Summary
- Double Fine has no interest in making new Banjo-Kazooie or Conker's Bad Fur Day games.
- Double Fine plans to focus on their own projects following the success of Psychonauts 2.
Double Fine has shot down fans who were hopeful for new games in the Banjo-Kazooie and Conkers Bad Fur Day franchises. These requests came after Double Fine posted to Twitter about the recently released Astro Bot, and some fans replied to the studio inquiring about the older platformers.
Astro Bot is a 3D platforming game by developer Team Asobi that follows the titular robot as it traverses 80 levels, spanning various galaxies and planets. The game was released to celebrate PlayStation's 30th anniversary and seemingly did so to great effect, as Astro Bot has risen to critical acclaim, becoming the highest-rated first-party launch on the PlayStation 5. The game's primary antagonist, Space Bully Nebulax, bears a striking resemblance to a character from the My Alien Buddy DLC from the 2013 release The Playroom. Developed by Team Asobi, The Playroom is a collection of Augmented Reality games for the PS4, and Double Fine made a DLC pack for the game with My Alien Buddy. Double Fine took to Twitter to point out the similarity with Astro Bot and congratulate Team Asobi on the game's success, but fans were much more interested in something else.
Tim Schafer Not Interested in Any Double Fine Games Becoming Movies
Industry icon and Double Fine Productions founder Tim Schafer discusses their lack of interest in the studio's games being turned into movies.
Fans were quick to jump on the use of "platformers" in the original tweet, accompanying the Tweet with a GIF of Banjo giving a thumbs up, to which Double Fine responded with a curt "No." Another fan inquired about Conker, referring to the cult classic Conker's Bad Fur Day which was released back in 2001. Double Fine responded to this request with an equally clear response, adding that "We want to make *our* games." Both aforementioned platformers were developed by Rare, and while it isn't uncommon for remakes and sequels to be handled by studios who did not create the original product, Double Fine has been quick to shut down any speculation that it will be working on these games.
Double Fine Shuts Down Hopes of Making Banjo-Kazooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day Games
Double Fine has been fairly quiet since the release of the highly successful Psychonauts 2, presumably busy on its next big project. Despite Double Fine's acquisition by Xbox Game Studios during the development cycle of Psychonaut 2, it seems that studio head Tim Schafer has managed to keep Double Fine in its indie roots, and has made it clear that the team only intends to work on what they truly want to work on.
At the start of the year, Double Fine teased its plans for the future, noting that the studio's 25th anniversary was approaching and that it had big plans for that moment. The 25th anniversary of Double Fine won't be until June 2025, so this early teaser shows that the studio already has its own plans in motion, leaving fans excited about what the future holds.
- Date Founded
- July 1, 2000
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California, United States
- Parent Company
- Xbox Game Studios
- Known For
- Psychonauts