Ron Gilbert, the famous creator of the Monkey Island series, announced that one of his new games has been canceled because he wasn’t able to secure the necessary funding from investors.
In an interview with Ars Technica, Gilbert explained that the game was originally intended to be a sprawling, open-world role-playing game similar to The Legend of Zelda. He and a small team – an artist and a designer – worked on it for about a year before Gilbert concluded that the project wouldn’t come to fruition.
He explained that he lacked the funds and time to create a large, open-world game. He added that those kinds of projects either take a decade of dedicated work, or require significant financial investment to hire a team and gather the necessary resources.
Gilbert had previously explained his latest game would blend the styles of classic Zelda, Diablo, and Thimbleweed Park, generating a lot of anticipation. Unfortunately, the project has now been cancelled.
“Horrible” publishing deals
Gilbert tried to get the project funded by approaching publishers, but the offers he received were very unfavorable.
Gilbert said publishers weren’t interested in funding his game idea because it wasn’t the type of blockbuster they usually invest in. He felt the financial offers were too low and the terms weren’t worthwhile, so he decided not to pursue them.
In 2017, Gilbert successfully funded the game Thimbleweed Park through Kickstarter, raising over $600,000. He also secured additional private investment to finish the game.
According to a seasoned industry professional, publishers are now heavily focused on data and have developed methods to predict potential profits. This leads them to avoid risky projects, ultimately resulting in games that often feel similar to one another.
He explained that many games end up looking very similar to previous years’ titles because sticking to what’s proven makes money. He noted that when his team was starting out, they didn’t have that understanding. He finds the indie game scene particularly appealing because it avoids these patterns, allowing for more creativity, originality, and unusual ideas.
Gilbert’s newest game, Death by Scrolling, came out in late October. He previously worked with Devolver Digital on Return to Monkey Island.
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2025-12-03 23:09