Wendy's, a fast-food chain known for its burgers and milkshakes, has ventured into the video game space with WendyQuest: Legend of the Four Corner Stones. The JRPG-style game was developed by indie studio 81Monkeys, which was facing funding difficulties for its own ambitious project, World of Anterra. The collaboration provided 81Monkeys with the financial backing to continue its work while developing the branded game.
Stephane Cotichini, founder and game director at 81Monkeys, stated that the studio was approached by Wendy's through an email. After initial conversations, the deal was struck within a week, allowing the studio to split its team to work on both World of Anterra and WendyQuest. The fast-food company provided the overarching creative vision, but 81Monkeys significantly revised the game's mechanics and script to make it a viable video game.
The development team rewrote approximately 99% of the original script. While corporate oversight was necessary for brand safety, the game includes subtle jabs at competitors, such as the villain Dr. Mechborg whose logo resembles a prominent 'M' and whose dialogue includes lines about making billions and cutting corners. According to Cotichini, this allowed the game to retain its authenticity and humor, a key principle for the studio: "Nostalgia has to feel contemporary, otherwise it’s just going to feel dated."
WendyQuest features a combat system that deviates from traditional turn-based JRPGs. It incorporates a gauge that fills rapidly, requiring players to time button presses for maximum damage, which adds an active element to battles. The game has been described as humorous, with a high jokes-per-minute ratio.
A significant aspect of the collaboration was Wendy's directive to avoid AI tools in development. Cotichini emphasized the importance of the game being "100% human-made," a sentiment echoed on the game's Steam page. He argued that the increased use of AI in game development can lead to diluted products, as it diminishes the time and effort required for refinement and creative problem-solving.
Cotichini views branded games like WendyQuest as a potential alternative funding source for independent studios, especially in an industry experiencing a downturn in traditional funding models. He hopes that the success and quality of WendyQuest will encourage other brands to invest in similar partnerships, supporting human-created art in the face of growing AI integration.
