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Double Fine

All articles tagged with #double fine

gaming15 days ago•3 min saved

Tim Schafer Blames Greed for Prolonged Industry Layoffs After Double Fine Exits Xbox

Tim Schafer, founder of Double Fine Productions, has officially separated his studio from Xbox, citing a strategic misalignment as Microsoft shifts toward fewer, larger intellectual properties. In a recent interview with the BBC, Schafer expressed confusion over the prolonged economic downturn in the games industry, noting that while consumer spending and revenue remain high, job losses have persisted for four years. He attributed this paradox to corporate greed, suggesting that executives are prioritizing profit margins over workforce stability. Despite the split, Schafer praised Xbox for its previous support of Double Fine’s creative autonomy and remains optimistic about the future of Game Pass and independent game development.

via Eurogamer.net|

#double-fine #game-industry #gaming

news1 month ago•13 min saved

Tim Schafer Defends Double Fine's Niche Strategy, Keeper Aims for Mass Appeal

Tim Schafer says Double Fine never aimed to make a game they thought would lose money; Keeper is pitched for a broad audience, not a niche art-house title, while Game Pass has yet to deliver the hoped-for subscriber growth, and the studio will pursue ports/remasters as it incubates its next projects.

via Kotaku|

#double-fine #game-pass #keeper

news1 month ago•14 min saved

Double Fine Embraces Creative Awakening After Leaving Xbox

Tim Schafer says Double Fine’s split from Xbox is a 'creative awakening' as the studio becomes independent again after layoffs, fueling a $400,000 Kickstarter for its next game jam; Xbox’s new CEO Asha Sharma shifted the partnership mission away from Game Pass profitability, making the relationship untenable, but Schafer vows Double Fine will survive and thrive, continuing to push its own projects even as it takes on risk, with Schafer speaking from PAX West.

via Kotaku|

#asha-sharma #creative-awakening #double-fine

technology1 month ago•4 min saved

Double Fine bets on Brutal Legend 2 with a $100M Amnesia Fortnight Kickstarter stunt

Double Fine is running Amnesia Fortnight 2026 as a Kickstarter where backers vote on prototypes to become small games, with a tongue-in-cheek $100 million stretch goal to make Brutal Legend 2, illustrating the studio's post-Microsoft independence and ongoing tradition of game jams and prototype-driven development.

via Rock Paper Shotgun|

#amnesia-fortnight #brutal-legend #double-fine

technology1 month ago•6 min saved

Double Fine bets big on Amnesia Fortnight 2026 Kickstarter with a $100M Brutal Legend 2 stretch goal

Double Fine’s Amnesia Fortnight 2026 Kickstarter includes a cheeky, near-impossible stretch goal to fund Brütal Legend 2 at $100 million; the campaign is framed around a two-week game jam and a behind-the-scenes documentary, with the astronomical goal unlikely to be reached and the focus instead on smaller, prototype titles under a new Double Fine label.

via eurogamer.net|

#amnesia-fortnight-2026 #brutal-legend-2 #crowdfunding

gaming1 month ago•35 min saved

Double Fine Bets on a $100 Million Kickstarter Stretch Goal to Build Brutal Legend 2

Double Fine, now independent after parting from Xbox earlier this year, says it will develop Brütal Legend 2 if its Kickstarter stretch goal hits $100 million. The campaign has raised about $284,000 of a $400,000 goal so far—a target largely treated as a tongue-in-cheek joke given today’s budgets—while the studio uses crowdfunding to stay afloat while pursuing bigger projects. Brütal Legend originally released in 2009, selling around 1.4 million copies, and the campaign is framed as a way to keep the studio alive while it seeks funding for larger titles.

via Insider Gaming|

#brutal-legend-2 #double-fine #eddie-riggs

gaming1 month ago•5 min saved

Double Fine Reclaims IP and Publishing Rights as Indie Studio

Double Fine has officially regained ownership of its IP and publishing rights from Microsoft after becoming an independent studio. In a interview with Kinda Funny Games, Tim Schafer explained that the IP transfer is complete (with Microsoft potentially holding some transitional rights) and urged fans to support the studio by purchasing its games, including Psychonauts, Kiln, and Keeper, to help extend its runway.

