Ron Gilbert's 30-Year Return to Monkey Island: A Journey of Revival

The Return to Monkey Island development team shed light on the game's origins at Devcom. The panel, featuring Ron Gilbert, Dave Grossman, David Fox, Zoe Nguyen Thanh, and Rex Crowle, discussed how the team reunited after 30 years. Gilbert recalled being approached by Devolver at PAX 2019 about potentially acquiring the Monkey Island license, and after considering it, he and Grossman hashed out the game's concept over a weekend. Despite initial criticism of the game's art style, the team remained confident in their vision. Crowle noted that art should be provocative and elicit a reaction, and Nguyen Thanh stated that the style was appropriate for the game they were making. The game went on to achieve critical success and commercial success, selling 100,000 units and earning $3 million in its first month. The team also discussed the potential for a movie adaptation, with Gilbert expressing concerns about translating the game's humor and characters to film. The panel also delved into the writing process behind the game's unique humor, with Grossman describing it as a form of caricature and Gilbert emphasizing the importance of making his team members laugh.