xbox

Double Fine regains IP and full publishing revenue after leaving Xbox

Double Fine completed its exit from Xbox and is now an independent studio. The company regained publishing rights and intellectual property for games it developed under Microsoft and receives all revenue when those games sell. The studio will launch an Amnesia Fortnight Kickstarter this month, film the jam as a documentary, and use Kickstarter proceeds plus game revenue to extend its runway while pitching new projects.

• Double Fine now holds full publishing rights and IP for games made under Microsoft and receives 100% of revenue from their sales; some storefronts like Steam still list Xbox Game Studios until transfers finish.
• Microsoft allowed Double Fine to go independent amid a broader Xbox restructuring that included 3,200 layoffs; Compulsion Games, another studio cut loose, also regained full publishing rights.
• Double Fine will start a Kickstarter tied to its Amnesia Fortnight game jam later this month, will film the event as a documentary, and backers will help choose which jam idea becomes a small game.
• The studio laid off 23 employees last month to reduce headcount; Double Fine plans to use Kickstarter funds and game sales revenue to provide runway while it pitches new projects, and it will release a major update plus a price drop for Kiln next week.