#DEATHSPANK DESIGNER HOW TO#

Clayton and I like to make fun of the game industry. That's what he started out being in the comics, and will continue to be in the games. While some people are taken aback by the name, he is a satire and parody of games and game heroes. He's a force not to be toyed with or understood.

But what can I do? The big lug is who he is. RG: One publisher did specifically mention that. RPS: Do you think one of the reasons publishers may have refused your gaming pitch was because it was called 'DeathSpank'? That is one part of RPG/MMO that I do not like, and from a design standpoint, it can be replaced with the adventure play. Getting that right is going to be a fun challenge. The real trick is going to make sure that those two aspects of the game complement, rather than fight with each other. I like the way the two ended up complementing each other so well.Īs for the RPG, let's face it, there is something fun about whacking stuff with a sword and collecting items that make you stronger and more powerful, or just look cool. For an adventure game, telling the story should be flawlessly woven into the puzzles, if it's not, then the puzzles seem out of place and are just progress blockers. One aspect of the DeathSpank design I am very happy with are the puzzles and the puzzle flow. RG: Adventure games are all about telling a good story with interesting and sexy puzzles. What properties of each are you aiming to bring to the mix? I've often wondered if the RPG hasn't simply replaced the area adventures once occupied in our lives. RPS: You say you're planning to combine adventure gaming with the RPG in DeathSpank. Problem is, until a company really decides to focus (spend money) and discover that market, it's going to remain small.The future my lay in good adventure hybrid games, like. There is an audience for adventure games, but it's not the same people that are buying Halo, Bioshock, or even Mario. That game showed up and interjected testosterone in gaming that wasn't there before and adventure games had a hard time competing with that kind of energy. In same ways, adventure games are just as popular as they were back in the day, the real issue is that the rest of the industry took off without them. Why do you think the genre lost its sense of identity, sending it on this peculiar walkabout? Fahrenheit tried to pull it in some new directions, Psychonauts squished it into a platform game, The Adventure Company have… oh wait. RPS: Adventure gaming has been through some interesting twists and turns in the last few years. RG: You are an interviewer with a will of steel. RPS: Are you impressed that we got four questions in before mentioning Monkey Island? I was involved in the initial game design brainstorms with Hothead and Mike and Jerry and corralled the great ideas that flowed from that.

#DEATHSPANK DESIGNER HOW TO#

I worked with the designers on puzzle design and structure, plus how to layout a Monkey Island style dialog. RG: My focus on Penny Arcade game has been the adventure aspects. RPS: What has your role been during the development of the Penny Arcade game? Have you enjoyed this avuncular position in the industry? RPS: For a while now your name has been showing up on credits and thank you lists for a number of games. We hit it off quickly and I realized I'd be able to make DeathSpank the way it needed to be made with them. They loved the strange satirical humor of DeathSpank and got it right away. They were really into ideas and concepts that were different and 'creative'. RG: I got to know the people here while I was consulting on the Penny Arcade game and I was really impressed with their indie spirit and how they looked at games. RPS: What was it about Hothead that drew you toward them? We mean, beyond their agreeing to publish your game. My job will be to oversee the creative aspects of the games, with most of my focus on the game designs and working closely with the designers. Ron Gilbert: First of all, it's great to be at Hothead, I could not be more thrilled. Can you tell us what you'll be doing as a Creative Director? We discuss his new job, get some juicy details on his new game, DeathSpank, the role adventure games can play today, and the merits of episodic gameplay. More details we have, in our exclusive chat with the brains behind your favourite adventure experiences.

The very moment we heard the news that Ron Gilbert had upped sticks to Canada, become Creative Director of Hothead, and announced his new game, we leapt upon him for more details.

Deathspank designer