Not Space Quest (Update: Demo is out, video within)

http://guysfromandromeda.com

So after 21 years, it seems like Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy, better known by their alter-egos, the Two Guys from Andromeda, have reunited to make a new adventure game. It seems like it will be a sci-fi spoof adventure game, with Gary Owns as narrator, but no one's saying the words "Space Quest" so they probably don't have the license. Also, no one is saying anything about Kickstarter, so maybe Double Fine's success is already having some ripple effects with investors.

I love the Space Quest series, probably my favorite adventure series, definitely my favorite Sierra series. I love the way they used the narration to spoof the old Buck Rogers radio dramas. There are a million parodies of Star Wars and Star Trek out there (and eventually SQ went down this road too in the last two games), but I like how Space Quest went for more of a 30s sci fi pulp novel feel. I don't care if this game has Roger in it or not, the narrator was always my favorite character.

Man, you already said everything. You're absolutley right about the narrator being the best character in Space Quest.

I want to hug Tim Schafer for all of these revivals.

edit: Wait, Gary Owens as in Space Quest 4 Narrator Gary Owens? BEST NEWS EVER

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...s-of-space-que

The voice lineup is pretty great.

Wow talk about a nice lineup of voice actors.

I'm up for pledging $10,000 if they can introduce me to that fine, extraterrestrial lady in the t-shirt.

I probably have more confidence in this project than any of the others besides Double Fine's. The Space Quest games were so good for their day, and it seems like they're going about this the right way.

But fuck, it's one week before the Tex Murphy one. Lord help me.

This could be really awesome if they avoid the That One Puzzle situation that most of the Space Quest games had. It seems like every game was mostly fair and logical (well, as fair as random deaths can be - and the deaths usually hinted at what to do to avoid them) except for a couple of utterly bizarre and nonsensical puzzles near the end. Space Quest I had you ignore a salesman's first offer so that you could get a jetpack that was essential later on. Space Quest II had the "put gem in mouth" puzzle (and getting the gem in the first place basically meant randomly stumbling upon the deeper area in the swamp). Space Quest III had you press a hidden button to activate a walkway (and the parser actively denied the existence of such a button if you typed "look at button"). Space Quest IV had the multiples-of-12 laser rotation puzzle that acted like you were expected to find the code to turn them off. Space Quest V had the Genetix canister on a hidden path that you had to locate in order to find the space station (not to mention evil copy protection that had "Kiz Urazgubi" listed on the star chart as only "K.U.").

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Originally Posted by bVork

This could be really awesome if they avoid the That One Puzzle situation that most of the Space Quest games had. It seems like every game was mostly fair and logical (well, as fair as random deaths can be - and the deaths usually hinted at what to do to avoid them) except for a couple of utterly bizarre and nonsensical puzzles near the end. Space Quest I had you ignore a salesman's first offer so that you could get a jetpack that was essential later on. Space Quest II had the "put gem in mouth" puzzle (and getting the gem in the first place basically meant randomly stumbling upon the deeper area in the swamp). Space Quest III had you press a hidden button to activate a walkway (and the parser actively denied the existence of such a button if you typed "look at button"). Space Quest IV had the multiples-of-12 laser rotation puzzle that acted like you were expected to find the code to turn them off. Space Quest V had the Genetix canister on a hidden path that you had to locate in order to find the space station (not to mention evil copy protection that had "Kiz Urazgubi" listed on the star chart as only "K.U.").

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That SQ4 one wasn't so bad. There was a thing where you had to write down the random time code to get back to the first area though. I vaguely recall that that a code might have been included in printed form on a sheet with the game, though. Like a throwback to the feelies thing. In any event it's obnoxious when you play it today since no one is going to have that anymore. I don't remember the SQ3 one either.

But yeah, when I bought a Space Quest game I expected to be stumped at some point. But then that was typical of adventure games at that time. I'm not really concerned about that happening in a modern adventure any more than I am concerned about them using a text parser. Product of the time.

I put down my $115. Like the video, the voice talent, and the art. Space Quest is my favorite adventure series, even if no one game is the best of the genre.

The worst part of 4 was the anti-gravity rink puzzle because I didn't play it until my PC was faster than they had anticipated, and the Time Police dude would show up instantly and shoot me. I couldn't figure out if I was doing something wrong or if the solution lay elsewhere, and there wasn't a gamefaqs to look at back then.

So this is strange: They're putting up playable prototypes even before the countdown ends. You can get the first one in the Chrome marketplace although it's not working at the moment.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...dbd9a0e4e05efa

Works for me. It's more or less a scrolling concept art with some dialog over top, but it's a cool marketing idea. I like it.

