Sam & Max retail CD announced

[Harald B]

http://www.adventuregamers.com/newsitem.php?id=1410
Apparantly the deal with The Adventure Company is clinched and we can expect the CD to be in stores worldwide by august. Strange that Adventure Gamers has the story before it hits the blog or forum here, but whatever...

[Jake]

It was up in a place rarely checked by forum-goers (http://www.telltalegames.com/company/pressreleases)

[MoP]

So is this what people who bought the season online will be getting in the mail (for the cost of S&H) ?

[taumel]

Will there be different retail versions?

I've just read on a german computer mag site ( http://www.gamestar.de/news/pc/spiele/adventure/sam_max/1468834/sam_max.html ) that Jowood also will come out with a retail version localised to five different languages.

Different publishers and localisations for different countries?

Will the version TTG will offer to season one customers also include localisations?

[Jake]

So is this what people who bought the season online will be getting in the mail (for the cost of S&H) ?

No, we'll be doing our own packaged version for season holders. And no, before you ask, it's not "the cheap version," it's just a different version. Promise. :)

Also, we can't tell you what will be on the Telltalegames.com Season Set customers' version, or what will be on the TAC version, or how they'll be different, etc etc yet because we haven't figured any of that out yet! We'll let you know, though, with requisite trumpets, cherubs etc.

Will there be different retail versions?

I've just read on a german computer mag site ( http://www.gamestar.de/news/pc/spiele/adventure/sam_max/1468834/sam_max.html ) that Jowood also will come out with a retail version localised to five different languages.

Different publishers and localisations for different countries?

Will the version TTG will offer to season one customers also include localisations?

I don't think we've worked any of that out. At least, I don't know any details yet. :)

[Yohmi]

I hope the Telltale version will be localised (subtitles) at least by downloading a patch...
By the way, does JoWood's Sam&Max localisation concern also voices or not ?

[MoP]

Also, we can't tell you what will be on the Telltalegames.com Season Set customers' version, or what will be on the TAC version, or how they'll be different, etc etc yet because we haven't figured any of that out yet! We'll let you know, though, with requisite trumpets, cherubs etc.


Just please don't send CDs in paper sleeves. I don't care if I have to pay an extra dollar for shipping, just give me a plastic case. :cool:

[taumel]

Ahhh you know i'm really looking forward to the retail version. This feels so much better to me than the episode thing! :O)

[Rasher]

I will cherish my Telltalegames.com Season Set customers' version. And if the TAC version is not starforced I might think about getting it too.

[Harald B]

Here's the JoWooD press release (emphasis mine):
http://presse.jowood.com/?id=659
“We are excited about working with Telltale. Sam & Max is a strong franchise and fans across Europe, and the world over, are highly anticipating Sam & Max: Season 1,” said Albert Seidl, CEO of JoWooD Productions Software AG. “The worldwide retail release will allow us to bring Sam & Max to a wider audience since the game will be available in the five main languages.”

[Laserschwert]

What are the five main languages? English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, and... uhm... oh yeah, right, German here in Germany. But I suppose this just refers to subtitles.

[Harald B]

From elsewhere at the JoWooD site (http://www.jowood.com/?lang=en&site=10) I get the impression that the "five main languages" are English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian.

[Laserschwert]

Obviously I can't even count to 5 AND consider Russian a "main language"... shame on me :o

[Emily]

Just please don't send CDs in paper sleeves. I don't care if I have to pay an extra dollar for shipping, just give me a plastic case.

Don't worry, it'll be in a case.

Remember, Telltale's full of oldschool adventure gamers. We hate games that come in paper sleeves just as much as you guys do. ;)

[marsan]

You guys are really lucky. I can explain best why by quoting Charles Cecil

Charles Cecil: I'm always enormously flattered that we have a really solid fanbase. And by God, while they're happy to tell you what they like, they're happy to tell you what they don't like! That's incredibly useful, because most industries pay all this money for market research; we get it for free, which is wonderful. *

I rest my case :)

* Quote from http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=66614

[Lord_Kimbou]

Sam and max in five languages in August!!
Thanks, talltale!! and thanks Jowood!
But I have one question.. what 5 languages??

Notre: Sorry I don't see the other post :P

[ShaggE]

If there's any justice in the world, the 5 languages will be Esperanto, Tagalog, Sanskrit, Latin, and Cosby-ish.
(Sam: "You see, the commisioner wants us to solve the crimes with the jello pudding and the chocolate and the vanilla and the flavor...."

Max: "Oh boy, with the fighting and the shooting and the kodak film and the Huxtable family and the pokemon with the poke and the mon and the thing where the guy comes out of the thing and he graablahaaa!")

[Hector]

Does Jowood just change the subtitles or do they even change the audio? I generally hate resynchronized games when I know the original actors... Besides we would lose many of the jokes throughout the translating into german all which cuts the quality of the game!

If they should do so, I hope that Jowood will include the choice to select the subtitles and audio so that I can play it in English as well!!

*Coughs* maybe Telltale could make Jowood this Proposal ;)

[Armakuni]

Will these CDs contain the demos of the games that you'll have to activate online or will they contain some other kind of copy protection?

[tabacco]

Are you asking about ours, or TAC's? We haven't decided anything yet, and I doubt we can speak for TAC.

[Armakuni]

I meant yours. So you haven't decided? Damn I hope you'll decide to use some other kind of copy protection like normal retail games.. anything other than Starforce.

[tabacco]

I think you're probably safe from Starforce, at least :)

[AdamG]

Starforce is baaaaaaaaaad.

[Rasher]

Maybe the manual can have a bunch looney recipes listed that Sam and Max used on the cooking show? The copy-right protection would ask you how much of this and this do you use to make that? You'd have to look it up in the manual Rat-ala-Max: sauteed or fricasseed.

