It’s pretty uncanny how the classic adventure game genre went from dead to thriving in a matter of months. Starting off the success of DoubleFine’s promise to bring back classic adventures with Double Fine Adventure (and grabbing nearly $3.5 million dollars in fan funding), old and beloved developers are rushing back to their computers with the realization that Kickstarter gives them a chance to design again. Joining this increasing pool of classic talent is Chris Jones and the Tex Murphy series.
It’s pretty uncanny how the classic adventure game genre went from dead to thriving in a matter of months. Starting off the success of DoubleFine’s promise to bring back classic adventures with Double Fine Adventure (and grabbing nearly $3.5 million dollars in fan funding), old and beloved developers are rushing back to their computers with the realization that Kickstarter gives them a chance to design again. Joining this increasing pool of classic talent is Chris Jones and theTex Murphy series.
Coming from a humbler time where developers played multiple roles and cutscenes where still called “Full Motion Video”, Chris Jones both developed and acted as Tex Murphy, the down on his luck private eye from the dystopian San Francisco. These radiation-filled landscapes filled the screens of PCs everywhere for over titles for nearly a decade, until 1998 when Acess software was sold to Microsoft.
After finally acquiring the old rights to the series, original developers Aaron Connors and Chris Jones are looking to bring the glory of their classic video adventure game series. In a hilarious pitch video based on the original over-the-top acting, it seems that only you can bring Tex out of purgatory and back into (in his words) the smell of tainted ladies and rotten garbage of Chandler Avenue.
The new project, codenamed Project Fedora, aims to revive Tex and restore the video adventure to a quality never seen before. Hoping to recapture the dark atmosphere, tight writing, and the humor of the originals, Big Finish Games hopes to reintroduce the series with a bang. The cost of said bang? Roughly $450,000.
Luckily, Project Fedora has launched to a tremendous first day success of nearly $150,000, and is well on its way to hitting its goal. Backers of $15 will get the complete game when it releases, while hardcore fans can donate a little more to get exclusive perks and merchandise. Some of the larger tiers include the following: $250 for the privilege to beta test the game, $500 for the opportunity to have your photo (and snarky Tex commentary) in the game, or a whopping $10,000 for a walk-on role and an invitation to the game’s premiere party, airfare included.
Whether you’re a diehard fan looking to relive another 90’s great to the modern era, or a newcomer looking to see what a few classic developers can do without the shackles of producer control, check out their Kickstarter page and help become a part of what is bound to be another huge Kickstarter hit.
Project Name:Tex Murphy – Project Fedora
Platforms:PC, Mac
Funds Needed:$450,000
Funding Acquired (as of this writing):$144,184
Days Left:30
Kickstarter Picks is a series of features on Gamezebo that will profile Kickstarter projects in the world of video games. We’re doing this in the hopes of calling attention to interesting projects in need of funding, so please, if a game looks like something you’d want to play, don’t hesitate to lend it your support!
