Any guess on what Doublefine will make next?

[Thrik]

Yes. Another game being in development has been common knowledge for ages, as has the fact that it won't be a sequel to Psychonauts.

 

Although Majesco isn't likely to be publishing it, there are other publishers out there who may be willing to give Double Fine a chance now that they've gotten at least one game out the door. Granted, it may not have sold well globally, but it does at least stand as evidence that Double Fine can follow through with a game as a studio. That's what a publisher wants to see before signing contracts.

[VSTM]

True. This game is likely not to take as long to develop either, because the team is used to working with itself. Unless, of course, the game is more ambitious, but it still might not take as long.

 

Does anyone with some sense have any ideas about what the game could be?

 

or at least what the clue could be

[DarthAve]

Maybe this game involves cats.

 

~ponders~

[Fawfulfury777]

I personally think the thing about the pineapple upside-down cake could be seen as a metaphor, in which the actual cake represents the ideas which have already been used for games, and the crumbs represent the innovative and otherwise unheard of ideas visited by double fine's development team

[KingCheez]

Deep.

[Fawfulfury777]

My Hypothesis is that the cat, the book, and the comp are all related. I would judge that perhaps the game is related to some of Albertus Seba's research regarding animals. Snakes may play a key part in the development of the game, and it would make sense that the connection between small animals (like cats :>) would take place. Once again, we see the relevance of prominent events in Tim's life (Such as both anthropology and psychology classes) to what his games feature. However it seems as though despite the fact that the Word Doc may indeed have real connections to the project, Tim is content for now to use it as merely a decoy, or a distraction from the book in the background, which shows the same deception we've seen from him in past posts. (Esp. Psychonauts related ones) Thus from the above assumptions, we can infer that:

 

1. The game will feature animals (Snakes, Birds, Mammals to a small extent, Insects, Frogs, and Mollusks).

 

2. The game is influenced by a class (Biology), or personal event (Wedding, Cat, Sea Monkeys, Animal Crossing).

 

3. Finally, the game does have something to do with the word doc, and Tim will most Probably unveil the secret on Tuesday, in his trademark humorous fashion.

 

In the mean time, I will enlist the help of my close friend, SN: PsychoWardJester, to decipher the context of the message with his Ace Photoshop Skills! Thank You, and good night.

[DarthAve]

We are not worthy ~bow~ We are not worthy ~bow~....

[VSTM]

Finally.

 

I'm not sure we will actually be able to get much from the word document without one of those(what my art teacher used to complain about) "magic computers" from the crime investigation shows that can take a badly encoded black and white 160 resolution security camera footage and zoom in on a ring on someone's picture to see what the inscription is. Maybe though. it could be worse. In my experiments with teh photo I sometimes found what I thought might be real words.

 

I imagine the gameplay for the game will be based on preestablished genres of gamplay like real time strategy or platforming adventure or something like that.

 

If Fawfulfury777's assumptions are correct, what kind of gamplay could fit? What kind of world?

 

Some kind of kitten survival of the fittest that combines elements of adventure, platform, and strategy? That sure is a cute kitten.

 

Maybe someone who's actually taken anthropology, biology, or psychology might have some kind of idea. My friend is taking biochem, but I don't think that counts. However, no two classes are really alike so the experience could be different even if it's the same field.

 

I will probably try to find the "Cabinet of Natural Curiosities" in my local book stores and I might see if I can get it on interlibrarly loan from my local library. My girlfriend works there as a librarian's aid.

 

There is always also a possiblity that the hilarious future tuesday post will contain something similar to "Just kidding, there was no secret! I hope you enjoyed the kitten. His name is snuggles."

[Smon]

Finally.

 

I'm not sure we will actually be able to get much from the word document without one of those(what my art teacher used to complain about) "magic computers" from the crime investigation shows that can take a badly encoded black and white 160 resolution security camera footage and zoom in on a ring on someone's picture to see what the inscription is. Maybe though. it could be worse. In my experiments with teh photo I sometimes found what I thought might be real words.

How is it that I still have a topical comic for this?!

[VSTM]

I might be able to pickout some text that says "Double Fine's new game" now that I take another look....

 

Actually, that might be all it says repeated throughout the whole text. :/

 

Or maybe that and another sentence. Something like "Double Fine's new game will be totally awesome" I could be completely wrong.

[pyrohappygirl]

I'll try to decipher the picture myself. I'm good at reading blurred text, and I rock at paint. I shall report back soon.

[Fawfulfury777]

First, I'd like to say THX for your help, Pyro, we need all the support we can get!

 

The game will most probably take place in... perhaps a full-on wildlife setting, most likely South America (where it is stated that Seba did the majority of his research), Africa, or Australia. It would make sense that after so long focusing on Europe and its reception of Psychonauts, Tim has decided to focus on a different continent as the subject matter for his new game.

 

As for the format of the game, I would presume either an RPG (More Likely) or maybe Action/Adventure (Perhaps along the lines of Legend Of Zelda). I do admit that Tim once said he was planning on a RTS in an early Grim Fandango Blog, but that was merely a shoutout to his minor addiction to Warcraft III. In yet another interview, he said that while he had once thought that all RPG's were boring, he had finally gotten around to playing (big surprise here...) Final Fantasy VII. He was swept away by the massive, sweeping storyline, and the deep character development. He then stated that, because he played the game he found out that not matter what genre, a game can still be bad or good, depending on the skill of the development team, the story, and the gameplay. I think he also hinted at perhaps someday working on an RPG.

