5 Years Ago, Double Fine Boldly Tried to Reimagine the AAA Machine

Psychonauts 2 turns five years old this month. Its existence, and Double Fine's story, are inextricably tied to Xbox for better, as Microsoft funding let Double Fine finish the game, but mostly for worse. Double Fine is once again independent after Xbox mismanaged its brands for years and its leadership ultimately decided that its studios, rather than its executives, should pay the price. It's a shortsighted move on many levels, not least because Double Fine and Psychonauts 2 represent a better, or at least a more enjoyable, future for big-budget games that Xbox and PlayStation are ignoring.