Valkyries in thong bikinis with electric guitars descend from on high to herald the announcement that Tim Schafer's Brütal Legend will be published by EA next fall.
Okay, so maybe there are no thonged Valkyries, but if any news warranted them showing up, this would be it. Double Fine's rock opera turned video game was previously in limbo after being dropped during the Activision Blizzard game cullings. Despite CEO John Riccitiello calling the Jack Black-powered title "a very significant creative risk", EA has stepped up to the plate.
“This is awesome news!” stated Tim Schafer, President of Double Fine Productions. “The quality and creativity of the games EA Partners has been involved with make it a perfect home for our baby, Brütal Legend. Some people were starting to wonder if the saga of Eddie Riggs would ever see the light of day, but now I think it’s clear that this game, like Metal itself, cannot be killed!”
We here at Kotaku Tower weren't worried about the fate of the game for one moment, as sources told us that this publishing agreement was a good bet back in August. Still, you've got to love it when a plan comes together.
Expect more on Brütal Legend this Sunday as the game's star Jack Black hosts the 2008 Spike Video Game Awards. Until then, rock on my friends.
DOUBLE FINE AND EA TURN IT UP TO "11" NEXT FALL WITH THE RELEASE OF BR?TAL LEGEND
Tim Schafer teams up with Jack Black for the Ultimate Rock Opus
Guildford, UK – December 12th, 2008 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Double Fine Productions, Inc. today announced that they have signed an exclusive publishing agreement that will bring the highly-anticipated rock-adventure Brütal Legend? to gamers, headbangers, roadies and rockers worldwide next autumnl. The latest creation from gaming icon Tim Schafer and the award-winning team at Double Fine, Brütal Legend is a 3rd person Action/Adventure game starring Jack Black in the role of roadie Eddie Riggs, who sets on an epic quest to build an army of rockers with only a broad axe, a big block V8 and his faithful guitar in hand.
“This is awesome news!” stated Tim Schafer, President of Double Fine Productions. “The quality and creativity of the games EA Partners has been involved with make it a perfect home for our baby, Brütal Legend. Some people were starting to wonder if the saga of Eddie Riggs would ever see the light of day, but now I think it’s clear that this game, like Metal itself, cannot be killed!”
“Brütal Legend is shaping up to be a creative tour de force,” said David DeMartini, Senior Vice President and General Manager, EA Partners. ”At EAP, we are deeply committed to giving the industry’s elite independent developers a platform to launch their creations to a worldwide audience. Tim Schafer is known for some of the richest stories and characters in our industry, and with Jack Black offering his vocal styling’s for Eddie Riggs, we are extremely excited to help Tim and his talented team at Double Fine see their vision come to fruition.”
Brütal Legend tells the tale of Eddie Riggs, played by Jack Black, who is drawn back through time to a mythical world immersed in Rock and Roll folklore; where great Metal titans once ruled and power chords rang from the countryside for all to hear. When an oppressed people request Eddie’s knowledge of modern warfare, he pulls from his own experience in the only occupation he’s ever had, a roadie for a Heavy Metal band. From this springs the most hellacious army man has ever seen, and thus brings this ancient world into the Age of Metal.
Brütal Legend will be available for the Xbox 360? video game system and PLAYSTATION?3 computer entertainment system in autumn 2009.
Double Fine is represented by CAA.
For more information on Brütal Legend please visit www.brutallegend.com.