Tim & Tasha's Halloween Memories
Obviously when one decides to make a game focused on Halloween, there's a deep-seeded connection to the holiday. Both Tim and Tasha shared their seminal Halloween memories, with Tim's clearly being a source of trauma.
Tim
I was a ghost for like six years in a row. I'm not saying my mom was lazy, but we had like six kids in my family and I was the youngest, so I got the old sheet. I'm bitter. There are more costumes in 'Costume Quest' the game than I got to experience in my life, because I was a ghost for so many years.
Tasha
I was a magician once, I liked that one. I had a magic wand with a flower that popped out.
The Problem With Quirky
At one point during the interview, Tasha began to discuss the art style of previous Double Fine games, and it created an obvious rift between the pair:
Tasha
I think the thing that comes through the most is the quirky charm to the art, and I've always felt that Double Fine has that feel to it. Even on Brutal Legend, that was this bad ass...
Tim
I wouldn't call it quirky!
Tasha
Well, the characters and art style in some of it...
Tim
What's a heavy metal way of saying quirky?
Tasha
Stylized?
Tim
Gwar-ky? It's very Gwar-ky.
Paper Mario, Pokemon And Pixar
With the great quirky debate of 2010 settled, Tasha went on to discuss some of the inspirations for the game. "A lot of the UI that we've designed is designed with kids in mind or casual players," she explained. "Definitely took a lot of inspiration from games like 'Paper Mario,' or also 'Pokemon,' the 'LEGO' games. The thing that's awesome about those games is that they're approachable and kids love 'em, but they have a lot of depth that adults can enjoy, too. It's not just limiting itself to one audience, and that's one thing I really wanted for Costume Quest. That kind of broad appeal."
Tasha's appetite for a broader audience makes sense, given the time she spent as a senior animator at Pixar. Said Tim, "She was a huge nerd and wanted to make games so we stole her away from there. But I've always admired Pixar's ability to make stuff that appeals to kids but is really entertaining for adults…at least all the really nerdy adults I know."
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The Remaining Three Games
So with "Costume Quest" out of the bag, what of the remaining three games that Double Fine is working on? One of those games is also being published by THQ and is scheduled for release in spring 2011, but THQ isn't revealing info on that one right now.
I asked if Tim could fill me in on the remaining two games. Here's what he said:
"Yeah, lemme tell you all about them! One's about these ice worms that live in Antarctica. That's a first-person shooter. And then there's an Antique's Roadshow game that we're doing, all using the Wii-mote. No, I'm sorry, I can't tell you about those games."
Ah well, at least I tried.
Let us know what you think in the comment section or on Twitter. You can also follow me, MTV Multiplayer editor Russ Frushtick, on Twitter.
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