Two Guys from Andromeda (Space Quest) Reunion

[lobotomy42]

So, apparently all the old Sierra folks simultaneously decided to launch new projects, since this is supposedly happening:

http://kotaku.com/5902030/space-quest-creators-reunite-and-promise-a-new-spaceventure

All I can say is.....what?

I was a HUGE Space Quest fan back in the mid-90s, but this still strikes me as...bizarre. Bizarre that they would get back together, after their apparent falling out (and Scott Murphy's later less-than-kind words about Mark Crowe.) And bizarre that this is apparently their launch pitch. That video is difficult to watch and decidedly unfunny, unless I'm missing some enormous joke.

I'm trying not to be cynical - especially about the Two Guys, because I do feel like I've been waiting for Space Quest 7 forever - but this is *really* starting to feel like bandwagon-jumping. When Tim Schafer proposes making a new adventure game, it seems reasonable, given that his company has produced such well-received (if not best-selling) games over the past few years. Jane Jensen's presence has been much smaller and more casual-focused, but she has also been consistently employed essentially as a game designer since her Sierra glory days. But what on earth has Al Lowe been doing? And Murphy and Crowe? Didn't most of the ex-Sierra crew pretty much retire from game development? (Or am I woefully ill-informed on this point?) Should be expect the Williamses and the Coles to pop their heads up with an announcement now, too?

[Murdoc]

I don't have the answers you're looking for, but I'd certainly be interested in a new Space Quest.

It doesn't say anything about kickstarter, so I hope it isn't just the bandwagon of funding that got this going.

If it's just the "Hey, we could make a classic adventure game again and people would play it!" Also add in the equation that the cost to make said games may have hit the sweet spot to be made and get a return back this year which may explain all of this.

Its not so bad if this stuff sticks and we get some sweet games.

edit: I just read the blurb, then watched the video; baffling.

[SuperHarman]

Yeah, this is...interesting, especially after this pretty depressing interview with Scott Murphy. I'd consider putting money into it (you know it is going to be a kickstarter), but I wouldn't have high expectations.

[syntheticgerbil]

I remember that interview all too well and I should really be much more excited about this announcement but I'm not. I figured Space Quest should stay done after the unevenness of 6 and following all of the bad Sierra lay off stories during 7. The Kickstarter adventure game rush is just making me push against caring even more.

I'm trying not to be cynical - especially about the Two Guys, because I do feel like I've been waiting for Space Quest 7 forever - but this is *really* starting to feel like bandwagon-jumping. When Tim Schafer proposes making a new adventure game, it seems reasonable, given that his company has produced such well-received (if not best-selling) games over the past few years. Jane Jensen's presence has been much smaller and more casual-focused, but she has also been consistently employed essentially as a game designer since her Sierra glory days. But what on earth has Al Lowe been doing? And Murphy and Crowe? Didn't most of the ex-Sierra crew pretty much retire from game development? (Or am I woefully ill-informed on this point?) Should be expect the Williamses and the Coles to pop their heads up with an announcement now, too?

I know exactly what you are saying here, and I don't understand my own negative thoughts. Just seems like designers of games I liked as a much younger person are all getting together to make separate mistakes. It's like, most if not all Sierra designers disappeared after their sequel heavy games series were done, while most LucasArts designers have stayed active since, for better or worse.

[Troels Pleimert]

To be fair, Mark Crowe has been employed in the games industry since the implosion of Sierra On-Line. And I think it's hard to make the comparison between Sierra designers and LucasArts designers. Tim Schafer and Ron Gilbert didn't go through the meltdown that Al Lowe and Scott Murphy witnessed first-hand. Bouncing back from that is tough, and even Double Fine struggled a bit in its early days to find footing and to make adventure gaming legitimate again. If the popularity of episodic gaming hadn't been at its zenith when Double Fine emerged, making game budgets and distribution much easier, they wouldn't have had a prayer, either. You could be cynical and call that bandwagon-jumping as well.

[lobotomy42]

Yeah, this is...interesting, especially after this pretty depressing interview with Scott Murphy. I'd consider putting money into it (you know it is going to be a kickstarter), but I wouldn't have high expectations.

