Jane Jensen Kickstarter

[lobotomy42]

Did anyone here ever play the Gabriel Knight games back in the 90s? Jane Jensen, their designer, has a kickstarter up now:

 

 

The Gabriel Knight games are really fantastic, I can't recommend them enough if you like adventure games (not an RPG, but very story-driven supernatural thrillers.) This project could really use your support, so if you're interested, do pledge and try to get others on board.

[lobotomy42]

Oh, and the Gabriel Knight games are all on GOG if you've never played them:

 

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/gabriel_knight_sins_of_the_fathers

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/gabriel_knight_2_the_beast_within

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/gabriel_knight_3_blood_of_the_sacred_blood_of_the_damned

[Jaesun]

I am backing this. I SO want Jane to do a game where she finally has full control of her creation. It's moving very slowly and quite a number of large gaming sites don't seem to consider this news sadly. Still keeping my fingers crossed.

[Tigranes]

I liked Gabriel Knight and I'm considering donating, but the lower tier rewards aren't as compelling really. You get *one* game for $16 and their business model seems to be create a lot of episodic low budget adventure games, at least several a year. Whereas you get a full copy of Wasteland 2 for $15.

[Jaesun]

I liked Gabriel Knight and I'm considering donating, but the lower tier rewards aren't as compelling really. You get *one* game for $16 and their business model seems to be create a lot of episodic low budget adventure games, at least several a year. Whereas you get a full copy of Wasteland 2 for $15.

 

She is NOT making "casual adventure games". Read the FAQ. The main page has all the info you need.

 

I DO agree the tiers are a bit...... odd. But I still am backing this (50$).

[Tigranes]

Games the size of GK1, eh? Good point, I should learn2read. I'll see how my budget's looking and go for $16 or $50.

[Malcador]

Well she got some referrals from Schafer. Up to 78.5k now, not too shabby. Heh, I like this comment on Schafer's twitter - "I await the return of the Queen.... Roberta Williams!"

[Janmanden]

$86.419 when I began posting this and $200 more after.

 

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers taught me a lot about New Orleans and it was quite impressive. One of the few games which taught me anything at all, but I wasn't too fond of Sierra games in general, because they were more unforgiving towards errors and the humor was.. erm, just not my taste.. You'd die if you screwed up somehow or got stuck in some puzzle. Yawn. Sierra games were a world apart from the frolicking craziness of the LucasArts Adventure games, but Jane Jensen made me play and enjoy some of their (her) games.. I used to spend a lot of time playing adventure games in the nineties, but I got a taste for humor that was rarely present and some boring headaches from games like the 7th Guest..

[HoonDing]

I like Gabriel Knight, but I've always been more of a Broken Sword fanboy. Broken Sword is basically a light-hearted version of Gabriel Knight.

[Drowsy Emperor]

I started with Broken Sword 2. It was my first real PC game. I loved it to death but when I got my hands on GK3, and GK1 later I never looked back.

 

In all honesty Jensen is, by real world standards, a mediocre writer. I have one of her books somewhere. In the video game world, she's practically Shakespeare (which says a lot about video games). Gabriel Knight and Grace Nakimura had a "mature" relationship (in GK3) and good characterization a decade before it became trendy to promise those things and routinely fail to deliver. In fact, characters of that depth or complexity in games can be counted on the fingers of one hand. She's also a thorough researcher of the topic she intends to cover and its a pleasure to play and actually learn something as you go.The puzzles were often real detective work and cleverly thought out - not the illogical stuff of most other adventures.

 

On a related note, Jensen's husband is a good composer of video game music.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEGwJF42Fu0

 

HOWEVER. At this point I don't think her name can get the kind of money needed to make her games work to the fullest. Grey Matter's cutscenes were a disgrace in an otherwise good game. This is why I don't expect much of any new project, let alone three at the same time.

