“The studio struggles with overly ambitious designs, low morale, technical difficulties, and money issues.” Double Fine has collaborated with 2 Player Productions on Double Fine PsychOdyssey, described as “an unprecedented documentary experience seven years in the making.”
The documentary, which you can watch right now for free on Youtube, chronicles the studio’s struggles as it creates Psychonauts 2, including its encounters with “overly ambitious designs, poor morale, technical challenges, and financial woes.”
Across 32 episodes and 20+ hours, the documentary provides “even deeper insight into the passion, humor, and heartbreak of video game development,” building on the work of the previous documentary series Double Fine Adventure.
Double Fine PsychOdyssey is the direct continuation of the acclaimed documentary series Double Fine Adventure which I enjoyed watching during the production of @DoubleFine's adventure game Broken Age!
Well done, @TimOfLegend, well done!
Check it out:https://t.co/AF5VfgzUsq pic.twitter.com/kQDbUuADkU
— Daniel Albu (@danielalbu@mastodon.gamedev.place) (@danielalbu) February 11, 2023
Double Fine Productions released the original Psychonauts in 2008, and now, ten years later, the studio is revisiting its most acclaimed franchise with Psychonauts 2.
The studio is under intense pressure to deliver a successful sequel despite several obstacles, including high expectations for the film, low morale among staff, technical difficulties, and financial difficulties.
The founder of Double Fine Productions, Tim Schafer, will soon be inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS). Later this month, the 26th annual DICE event (not to be confused with EA’s Stockholm studio of the same name) will honor Schafer, known for games like Grim Fandango, Psychonauts, and Broken Age.
Schafer recently revealed that he avoids “a grab bag of stereotypes” to make his games more inclusive and avoid “hurting people.”