In July, Double Fine and Compulsion Games announced they would separate from Xbox Game Studios and become independent again. At the same time, Microsoft not only allowed them to leave, but also retained all projects and franchise rights. This allows the studio to already generate some revenue from published games. In addition, as Double Fine head Tim Shafer said, Xbox has provided the studio with a small financial reserve for the first time.
within interview Shafer confirmed that Double Fine has regained the rights to all of its franchises and games. Includes projects established while working with Microsoft. As a result, money spent on Double Fine games can now directly fund the studio.
At the same time, the person in charge of Double Fine emphasized that Microsoft provided some financial reserves to Double Fine, but the game designer did not disclose the specific amount. he doesn’t associate it with “highway”and with “A short runway that ends sooner or later”. As a result, the studio now needs to strike a new deal with the publisher to find a way to expand its presence and develop games.
Tim Shafer’s interview brought up some of the more interesting points related to the Xbox separation:
- Kiln and Keeper, which launched with Xbox last year, will soon receive permanent price reductions at all retailers.
- Double Fine continues to work on Kiln. According to Shafer, a major update with new maps and modes will be released soon. He also said there was “a lot going on” around Kiln.
- Amnesia Fortnight is back – Double Fine Studios is once again hosting its famous two-week gaming fest, and its first public event in years. The Kickstarter launches on August 31, and backers of the campaign will be able to view demos of ideas and vote on prototypes, before one of them will be selected for full development.
- Shafer compared Double Fine’s current situation to the moment after development of Brutal Legend ended when EA gave up on continuing the game. The studio then had to turn to smaller projects that grew out of Amnesia Fortnight in order to survive.
- Shafer made it clear that Double Fine is already developing multiple games simultaneously, but the studio needs time and money to publish them.
Shafer also emphasized in the interview that Double Fine is not a specific person or a studio, but a specific set of principles and experiences carried by the team, regardless of who officially owns the company. Therefore, he sees a return to independence as an opportunity to once again operate like Microsoft’s former Double Fine. Let us remember that after the separation from Microsoft, the studio made massive layoffs “in order to survive”.
