deliver on your promise with those funds then you won't be able to use normal sales to fund future projects.

Thank you. That is my point. They have used up all their KS money towards the project. Now they require more sales to finish the game. That leads to less potential revenue once the game is released. And a studio looking to go full time independent should be looking to expand beyond the traditional funding cycle, using KS money instead of a publisher fronting the cost, if they want to survive. Otherwise DF's funding cycle will be to always start with KS for funds then go over budget and basically have what is basically a 2nd Kickstarter in a Steam release for half of a game with promise to finish part 2.

So many other KS have ran out of money and are stuck in development limbo. They do not have the clout or image of Double Fine to release half of a game to Steam. Really Part 1 is just like a Steam Early Access game. Which they almost had it launch as but would have been to confusing since you were getting half of a game that is mostly complete, bug free, not getting any changes to. So they called it a Broken Age Season Pass, which I guess makes more sense. It would be like paying in full for Walking Dead episodes when only the 1st one was out.

I never said anything about a sequel.

 

[minion781]

KrazyKen[/url]":1zp9y244]

minion781[/url]":1zp9y244]

Sufinsil[/url]":1zp9y244]

slogger[/url]":1zp9y244]Basically it's the the prequel to the main chapter which isn't done yet but still part of the Kickstarter?


Also, lol, for crowdfunded projects that share progress and releases with backers the idea of an 'embargo' is meaningless... at least if you're a backer.

And requires more sales beyond the KS to finish the rest of the game.

My concern is what is Double Fine left with once the game is finished. They burned through all this money with nothing left to develop future games. Back to KS they go again...

Why is this a problem again? Not every game that graces our <insert gaming media of choice> needs to get a sequel. I know it can be disappointing, but sometimes its better to just the story as it is.

In regards to Broken Age, Double Fine isn't working on a sequel. They're working on the rest of the game they promised. To not deliver would be a major black eye for the studio.

Sorry, I didnt consider the context of the article when I asked the question. When you said sequel, I was thinking Broken Age: 2, not the second half of the game itself.

 

[Elij17]

Clovis42[/url]":3ivpissw]

Elij17[/url]":3ivpissw]3.3 Million for half a game? Aren't backers kind of upset by that?

I'm a backer and I am not upset. It is important to note that I did not pay $3.3 million. I paid $15 for a Tim Schafer adventure game. I now have half of what I paid for and I've really enjoyed it. I also got to watch the backer videos which were made by 2 Player Productions. I think I may have enjoyed those most of all. I actually backed their Minecraft documentary too. There was a lot of coverage about why the game cost that much in the documentary.

This reminds me of people complaining about Anita Sarkessian's Kickstarter. I didn't back that one, but if I did, I'd be fine too. I don't care what she does with the total amount people gave her as long as she delivers on what each person paid for.

battlebottle[/url]":3ivpissw]

Elij17[/url]":3ivpissw]3.3 Million for half a game? Aren't backers kind of upset by that?

The backers are still getting the second half.

Also Double Fine has spend somewhere in the region of 8 million to date and are releasing the game in two acts so they can use money raised from selling the first act to finish making the second.

I'm aware that you did not pay 3.3 million for the game, personally. No need to "note" it.

What was the game's original, promised release date? I'm not saying bust out the tar and pitchforks, but come on. Its a broken promise. Schafer and co. said they needed ~$400,000 to make a game. They got over 3 million. You might get your game, but they need sales from the likes of non-backers such as myself to fund the second half of it. What if they don't recoup what they plan to spend? Do they release a gimped second act? Do they shrug and tell you, "tough luck?" Do they go in the red to develop and release it? There are a lot of questions I would have as a backer.

 

[chunderbunny]

multiplex10[/url]":1opyh0k3]

Sufinsil[/url]":1opyh0k3]My concern is what is Double Fine left with once the game is finished. They burned through all this money with nothing left to develop future games. Back to KS they go again...

When you fund a project on Kickstarter, you're funding THAT PROJECT. Not future games. That's how it's supposed to be.

So if I do my budget accurately and ask for $100,000 to make a game, but the Kickstarter raises $200,000, what am I supposed to do with the extra money?

IMO as long as the project goals are all achieved and every backer gets what they paid for then any money over the Kickstarter goal should be considered profit.

 

[haliphax]

...and the voice of that logger? WIL WHEATON!

 

[Hammerheart]

Elij17[/url]":2z4qn4m5]

Clovis42[/url]":2z4qn4m5]

Elij17[/url]":2z4qn4m5]3.3 Million for half a game? Aren't backers kind of upset by that?

I'm a backer and I am not upset. It is important to note that I did not pay $3.3 million. I paid $15 for a Tim Schafer adventure game. I now have half of what I paid for and I've really enjoyed it. I also got to watch the backer videos which were made by 2 Player Productions. I think I may have enjoyed those most of all. I actually backed their Minecraft documentary too. There was a lot of coverage about why the game cost that much in the documentary.

This reminds me of people complaining about Anita Sarkessian's Kickstarter. I didn't back that one, but if I did, I'd be fine too. I don't care what she does with the total amount people gave her as long as she delivers on what each person paid for.

battlebottle[/url]":2z4qn4m5]

Elij17[/url]":2z4qn4m5]3.3 Million for half a game? Aren't backers kind of upset by that?

The backers are still getting the second half.

Also Double Fine has spend somewhere in the region of 8 million to date and are releasing the game in two acts so they can use money raised from selling the first act to finish making the second.

I'm aware that you did not pay 3.3 million for the game, personally. No need to "note" it.