Are these the kinds of puzzles where if you do/don't do something early in the game, it ruins your chances of finishing it, but you don't find out until much later? Because that's fucking stupid.

I've only been glazing over posts here because I haven't played these games yet and I don't want them spoiled.

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Originally Posted by Andrew

Are these the kinds of puzzles where if you do/don't do something early in the game, it ruins your chances of finishing it, but you don't find out until much later? Because that's fucking stupid.

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Only the SQ1 one. And remember that game was one of the first real third person graphic adventures and that type of design was RAMPANT back then.

Most of the puzzles in Space Quest are odd but understandable. There's always a couple though that are annoyingly obtuse.

This campaign hasn't been going very well, but not so badly we should write it off just yet.

It's becoming ever clearer that this game is going to be awesomely old-school. They did a live chat yesterday where they discussed some of their ideas, which included a "hybrid interface that will allow text parser commands," which is pretty hard not to love. They seem pretty raw about not being able to get the license back.

Proto 2 looks a lot better and should becoming in the next couple days.

Prototype 2 is live in the Chrome store

This time it actually has some nice looking backgrounds, a simple puzzle, and verbs. Oh, and death.

I hope more people give to this, it's sagging a bit.

I haven't gone through everything that has been released so far. Did they say for sure why they weren't able to acquire the SQ name?

I'm supporting this but it doesn't look like it will make it, unless someone just dumps in half the amount at the end. It's really silly but I personally would have had much less trouble donating if it had the SQ name. I wonder if it would have done much better if so.

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Originally Posted by Darmonde

I haven't gone through everything that has been released so far. Did they say for sure why they weren't able to acquire the SQ name?

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They've said Activision has the IP, and while there is a dialog, Paul Trowe from Replay (who I think had previously attempted to acquire the IP after he got Larry) said there's one AV exec in particular who is being an asshole and demanding an unreasonable price.

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I'm supporting this but it doesn't look like it will make it, unless someone just dumps in half the amount at the end. It's really silly but I personally would have had much less trouble donating if it had the SQ name. I wonder if it would have done much better if so.

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There are a whole bunch of things that went wrong here.

1) The pitch video is humorless and read off a teleprompter and sounds like a PBS pledge drive
2) Shitstorm controversy over whether or not HTML5 would be used to create it, and the guys refusing to definitively squash these concerns and just saying "We're looking at all options."
3) Going up against Tex Murphy, which has a very similar audience hurts both campaigns (although Tex is doing fine, it'll make it at least).
4) General lack of concrete information about the game, in conjunction with lack of SQ IP leaves a lot of questions.

It has not been an especially well run campaign, but I think the project itself has a lot of potential. I'll be really sad if it doesn't make it.

Their website needs to not look like 1993.

On top of the no name game, this wasn't well done, you're right. I haven't followed a lot of these but the LSL one looks/feels much better. The website doesn't help.

I have almost no interest in a Leisure Suit Larry remake though. A new game, maybe.

I put down the minimum just because it's nice to see Al Lowe in charge after all this time.

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Originally Posted by epmode

I have almost no interest in a Leisure Suit Larry remake though. A new game, maybe.

I put down the minimum just because it's nice to see Al Lowe in charge after all this time.

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It really is worth the cost just to get Al Lowe active again, and hopefully continue things later. Replay only had remake rights, not new game rights, but they can get them if the remake shapes up well.

The lack of IP is everything for these games. You can cite all of the little things they did wrong but the fact that you can't just click on the link, say "HEY A NEW SPACE QUEST!", and drop $15 is everything to these projects. They are fueled by nostalgia and very little else.

They should've turned it into an iPhone watch game.

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Originally Posted by FirstBlood

The lack of IP is everything for these games. You can cite all of the little things they did wrong but the fact that you can't just click on the link, say "HEY A NEW SPACE QUEST!", and drop $15 is everything to these projects. They are fueled by nostalgia and very little else.

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Wasteland 2 did pretty well, and it wasn't because anyone really gives a shit about Wasteland 1. It was a surrogate Fallout. This project seems like it would appeal to 100% of Space Quest fans, and is conceptually almost identical.

I mean yea, having the IP would help, but I'd think its absence would be less of an albatross than, say, Larry being locked into a remake.

lol. Exactly, Wasteland already had fallout going for it, a modern successful IP. No one gives a shit or has given a shit about Space Quest since the last space quest.

So this still has a big mountain to climb, and only four days left, but it's picking up speed and I think they're going to make it. It's a nail-biter, though.

Details on the game have crystalized a bit. It's not about a plumber named Ace Hardway, and his robot dog/power auger, Rooter. Also playable is his imaginary friend, the star of his favorite cartoon Cluck Y'Egger. It also seems Patrick Warburton (or a very good soundalike) will be voicing him.



