Psychonauts creator Tim Schafer doesn't think publishers are evil, but does believe they sometimes remove risky ideas from games.

Schafer has raised nearly $2 million dollars from fans to fund development of a new old school adventure game through Kickstarter - an eye-watering figure that has left some questioning the future role of publishers.

"Well, I'm not trying to vilify them," Schafer told HookshotInc.com.

"Publishers do their business in a way that works for them. They're risking millions of dollars so they've got to mitigate that risk - and sometimes that means removing risky ideas from games.

"The thing is, Double Fine is all about coming up with new, unproven and really creative ideas. It's a constant battle for us to get those ideas to go through the system, that long spanking machine of people who have to sign off on your idea. They're not evil, they're just trying to protect themselves."

Schafer and Double Fine have has an interesting relationship with publishers over the years.

PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game Brutal Legend was eventually published by EA after Activision dropped it and subsequently tried to block it from sale.

Now, Double Fine concentrates on downloadable games, and has seen success with a raft of smaller-scale titles, including Stacking, Costume Quest, Iron Brigade and Happy Action Theatre.

But with these games Schafer still needed to seek a publisher's help. THQ published Costume Quest and Stacking, and Microsoft published Iron Brigade and Happy Action Theatre.

Now, with its new adventure game, Schafer has bypassed the publishers altogether, raising cash through crowd-sourcing - as his faith in the likes of PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade dwindles.

"Ever since I played Geometry Wars I thought, what a great new portal," he said.

"But it seems that this year, the idea didn't explode like it should have. Back when Castle Crashers came out, it seemed it was going to grow and grow. I just wish there was more support, more marketing, more placement on the dashboard. It could have been our own little Sundance Film festival, a great sandbox for indie development.

"But the indie community is now moving elsewhere; we're figuring out how to fund and distribute games ourselves, and we're getting more control over them. Those systems as great as they are, they're still closed. You have to jump through a lot of hoops, even for important stuff like patching and supporting your game. Those are things we really want to do, but we can't do it on these systems.

"I mean, it costs $40,000 to put up a patch - we can't afford that! Open systems like Steam, that allow us to set our own prices, that's where it's at, and doing it completely alone like Minecraft. That's where people are going."

As for the adventure game, Schafer promised to create an experience the fans will like, but "that doesn't always mean doing something they've asked you to do".

"If you're making a shooter and the fans say, 'we want the shotgun to be more powerful', you might not be able to do that because it's tied in to a lot of other systems.

"So you just ask yourself, okay, why do they want the gun to be more powerful? What do they really want here? Then you give them what they really need, the thing that's behind what they ask for. Do you know what I mean?

"The fans will get a really original adventure game. That's what they want."

UPDATE: Double Fine's adventure game will be made - it's just shot past the magical $400,000 goal it set itself last night.

The $400,000 barrier was breached just after 10am UK time on Thursday, 9th February - with 33 days to spare.

"$407,470. I love you, world. Double Fine fans are the greatest fans in the whole world. Your gonna make me cry. :) :) :)" wrote an emotional Tim Schafer on Twitter.

"Let's keep funding this thing until it becomes a monster. All the money goes into making the game and documentary better.)"

How much will be raised when all is said and done?

UPDATE: Psychonauts developer Double Fine Productions is making a fan-funded adventure game.

It's using Kickstarter.com to raise $400,000 - the minimum required to make the dream a reality.

Double Fine's Tim Schafer, one of the chief architects of the adventure game genre, announced the project last night.

At the time of publishing, $297,846 was raised - with 33 days to go.

"This is a game for adventure fans, funded by adventure fans," Schafer said in a promotional video on the Kickstarter website.

"If you back this Kickstarter project, you will be cool, and everybody will like you."

Kickstarter allows anyone to make a donation to the game development fund, but Double Fine has made available premium pledges for those with the cash to splash.

Donate $15,000 or more and you'll score dinner with Tim and key members of the development team. $20,000 or more gets you dinner and bowling with them. $50,000 or more and you become a character in the game.

Give $150,000 or more and Schafer will give you one of the last four remaining Triangle Boxed Day of the Tentacles, in original shrink-wrap.

The game is expected to be a truly collaborative process, with fans who donate involved deeply in development.

And video game documentary makers 2 Player Productions will film the entire journey, putting video after video on the internet for those who donate to enjoy.

The finished game will be released on PC via Steam. Donate and you'll get exclusive access to the beta, the video series and a private discussion community.

Wait, they've now raised $306,806. This won't take long.

Doublefine boss Tim Schafer and Minecraft creator Markus 'Notch' Persson are in discussion following the latter's insistence that he wanted to help get a Psychonauts sequel off the ground.

A spokesperson for the developer told Eurogamer, "Tim and Markus are talking. Who knows what might happen?"

As reported earlier today, a Tweet from Notch directed at Schafer this morning read "Let's make Psychonauts 2 happen." He later added, "Also, I'm serious."

Schafer's original adventure title launched back in 2005 to widespread critical acclaim but underwhelming sales.

Double Fine has since recovered the rights to the game's publishing proceeds. It recently updated the digital PC version via Steam and launched a new Mac version.

Multi-millionaire Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson has said he is willing to personally fund a sequel to Double Fine's cult classic Psychonauts.

Double Fine head Tim Schafer has continually stated he would like to develop a second Psychonauts game, but has been unable to secure publisher-funding to back the project.

"Let's make Psychonauts 2 happen," Notch tweeted to Schafer earlier this morning.

"Also, I'm serious," Notch then confirmed in a tweet to Eurogamer sister site Rock Paper Shotgun, from whose article he had spotted recent comments by Schafer on the future of Psychonauts (originally published on Digital Spy).

Psychonauts was first released in 2005 to positive reviews but disappointing sales. Double Fine recovered the rights to the game's publishing proceeds last year. Since then, the digital PC version has been seen a substantial update via Steam, and a new Mac version has been launched.

"It's such a thoroughly, intensely enjoyable experience for the vast majority of the time that you want the whole world to experience what is easily the funniest, and therefore most fun game of the year, or any other year," Kristan Reed wrote in Eurogamer's Psychonauts review.