Brütal Legend got itself a publisher.

[Wintermute]

Double Fine - Brutal Legend

DOUBLE FINE AND EA TURN IT UP TO “11” NEXT FALL WITH THE RELEASE OF BRÜTAL LEGEND

Tim Schafer teams up with Jack Black for the ultimate Rock opus

Redwood City, CA – December 12th, 2008 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Double Fine Productions, Inc. today announced that they have signed an exclusive publishing agreement that will bring the highly-anticipated rock-adventure Brütal Legend™ to gamers, headbangers, roadies and rockers worldwide next Fall. The latest creation from gaming icon Tim Schafer and the award-winning team at Double Fine, Brütal Legend is a 3rd person Action/Adventure game starring Jack Black in the role of roadie Eddie Riggs, who sets on an epic quest to build an army of rockers with only a broad axe, a big block V8 and his faithful guitar in hand.

Not heard much about it recently but nice to know it finally got a publisher after all. Just hope EA stick to publishing it and don't stick their dirty fingers in development.

Quite frankly with Double Fine (Psychonauts) and Tim Schafer (Monkey Island, Grim Fandango) behind the wheel it can't fail to deliver.

More links for youse.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brütal_Legend Nice stuff on the Wiki.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVjJztALu8Y Early trailer.

[Kohan]

Fuck yeah, EA. Good work, good work.

[Kyo]

I R excited, im just intrested as why it got moved to fall, it was pretty closeto completion, much like ghostbusters was before atari picked it up.

[Kiarax]

Fuck yeah, EA.

Something I never thought I'd hear.

[Kyo]

I smell a speech coming on.

[Maxxthepenguin]

I R excited, im just intrested as why it got moved to fall, it was pretty closeto completion, much like ghostbusters was before atari picked it up.

They have to focus test it and make sure that it can be turned into a trilogy before they release it.

[Wintermute]

There's a wee interview with Schafer over at Eurogamer.

Double Fine's Tim Schafer Interview - Page 1 // Xbox 360 /// Eurogamer - Games Reviews, News and More

And some art and a screeny, Flying-V is used for 'magic' attacks:

http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...view_p1jpg.jpg

http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...oncept9jpg.jpg

[Kohan]

When this is released, I do hope it lives up to the hype. Considering who's behind it, I doubt it won't.

[BadKarma]

wooo

[Priran]

ugh EA

[Wintermute]

New Trailer/Teaser nomnom

Gametrailers.com - Brutal Legend - Spike VGA World Premier Trailer

[Maxxthepenguin]

They have to focus test it and make sure that it can be turned into a trilogy before they release it.

Notice how the trailer says the saga begins?

Yeah.

[Wintermute]

Brütal Legend Preview - Page 1 // Xbox 360 /// Eurogamer - Games Reviews, News and More

Article goes over a demo/tutorial playthrough, game sounds like typical Doublefine awesome from the info given.

Brutal Legend takes a lot of cues from Hyrule Field and the Legend of Zelda. Once again, you're plonked into a large, rolling landscape filled with set-piece locations and boasting a comforting framework of steadily evolving powers to lead you through them, and once again each mission we're shown throws in a handful of delightful new toys, while every fight is enhanced by an instantly recognisable no-fuss left-trigger targeting system. There's even an Epona of sorts, if you can look beneath the flaming panelling, eight-ball gearstick, and massive, steroid-enhanced tyre treads of The Deuce, the snarling custom hot-rod Schafer's team has built for you to race around the countryside, leaving a trail of shattered bones and smoking feathers in your wake.

Don't expect the identikit streets and boroughs of a dozen crime titles, where the locations are simple templates for a brace of different mission types. Instead, it's the open world of a fantasy novel's end-papers map: a rangy, echoing place, taking in 64 square kilometres, where specific landmarks are built with specific purposes in mind. It's a setting to be patiently explored, each new tool placing a little more of the map within your reach

The Deuce, Riggs' main means of transportation...Summoned and upgraded by learning and performing guitar riffs at shrines dotted around the world - the exact implementation has not yet been revealed, but in theory the whole thing sounds similar to the short songs learnt during the Ocarina of Time - players will eventually be able to fit out the Deuce with anything from mounted Gatling guns to flaming side-jets.