What was the game's original, promised release date? I'm not saying bust out the tar and pitchforks, but come on. Its a broken promise. Schafer and co. said they needed ~$400,000 to make a game. They got over 3 million. You might get your game, but they need sales from the likes of non-backers such as myself to fund the second half of it. What if they don't recoup what they plan to spend? Do they release a gimped second act? Do they shrug and tell you, "tough luck?" Do they go in the red to develop and release it? There are a lot of questions I would have as a backer.

All of which they have already answered for backers.

 

[dsparil]

Elij17[/url]":ckoi5rqh]3.3 Million for half a game? Aren't backers kind of upset by that?

They probably should be. The most analogous situation I can think of was Anachronox's where a depleting budget and constant delays forced its split in two parts. In that case, part two never materialized because part one didn't sell well enough. I figure Double Fine will need to sell a few hundred thousand additional copies to finance the second part. I feel like Tim Schafer doesn't have as much name recognition as he did in his LucasArts days, so I am a little pessimistic. Has this strategy ever worked?

 

[haliphax]

I'm not a backer, so I'm not personally outraged, but getting $3.3M for a game you estimated would take $400K to finish and releasing it in two parts with the first part's sales being used to finish the second part seems completely out of whack with their Kickstarter pitch.

Did they just get (really, really) carried away with the extra money and lost track of, well, everything?

 

[wjousts]

battlebottle[/url]":32obtv2p]

Elij17[/url]":32obtv2p]3.3 Million for half a game? Aren't backers kind of upset by that?

The backers are still getting the second half.

Allegedly. It hasn't happened yet. If they are relying on sales from Act I there is one small problem, a lot of people who really wanted the game have already backed it on Kickstarter. How many do they think are left?

 

[Sufinsil]

chunderbunny[/url]":3lie1cku]

multiplex10[/url]":3lie1cku]

Sufinsil[/url]":3lie1cku]My concern is what is Double Fine left with once the game is finished. They burned through all this money with nothing left to develop future games. Back to KS they go again...

When you fund a project on Kickstarter, you're funding THAT PROJECT. Not future games. That's how it's supposed to be.

So if I do my budget accurately and ask for $100,000 to make a game, but the Kickstarter raises $200,000, what am I supposed to do with the extra money?

IMO as long as the project goals are all achieved and every backer gets what they paid for then any money over the Kickstarter goal should be considered profit.

FTL worked great this way before Stretch Goals became a big deal or physical goods were required in any tier higher than $50.

They got $200k when they only asked for $10k. We got what we expected in it.

To be fair the game was in an Alpha state and not starting from scratch. But they did not go crazy and trying to spend all $200k.

Now we are getting a new free update sometime soon for it.

Wasteland 2 is humming along fine. It is hard to say if they needed to be on Steam Early Access to complete the game, but priced at $60 I doubt it.

 

[Manic Miner]

I have to wonder with video game accounting if it works the same as hollywood accounting. e.g. are the cleaners and building costs being paid out of that 8 million claimed spend or is that in fact money that has been spent solely due to this project.

I realise it doesn't make any difference to the KS as you aren't buying shares you are really just buying a promise but PR wise it makes it sound like they are either wildly extravagant or wildly incompetent.

I will buy this game when it is finished and available on Steam - and deeply discounted.

I have so far backed 10 KS projects of which one has delivered and the rest are all still in the future. I have noticed I'm happier to give money to KS a project than I am to buy an actual finished game. I wonder how many other people suffer from the same mental affliction I do.

 

[Pantagruel]

Going along with a lot of other comments, I have to wonder how a 400,000 USD budget which was planned by professional developers blows past 3,000,000 USD and (at least according to another comment) still has to make another 8,000,000 to break even. And it does not look like a super production either (don't get me wrong, it looks beyond beautiful, but not like something that would cost that kind of money).

This seems to happen to a lot of Kickstarters, even those organized by industry veterans.

 

[wjousts]

dsparil[/url]":3ss958k9]

Elij17[/url]":3ss958k9]3.3 Million for half a game? Aren't backers kind of upset by that?

I figure Double Fine will need to sell a few hundred thousand additional copies to finance the second part.

And how do you figure that? It's quite clear they aren't very good with money.

 

[Sufinsil]

Edit:
Delete

 

[wjousts]

Elij17[/url]":1bhjt2vi]

Clovis42[/url]":1bhjt2vi]

Elij17[/url]":1bhjt2vi]3.3 Million for half a game? Aren't backers kind of upset by that?

I'm a backer and I am not upset. It is important to note that I did not pay $3.3 million. I paid $15 for a Tim Schafer adventure game. I now have half of what I paid for and I've really enjoyed it. I also got to watch the backer videos which were made by 2 Player Productions. I think I may have enjoyed those most of all. I actually backed their Minecraft documentary too. There was a lot of coverage about why the game cost that much in the documentary.

This reminds me of people complaining about Anita Sarkessian's Kickstarter. I didn't back that one, but if I did, I'd be fine too. I don't care what she does with the total amount people gave her as long as she delivers on what each person paid for.

battlebottle[/url]":1bhjt2vi]

Elij17[/url]":1bhjt2vi]3.3 Million for half a game? Aren't backers kind of upset by that?

You might get your game, but they need sales from the likes of non-backers such as myself to fund the second half of it. What if they don't recoup what they plan to spend? Do they release a gimped second act? Do they shrug and tell you, "tough luck?" Do they go in the red to develop and release it? There are a lot of questions I would have as a backer.

Or worse, what if they make much more than they expected with Act I? Do they go mad again and end up releasing Act 2a with a promise that Act 2b will be coming soon...?

 

[Kyle Orland]

bdombek[/url]":1cvy1vgj]Ummm... Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe this game is under review embargo until January 27.

Can't tell if you're kidding, but if not you are wrong. That embargo was lifted soon after Double Fine tried to impose it.