Summary
Double Finehas shot down fans who were hopeful for new games in theBanjo-KazooieandConkers Bad Fur Dayfranchises. These requests came afterDouble Fineposted to Twitter about the recently releasedAstro Bot, and some fans replied to the studio inquiring about the older platformers.
Astro Botis 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, asAstro Bothas 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 theMy Alien BuddyDLC from the 2013 releaseThe Playroom. Developed by Team Asobi,The Playroomis a collection of Augmented Reality games for the PS4, and Double Fine made a DLC pack for the game withMy Alien Buddy. Double Fine took to Twitter to point out the similarity withAstro Botand congratulate Team Asobi on the game’s success, but fans were much more interested in something else.
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 tothe cult classicConker’s Bad Fur Daywhich 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 has been fairly quiet since the release of the highly successfulPsychonauts 2, presumably busy on its next big project.Despite Double Fine’s acquisition by Xbox Game Studiosduring the development cycle ofPsychonaut 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.
