Will the Thimbleweed Park "project" stop now?

[LowLevel]

So, the developers have to work on the last unreleased features of the game yet but the entire production process is about to end soon.

It was of course expected that the development of the game would have ended sooner or later, but what about the entire Thimbleweed Park project?

Thimbleweed Park isn’t just/mainly a game for me. I have enjoyed to observe the development of the game, I have loved to see a small but very active community of people growing in the blog and in these forums and I’ve observed both myself and other people becoming more involved in playing and discussing other games or debating about art, development and other creative activities.

From me, the Thimbleweed Park “project” has been a sort of “cultural rebirth”, after a long time spent playing just one or two adventure games per year, without connecting much with other adventure game players.

I was wondering how things will change now that the development of the game will not be anymore a main source of our discussions.

Can this community still help the developers in some way?

Will the developers think of new ways to engage with the community other than keeping this forum open?

Could the Thimbleweed Park “project” evolve into a wider initiative focused on keeping alive the interest on games based on narrative and/or puzzles?

What are your thoughts about your personal experience and how this pleasant journey might continue?

[Guga]

Well, you might have noticed I’m personally pushing for the fan-dubs I’d really love to see what the game would be with an Italian voice-over (btw, you’re Italian, help us).

And since most of us are developers, why don’t we organize a TWP-themed game jam or something like that?

[seguso]

At some point we have said all there is to say about TWP, but we can switch to following the next Ron Gilbert project. I hope the development will still be open, with podcast and blog, but I’m afraid it won’t be. It would be a shame, because the wait for TWP has been as fun as playing the game itself. (though I discovered it very late)

[PiecesOfKate]

I’m starting to feel that weird emptiness I felt when the game was ‘finished’ the first time round. It really is an addiction of sorts. At least this time round there’s a really great community to carry on indulging in.

I guess we’ll have to talk about something other than TWP

[DZ-Jay]

Time to move on, *beepers*. About *beeping* time.

[Someone]

@LowLevel

Can this community still help the developers in some way?
Will the developers think of new ways to engage with the community other than keeping this forum open?

Only the developers can answer these questions. But for your first question, maybe Ron has given an answer via Twitter:
https://twitter.com/grumpygamer/status/917455464857604096

@LowLevel

Could the Thimbleweed Park “project” evolve into a wider initiative focused on keeping alive the interest on games based on narrative and/or puzzles?

These initiatives are existing already. For example there is https://adventuregamers.com, in Germany the Adventure Treff site, and so on.

But this project could evolve into a “Fans of the adventure games by the Ron/Gary/David crew” initiative - depending what follows next…

@LowLevel

What are your thoughts about your personal experience and how this pleasant journey might continue?

I really don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see, I’m afraid.

@seguso

At some point we have said all there is to say about TWP, but we can switch to following the next Ron Gilbert project.

Exactly. There is a wide fan base. If Ron/Gary/David is/are making another game they can profit from this (growing) fan base. If they won’t do another game, I fear that this community will “dissolve”.

@seguso

It would be a shame, because the wait for TWP has been as fun as playing the game itself. (though I discovered it very late)

I second this. The open development process was the reason why I raised my pledge.

[milanfahrnholz]

@PiecesOfKate

I guess we’ll have to talk about something other than TWP

Aren´t we doing that already, though?

@Someone

If they won’t do another game, I fear that this community will “dissolve”.

But what a ride it was!

Well, I guess we´ll always have Paris…

[PiecesOfKate]

@milanfahrnholz

Aren´t we doing that already, though?

Yeah I guess we’ll just be permanently off-topic. Maybe we should make a new category for on-topic topics.

[milanfahrnholz]

Or just be very general and call it “Comedians On Computers Drinking Coffe” or something…

[ZakPhoenixMcKracken]

@Someone

I fear that this community will “dissolve”.

I fear not, because thanks to this project, a community has grown up, talking about adventure games at first, but about everything else later.
The “Off-Topic” category is the one with the most number of topics.

Coincidences? I don’t think so.

[LowLevel]

@Guga

Well, you might have noticed I’m personally pushing for the fan-dubs I’d really love to see what the game would be with an Italian voice-over (btw, you’re Italian, help us).

Yes, I understand how fan-dubs might be interesting to do. Even more importantly, it would be nice to give to the fans the ability to change also the texts of the game. Personally, I’m not interested in contributing to an English > Italian dubbing, but I hope that the developers will do something to make fan-dubs possible.

@Guga

And since most of us are developers

I’m really not sure about this. While it’s true that the “seed” of this community comes from the development blog, I have a hunch that this community (all of it, not just the people who write here) has grown to the point that developers are not the majority of us.

@seguso

At some point we have said all there is to say about TWP, but we can switch to following the next Ron Gilbert project.

I think that we are already talking about a lot of stuff that is not related to TWP. It seems to me that TWP was just the spark that ignited a bigger fire.

