The Baconing Message Board

The Baconing was a load of old nonsense, which suits me just fine. I like nonsense. The first time I realised words were among my favourite things I was but a young pup reading a giant Edward Lear tome and being struck about the face by seemingly infinite invention. But Edward Lear never included any “Bad Mothas” in his work as far as I remember and The Baconing is adding one such lady by the name of Roesha as a downloadable co-op character. To the patchwork pig-flesh stew that is Deathspank’s world, Roesha brings a dose of ’70s disco blaxploitation, with a glitterball special attack and, I quote, “a nasty attitude”. To celebrate her arrival, the game and the DLC are available at a 50% discount through Steam until Wednesday the 18th. Mr Caldwell found much to like. Perhaps you will too?

I was having my breakfast shower last Thursday when I got a message from Jim. So I got out of the water and put down my Wheetos. When I read the message bleeping away in my jeans I found it simply read: “The Baconing: Review?” I replied with a lengthy acceptance speech, pointing out many of Jim’s finer qualities.

I was naked. “A review of unprecedented amazingness please,” he replied. “No ‘editor called me’ intros.” I resolved to disobey him as soon as I finished my toilet. What do you think of THAT Square Brackets Jim!? [I think you are looking for trouble, Caldwell - Jim](more…)

Despite the omission of DeathSpank's name from the title, The Baconing is very much a typical DeathSpank game. Besides the thong-wearing hero with a funny name, the action-adventure hybrid maintains the old formula of hack n' slash combat paired with puzzles and quests. This familiarity is both a go...

The Baconing is now available on Steam.

Prepare yourself for the ultimate sci-fi adventure by entering the hilarious and sizzling world of The Baconing. You are DeathSpank, a hero and the ultimate Dispenser of Justice. You must defeat the Anti-Spank and his army of Cyborques, before they cast an evil shadow over Spanktopia. Discover exciting new worlds and battle hordes of enemies as you search to unlock the secret within the Fires of Bacon.

As with all SteamPlay titles, buy once and play on either PC or Mac OSX!

VANCOUVER - Indie game developer Hothead Games is very excited to announce that gamers can now eat up their tastiest action RPG, The Baconing, on the Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation Network, Windows-based PC, and Mac...

"The only constant in this world is change." Wait, no, that doesn't work. "You can't change the past, but you can work to change the future." Nope, that doesn't do the trick either. "War. War never changes." No, wrong game. Hm. Here's the thing: The Baconing has a lot more of the same DeathSpank flavor you're likely used to, but without a lot of the stuff that made DeathSpank good. I guess there's not a cliched "change" quote that quite works there, huh?

Sure, the self-obsessed hero of Hothead's first two DeathSpank games is still there. There's still a whole bunch of quests strewn throughout a whimsical and colorful world. And yeah, the writing is still laden with puns and excretory humor, and is presented by a cast of solid comedic voice actors. The hero to the downtrodden still gets wacky loot like the mafioso-looking Pinstripe Platemail as he hacks and slashes his way through bizarre enemies. All that stuff is still there -- but, sadly, it's hidden under a mound of major problems.

What a crowded week! PlayStation Network PLAY continues with The Baconing, while the PS3 sees releases of Elevator Action Deluxe, the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection, and more outside of the promotion. If you're a Plus user, you'll have an Assassin's Creed Revelations beta and a God of War Origins demo to play.

Even the PSP has a new original game this week, ClaDun X2, and permanent price drops on some cool Square Enix games. Let's just hope the maintenance clears up soon so we can get all this stuff.

Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:
(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)

I’m wicked excited to share some details about our new game, The Baconing, DeathSpank’s greatest and most delicious adventure EVER! The game will be available to download today from PlayStation Network. The Baconing is part of the PSN PLAY promotion so if you purchase the game before September 19th you will also receive co-op character DLC, Roesha – One Bad Mutha. Also, if you are PlayStation Plus subscriber, you can still get 20% off the full game price!

When we started developing The Baconing we didn’t want gamers to feel like they HAD to play through the previous DeathSpank games before taking on The Baconing. We decided to make this game accessible for anyone to jump straight into, ensuring that new players and returning fans alike can both equally enjoy this game. Those familiar with DeathSpank will certainly experience just as much familiar fun plus a bucket-load of improvements too.