 

Finally, I'd like to say that the most probable animal feature in the game will be snakes, due to the obsession of seba, along with most other cabinet owners, with these peculiar limbless wonders. The majority of the cabinet (No, I don't own a copy),

as well as an entire volume of his later work, the Thesaurus (Animals, not words) is filled with snakes. However, I cannot stress highly enough that this is merely speculation, and that we may all be very wrong. Yet, I doubt that Tim would lie to his public over something so mercilessly hidden as the new game, or that there isn't some clue hidden amongst the picture, even if it fails to be seen.

 

Viva La Pineapple!

[DarthAve]

ZOMG!! If you are correct fawful

 

DOUBLEFINE COULD BE MAKING A 'SNAKES ON A PLANE' GAME!!!

[Psychochaos3]

ZOMG!! If you are correct fawful

 

DOUBLEFINE COULD BE MAKING A 'SNAKES ON A PLANE' GAME!!!

It be awesome if I could play as a snake.

[itchythesamurai]

What's wrong with you? Who would rather play as a snake than Samuel L. Jackson?! Maybe it could have an intense multiplayer mode where like a whole buncha people play as snakes and one guy gets to kick much reptilian ass as Sam Jackson.

[DarthAve]

Yeah, we should e-mail DF and ask if it's Snakes on a Plane that they're making. A lot of movies nowadays have videogames to go with them.

[Fawfulfury777]

I HIGHLY DOUBT IT... HIGHLY.

 

A. SoaP is licensed so, of course, Tim would not push for it.

 

B. As A promoter of innovative properties, DF is not going to be THAT Predictable

 

C. Although Seba was deeply intrigued by snakes, he was not intrigued by planes. You're looking for the wright brothers.

 

Finally, I cannot state clearly enough we may be wrong. We may ALL be wrong.

 

It was six men of Hindustan

To learning much inclined,

Who went to see the Elephant

(Though all of them were blind)

That each by observation

Might satisfy the mind.

 

 

The first approached the Elephant

And happening to fall

Against his broad and sturdy side

At once began to bawl:

"Bless me, it seems the Elephant

Is very like a wall".

 

 

The second, feeling of his tusk,

Cried, "Ho! What have we here

So very round and smooth and sharp?

To me 'tis mighty clear

This wonder of an Elephant

Is very like a spear".

 

 

The third approached the animal,

And happening to take

The squirming trunk within his hands,

Then boldly up and spake:

"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant

Is very like a snake."

 

 

The Fourth reached out an eager hand,

And felt about the knee.

"What most this wondrous beast is like

Is mighty plain," quoth he;

"'Tis clear enough the Elephant

Is very like a tree!"

 

 

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,

Said: "E'en the blindest man

Can tell what this resembles most;

Deny the fact who can,

This marvel of an Elephant

Is very like a fan!"

 

 

The Sixth no sooner had begun

About the beast to grope,

Than, seizing on the swinging tail

That fell within his scope,

"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant

Is very like a rope!"

 

 

And so these men of Hindustan

Disputed loud and long,

Each in his own opinion

Exceeding stiff and strong,

Though each was partly in the right

And all were in the wrong.

 

 

So oft in theologic wars,

The disputants, I ween,

Rail on in utter ignorance

Of what each other mean,

And prate about an Elephant

Not one of them has seen!

[VSTM]

I'll try to decipher the picture myself. I'm good at reading blurred text, and I rock at paint. I shall report back soon.

Photoshop or The Gimp(which is free) or gimpshop(a fork of The Gimp that makes it look like photoshop) might yield better results. MS Paint is a bit limited.

 

It's also possible that the Cabinet of Natural Curiosities is just a source of inspiration for character designs. For example, the game could contain a lot of Chinese Dragons or Sea Serpents, because they were much like snakes.

[Smon]

Photoshop or The Gimp(which is free) or gimpshop(a fork of The Gimp that makes it look like photoshop) might yield better results. MS Paint is a bit limited.

 

It's also possible that the Cabinet of Natural Curiosities is just a source of inspiration for character designs. For example, the game could contain a lot of Chinese Dragons or Sea Serpents, because they were much like snakes.

Hm... seeing as this is the man behind Monkey Island and Grim Fandango, Chinese culture seems right up his alley.

[DarthAve]

~whisper~ Psst, Smon. I think that one noob is trying to outsmart you. What if you lose your title vocabular??

[Smon]

~whisper~ Psst, Smon. I think that one noob is trying to outsmart you. What if you lose your title vocabular??

Impossible! not as long as I wear this magic V around my neck!

[DarthAve]

Still. He's saying way more witty things than you. If you slip up once, you're probably gonna be out of that V.

[Fawfulfury777]

Whilst I detest the term noob, I still feel as though their is a certain air of seniority regarding Smon. Do not feel threatened though, by my prescence. I am merely a student of the Universe, content to wander my simple path, basking in the calm revelry of nature and life. I do not intend to encroach on the titles of others who were here before me, and I have much to learn and far to travel before I reach the rank of vocabular. As the saying goes, "The Journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step"

[Smon]

I do not intend to encroach on the titles of others who were here before me, and I have much to learn and far to travel before I reach the rank of vocabular.

Vocabulor!

*runs away laughing*

[Fawfulfury777]

~whisper~ Psst, Smon. I think that one noob is trying to outsmart you. What if you lose your title vocabular??

 

As you can see, my mistake was not solitary in its occurance, and can, in fact, be traced to the harsh truth that "vocabulor" is not a real word, but instead, a brilliant neologism, which although ingenious may be confused with the nearly as common suffix "-ar", unless we use a sort of mnemonic device to refer it to the Psychonauts-related "Goggalor". As you can see, the mistake could be made by anyone, including one with a higher post count than yourself, so next time, Smon, adhere to the number one rule of a forum, as well as the rest of life... Think before you act.

 

Laugh you may, but while I will have forgotten this and be sober in the morning, you Ma'am, shall be ugly for the rest of your life!

-Winston Churchill drunk at a party