Support NeoGAF

[belgurdo]

Such an amazing game...the controls and writing are just perfect. I love the attention to details too. I can honestly say that it's the first game I've played for days straight without getting tired of it since San Andreas.

Is Doublefine planning on making a followup or anything? I'd love to play as Sasha and Milla or whatever

 

[kenta]

Well whatever the team comes up with next, let's hope they get a better publisher. The distribution on Psychonauts was terrible.

 

[Sinatar]

Psychonauts bombed terribly, right now I'd be more worried about Doublefine even existing much longer, let alone making another game.

Way to go gaming public. Bravo.

 

[Gribbix]

Based on some job listings that were on their site a few months ago, it looks like their next game is an original title with some sort of online multiplayer component.

 

[strikeselect]

All I know is it better be marketable or they're done.

 

[acidviper]

Schafer should just make up with Lucasarts and crank out the originals and sequels to his existing games on DS.

 

[Meatpuppet]

Profit for pink slip suppliers?

 

[Sinatar]

What happened betewen him and Lucas arts anyway?

The same thing that happened to all of Lucasarts old talented developers. Lucasarts stopped making original content and focused on pumping out horrible crap so all the good developers took off.

 

[Ramirez]

Way to go gaming public. Bravo.

 

[Ironclad]

Psychonauts sold horribly but it is a brilliant game and it would be a shame if we never saw a sequel, especially since the ending sets a sequel. An original title as their next game would be great too, as long as they came back to Psychonauts 2 in the near future.

 

[Sinatar]

Psychonauts sold horribly but it is a brilliant game and it would be a shame if we never saw a sequel, especially since the ending sets a sequel. An original title as their next game would be great too, as long as they came back to Psychonauts 2 in the near future.

Unless the upcoming Euro release is a smash hit, we won't ever see Psychonauts 2, I can guarantee that.

 

[raYne]

Well whatever the team comes up with next, let's hope they get a better publisher. The distribution on Psychonauts was terrible.

That's not why it bombed...

Unless the upcoming Euro release is a smash hit, we won't ever see Psychonauts 2, I can guarantee that.

Even is if is, I doubt it'll happen.

 

[DEO3]

Cheeseburgers at McDonald's, probably. Shame though.

 

[kenta]

That's not why it bombed...

I wasn't really blaming the distribution on its sales performance, I'm saying it was much harder to track down than it should've been.

 

[Minotauro]

A trip to the unemployment office? <rimshot>

In all seriousness (well, not really), has anyone see the deal they're doing on their website where you can order a copy of Psychonauts with a personal message and autograph from Tim Schafer? I thought it would be somewhat amusing to have him write something like "The gaming public sucks" or "This game sold like shit." Sadly, my desire to take jabs at Tim Schafer is lesser than my desire to hold onto $60.

 

[the year 20XX]

Probably making some ramen.

 

[ToyMachine228]

Yes, Psychonauts wasn't distributed very well. I was looking for a copy at EBGames the other day, and they had none. Not even used. I'll have to order it online.

 

[belgurdo]

btw, anyone know where I can get a figment map? Black Velvetopia is driving me nuts, and I don't even want to think about the dance party

 

[Ironclad]

Unless the upcoming Euro release is a smash hit, we won't ever see Psychonauts 2, I can guarantee that.

Yeah, I know. I can dream though. Well, even if we don't see a Psychonauts sequel, here's to more brilliant games out of Double Fine.

 

[SyNapSe]

They need to make a game in a genre that people in NA are interested in. :\ Of those, I think a RPG would be great from Schafer.

 

[AniHawk]

Psychonauts is one game (much like Panzer Dragoon Orta) that for some reason I just cannot sell. I was finally able to convince one guy on a used copy (on the basis that he could get a full refund if he didn't like it), but that was three weeks ago.

Meanwhile, all the future Darwin Award winners were gushing over how cool the latest generic free roamer was.

 

[belgurdo]

Damn, the ending makes me want a sequel SO BAD

 

[Robobandit]

I too would like to see Psychonauts 2.. why is it that all of the original and creative games sell like crap.. it is a real shame.

 

[Tarazet]

I think it's bizarre that despite the dismal sales figures this game is producing, it's not being marked down like Killer 7 is. Probably most stores haven't got enough copies to merit it.

 

[KINGMOKU]

Not money if sales are any indication. The problem is that not only was the advertising crap, distribution was a problem, and platform choice was a problem.

I still maintain that had it hit the Gamecube, it would have sold ALOT better. Only if for the mere fact that gamecube players are starved for games.