You could also use a simple serial key or activation code that comes with the CD.

[Bruno83]

I hope that I'll be able to download a patch or something for german subtitles.
I don't want to buy this game a second time, just to get them

[Laserschwert]

All right, according to an interview with the game's German publisher JoWood, the German release will most probably feature the original German voice-cast from "Hit the Road", including Sandra "Bart Simpson" Schwittau as Max.

Furthermore it's been assured, that the German retail-release will be multi language, including the original English version.

Although this is kinda good news for the people who haven't bought it on site, because they wanted to wait for a localized version, it leaves my quite frustrated. Just like Bruno83 I don't want to have to buy the game a second time around, yet obviously this will become a necessity IF I want the German version.

Anybody from TTG have an idea if an upgrade option for on-site season-buyers might be possible?

[Jake]

I don't think we've had much talk about it yet. When we know how everything's going to work, we'll let you know, for sure.

Bonus official sounding answer: "Telltale is still deciding how to proceed with our own localizations, and if we release localized versions, they will be available as free upgrades to people who already bought Sam & Max from us."

Super bonus unlockable third edit: It's worth noting that our release and the TAC/JoWood release are completely separate products. Customers won't be able to upgrade, downgrade, or crossgrade (is crossgrade a real word?) between them.

[taumel]

Things are really getting easier these days, aren't they?! :O)

[Laserschwert]

Well, as long as "your" localized versions use the same audio-files as JoWood's release, I don't mind. Although, if "your" localized versions are just subtitle patches, or you and Nick recording the German lines, I'll pass.

[taumel]

o Gametap release in USA
o TTG release some time after
o Retail version from TTG
o Retail version from another publisher(s) or portals
o Wii/XBox360 release
o Sheikh Abudlaha al Hasram's private version for his 24 sons
o The Bingo Bongo Loco version (that's the one Manu Chao is singing about then.)
o The $/&%!? torrent release

I'm sure i've missed most of the options somehow. :O)

[marsan]

Customers won't be able to upgrade, downgrade, or crossgrade (is crossgrade a real word?) between them.

I'm pretty sure the technical term is grade crossing/level crossing ;)

[Jake]

or you and Nick recording the German lines

That would be an amazing release.

And taumel, your list is kind of ridiculous.


GameTap Subscription ($9/month downloadable subscription only)
Telltale Individual Episodes ($8.95 each, downloadable only)
Telltale Season Set ($34.95, downloadable + packaged combo)
TAC/JoWood Retail Release ($??.??, packaged only, in store and from online retatailers)

[Laserschwert]

Don't you mean "ReTellTalers" ?

[Jake]

Maybe I did... maybe I did.

[taumel]

@Jake
I think the list is amazing and it should enlarge each day by at least one or two new entries in different languages... ;O)

By the way i've stumbled over a picture of Emily (more precisely two of them). Are there any pictures/videos which show the whole TTG crew?

[tabacco]

There is one in the latest issue of Game Developer :)

[numble]

There is one in the latest issue of Game Developer :)

Is that post-mortem article worth reading or not? The magazine's not available for free online, but I'm curious if there's anything special in the article (besides a photo of the team).

[taumel]

@tabacco
Hahaa, you're definately hiding behind technical confusing terms!

[AdamG]

By the way i've stumbled over a picture of Emily (more precisely two of them).

Oh, and where might these be? I've been looking for some. ;)

[taumel]

One from a comic con... http://www.telltalegames.com/community/blogs/id-75

[AdamG]

Aw, dang, too bad I just got a girl friend a week ago. :(

[Jake]

Aw, dang, too bad I just got a girl friend a week ago. :(

I'm flattered but I'm not looking to date right now.

[ShaggE]

Aww, c'mon Jake, you two were made for each other! ...... (I can't even type that without shuddering)

Note to self: wash mind's eye out with brine.

[Bruno83]

All right, according to an interview with the game's German publisher JoWood, the German release will most probably feature the original German voice-cast from "Hit the Road", including Sandra "Bart Simpson" Schwittau as Max.

Furthermore it's been assured, that the German retail-release will be multi language, including the original English version.

Hey!
That's cool
now I wish I had waited for that

[AdamG]

Aww, c'mon Jake, you two were made for each other! ...... (I can't even type that without shuddering)

:confused:

[ShaggE]

What part confuzzled you? That's what my match-making.....computer.... told me! (see what I did there? Heeheehee, I'm priceless...)

[Armakuni]

Can't wait to get this, I love having physical stuff and not just downloads. Hope it will come in a nice jewel case with some cool artwork!

[taumel]

Maybe we could get a nice newspaper from Bosco's shop like once in Zak McKracken?! :O)

[ShaggE]

Maybe we could get a nice newspaper from Bosco's shop like once in Zak McKracken?! :O)

Also, at least 6 remixes of The War Song, and 3 mixes of the Mafia Song... and mixes of any other songs that may appear in the last two episodes... (I'm a demanding l'il feller, aren't I? :D )

[taumel]

I would be more than happy just with the newspaper...

[ShaggE]

Me too, I just like giving them a hard time :P

[taumel]

Have i already told you about Bosco's retail version? Only in his distribution you'll find a newspaper featuring an vigorous article about his new episode preventing system... ;O)

[LuigiHann]

Hahaha... feelies. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feelies)
Many of those were the sort of thing that would easily be printed on today's color printers... hopefully Telltale will give us some printable DIY feelies through the website?

[AdamG]

What part confuzzled you? That's what my match-making.....computer.... told me! (see what I did there? Heeheehee, I'm priceless...)

I'm straight, that's why. ;)

[ShaggE]

I'm straight, that's why. ;)

Errr... well.... hmm.... well, if your going to be picky..... :p