Psychonauts: Someone Else is Talking Today

   Today's post is brought to you by Brian Machuca. He currently works on a blog dedicated to the development progress of Dark Souls II. If you are interested, here is a link to his Blogger site. Enjoy.

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   Psychonauts is a platform video game created by Tim Schafer, developed by Double Fine Productions. The game was released on April 19, 2005 and June 21 for PlayStation 2. Psychonauts is based on the exploits of Raz, a young boy gifted with psychic abilities who runs away from the circus to try to sneak into a summer camp for those with similar powers in order to become a Psychonaut. He finds that there is a sinister plot occurring at the camp that only he can stop. Raz gains use of several psychic abilities during the game that are used for both attacking foes and solving puzzles.

   Psychonauts received critical acclaim, with its unique premise, endearing characters, sharp writing, and overall sense of humor being the most commonly praised aspects of the game. While the game received strong critical praise and several accolades, Psychonauts suffered from poor sales and the publisher, Majesco, suffered financial difficulties. After a month from release Majesco had adjusted their fiscal year projections from a net profit of $18 million to a net loss of $18 million.

   By the end of the year 2005, Majesco had reported that less than 100,000 copies had been shipped. In mid-2006, Psychonauts had sold 400,000 and was out of print in the USA. By 2007, the game was available on Steam and Xbox Live Marketplace. In 2010, the game was included as one of the titles in the book 100 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die. On May 31, 2012 the game went for sale on Bundle; sales of Psychonauts exceeded past sales of the game within the first few hours of the Bundle going live. Psychonauts made more money this year than it ever had before. It took a while, but it made its revenue and made its mark. If you never picked up Psychonauts, I highly recommend this title.

Sources:
   Sarah Leboeuf (2012). Double Fine "Made More on Psychonauts This Year" Than Ever. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121108-Double-Fine-Made-More-on-Psychonauts-This-Year-Than-Ever. [Last Accessed March 31, 2013].

   Andy Chalk (2012). Tim Schafer Talks Humble Indie Bundle on Reddit. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/117659-Tim-Schafer-Talks-Humble-Indie-Bundle-on-Reddit. [Last Accessed March 31, 2013].

   Psychonauts Vs Best Selling Video Games. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.cracked.com/funny-5772-psychonauts-vs-best-selling-video-games/. [Last Accessed March 31, 2013].