Broken Sword Video Game Franchise Set To Return, With The Help Of Nickelodeon Artists

From MCV:

Charles Cecil takes to Kickstarter to fund new Broken Sword

The Broken Sword franchise is set to return – provided it wins sufficient support on Kickstarter.

Original series creator Charles Cecil has taken to the crowd funding platform and hopes to emulate the success of Tim Schafer’s successfully funded new Double Fine project.

Broken Sword: The Serpent's Curse Adventure will, if it is green lit, be the fifth game in the series and the first since 2006.

Hero George Stobbart will return, as will his original voice actor Rolf Saxon. The game’s 2D artists are said to have experience with companies such as Disney, Dreamworks, Nickelodeon and Aardman.

Cecil’s funding goal in $400,000, of which $12,232 has already been raised (at the time of going to press).

A $15 pledge will earn a digital copy of the game and a $25 the game plus assorted digital extras. $100 earns a Limited Edition physical copy. $500 gets a signed version.

For $1,000 you’ll get a personal signed message from Cecil. Add another $4,000 onto that and you’ll receive a personal voice message from characters George and Nico as well as a drawing of yourself with the characters.

“Revolution adventures have had considerable success – but the traditional publishing model has prevented us receiving the required royalties to fund future games,” the official pitch reads.

“With limited financial reserves we have been unable to fund our own titles and so we have not benefited from their success. Now you can help us to change this. For the first time in our history, we will be funding an original adventure game: Broken Sword: The Serpent's Curse. This will give us full creative freedom, and let us work with you. We promise to keep you up to date with all aspects of development and we will value your support.

“Development of the game is going well. Kickstarter funding will allow us to proceed at a faster rate, and ensure the game achieves its ambitious design. Without this funding we will risk having to cut back features and delay the game's release.”

You can donate to the project here.

Also, from The Gaming Vault:

Revolution begins Broken Sword 5 Kickstarter

Put point and click developers Revolution Software down as the latest group of folks to jump on the Kickstarter bandwagon, as the British based codeshop aims to get a fifth entry in their Broken Sword series off the ground with help from the popular crowd-funding initiative.

Broken Sword 5, or, Broken Sword : The Serpent’s Curse as it is to be known, will bring back together series stalwarts George Stobbart and Nico Collard in a completely new point and click 2D adventure which aims to stay true to the roots of the series. Graphically, the game is as nut-wrenchingly gorgeous you would come to expect from Revolution Software; employing a mixture of deliciously detailed 2D handpainted backdrops, 3D backgrounds and 3D models all displayed in good old fashioned two dimensions.

The UK based codehouse is looking to bring the game to PC, MAC, iOS and Android formats with a console release only possible if a suitable deal can be reached with the console manufacturers once their Kickstarter funding target has been reached.

In terms of that target, Revolution Software are looking for $400,000, with their total at current writing with twenty-nine days to go standing at $8,380.

The total is not required to fund development of the title (the game is already six months into its production schedule), but instead it is needed to apply extra polish to the title (never a bad thing) and will also enable the developer to release the game without a publisher looming over their shoulder (definitely not a bad thing).

They have a great many rewards for you to receive for your donation too; ranging from a $15 donation which will get you a DRM-free copy of game for PC/MAC all the way through to a $10,000 donation which will net you a ‘Grand Master’ accreditation in the game, a special Grand Master jacket, an invitation to the wrap party and many, many more goodies besides.

Taken from the site, the official Kickstarter exclaims:

“WELL, WE’VE GOT THE TEAM BACK TOGETHER. Charles Cecil has assembled his team – including many of the original Revolution crew. Rolf Saxon (voice of George) is brushing dust off his microphone and other former voice actors from the series are ready to roll.”

“THE 2D ARTISTS ARE BACK IN TOWN. Yes we are going back to our 2D roots. We’ve searched high and low for the best artists to translate the original charm to a contemporary adventure. We’ve sourced artists that have worked at Disney, Dreamworks, Nickelodeon, Universal, Aardman, Sony and 20th Century Fox. Backgrounds are drawn in 2D by experienced layout artists. Game characters are created and animated in 3D and then pre-rendered and saved as 2D frames so we can deliver ultra high quality visuals in full HD glory.

The game will be fully localised, with speech, into German and French and, we hope, other languages including Spanish and Italian.

Revolution adventures have had considerable success – but the traditional publishing model has prevented us receiving the required royalties to fund future games. With limited financial reserves we have been unable to fund our own titles and so we have not benefited from their success. Now you can help us to change this. For the first time in our history, we will be funding an original adventure game: Broken Sword – the Serpent's Curse. This will give us full creative freedom, and let us work with you. We promise to keep you up to date with all aspects of development and we will value your support.

Development of the game is going well – we hope that you like what you see. Kickstarter funding will allow us to proceed at a faster rate, and ensure the game achieves its ambitious design. Without this funding we will risk having to cut back features and delay the game’s release.

Whether you are able to back this project or not, if you’re a fan of the Broken Sword games then please share this with your friends so they can help make the next Broken Sword the best game yet!”

Go on, chuck em’ a coin or fifteen.

It would be rude not to.

Do so here.