[Adventure Games Forever]

Tex Murphy is not on Kickstarter yet, but he should be. I thought the money that Cognition raised was impressive (over $34,000), but the Double Fine Adventure… over 1 million in less than 24 hours! That is AWESOME! It’s at $ 1,516,519 as I write this, and is climbing every minute. It looks like we’re going to be getting an excellent Double Fine game!

This has got me thinking… for those of you that are Tex Murphy fans, and are willing to donate money to Aaron Connors, Chris Jones, and the rest of Big Finish Games, how much would you donate?

If you haven’t played the Tex Murphy games yet, you’re in for a real treat. For just $36, you can buy all five of them on GOG.com. The last three games have some of the best use of FMV ever, with it being both interesting and funny, are in a first person perspective in full 3D, have an unpredictable conversation system, and have great puzzles, characters, and mysteries. Here are links to some great reviews of the Tex Murphy games, which have recently been uploaded to YouTube by a Tex Murphy fan:
All Tex Murphy Games
Under a Killing Moon (best game for those new to Tex to play first)
The Pandora Directive
Tex Murphy: Overseer
Like Tim Schafer’s Kickstarter video, these videos also tell a story, and are quite entertaining (they are more than just simply reviews of the games).

Please only vote in the poll if you are serious about actually donating money to a new Tex Murphy game / Secret Project Fedora, and please only choose a value you think you would realistically donate. I donated $101 to the Double Fine Adventure fund. With that in mind, I would immediately donate $750 for a new Tex Murphy game. I’ve been waiting for one ever since I saw those famous “To be continued…” words while playing Tex Murphy: Overseer in 1998. I have this set up as a poll so you can quickly and easily vote, and also keep your amount anonymous if you wish.

In a recent GOG interview, Aaron Connors explained what he’d like to do with the Tex Murphy franchise with a full budget. It’s very interesting, and quite an innovative solution to the “puzzles vs. story” debate! He also mentions that he would like to use FMV and 3D graphics, which is what about 99% of Tex Murphy fans want, ideally. His quote:

“With a full budget, I would make a game like the old ones, but with state-of-the art 3D and graphics. I think we would still need to do FMV, but we could blend it better with CG characters in the environments. I would also work on the pacing, make it a bit faster, but keep control in the hands of the player as much as possible. In fact, I would explore offering multiple modes of play – not just difficulty levels, but the actual gameplay style – so different types of players would get the kind of game they want.” – Aaron Connors, from GOG.com: http://www.gog.com/en/news/your_questions_about_tex_murphy_answered_by_aaron_ conners_pt_i


If you wouldn’t donate to this fund, that’s fine, but please only comment if you would. The minimum donation is $1, therefore, that is the lowest choice in this poll. The results of this poll and the comments may find their way to Aaron Connors and Chris Jones eventually. I know I’m not the only one interested in pitching this idea.

Please vote for how much money you would donate to support a new Tex Murphy game. In the meantime, please donate to the Double Fine Adventure if you haven’t already! :-)

How much money would you donate to support a new Tex Murphy game?

[Fien]

I'd be willing to donate $75 or even $100 for a new Tex Murphy game. But Aaron and Chris are not the copyrightholders (Microsoft?) so it's never going to happen. Double Fine won't be making a sequel to DOTT or one of the other old classics either, because LucasArts won't part with the copyright.

[Monolith]

The thing is, a lot of designers are finally getting their rights back lately....sadly Tex Murphy wasn't one of them. :/

[Frogacuda]

If it was at a time of year when I had money, $100, no problem. UAKM and PD are probably my favorite adventure games.

Originally Posted by Monolith

The thing is, a lot of designers are finally getting their rights back lately....sadly Tex Murphy wasn't one of them. :/

Uh... They got the rights to Tex back like 2-3 years ago, dude. Including the old games. And they've been talking about doing a new Tex game since then, it's just a matter of money.

Alas, I don't think Tex has the heat that Tim Schafer has, even among hardcores. I'm not sure it would work, but I'd sure as hell like to be wrong about that.

[zane]

i am pretty sure, that right before they started selling it on gog they announced that they (big finish games) had gotten the game rights.
I would love to see tex get a big kickstarter reception.. but im a little skeptical.

[Monolith]

Originally Posted by Frogacuda

If it was at a time of year when I had money, $100, no problem. UAKM and PD are probably my favorite adventure games.
Uh... They got the rights to Tex back like 2-3 years ago, dude. Including the old games. And they've been talking about doing a new Tex game since then, it's just a matter of money.

Alas, I don't think Tex has the heat that Tim Schafer has, even among hardcores. I'm not sure it would work, but I'd sure as hell like to be wrong about that.

Then what the hell was Fien talking about?

[Frogacuda]

I think his information is just many years out of date. Once what was left of Access Software (Indie Built) got shut down by 2K Games, rights reverted to Chris and Aaron, who set up some kind of shell company (Wordplay LLC) to maintain the rights.

I've spoken to Aaron and Chris a couple times over the years, they definitely have the rights, they're the ones who put the games on GOG, and Aaron is doing a Tex novel that should be coming out soon. They've also been teasing a new game for a while now.

[Arial Type]

As long as Jones/Conners will make a true (not casual) Tex adventure and I have free money, I'm willing to donate up to $1k. The same goes to Gabriel Knight 4 (I think this Kickstarter topic will also appear soon). But I think people are too overexcited now. At least wait for some results on Double Fine's project!