The game just suits the Gamecubes majority age base.

Oh well, another game, and possible developer doomed by stupidity.

 

[belgurdo]

Not money if sales are any indication. The problem is that not only was the advertising crap, distribution was a problem, and platform choice was a problem.

I still maintain that had it hit the Gamecube, it would have sold ALOT better. Only if for the mere fact that gamecube players are starved for games.

The game just suits the Gamecubes majority age base.

Oh well, another game, and possible developer doomed by stupidity.

Yeah, I could see cube owning Sonic lovers really enjoying this game, since many parts of it are reminiscent of Sonic Adventure. I still found it odd that DF would rather slight the Cube on their website rather than push for a release on that console

 

[shuri]

Psychonauts bombed terribly, right now I'd be more worried about Doublefine even existing much longer, let alone making another game.

Way to go gaming public. Bravo.

While I really want to encourage niche titles, Psychonaud had some serious issues that prevented it for being really enjoyable from the mainstream gaming public. I rented the game and abandonned it in the same evening, feeling it would be yet another platformer with collectathon ahoy. The gameplay had nothing wrong with it, it played fine, it just didnt feel special, from a gameplay point of view. The problem was that it felt like a n64 platformer. If that is a good or bad thing, you be the judge

The production values were incredible, and I have to say that the whole team did a great job here.

There was nothing wrong with the gameplay, it was a well done job (except for the stereotype collecting lameness), it was better than your average game, but it wasnt special enough to find a spot in my gaming time

Also launching the game at full price instead of going budget was suicidal for a niche-looking game. A katamari-priced launch price would have been much more appealing, hell i would have probably bought it just to encourage the guys behind the game. Platformers just arent my type of games, but I must say that it was an admirable effort.

 

[Tarazet]

While I really want to encourage niche titles, Psychonaud had some serious issues that prevented it for being really enjoyable from the mainstream gaming public. I rented the game and abandonned it in the same evening, feeling it would be yet another platformer with collectathon ahoy. The gameplay had nothing wrong with it, it played fine, it just didnt feel special, from a gameplay point of view. The problem was that it felt like a n64 platformer. If that is a good or bad thing, you be the judge

The production values were incredible, and I have to say that the whole team did a great job here.

The gameplay simply didnt appeal to me.

Did you get through more than one stage? There's more than enough variety to keep it from feeling like a collectathon.

 

[Speevy]

You don't need to collect anything in Psychonauts to advance. And the gameplay is very much unlike other games on the market.

 

[AniHawk]

While I really want to encourage niche titles, Psychonaud had some serious issues that prevented it for being really enjoyable from the mainstream gaming public. I rented the game and abandonned it in the same evening, feeling it would be yet another platformer with collectathon ahoy. The gameplay had nothing wrong with it, it played fine, it just didnt feel special, from a gameplay point of view. The problem was that it felt like a n64 platformer. If that is a good or bad thing, you be the judge

The production values were incredible, and I have to say that the whole team did a great job here.

The gameplay simply didnt appeal to me.

I hate to say this, but how far did you get? Because it's kinda like abandoning MGS3 after the first two hours or so.

I dunno how far you got, but the later levels

Spoiler

end your training and have you going inside the head of people with mental problems, and solving their mental problems

. The last half of the game is fucking stellar. I agree that the basic gameplay of it all isn't incredible on its own though.

 

[Azih]

I think people mistake Psychonauts for a collectathon because of the arrowheads and the CRAZY amounts of figments running around the place. Figments are completely optional and while arrowheads aren't the game gives you a device that makes it MUCH easier to collect the few that you need.

The game has a VERY GOOD first half, but kicks into freaking overdrive right after the Lungfish. The last level sucks huge balls but man oh man do the levels right before it make up for it.

"Goggalor is impervious to bullets... and love"

"Why did you hit that little girl? What is your mission? Who is the milkman?"

"It's all-right, It's O-K, we'll win again another day!"

 

[Spruce Moose]

The distribution for this game was beyond horrible. Up here in Canada, it's almost impossible to find. I have yet to track down a copy.

 

[Beer Monkey]

The second half of this game is mind-blowingly good. If you haven't made it to the MilkMan conspiracy, you haven't experienced the game yet.

 

[Piepz]

They are

 

[Ironclad]

How many times are we going to have this collectathon discussion? Well, I will add my comment into the mix. The figments are not required to advance in the game. They are merely there for anybody who wants to increase their rank to get the most powerful powers or just wants to spend more time picking up all the figments. It's just another thing to do in the game. The only real thing you need to collect is arrowheads to buy a Cobweb duster and after buying the Diving Rod, this takes all of five minutes.