[kalimeeri]

I don't think that Jane Jensen's name carries the weight that it used to, even with me. I was a staunch supporter of Sierra back in the day--I didn't like all of their game series', but KQ, QFG and particularly GK games were the holy grail. All that ended horribly with the last games of each series and the push for 3D. After finally receiving my GK3 pre-order, I was so infuriated that I wrote Sierra demanding my money back. I loved the moody, introspective character of Gabriel Knight--and they'd made him into an arrogant Indiana Jones. Worst of all, Jane Jensen herself enthusiastically supported the 180 degree shift from a sensitive, bookish dude forced into an unwanted lifestyle to an aggressive pendulum-swinging Tarzan. Determined to somehow keep the dream alive, I bought JJ's books and tried to read them--O.M.G., I'd have flushed them if they fit in the toilet. To this day I find myself questioning how much of the first two GK games were Jane Jensen--certainly the idea for the character and the research was hers, but it's hard for me to believe that a person who can't even string a cohesive thought/sentence together could have written those games--even allowing that game writing is quite different from prose.

Call it lack of faith or something else ... but I can't bring myself to devote money to this project unless she has one hell of a support staff.

[Malcador]

Interview about her project and such - http://alternativemagazineonline.co.uk/2012/04/12/interview-in-conversation-with-jane-jensen-pinkerton-road-studio/

 

Interesting that kickstarter's only half of the funding.

[Humanoid]

Voting for which concept gets first dibs is open. Early numbers showing that the Moebius one easily ahead - one imagines because of the Gabriel Knight comparisons.

[Janmanden]

It's a pretty nice, ackward and confusing touch in a way that they show the pretty (step-)daughter instead of Jane Jensen in The PInkerton Road Kickstarter movie.. A bit funny with the mystery they try to add in the video, but quite old and overused ideas, it's about as interesting as watching a bunch of d&d lovers do a live-game in the forest.. Actually I have seen better performances of just that.. but I just don't see the point of it in regards to the project at hand.. A big shocking to see how big JJ is, because she seems much smaller in her pictures.. I think you need to be a much bigger fan than I am to enjoy any of this including that bland and uninspired video update by Jane Jensen.. I wonder, is this woman really interested and invested in this idea or is she just having her own crisis of faith or a bad day? I think she should hire some professional and enthuasistic people to do the public appearances for her or get some coaching on basic PR.. All I hear is blah-blah-blah. Yeah.. hmmm.. doubtful.

[Jaesun]

Read the design docs and voted.

 

I don't think it's going to be a surprise which one is going to win (Moebeus). It's the closest thing to Gabriel Knight we can get. :happy:

[Tale]

I don't know. I'm onboard with Double Fine Adventure, Banner Saga, Wasteland 2, and Shadowrun. And I'm waiting to see if Obsidian does it. I feel overloaded in futures.

[lobotomy42]

A big shocking to see how big JJ is, because she seems much smaller in her pictures..

 

Dude, it's been over ten years since she worked at Sierra -- people age. And that has nothing to do with her abilities as a game designer.

[Janmanden]

Oops. Bad context. Didn't mean it like that, but I can see why you might think otherwise. I was just so surprised to see her 'for real'.

[lobotomy42]

No worries, I didn't mean to snap. Maybe I'm just a little on edge...I really want this kickstarter to do well!

[Malcador]

Moebius won in the polls.

[Malcador]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/04/23/interview-jane-jensens-pinkerton-road-adventure/

 

Interview about her kickstarter at RPS

[Azure79]

I read the title too fast and thought someone was making a Jan Jansen spin-off game. I would have totally funded it.

[C2B]

So, apparently at least one publisher HAS taken notice of Kickstarter projects as Jane Jensen will make a second adventure game (aside from the crowdfunded Moebius) under the Pinkerton Road label this year with publisher support. Originally she wanted to do that if 600'000 was made on Kickstarter but that doesn't seem all that likely anymore.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di0bQJuMLHA

[Jaesun]

Nice!

[Humanoid]

Personally I'm hoping it's that Victorian era one that came last in the vote as I'd like something with a non-supernatural vibe to it.

 

 

 

...yeah the horse I back comes last as usual.