After this gets funded I feel like I can finally take a break from Kickstarter. This and Tex Murphy were the last ones on my dream list, pretty much. At least as far as adventures go. This is seeming more and more like a possible real-deal comeback for adventure games.

Please, please, please help fund this if you have any interest at all. I don't think this will happen at all without the Kickstarter funding - or at least not in any worthwhile form. That voice talent is not going to be cheap, and no normal publisher is going to fund this.

It'll be closer than I'd like but I'll be surprised if this doesn't make it.

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Originally Posted by epmode

It'll be closer than I'd like but I'll be surprised if this doesn't make it.

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It's true that if you have more than like 500 backers and 50% of your goal, you're probably going to make it. I've seen too many last second miracle comebacks on KS to be all that worried.

But it's still going to be down to the wire. GIVE, PEOPLE.

I was already signed up on day one, but I think it suffered from not getting the word out. There's no one in the press that's championing this one the way Republiq was.

I still haven't given money to this.

If it's $15 short you know who to blame.

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Originally Posted by AaronChance

I was already signed up on day one, but I think it suffered from not getting the word out. There's no one in the press that's championing this one the way Republiq was.

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The gaming media has burnt out on Kickstarter. Many sites now have a no-Kickstarter policy regarding stories. Also (and I think this was due in part to some kind of legal issue?) they did no interviews for like the first two and a half weeks of the campaign.

They really kind of did everything wrong with this campaign, but I'm still really excited about the game itself. Everything they have revealed about it I find very appealing.

I played the not-demo thing and thought it was great. The humor was exactly what I wanted. It would be a damn shame if this doesn't make it, but Double Fine made such a better effort, and they were riding a huge wave that they could have done nothing out of the gate and still succeeded.

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

The gaming media has burnt out on Kickstarter. Many sites now have a no-Kickstarter policy regarding stories.

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Does this have anything to do with the fact that those sites were all shilling for that stupid Republique game in the final days?

I don't know, it could be. A lot of sites made a concious decision not to touch the Carmageddon, SpaceVenture, or Tex Murphy campaigns because they're "not covering Kickstarter stuff right now" or they lump all the KS coverage into a weekly column now.

RPS readers were complaining about the glut of stories dedicated to games that don't exist in any form whatsoever so it was all lumped into a weekly column. Even so, they occasionally mention a special case and I expect them to feature this one before the time is up.

What happens to your money if it doesn't make it?

They don't charge you until it the time runs out and the project meets the goal.

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Originally Posted by epmode

RPS readers were complaining about the glut of stories dedicated to games that don't exist in any form whatsoever so it was all lumped into a weekly column. Even so, they occasionally mention a special case and I expect them to feature this one before the time is up.

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Yeah, RPS is still ok about it, but they're an indie-centric publication. Gamespy and Gamespot now limit coverage to a weekly column, IGN pretends they don't exist (also pretty much everything that isn't a billion dollar franchise these days), Kotaku seems to have cut most of it off, Destructoid too... Giantbomb says they're not doing KS posts anymore either.

It's really most of the major sites out there. It blew up too fast and people got burnt out.

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Originally Posted by Nash

What happens to your money if it doesn't make it?

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There is no money if it doesn't make it. No one gets billed unless you're over the goal line at close.

I don't see why any of these sites need to be discussing a fundraising drive in the first place.

Ron Gilbert and Tim Schafer want to make a new adventure game. Is this newsworthy? Yes.
Brian Fargo wants to make Wasteland 2. Is this newsworthy? Yes.
A new Tex Murphy game is planned. Is this newsworthy? Yes.
The Two Guys From Andromeda, who haven't worked together for years after a rather messy blowup, are back together to make a new adventure game. Is this newsworthy? Yes.

I don't think any of that is newsworthy until there is, you know, a game to show. That is something I believe the Space Quest guys actually do have that the others do not.

And Tex Murphy wasn't even newsworthy back when they were still making the games.

edit: I really think the ridiculous Republique drive was what killed the interest in this.

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Originally Posted by Diff-chan

I don't see why any of these sites need to be discussing a fundraising drive in the first place.

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Two legendary and (in)famously estranged game designers, one of whom has been vocally bitter and resntful in recent years decide to get back together and make a spiritual successor to their biggest hit? Yeah, it's newsworthy, Kickstarter or not.

I can understand the perception that game journalists shouldn't be shills for people and aren't there to advertise fundraising campaigns, but at the same time, some of these really are noteworthy and if they weren't kickstarters, yes, everyone would be reporting on them. I think that's kind of the rule of thumb that needs to be looked at.

Would IGN report on Republique's announcement or cancellation? No. So they shouldn't report on the KS. But would they report on Wasteland 2's? Of course they would.

