Readers of Ron Gilbert's blog Grumpygamer already know he has been working on an adventure-RPG for the past four years. Until now, he wasn't able to get any publisher interested in his little project. Today, he has announced that Canadian developer/publisher Hothead Games will publish the episodic game. Ron has also decided to join the company as their new Creative Director.

Ron describes the game as "Monkey Island meets Diablo". It will be a mixture of adventure and action-RPG, with his unique humour and a gripping story and it will feature the misguided hero DeathSpank. The first episode is already in production and will be called DeathSpank: Episode One: Orphans of Justice. A release date is not given, but the game's website promises 'soonish'.

More info on Grumpygamer, Hothead Games and DeathSpank.com

... Diablo?

... Monkey Island?

... mix?

Who cares about this Ron Gilbert guy anyway?

Although you can argue he needed Tim Schafer, this man IS Monkey Island and that earns him free play credit. I'll blindly buy the game.

Then I guess, I don't *audience gasps in terror* like Monkey Island that much.

It's just a stupid funny game from a bitter and cynic guy, who thinks he's smarter than anyone else, talks down to his audience, and thinks that World Of Warcraft is a pinnacle of game design. Enough said.

EDIT: And looking at this picture I doubt that he's even serious about all this.

Uh oh, I sense a flame war on it's way ;-)

Nah. I, actually, do like Monkey Island, even if I don't see it's significance as others do. It's not a great attempt at game design (should I remind everyone of LeChuck's Revenge puzzles?) but it is a hilarious and funny game. Although to me, the Curse is the actual Monkey Island.

It's Gilbert himself and his views - what's getting on my nerves, especially after seeing many of his colleagues doing something ambitious and interesting even in the days of Lucas Arts The Grand Adventure Company, when he left, more so, now, with the projects like A Vampire Story, Mata Hari, Psychonauts and another unannounced Double Fine game around.

He spends some years writing smartassed articles about how games are doomed, pettting his ego, except for actually doing something. While Jane Jensen tried to revitalize the Adventure genre with GK3 and many other people tried to propel the genre forward, the man has just taken a backseat and said that adventure is a dead genre and that he's tired of his fans.

And now, he resurfaces with some ridiculous concept for a game and expects every single MI fan to be in line waiting for it. Well, count me out.

A MAJOR UPDATE: It seems that unannounced Double Fine was actually revealed in November. A heavy metal adventure returns!. And it is voiced by Jack Black, and it even has a kick-ass trailer.

And, yes, it looks and promises much more than this one.

As much as I appreciate what he did, I'm quite inclined to agree with you on his throwing crap from the sidelines attitude. As much as I liked the look and feel of Full Throttle, I actually disliked all the trial and error style of game play.

Quoted for Truth!

I'm not going to defend a game with nothing more than concept art released, but I stand firmly behind the potential of a man whose creation converted me to a genre.

I firmly believe that Ron can do no wrong. Were it any other designer, I wouldn't be giving the game a second thought, let alone the benefit of the doubt. I just hope it'll be more Monkey Island than Diablo.

Ooooh, reading material, for the love of god....give me reading material.

Everything is there at his grumpy..something blog.

I don't know... Sure, it's Ron Gilbert, and Monkey Island was great, but... Diablo? Can you imagine a Level 11 necromancer Guybrush character with a Big Whoop +2 sword who summons the skeletons of Carla and Otis to fight three-headed monkeys in randomly designed dungeons on Melee island?

If you put that way, I personally find it quite fascinating...