DoubleFine Explains Lack of PC Releases

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When Brutal Legend and Costume Quest developer Double Fine announced its new title Stacking earlier this week, many were disappointed to see that this will be the third game in a row from the indie developer to not hit PC. Here's why it won't.

While Double Fine Productions already has "much of the technology in place to produce PC versions of all these games," studio founder Tim Schafer explains in the recently-updated DF FAQ (via Eurogamer), publishers simply "don't see enough financial reward" in bringing Double fun to PC gamers.

As a developer we do not have final say in the sku plan for our games. That is the decision of the person investing the money, i.e. the publisher. We have much of the technology in place to produce PC versions of all these games, but there is still some more work required to make them shippable and that costs money. So far, our publishers have not elected to fund that work. Not because they hate PC Gamers, but because they don't see enough financial reward. Double Fine does care about PC Gamers, and we always push for a PC version, and will continue to do so in the future. If we ever get super stinking rich here, with enough money to fund PC versions of our games, then we will go back and make them ourselves! Oh man, wouldn't that be cool?

Brutal Legend was ultimately published by Electronic Arts, having started off with Sierra Entertainment, while THQ is responsible for Costume Quest and Stacking.

And if you continue nagging Tim about PC releases? "Every time that happens it make my eye twitch and I take a dollar out of the 'PC Port Fund' jar."

From The Chatty
  • reply
    November 25, 2010 9:47 AM

    Once again Tim has turned his back on the industry that built him with lies and fabrications.

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      November 25, 2010 9:50 AM

      Totally agree, still you can count he'll be back...they all do.

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      November 25, 2010 9:53 AM

      Why blame him for something out of his control? Developers need funding to make games, which limits the developers to what the publisher wants in exchange for said funding.

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      November 25, 2010 9:59 AM

      Personally I blame Alice. She started the industry down this path the day she bought one of those infernal 'consoles'.

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      November 25, 2010 11:30 AM

      ~ DRAMA ~

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      November 25, 2010 3:45 PM

      How 'bout this:

      You personally foot the bill for the office space, utilities and the salaries for the staff at Double Fine, and they'll make your PC port. I'm sure of it.

      But being butt-hurt and casting slander does nothing but further tarnish the image of the computer gaming user. It's a -platform-, not a way of life.

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      November 26, 2010 1:04 AM

      Oh good gravy. Seriously, what has occured in your life that those particular neurons got joined up?

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