This is, by far, the funniest DeathSpank to date. We had an absolute blast making it, and it was an unwritten rule that we needed to laugh every day while working on the game. We added our comedic touch which was brought to life brilliantly by some incredible voice acting.

The world and characters we have created for this game are, let’s say….colorful to say the least! Mix this with some of our favorite, familiar sci-fi themes and references — from Tron to Mad Max to The Jetsons — and you’ve got a porky recipe for hilarity.

It just wouldn’t be a DeathSpank game without a new co-op sidekick for a friend, co-worker, lover, spouse, stranger-on-your-couch, or all of the above to help vanquish the hordes of evil. And have we got a guy for you: Meet Bob from Marketing! He’s a hammerhead shark in a business suit with an ferocious appetite for justice and leveraging a target market!

Bob wields a swordfish to poke holes in bad guys, shoots lasers from his eyes, devours enemies for health (he doesn’t care if they’re dead or alive), and can stealthily swim underground to take enemies by surprise. All in all, an incredibly deadly sidekick.

And one of the best things about Bob is that he was a suggestion from one of our fans. What better way to show we listen, than to create something in the game they suggested. We love our fans!
The Baconing is a game Hothead is incredibly proud of, because we created the entire adventure ourselves. Every mechanic was reviewed, and nothing was off limits when we looked at revamping many of the game systems. If it didn’t fit properly, we cut it. If it worked already, we improved it. If it was frustrating, we streamlined it. If it was edible, we ate it. You get the picture. And we’re certain everyone will be pleased with the results.

So before you rush of and download it, enjoy our sizzling launch trailer for The Baconing above.

#deathspank I've yet to play a Deathspank game. I want to at some point, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. More »

VANCOUVER - Indie Games developer Hothead Games today released some exciting release date and platform details from the anticipated summer title that fans have been salivating over, The Baconing...

You and Deathspank need a fresh start. Sure, you've had a lot of fun in his last two games, no one's trying to deny that. But there's ... a certain distance that neither of you can ignore. He's ready to change, though. He's so committed to the new beginning that he's dropped his name from The Baconing. It's not just about him, anymore ... it's about the both of you.

And even though he'll be involved with a big PSN promotion when he launches on Aug. 30, he's not going to make 360 owners wait for him. That's the sort of thing the old Deathspank would have done. The new Deathspank is going to get up the very next day, put on six multicolored thongs and launch on XBLA on Aug. 31.

And if you should notice him swinging his sword just a little harder as you look on, or reaching further than normal for a pun, just know ... that's him trying.

Hi, I’m Mike with Hothead Games and I am really excited to be able to share some insight on our exciting and meaty game The Baconing coming out August 30th, 2011 as part of the PSN Play promotion, which runs until September 19th!

Best Video Game Title Ever!

I have been lucky enough to work in the industry for over 11 years now but never did I imagine working on a game with an epic title like The Baconing! I mean, everyone loves bacon and now the fan favorite food has made its way into gaming.

The Baconing is an action RPG which stars everyone’s favorite Vanquisher of Evil, DeathSpank. The story revolves around DeathSpank wearing all six Thongs of Virtue which unfortunately summons an evil version of himself in the AntiSpank. Now our hero must seek out the Fires of Bacon and burn five of the Thongs, which will allow him to weaken and defeat the evil giant, bringing peace back to Spanktopia.

The one thing I really enjoyed about working on The Baconing is that the game does not take itself too seriously. We had a ton of laughs creating characters, quests and in the studios during the voice recordings.

Freaks & Oddities

Today I wanted to introduce you all to some of the eye-catching areas and characters in The Baconing. The game features over 100 quests, with seven sci-fi inspired environments and tons of crazy characters to meet along the way. Two of my favorite characters in the game are The Leprechaun Mob Boss and Z.I.M.O.N.

The Mob Boss heads up a group called the McMafia who reside in Rainbow’s End, which is a Leprechaun Las Vegas. If you complete all of the side quests like rigging the odds on the slots, and taking out anti-gambling activists, DeathSpank becomes a made-man and part of the family. The reward is a DeathSpank inspired tribute to the Godfather film, a must-see moment.

Z.I.M.O.N. is an ancient supercomputer that regulates the climate and atmosphere in the Forbidden Zone. Equipped with obsolete technology like a 1200 baud modem and several bytes of memory, Z.I.M.O.N. has sustained barely-livable conditions since the late 70′s when he was created. When you meet Z.I.M.O.N., you will quickly notice a connection to retro portable gaming, and while it’s retro you would be surprised how a game of memory can quickly ramp up.