Yeah, that's the interview which includes:

Overall, I feel pretty good about how the games came out. When Mark and I started the games we decided that we wanted to make games WE would want to play, and I think we did that for the most part. Would I want to work with Mark again? No, I don't think so. As I learned the hard way, Mark was not a very good partner in the long run. When he decided to go to Sierra's Dynamix division, he didn't have the decency to tell me he was leaving until we were headed to Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show. The only reason he told me then was that I was inevitably going to see him talking with Dynamix management personnel about the move while we were out there. I lost a lot of respect for him, and then lost more when I learned some other things about him a couple of years later from people I am not at liberty to name who made me understand that he had loyalty to only himself. I was really bummed to learn what he was really like, or what he'd become.

This is not the sort of statement that is easily walked back or explained away, which is why I'm surprised the two even managed to reconcile, if they even have.

EDIT: Also, thanks for reminding me of that. I just re-read it. This is such a great interview, and Scott's dripping cynicism still makes me smile.

[Troels Pleimert]

This is not the sort of statement that is easily walked back or explained away, which is why I'm surprised the two even managed to reconcile, if they even have.

They have indeed reconciled their differences since that interview. Scott Murphy said that he got an e-mail from Mark, basically stating that if there was a problem, Mark would gladly fly up and let Scott get a punch in. However, instead of taking him up on the offer, they talked out their problems and decided to work together again.

I have been in contact with Scott and Mark via e-mail the past couple of weeks, so this is not just hearsay information. You can go with this one. This one's legit.

[lobotomy42]

Whoa, hey there, Troels....how long have you been there? Have you been lurking in this forum for years? I was trying to remember where I'd seen your name before...did you write that huge SQ FAQ some years back? I have not been on those SQ fansites for a long, long time...

Also, I just watched the narrator audition video with Gary Owens, which considerably improved my spirits about this project. (That, and I went outside, and it was warm and sunny and pleasant.) So I promise my cynicism will end now!

[Troels Pleimert]

Hi there! Yeah, I'm the geek that wrote the SQ FAQ. I haven't been on the forum long - er, just registered this morning, I'm afraid - but that's because I was off googling for "Two Guys From Andromeda" reunion and thought I'd chip in.

The Two Guys asked me to troll around and help spread the word about the project. So actually your cynicism is very helpful in gauging the interest of this thing. It's true there has been a flurry of adventure games coming out with Kickstarter campaigns, and I do fear that if too many come out all at once it will end up burying itself before it has a chance to really blossom. When Larry's remake was announced, though, Space Quest was at the top of the list as to where they should turn their attention next. The Two Guys have assured me that this isn't just a flash-in-the-pan thing; that they genuinely want to continue to make games in the future, and, if possible, acquire the rights to using their long-lost creation, Roger Wilco, for new adventures.

Thanks for your comments and support, dude. Bro. Homie. Cap'n. Kind sir. Skip.

[Tanukitsune]

I was only joking when I said these would be the next to join the bandwagon...

This is getting beyond absurd, at this rate I'm expecting Magnetic Scrolls and Infocom to make a come back... Get ready for a Spelcasting 401 Kickstarter!

[Twig]

I remembered that interview, as well, and was similarly baffled. Glad to hear they've reconciled.

That video was fucking weird, though. I'm... cautiously excited?

[syntheticgerbil]

The Two Guys asked me to troll around and help spread the word about the project. So actually your cynicism is very helpful in gauging the interest of this thing. It's true there has been a flurry of adventure games coming out with Kickstarter campaigns, and I do fear that if too many come out all at once it will end up burying itself before it has a chance to really blossom.

Maybe I worded it wrong, but Space Quest is by far my favorite series of games from Sierra. I feel sad and cynical about it because Space Quest comes last after a slew of other things where we are asked to fund blasts from the past, without even seeing one Kickstarter project finished at this point. I don't think I'm going out on a limb to say that way too many of those types of projects just based on names are announced in two months. That godawful fucked up video of boring and awkwardness did not help one bit.

Also I'm upset that this game is most likely involving Replay Games, which already has got me sick over the Larry project. I would feel much better if the game was not produced by that company. See my posts in the Larry thread for more of my issues if it matters at all. I also really don't want Josh Mandel involved. I know everyone thinks he's amazing over at adventuregamers.com, but I've found his game writing to also just be an endless amount of mostly unfunny verbiage. He makes sense for a hintbook in IV but that's about it. All of the games pre Space Quest VI all have the same kind of concise humor that I enjoy about the series.