We're given a quick glimpse of two missions from later on in the game, the first of which is a simple escort job with a maxed-out Deuce protecting a tour bus full of comrades

The second, more elaborate, set-up sees Riggs sent into a charming combination of mine and prison to recruit foot-soldiers for his army. The recruits in question take the freakish form of Headbangers: slaves clad in rags of finest leopard print, who boast massively over-developed necks after years of breaking rocks with their skulls. Won over with a special riff from Clementine, they can then be directed around the map with a large cursor, and given a range of orders including attacking, defending, and taking out obstacles.
It's a mini-version of Pikmin with jokes, essentially, and provides plenty of strategic potential as Riggs works his way through the mines: stay back and let your crew take on the enemy themselves, or micro-manage, flitting between magic and melee, hoping you can handle directing your Headbangers at the same time?

GDC Interview with Schafer
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/47641.html
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/47643.html

[Ramor]

Fuck yeah, EA. Good work, good work.

ugh EA

I think that about sums up my initial reaction

[Maxxthepenguin]

Notice how the trailer says the saga begins?

Yeah.

Well, let's be fair though, just because they might be planning to make sequels doesn't mean the game can't be any good. Those descriptions sound pretty great; they're aiming for the right things. A metal Zelda!

[Wintermute]

So who's amped up following yesterday's E3 segment?
EA seem to be pumping quite a bit of cash into the game to make sure it gets noticed to avoid another Psychonauts debacle for Double Fine.

New site up with a bunch of videos, blog posts and news.

There's also Double Fine Action News

Game-Spy hands-on here.

G4 sneak peek here

Also believe mention was made of a new trailer on the 2nd.

October looks like last years November, way too many good games out at the same time.

[Lebzile]

Kotaku - Activision Sues Brütal Legend Devs To Halt Release - Activision

Publisher Activision has filed suit against Brütal Legend developer Double Fine Productions to prevent the release of the heavy metal game starring Jack Black, putting the title's Rocktober release in jeopardy. According to a report from the Associated Press, Activision claims that Double Fine failed to deliver Brütal Legend on time and mostly on its dime. The suit contends that the Brütal Legend dev was paid $15 million to finish the game, but missed a key deadline, with Double Fine asking for another $7 million in development monies and a nine month extension.
When Vivendi and Activision merged last year, Brütal Legend was missing from the list of titles that Activision would inherit and publish. But Activision claims it still retains its rights to the open world action adventure and that the mega-publisher has suffered "irreparable harm" in losing the game.
The lawsuit is unlikely a surprise for EA and Double Fine, as Activision expressed its unhappiness with the game being handed over to its biggest competitor earlier this year. EA's response to Activision's legal threats called them as ridiculous as "a husband abandoning his family and then suing after his wife meets a better looking guy."
Brütal Legend's presence at E3 2009 is big. New publisher Electronic Arts is banking heavily on the game, but if Activision is successful in its latest round of litigation, it's possible that we might have to start looking forward to a Rockvember or Rockcember release.

Fuck Activision.

[Wintermute]

Kotaku - Activision Sues Brütal Legend Devs To Halt Release - Activision




Fuck Activision.

Duke Nukem Forever debacle is giving everyone stupid ideas.

[Wintermute]

Dio is out, Tim Curry is in.

Dio cut from Brutal Legend, replaced by Tim Curry

The "Holy Diver" himself, Ronnie James Dio of heavy metal band Dio, has reportedly been cut from Brütal Legend's voice actor list. Dio's management confirmed to Blabbermouth the removal of the lead singer's voice from the game, not citing any specific reasons, though it noted that actor Tim Curry will be filling the position.

Speculation surrounding the cut points to a longstanding feud between Brütal Legend's "Guardian of Metal" Ozzy Osbourne and Dio, though we're not so sure that their feud would carry over into the Double Fine-developed, EA-published title.

Tim Schafer comments on Brutal Legend's disappearing Dio

So Dio's out of Brütal Legend and Tim Curry's in, but it has nothing to do with any ongoing feud between Dio and Ozzy 'Prince of Darkness' Osbourne, as speculated. Tim Schafer has issued a statement clarifying the reasons for the decision, stating that "Ronnie James Dio is an amazing singer and truly one of the great figures of Metal, but as the character of Doviculus evolved, we realized that Tim Curry was a better fit for the part."

That's all it is. He's a "better fit." Schafer claims that it was Curry's role as The Lord of Darkness in the 1985 movie Legend which landed him the part of Doviculus, but we suspect it may be his most famous role, as Rocky Horror's Frankenfurter, which is the real reason behind the casting.

Kotaku - Tim Schafer Explains Why Dio's Out Of Brütal Legend, Tim Curry's In - ronnie james dio

[Guitarman]

Now if only they'd dump jack black. Guy is a fucking moron and bugs the hell out of me.