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Schafer: Gamers care too much about sales photo

If anybody knows a thing or two about good games selling poorly, it's Double Fine's Tim Schafer. His last game, Psychonauts, was notorious for a disappointing sales performance despite widespread critical acclaim, but unlike the gamers who rage at such injustice, Schafer is taking it in his stride, not too worried at all.

"Fans worry too much about sales, to tell you the truth," explains the designer, swallowing another chill pill. "As long as you make a cool game, publishers want to talk to you… [They say,] 'We liked Psychonauts, and we think we could have sold it better."

Backed by Jack Black, Brutal Legend looks to have a lot more mainstream potential than Psychonauts ever did, and Schafer is aware of that. He also swears that Brutal Legend's mainstream appeal was a creative decision, not influenced by marketing. Double Fine works to make each game radically different from the last, which is this one, in Schafer's words, "is a game that natually has more commercial hooks, like hot babes and Jack Black."

Brutal Legend is looking to be this year's hot commodity among the hardcore elite, and we're all looking forward to it here at Destructoid. Hopefully it sells far better than Psychonauts did, even if Schafer isn't losing sleep over it.


Continue: More Tim Schafer stories





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22 comments | showing # 1 to 22

Diverse's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 13:41
Diverse
That's not a chill pill he swallowed.
Necro BABS's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 13:49
Necro BABS
Where does one get said chill pill
falinter's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 13:55
falinter
Yeah I hope it sells well or he'll be not losing sleep over it in a cardboard box.
sickNasty's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 13:56
sickNasty
I guess if you make enough from your games to not be homeless that's good enough. As long as you can make a living doing something you enjoy, who cares how much you make.
fetusmilk's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 13:57
fetusmilk
there is an interview up on gamespot.com about brutal legend. looks awesome. of course.
the Golden Avatar's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 13:59
the Golden Avatar
I read an interview not too long where Schafer said the poor sales of Psychonauts was sort of a myth. While not selling very well initially the game has apparently sold surprisingly well over the last few years thanks to its availability via digital distribution.
Maxxthepenguin's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 14:00
Maxxthepenguin
Well, in general, gamers are far too interested in the business aspects of the gaming world and not enough in the artistic aspects.
Chronic Logic's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 14:02
Chronic Logic
Will his attitude change if Brutal Legend turns out to be a great game, but sells poorly? Hope for the best, prepare the worst. I'm still waiting for Full Throttle 2.
aussenbagen's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 14:10
aussenbagen
BL sounds like an awesome game. All this talk that it had no commercial sales intent as it was conceived and implemented is POOPYCOCK. So what if it was thought of before it was pitched? There are a million of ideas that don't get pitched or made. It is the one that looks like it will sell that gets the green light. And after the Psychonauts (great game by the way) sales debacle Schafer needed a pitch that sells itself. So he pitched it knowing full well that it was marketable. Why bog us down in this pointless chicken/egg discussion? Just because an idea for a game is marketable doesn't mean that it necessary bad and shouldn't have the Schafer (I am anti-mainstream) name behind it. It is stupid to think that an idea is a bad one because it might sell well. Sorry but dumb article. Talk about the game.
de BLOO's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 15:16
de BLOO
Fanboys=/=gamers
Cynical Gamer's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 15:44
Cynical Gamer
He's right

I'll take quality over quantity sold any day.
Vanilla Gorilla's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 15:49
Vanilla Gorilla
Honestly, I think it's the other way around. Publishers care too much about sales, gamers don't.

As one who never played Psychonauts, I can tell you this: the game looked too kiddie for me. And that is why I never played it. It may have been this epic tale that spans through a lovable cast of characters who touch my soul on an emotional level... but if it looks like a kids game, I'm gonna look at other potential games to spend my money on.
RonBurgandy2010's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 16:00
RonBurgandy2010
I'm doing my part and buying it day one.
ManaTree's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 16:16
ManaTree
Heh, I'm coming out of the dark to say that Psychonauts, DESPITE WHATEVER YOU THINK, is quite awesome. It is definitely worth a try. Especially if it gets a sale on Steam or somesuch.
Timmeh's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 16:20
Timmeh
Developers like Tim Schafer are awesome. There are too few people out there trying to make something awesome and strikes a chord, rather than something that will turn a profit.

The little, free web game Double Fine made to coincide with GDC had more wit, charm and humour than many games with multi-million dollar budgets. 19 years on, many people still play and love games like The Secret of Monkey Island. How many people will still be playing Halo 3, Killzone 2, GTA IV in 19 years?

I've always felt like games lost something when the 3D arms race started gathering pace.
John B's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 16:50
John B
@Vanilla Gorilla:

The problem is that gamers care about sales because publishers care about sales! If we find a game that is just so awesome that it screams for a sequel, we're ging to want more sales so that publishers don't be afraid to publish a sequel.

Case-in-point: Okami. One of the most brilliant games ever created had a paltry 500K sales. Even if Capcom didn't dissolve Clover, those kinds of numbers don't necessarily warrant a sequel. Zack and Wiki is another one! I want a Zack and Wiki 2 desperately, but do you Capcom is going to make one when it only sold 360K copies? Not going to happen.

We as gamers have no choice but to want higher sales for games that we like because the publishers aren't willing to spend a lot of money distributing a game that doesn't sell well.

So, what Tim Shafer says is true, but really it's because we want more sales by proxy, thanks to the publishers, not because we simply want more sales.
Naim Master's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 16:51
Naim Master
I'm yet to hear about someone as cool as Tim Shafer ...(He's right there with Kojima and David Hayter , the super cool kids spot)

@Timmeh

Couldn't agree more
X-angwin8r's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 17:57
X-angwin8r
I think Schafer's taking a pretty mature stance on this, and I agree to an extent. A game's quality can't be judged solely by sales. I'm a huge fan of both Psychonauts and Okami, and look how those sold. Ultimately, sales seem to be more a product of familiar branding and marketing than anything else. It just ticks me off to see crap games selling like hotcakes year after year while truly fun, original games get left by the wayside. It would just be nice to see a creative labor of love be financially rewarded for once.
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 18:40
Holyetheline
Brutal Legend will most likely sell very well.
Bans's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/06/2009 21:24
Bans
High Game Sales = Fan's Validation of a good purchase..
JustLikeBuck's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 03:33
JustLikeBuck
My car's model sold more than your car's model.

My brand of dish-washer salts sold more than your brand.

When will we all grow the F**k up?
the Golden Avatar's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/08/2009 14:40
the Golden Avatar
http://www.doublefine.com/news.php/site/comments/actually_i_think_it_might_have_been_a_furby_not_a_kitten/
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