That all said, I will end up funding any Space Quest game, no doubt, if you are trying to get an idea. All of my list of major concerns aside, I would still want this to happen.

P.S. I'm actually a little astounded by your celebrity appearing here, Troels. I used to pour over that behemoth Space Quest FAQ numerous times and get excited with every update.

[lobotomy42]

I actually have mostly positive feelings about Josh Mandel, mainly because of his work on the under-rated Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist. Space Quest VI was a severely troubled project, and its terrible-ness reflects that, but I still found many of the jokes to hit the right spot.

[syntheticgerbil]

The thing about Freddy Pharkas was I liked the base game: the puzzles, storyline, and characters, but so much of the dialogue and descriptions were just a rambling mess. It was definitely the Josh Mandel effect. It did not help that Sierra games at that point did not have hotspots, so you would just click around the screen trying to figure out hints, what to do, or just what the world was like and just be bombarded with a bunch of text that did not necessarily enrich the world.

I guess I feel like I got way more jokes and world creating imagery out of any Lucasarts game where I had a hotspot with a few lines of dialogue nested within.

Callahan's Crosstime Saloon was also one of the most agonizing adventure games I ever suffered through. The amount of text in that game is truly epic.

But Josh Mandel also did pretty good writing for Insecticide, so I don't know, maybe he works well within limits? Either way, I know a lot of people love Josh Mandel and want their adventure games to have tons of dialogue or description, so I'm probably an extreme.

[lobotomy42]

I know what you mean. I guess I am mainly okay with long pointless descriptions as long as it is entertaining, which Freddy Pharkas definitely was. I definitely prefer the dark, cynical humor of Scott Murphy, but I never felt like the Mandel stuff in SQ6 was out of place.

Man, I haven't played any of these games in years, possibly a decade or more. I should really go back and see if I still feel the same way. Considering how much I used to obsess over Space Quest, it's kind of nuts to think about how long I've gone without any of the games being installed on any of my computers.

[Tanukitsune]

Well, I just heard on Rob Paulsen's podcast that they are trying to get him to do voices in the new Space Quest game.

He hasn't said yes, this was the tech guy talking, but even if you don't know who this guy his, he's voiced a funny adventure game or two, so at least they are aiming high!

[thespambot]

Their kickstarter is now live http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spaceventure/two-guys-spaceventure-by-the-creators-of-space-que

[Tanukitsune]

And here's me think that maybe they wouldn't do one... at least they had the sense to wait till we had a little more money.

And it looks I was right about Rob Paulsen, but why didn't they mention he did voices for Toonstruck? That would help the cause a little, right?

PS: He was also the voice of Bubsy the Bobcat... What could possibly go wrong?

[brkl]

It really looks like whoever the guy doing Larry is he's not talking out of his ass and dropping names to prop up the Larry production.

[syntheticgerbil]

I guess this one does not involve Replay Games as there is no mention?

Yet another $100 pledge required for what I actually want. Ergh. I actually wish I could get the Let's Play commentary, as that seems like it would be really amusing but there's no way I can afford $250 for that.

[Tanukitsune]

Yeah, that's the problem with most Kickstarters I follow, the amount I'm willing to pay doesn't give me what I want, I have to pay 100$ to get it.

I know this is a funding project, but that's how I see it and how I have to justify the money spent.

[Twig]

800x600 - Download Here

1024x768 - Download Here

1280x1024 - Download Here

Wow, these guys are out of touch.

Do I have to pledge to get a more acceptable resolution?

[Tanukitsune]

What are you talking about? We are adventure gamers! Don't we all have Windows 3.1 and CRT monitors for our IBM PCjrs? Next you'll tell me that using honey and cat fur to make a stache is illogical!

Speaking of which, are they "in touch" enough to know that their "moon logic" puzzles aren't acceptable nowadays? And "Dead man walking" is dead wrong!

[syntheticgerbil]

Wow, these guys are out of touch.

Do I have to pledge to get a more acceptable resolution?

Hey, just because you are spoiled with your new widescreen aspect ratios and high resolutions doesn't mean you have to rain on our 486 DOS parade.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Yeah, I don't think DF are too concerned about resolution. Originally it was just going to be a simple Flash game.

Anyway, I just backed this. I've never even played a Space Quest game, but I want them to succeed!