Phil Fish's next game won't be on XBLA, might be Kickstarter'd [Joystiq]

[DP ServBot]

Fez may just now be undergoing the certification process at Microsoft, but that doesn't mean designer Phil Fish is resting on his laurels. Quite the contrary, in fact; Fish's next project is already in its formative stages, and he's so anxious to begin work that he may use Kickstarter to fund it. Whatever that project might be, however, it won't be an XBLA game.

"Well, our next project is going to be not for XBLA," Fish told us during SXSW Interactive, in response to a question regarding Fez's limited XBLA exclusivity, and the possibility of a similar arrangement for his next title. "I think it's unfortunate that Microsoft works that way, but like I said [during the panel] we gave them what they wanted and they've been backing us up the whole time. I'm sure you've heard many horror stories of people working with XBLA; they've been nothing but understanding and supporting of us this whole entire time."

It's been three months since Fish's work on Fez ended; the game is still being debugged by other members of the team, but in his capacity as a designer he's finished. He hasn't quite known what to do with himself in the interim, and that restlessness has lead him and his team to heavily consider Kickstarter for their next project.

"It's going to take a while before we get money from Microsoft, and I want to get started on this project that I'm making with a couple people, a larger team than just me and another guy," Fish said. "We wouldn't need much and we wouldn't ask for much, but I assume we'll get more than we ask for, having just won the grand prize and Fez about to come out."

The campaign wouldn't start until after the release of Fez, which Fish is concerned about: "I'm afraid people might take [the Kickstarter] the wrong way. Like, 'Why do you need a Kickstarter, you just made Fez?' Yeah, but it takes five months before we get paid, maybe, it's totally variable, but at least three months. The best case scenario is we get paid three months after the release. I don't want to wait three months."Phil Fish's next game won't be on XBLA, might be Kickstarter'd originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[calthaer]

Haha...good luck with that, Phil. Really. I'm sure people will line up to give this guy money after his brazenly gauche comments at the last GDC. Something tells me he's been living in this world where he's a bit like a child to whom nobody has ever said "no."

[Kitsune Sniper]

People are stupid and will give him money anyway.

[Griking]

People are stupid and will give him money anyway.

People still purchase UbiSoft games...

[Emperor Megas]

People are stupid and will give him money anyway.

People just want to be entertained and have little to no personal stake in any off coloured comments directors, producers, artists, and developers make.

Mel Gibson wouldn't have a career otherwise -- as it stands he's one of the most successful people in his industry. If people really worried about things beyond want they're getting for their money, they wouldn't purchase anything; meat, CD's, movies, video games, etc..

[Kitsune Sniper]

People just want to be entertained and have little to no personal stake in any off coloured comments directors, producers, artists, and developers make.

Mel Gibson wouldn't have a career otherwise -- as it stands he's one of the most successful people in his industry. If people really worried about things beyond want they're getting for their money, they wouldn't purchase anything; meat, CD's, movies, video games, etc..

You're right.

After all, Scientologists still get jobs...

[kedawa]

Well what employer wouldn't prefer his employees to be thetan-free?

[Berserker]

His timing seems bad to the point where you have to wonder if it's deliberate.

[calthaer]

His timing seems bad to the point where you have to wonder if it's deliberate.

I really just think he's been told he's indie gaming's "golden boy" by his narrow circle of friends / collaborators / competitors for so long that he's truly ignorant of the stench his comments brought to the nostrils of his potential audience. I believe he foolishly but legitimately believes that all these people who have never played his work will be willing to give him money just because he's "famous."

[Cornelius]

There is so much about this that I just don't 'get'. What does he intend to do with himself until he gets paid in three months? Just sit around because he isn't getting paid upfront for his next game? What a ridiculous reason to do a kickstarter campaign. He apparently hasn't heard of the word 'investment'.

Or does he have a day job that he'll quit to work on the game? I doubt that, but I guess it is possible. I think he just wants the free money.