We are already not focusing anymore on TWP or a hypothetical new game by the developers; news about the game make us talking about it but after the news is gone we go back talking about other games or topics. I have no statistics, but I think that non-TWP related topics might represent a large percentage of what we do.

I think that it would be fun to just… keep doing it.

@PiecesOfKate

I guess we’ll have to talk about something other than TWP

That’s good.

@Someone

maybe Ron has given an answer via Twitter:

The issue with this is that I have no idea how to establish if this phenomenon is an anomaly (and as a consequence something that could be “fixed”) or something absolutely physiological. Maybe a lot of Monkey fans don’t play games anymore. Who knows…

@Someone

These initiatives are existing already. For example there is https://adventuregamers.com, in Germany the Adventure Treff site, and so on.

Yes, I know. I was just thinking about the “potential” of both this community and its creators. A single tweet by Ron can get more visibility (retweets, visits, articles written on websites) of weeks of tweeting by AdventureGamers.

The quantity of posts that we have written in these months is staggering. In just a few months we wrote almost 20,000 posts, versus the 140,000 posts written on AdventureGamers in the last 5 years. I really think that it’s a significant phenomenon.

@Someone

If Ron/Gary/David is/are making another game they can profit from this (growing) fan base.

Can I ask you if you have evidence of the fact that the fan base is growing?

@milanfahrnholz

Aren´t we doing that already, though?

That’s also my impression too.

@milanfahrnholz

But what a ride it was!

Sure it was! (if it will dissolve)

@ZakPhoenixMcKracken

The “Off-Topic” category is the one with the most number of topics.

I’m not sure about this claim , but I share with you the sensation that we don’t focus anymore on TWP.

[Someone]

@milanfahrnholz

Aren´t we doing that already, though?

Yes.

@milanfahrnholz

But what a ride it was!

Oh yes! And I would instantly buy a ticket again!

@ZakPhoenixMcKracken

I fear not, because thanks to this project, a community has grown up, talking about adventure games at first, but about everything else later.

Yes, but this forum is focused on TWP (we have only one off-topic category). So if there aren’t any news about TWP anymore and most players have played their game, I fear that we all show up here less frequently. Note: I don’t hope that this will happen, because I like this little forum.

@LowLevel

We are already not focusing anymore on TWP or a hypothetical new game by the developers; …

But that’s the reason why we are here; TWP is the “glue” that keeps us here together. There are over 700 registered people here, but only a few are discussing. But depending on what’s coming after TWP maybe Ron, Gary and David could keep us tied to this forum.

@LowLevel

Maybe a lot of Monkey fans don’t play games anymore. Who knows…

The sales of the Special Editions were good, AFAIK. But you are right: I know several people who played Monkey Island, DOTT, Grim, etc in their childhood. They won’t buy any adventure games today, but (only) the remastered editions - just to bring their memories back. These people won’t buy TWP (or any other adventure game).

@LowLevel

Yes, I know. I was just thinking about the “potential” of both this community and its creators. A single tweet by Ron can get more visibility (retweets, visits, articles written on websites) of weeks of tweeting by AdventureGamers.

Exactly. Ron, Gary and Dave now have a lot of attention and a stable fan base. And I hope they don’t underestimate that.

@LowLevel

In just a few months we wrote almost 20,000 posts, versus the 140,000 posts written on AdventureGamers in the last 5 years.

Wohoooo!

@LowLevel

Can I ask you if you have evidence of the fact that the fan base is growing?

No evidence but indications. For example Ron said on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/grumpygamer/status/917467967893397504

So I assume that he gets constantly new players on Switch/Android/iOS/cooldevice. So the fan is base is still growing.

[Someone]

@LowLevel

I’m really not sure about this.

I made a poll:

Are you a (professional) developer?

As this question came up several times in the past, I would like to ask: Are you are a developer/programmer/coder? poll

[PiecesOfKate]

@Someone

Aren´t we doing that already, though?

Yes.

Yes, yes… I kinda meant it tongue in cheek, people!

[Nor_Treblig]

Remember when they made those three movies and then the Star Wars project just ended?

Me neither

[kaiman]

@Nor_Treblig

Remember when they made those three movies and then the Star Wars project just ended?

Me neither

Might have been better, though .

More on topic, I’ve already reduced the number of times I visit the forum, although there are still some interesting bits and pieces showing up, especially fan art.

What I hope, however, is that TWP gives birth to a new project that’s equally enjoyable, this time perhaps a bit more Monkey-Islandish in nature!

[patrik3dspacek]

I guess, Ron will relax for a little bit and brainstorm what is gonna happen next… then he might come up with another KS campaign or generous investor will give him a 1B$ to make a new game… :o)

I will be very happy making my own games with thoughts about Ron’s new project :o)

[milanfahrnholz]

@Nor_Treblig

Remember when they made those three movies and then the Star Wars project just ended?

Me neither

And George Lucas still won´t let me crash on his couch, either!

[Nor_Treblig]

Did George Lucas say no?

[milanfahrnholz]

He just mumbled strangly. He said “Meesa hava no vacancy” maybe it was a secretary or something…