Psychonauts 2 preview, an interview with Double Fine?s Tim Schafer

Filed under:Tim Schafer reflects on Psychonauts 2 and this unique point in Double Fine’s history Double Fine Productions is a studio that knows the ups and downs of game development all too well. Between publishing deals falling through the cracks, layoffs, multiple game delays, and a lawsuit involving two of the largest video game companies in the business, the team has had to deal with its fair share of instability.When the company announced the sequel to its cult hit Psychonauts, founder Tim Schafer thought making the game would be a “two-year cakewalk,” Schafer told Polygon in a recent Zoom call. To be clear, Schafer didn’t intentionally write Raz’s story in relation to the studio’s situation, and there are no references to Microsoft in the new game. Schafer told Polygon, “I’ve always wanted game players and game makers to not feel this wall between them, that there’s people who make games and people who play them, because the people who make games also play them a lot.“I think a lot of times you’re playing a game you get so mad because you know your shotgun doesn’t have the right power that you wanted, or something ⁠— but if you really knew how much work went into making that shotgun work, and how much care went into those decisions, I think it would only enhance your enjoyment of games.” The studio created a documentary series about development of the game Broken Age for anyone to watch on YouTube, and Schafer has talked openly about challenges the studio has faced.