Developer Ron Gilbert unravels the mysteries of The Cave and calls time of death on physical media (interview)

Maniac Mansion and DeathSpank designer Ron Gilbert’s first game since joining forces with Double Fine Productions is nearing its January 2013 release. The Cave, a downloadable platforming-adventure game, calls on Gilbert’s history-making, puzzle-heavy adventure titles, albeit with the added magic of Double Fine’s signature and imaginative art style. At a recent preview event in San Francisco, I had the chance to go hands-on with an entire area of the game — an underground carnival — as well as sit down with Gilbert himself to talk about The Cave and his thoughts on digital distribution over traditional retail.