via TrueAchievements|

#double-fine #gaming #independent

technology1 month ago•14 min saved

Double Fine Revives Amnesia Fortnight as Kickstarter Vote-Driven Live Jam

Double Fine is reviving its Amnesia Fortnight game jam as a live Kickstarter event on August 31, where backers will vote on which of four prototype ideas the studio should develop into a full game, with a documentary by 2 Player Productions; the move aims to secure runway and maintain independence after being spun off from Xbox amid recent corporate restructuring, with the studio retaining IP and publishing rights.

via Kotaku|

#amnesia-fortnight #double-fine #kickstarter

gaming1 month ago•7 min saved

Backers Will Choose Double Fine's Next Game in Amnesia Fortnight 2026

Double Fine launches Amnesia Fortnight 2026, a livestreamed game jam in which Kickstarter backers vote on which of the studio's ideas become four prototypes and, ultimately, which one becomes a small final game; 2 Player Productions will film the process for a new documentary as the studio pursues its post-independence direction after layoffs earlier in the year.

via Game Informer|

#amnesia-fortnight #documentary #double-fine

gaming1 month ago•5 min saved

Double Fine regains control of game IP and publishing after Xbox split

Double Fine confirms it now owns, or will soon own, the IP and publishing rights to all games it made during its seven-year stint under Xbox, with some titles still temporarily licensed to Xbox as transfers finalize. Tim Schafer said the IP is returning to the studio and the publishing rights will follow, and the company plans to revive its Amnesia Fortnight game jam as a Kickstarter campaign later this year. This comes amid Xbox's broader restructuring and earlier layoffs, signaling a clearer path to independence and future projects.

via Eurogamer|

#amnesia-fortnight #double-fine #gaming

technology1 month ago•4 min saved

Double Fine Regains Independence From Microsoft as Union Push Fades and Layoffs Hit

Double Fine is officially independent from Microsoft, reclaiming IP ownership and signaling a new phase with publishing rights returning to Compulsion. Tim Schafer outlined a Kickstarter-backed Amnesia Fortnight and a live, backer-driven game jam to prototype new ideas. However, the studio laid off 23 employees, and the prior union push appears withdrawn with little update, leaving the studio’s long-term future uncertain as it seeks new deals.

via Aftermath|

#double-fine #independence #layoffs

news1 month ago•13 min saved

Double Fine Regains IP and Publishing Rights After Leaving Xbox

Double Fine announced it has fully reacquired the IP and publishing rights to its Xbox-era games, including Psychonauts and Kiln, following its separation from Microsoft. While some titles may still show Microsoft branding during the transition, Schafer says sales now directly support the studio's runway. The studio is planning a major Kiln update with a price drop and is reviving Amnesia Fortnight as a Kickstarter-backed live game jam to help fund future projects.

via Kotaku|

#double-fine #ip-ownership #kiln

business2 months ago•4 min saved

Double Fine lays off 23 as it goes independent after leaving Xbox

Double Fine, after exiting Xbox and returning to independence, laid off 23 employees (from about 90 pre-cut) to secure short-term viability as it charts a post-Xbox path; studio head Tim Schafer described the move as painful but necessary while Xbox noted the transition to independent management.

via Eurogamer.net|

#business #double-fine #independent-studio

technology2 months ago•7 min saved

Double Fine Cuts 23 Jobs as It Goes Independent After Xbox Split

Double Fine—one of five studios spun off from Xbox during a restructuring—announced 23 layoffs as it transitions to independence, stressing the actions are painful but needed to sustain the studio and pledging support for affected employees. The split left Compulsion Games likewise independent, while Ninja Theory and Undead Labs were sold, and Arkane’s future remains uncertain in France. Double Fine’s recent release is Kiln (April 2026), following earlier Xbox-era titles like Psychonauts 2 (2021) and Keeper (2025).

via Game Informer|

#double-fine #game-development #independent-studio

games2 months ago•14 min saved

Double Fine Goes Independent as Xbox Divestiture Triggers Layoffs

Double Fine, the Psychonauts 2 developer, is becoming an independent studio after being spun off from Xbox, with 23 employees laid off during the transition; Xbox confirms Double Fine will retain its IP and catalog as it enters its next chapter.

via Kotaku|

#double-fine #games #layoffs