Anyway, as many are saying, the later half of Psychonauts is really when you start to see all of the brilliant style and superb writing really shine. It starts with Lungfishopolis and continues to all of the stages at the Asylum. While the last level is an extreme pain and feels rather rushed and final boss is extremely weak, these still don't manage to drag the last half of the game down. Waterloo World, the Milkman Conspiracy, Black Velvetopia, Lungfishopolis. They're all absolutely amazing in their own sense and the game has some absolutely hillarious writing. Try visiting Waterloo World after you've beaten it and jumping onto the game board and then talking to the cows. Hillarious! :lol

 

[FoneBone]

Yeah, I could see cube owning Sonic lovers really enjoying this game, since many parts of it are reminiscent of Sonic Adventure. I still found it odd that DF would rather slight the Cube on their website rather than push for a release on that console

I really, really don't think it was their call. As a Nintendo fan myself, I'm disgusted with people who keep trotting that out as an excuse to hate TEH EVAL Double Fine for all eternity.

 

[typhonsentra]

I bought the game and all, but them insulting the Gamecube does make their failure seem funny to me. Sorry if that seems mean.

 

[Kobun Heat]

By this logic, any game in which you collect things is a collectathon, thus rendering the term -- as appropriately applied to stuff like Banjo-Kazooie -- meaningless.

Psychonauts is love.

EDIT: For the record:

- I don't think they were insulting the GCN with that news post, it was just humor;
- a GameCube port really wouldn't make any sort of economic sense;
- the game wouldn't even exist if not for the Xbox;
- all that said, in some weird alternate reality where Nintendo partnered with Double Fine to produce the exact same game as a Nintendo-published GCN exclusive, it would easily have sold more copies;
- but whatever.

 

[ManaByte]

The same thing that happened to all of Lucasarts old talented developers. Lucasarts stopped making original content and focused on pumping out horrible crap so all the good developers took off.

True. However the person responsible for that was fired and is now running Sega of America. The new guy in charge is much better and people like Larry Holland have returned to Lucasarts.

 

[typhonsentra]

Well it couldn't of hurt. And they drew attention to them not doing a Gamecube port, which was probably in bad taste.

 

[Teknopathetic]

It's not like they took a huge steaming dump on a gamecube and took pictures for the website. "Bad taste," eesh, how sensitive do you have to be?

 

[typhonsentra]

Well I don't really care either way since I didn't really like the game, but I still find it funny that they chose to compare the Gamecube to the Dreamcast when their game crashed and burned like it did. That's all I'm saying.

 

[jedimike]

I finally got a chance to play Psychonauts last night. I love the atmosphere of the game. The heart of the game is really nothing more than Mario 64 with a Tim Schafer spin. I enjoy the humor, the different environments, the control is spot on, and then there is the collecting... which I enjoy.

I don't know why people bitched about Rare's games being collect-a-thons, but other games with similar elements get a free pass. Personally, I really miss these type of games. I miss the colorful, jumping, puzzle solving, colecting adventures. The Tim Schafer design and humor is just icing on the cake.

 

[NintendosBooger]

Whatever they make next, they better learn not to diss a console (and indirectly their loyal fanbase).

 

[Teknopathetic]

I hope they do it just to spite those fanatical dorkwads.

 

[NintendosBooger]

Guess they showed them, huh? :lol

 

[Teknopathetic]

It's not like it was on said console so no sales lost there. They *did* show them.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

I hope they do it just to spite those fanatical dorkwads.

This thread really points to their reputation quite well.

 

[pj]

Whatever they make next, they better learn not to diss a console (and indirectly their loyal fanbase).

Right, because lucasarts adventure fans are also nintendo fanboys, and that gc joke is the reason the game bombed in sales, even though it was made after the game came out



wtf

 

[NintendosBooger]

Right, because lucasarts adventure fans are also nintendo fanboys, and that gc joke is the reason the game bombed in sales, even though it was made after the game came out



wtf

Did I ever say that? If you're a struggling developer, receiving sproradic and unreliable funding from various sources, how does it benefit you to take shots, whether friendly or not, at a console and to risk offending hypersensitive fans like those of Nintendo? It would have been ill-advised to do so with XBox or PS2, as well.

If I'm broke, in need of serious money, food, and shelter, and I was walking down a street in a city with a diverse population, I'm not going to openly ridicule anyone and risk having any entire segment of that city turn their collective backs on me.

Some people just don't have any business sense.