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Originally Posted by Diff-chan

And Tex Murphy wasn't even newsworthy back when they were still making the games.

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Under a Killing Moon was a big hit and got a lot of hype leading up to its launch. All of them got a lot of press really, although Overseer didn't sell all that well. (Of course Overseer was kind of meant as a smaller side game and cost a lot less so maybe that's ok too).

I think a lot of people have forgotten a lot of PC-only game franchises that were pretty huge. For some reason if you sold 100,000 copies on NES people remember now, but if you sold a million on PC, people act like it never happened.

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Originally Posted by Diff-chan

edit: I really think the ridiculous Republique drive was what killed the interest in this.

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Dude, you're the one who keeps bringing that game up. Fuck that game, I didn't back it and I don't think anyone else here did either.

I backed it before it was mainstream. I had planned on cancelling near the end with the shitstorm of promotion, but I got lazy.

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Originally Posted by Diff-chan

I don't see why any of these sites need to be discussing a fundraising drive in the first place.

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Because video game sites should cover video game news. One guy doing a billionty-hour open world action RPG with procedurally generated content that's the most awesomest thing ever should rightly be ignored, but a new Space Quest hinging on fan involvement? That's news, and worth coverage.

James

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Originally Posted by AaronChance

I backed it before it was mainstream. I had planned on cancelling near the end with the shitstorm of promotion, but I got lazy.

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As much as they were putting out too many updates toward the end, I gotta say the commentaries and the interviews with Ken Williams were awesome for any Sierra fanboy, and if getting those guys talking about the old days in that kind of depth is all we got out of the campaign, it's not a bad consolation prize.

And they made it! $503k as I post this.

Hooray!

Frog may be burnt out on these adventure Kickstarters but I've gotta be honest: I'd crowdsource the shit out of a new Quest for Glory.

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Originally Posted by epmode

Hooray!

Frog may be burnt out on these adventure Kickstarters but I've gotta be honest: I'd crowdsource the shit out of a new Quest for Glory.

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Probably not happening with the IP in Activision's hands, but have you seen this?. QFG homage game in glorious 320x240 VGA.

I'm out though, like I said. Double Fine Adventure, two Jane Jensen games, a Larry remake, a new Tex Motherfucking Murphy AND a pseudo-Space Quest? That's better than E3 and Christmas combined.

I actually don't care about Jane Jensen, but I backed her project with a token pledge anyway.

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

Probably not happening with the IP in Activision's hands, but have you seen this?. QFG homage game in glorious 320x240 VGA.

I'm out though, like I said. Double Fine Adventure, two Jane Jensen games, a Larry remake, a new Tex Motherfucking Murphy AND a pseudo-Space Quest? That's better than E3 and Christmas combined.

I actually don't care about Jane Jensen, but I backed her project with a token pledge anyway.

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I backed all of those except the Double Fine (no physical reward, boo) and Larry (no interest). Please no more Kickstarters!

Double Fine had a physical copy for sure!

Alright, I'm pitching in for this. The thought of a physical object leading to an Easter egg in a game brings me back to good, ol' StarTropics. Yes, I'm aware it'll all be online. That ruins the fun. And, yeah, ready to be disappointed, but doing it anyways.

And I even get a free download of the originals! I've wanted to play these games since I was a kid. I'm pretty excited.

Yay, made it with some slack. All is well in adventure land, now, and we can rest until 2013.

A (voice-acting-free) demo just went up for backers.

It's graphically very impressive for the budget, but this swiping system they've added is horribly unintuitive and I have trouble getting stuff to work even when I know what I'm supposed to do.

This project is so far behind schedule, I'm getting pretty pessimistic it will shape up into anything worth playing.

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Currently the demo has no Voice Over. That is still in the works.
Not all the narrative dialogue is in the demo.
At the beginning, Ace talks with a ship administrator named Mervin, which you don't get to interact with in the demo(yet)
All death sequences have not been included yet.
Not every icon you see is usable yet as some of the icons are meant for the actual game and not the demo.
To Save/Load, don't use the icons, Hold Shift + S to Save or Shift + L to Load

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Haha, this is the demo for a game that was supposed to come out 5 months ago.

So for anyone who's curious, here's the demo:


So the good news is that they've way over-delivered on the graphics and production values compared to the 2D game they pitched on Kickstarter (and the earlier prototype demo they released).

But it's also clear from looking at this that the game is still extremely early for a game that's over a year into development. But, unlike Double Fine, I think this one is pretty much being made by Scott and Mark alone, so this might not represent a budgetary crisis as much as you would think. Hopefully it comes out good, but I doubt we'll see it until well into 2014.