[Adventure Games Forever]

Yes, it’s true that Chris Jones and Aaron Connors DO own the rights to Tex Murphy, and have since 2008. Micro$oft is out of the picture. Here are the pros and cons involved in raising money for a Tex Murphy Kickstarter fund:

Cons:
- Chris Jones/Aaron Connors/Tex Murphy is not as popular as Tim Schafer/Double Fine.
- Chris Jones is the full-time CEO of TruGolf, a successful virtual golf simulator (I’ve used it and it’s great).
- Aaron Connors is a full time Senior Game Designer at EA, working on The Sims games.
- The Pandora Directive cost about $4 million to make in 1996 gaming dollars.

Pros:
- The money raised by Kickstarter wouldn’t need to be the only source of funds. It could be just a fraction, but enough to get things going.
- Aaron Connors is currently writing a new Tex Murphy novel in his free time, and has the first 10 chapters completed.
- Aaron Connors is “done with casual games” according to an interview.
- Adventure Games in general have been extremely successful in recent years.
- If the size of Tex Murphy fans are 10% of that of Tim Schafer fans, and the Double Fine game earns $3 million, that could mean $300,000 for Tex Murphy. Not quite scientific, I know, but it’s good enough for Aperture Science!

The possible rewards for the pledges could be the following:
- Gifted copies of the Tex Murphy games on GOG
- Printed copies or e-books of the Under A Killing Moon, and The Pandora Directive novels
- A printed copy or e-book of the new Tex Murphy novel
- The rare and limited DVD version of Tex Murphy: Overseer
- The rare and limited Overseer soundtrack on CD
- Shrink-wrapped and boxed versions of the Tex Murphy games
- An invitation to playtest the alpha or beta of the new game
- Your name in the special thanks part of the credits
- Your name somewhere in one of the game’s inventory items (newspaper, etc.)
- Content of an optional game puzzle decided by you (for example, being able to decide what one of the crossword puzzle questions is for that crossword puzzle in the Ritz lobby of TPD)
- An invitation to be an extra in one of the FMV scenes
- A Tex Murphy wardrobe
- Dinner with Aaron Connors and Chris Jones
- An invitation to watch the FMV scenes being developed
- An invitation to tour the offices of Big Finish Games, and watch the game get developed

In other news, The Save Files has posted their review of Tex Murphy: Overseer today!

[Fien]

Originally Posted by Monolith

Then what the hell was Fien talking about?

Eh... I guess Fien was talking through her hat or something. I didn't know they're now the copyrightholders. Then what are they waiting for? Trash the awful casuals and bring back good old Tex!

Oh wait... we still have this little cash problem.

[Oscar]

Do we want to play as a grey-haired and wrinkled Murphy? It's been what, 14 years since Overseer...

[Luther10]

No option for $0 ??? Not a bad series, like the stories in general, but I don't like Tex, and I don't Chelsee. If I have a choice, I rather donate my money to other worthier series... ( Gabriel Knight, Broken Sword, Zork...)

[Oscar]

Originally Posted by Luther10

No option for $0 ??? Not a bad series, like the stories in general, but I don't like Tex, and I don't Chelsee. If I have a choice, I rather donate my money to other worthier series... ( Gabriel Knight, Broken Sword, Zork...)

You like Gabriel but not Tex? Really?

I would have said that Gabriel is probably one of the most unlikeable protagonists in an adventure game, Tex one of the most loveable. I guess it depends if you like crass egotists or downtrodden PIs down on their luck.

[inm8#2]

Gabriel is deeply flawed. That's what makes him so appealing. We go on this journey with him as he embraces his larger purpose.

I never once found him unlikeable, though Curry's accent in GK3 was a little off.

[Fien]

I'd donate gladly to a new humorous Zork game but not to another Nemesis. Gabriel Knight, yes please. Broken Sword? No way, four overrated games were more than enough.

Just fon't ask me what I would give to see a sequel to The Last Express.

[Monolith]

Gabriel Knight, Tex Murphy, Zork like Grand Inquisitor, the Journeyman Project 4, etc. BTW, I feel there shouldn't be a sequel to the Last Express....just an HD rerelease of it. I'd give a lot for that.

[Ascovel]

The way Last Express ended seemed to set up a potential sequel/prequel. I remember Mechner had some kind of script for it, but I think he decided it wasn't really that good after a while.

[Hudini]

Hey

So i noticed some people and confusing Kickstart with a donation project, which it is not.

It is much more like a pre-order with bonuses according with the amount of money you give.

Double fine is making available for minimum of 15 dollars:

The game, The beta, The private community where you will help the game happen in collaboration and the sd documentary.

For 30 dollars:
All of the above plus the game soundtrack and HD documentary

There are other brackets with greater rewards.


---

Yes Kickstart is all about supporting what you are passionate about but it is not donating expecting to have nothing in return or having to buy the product again after it is done.

This is much like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patronage
of the old times.

[TimovieMan]

I'll pledge 0$. Oh, wait, that's not an option...

I haven't played any of the Tex Murphy games (yet, but they're on the list), but even if a new game would get made, I'd still want to wait until some reviews surface before I'd consider buying it. Plus it's been 14 years since the last one...

The same goes for the new Double Fine adventure.
Don't get me wrong: I'm thrilled that so many people are giving Tim Schafer money for his new game, but I'm not too keen on pre-ordering something of which I haven't got the slightest idea whether it'll be any good or not.

Doing this with a developer I know and trust, and who's been churning out good games until recently, then yes, definitely (cfr. LucasArts in the '90s), but if it's been a good while, then I'm not really all that confident in their ability anymore, and I'd prefer to wait it out.
If the reviews then turn out to be good, then I'm definitely willing to pay top dollar for the game. Just not in advance...

[Hudini]

To each his own TimovieMan.
I am just happy there are enough people willing to make this happen.