Whether you are an existing fan or someone brand new to the DeathSpank world, you will have a blast with The Baconing. We have made tons of improvements and maintained the laugh inducing conversations that people come to love from the quest seeking hero. We created this video for you so that you get smoky, crispy taste of our mega Thongolith Myth. Enjoy!

And some cool info to pass along, if you pre-order now through August 25th you get an exclusive The Baconing PS3 Static Theme. Also when The Baconing releases you will get your hands on an additional sidekick character with Roesha – One Bad Mutha. PlayStation Plus members get a sweet 20% discount on their pre-order purchase.

For more information check out www.TheBaconing.com or follow us @deathspank and @HotheadGames.

Producer Mike Inglehart and his team at Hothead seem to be serious about making The Baconing the best entry in the Deathspank series yet. Prior to jumping into my demo, director of marketing Oliver Birch showed off a 17-page Word document filled with complaints and ideas for improvement, taken directly from their community. You talked, and Hothead says it listened.

But one of the biggest changes is the addition of producer Inglehart, who recently joined Hothead and has been tasked with overseeing this third entry in the irreverent series. The Next Level Games transplant dove headfirst into refining the The Baconing, creating what he thinks is not only a funny game, but also one that is less monotonous than its predecessors. One thing is certain: it's definitely more challenging, as several deaths during my demo will attest.

Producer Mike Inglehart and his team at Hothead seem to be serious about making The Baconing the best entry in the Deathspank series yet. Prior to jumping into my demo, director of marketing Oliver Birch showed off a 17-page Word document filled with complaints and ideas for improvement, taken directly from their community. You talked, and Hothead says it listened.

But one of the biggest changes is the addition of producer Inglehart, who recently joined Hothead and has been tasked with overseeing this third entry in the irreverent series. The Next Level Games transplant dove headfirst into refining the The Baconing, creating what he thinks is not only a funny game, but also one that is less monotonous than its predecessors. One thing is certain: it's definitely more challenging, as several deaths during my demo will attest.

#ps3 If you've been neglecting the Playstation Network's downloadable offerings, then perhaps you'd like to drop by and take a gander at the Playstation Store's wares in the coming weeks as the first annual PSN P event kicks off. Beginning August 9, the Play lineup will highlight four new action games hitting the Network in the coming weeks, along with a few gifts thrown in for good measure. More »

VANCOUVER - Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Bob from Marketing, DeathSpank's new co-op character in Hothead Games' next action RPG, The Baconing, and I've come all the way from Spanktopia to impart a marketing message or two about my good friend's almighty armaments The Weapons of Justice...

The only problem with saving the world, it seems, is boredom. With all the monsters slain and damsels (sort of) saved, there's just nothing left to do. Thankfully, something evil is on the horizon in the latest trailer for The Baconing. The AntiSpank, perhaps?

DeathSpank returns to deal with the consequences of donning all thongs of virtue at the same time!

Hothead has shed some new light on The Baconing. It would seem that DeathSpank's new adventure takes place directly after Thongs of Virtue, and deals with the aftermath of Deathspank foolishly donning all six of them at the same time. As a result, he summons an evil version of himself: the AntiSpank (shouldn't it be LifeSpank?).

Check out some new screens in the gallery below.

Vancouver - Independent games developer Hothead Games today released the first set of images from their anticipated summer title, and the best reason to stay indoors all summer, The Baconing. Enter the Fires of Bacon, Spanktopia, the Throne Room, and meet the AntiSpank...

When Hothead announced the third entry in its dungeon crawl SLASH role-playing series this past week -- titled solely "The Baconing," dropping its usual "DeathSpank" moniker -- we couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the series' main character to get him taken off title duties. Did series creator Ron Gilbert take the rights to the character with him, for instance?

As it turns out, there's a fairly simple reason behind the name change: "We haven't removed the words or name 'DeathSpank' from the title for any legal reason. In fact, the title was changed just by asking our fans," a Hothead rep told Joystiq. Aha! Still, we couldn't help but wonder why Hothead would voluntarily ditch the brand name that it stuck to the last two games, effectively walking away from the brand recognition it built up over the past two entries.

VANCOUVER - Hothead Games today announced summer release plans for The Baconing, a new stand-alone experience about the mythology of the Bacon Fires...