Telltale Interview-Nothing New About King's Quest

[philthethrill]

One of the blog writers from the siliconera.com video gaming blog had an interview with Telltale. One of the questions was about King's Quest. There was not much to report. http://www.siliconera.com/2012/05/16/how-telltale-wants-to-evolve-the-adventure-game-genre/

[Lambonius]

Ugh.

That interview only further solidifies my disgust with Telltale's approach to adventure games. Maybe it's just me, but that whole first section, where they asked him about adventure games and innovation, seems just filled with passive aggressive arrogance. "I wish Ron and Tim were doing something new," etc., etc. And again, a fundamental misunderstanding of what actually made adventure games fun. They have it half right, with the whole building a world around a story, but then he essentially says that the world exists as a backdrop for the player to be dropped in so he can have conversations with other characters. He equates "interacting with the world" to having conversations only, which of course, is the approach that Telltale has largely taken, further and further reduced in each subsequent game.

And then I love the complete lack of information on King's Quest. From those statements, it seems clear that they have no idea how the fuck they are going to reconcile their "adventure-games-for-dummies" formula with the King's Quest series and its longtime fans.

Please, Telltale. Get out of the business before you ruin King's Quest.

[BagginsKQ]

King’s Quest is one that we’ve been trying to figure out how to staff and get into production.

Do you have a vision for it?

That’s kind left for Dave Grossman and his group. We’ve certainly talked to a lot of people about it, but we really don’t have anything else to say about it right now.


They sound a bit like a chicken with its head cut off don't they?

[puzzlebox]

I think we're definitely interested in working with franchises that are currently "relevant" and getting more of that kind of stuff that's less backward and more forward-looking. We’re also interested in game franchises that need new presentation, like Telltale does.

That's the part that stood out for me... I wonder what it means for KQ. Of all the games they announced about 18 months ago, this one is the one I'm most anticipating, so really looking forward to the point where they start releasing some more info.

[FitzoliverJ]

It does rather come across like they've aquired the rights but not done much wiht them ye- hang on, since when do Telltale have history with Indiana Jones?! Telltale *staff* might, yes, but the company itself? is this just a slip of the tongue, or is there something exciting going?

[Blackthorne519]

Yeah, it's a bit disapointing. Having the IP for over a year, and not doing anything with it. If it was me, everyone would already have a game to play now.


Bt

[divisionten]

Out of curiosity, wasn't Fables the next thing that they were planning on releasing? KQ was supposed to be the LAST of those licenses to become a game (Hector, PA2, TWD, Fables, then KQ)?

Then again, I may be wrong. But if it's true, than KQ shouldn't be released for another year.

[puzzlebox]

Out of curiosity, wasn't Fables the next thing that they were planning on releasing? KQ was supposed to be the LAST of those licenses to become a game (Hector, PA2, TWD, Fables, then KQ)?

Then again, I may be wrong. But if it's true, than KQ shouldn't be released for another year.

Yep, pretty sure Fables is next and KQ is ages away.

[Blackthorne519]

Oh, goody. Let's wait a few more years to get a new King's Quest game.


Bt

[corruptbiggins]

Oh, goody. Let's wait a few more years to get a new King's Quest game.

Way to overreact. It'll be about a year. And I seriously doubt that they've not done anything with it, there will have been a number of meetings & discussions about it, things that frankly we are not (nor should we be really) privy to.

[Irishmile]

The part where he said...

That’s kind left for Dave Grossman and his group.

Is pretty HUGE news actually... now we know who is running the show for that game... and Dave Grossman is actually a really good choice to do it... He knows what he is doing, and is actually brilliant at doing it... He is just as important to the genre as Tim Schafer, Ron Gilbert, Roberta Williams, Al Lowe, and Jane Jensen in my oppinion... I am actually really excited about this news.

[Macfly77]

Dave Grossman is actually a really good choice to do it... He knows what he is doing, and is actually brilliant at doing it... He is just as important to the genre as Tim Schafer, Ron Gilbert, Roberta Williams, Al Lowe, and Jane Jensen in my oppinion... I am actually really excited about this news.
I picked up on the same tidbit and I fully agree. Dave is the perfect choice for King's Quest.
Color me a lot more excited!

[Blackthorne519]

Way to overreact. It'll be about a year. And I seriously doubt that they've not done anything with it, there will have been a number of meetings & discussions about it, things that frankly we are not (nor should we be really) privy to.

Hah! That wasn't an over-reaction. The was mild sarcasm, at best.

I'm sure there a number of meetings and discussions, but that just means it's a game being made by committee.

"A Camel is a Horse designed by comittee."

Yeah. Doesn't bode well for King's Quest, honestly. They've been sitting on the IP for a year, and now it may be another year for the game? Great.

And while Dave Grossman is a great talent, it doesn't really assuage me at all.

Bt

[Anakin Skywalker]

Hah! That wasn't an over-reaction. The was mild sarcasm, at best.

I'm sure there a number of meetings and discussions, but that just means it's a game being made by committee.

"A Camel is a Horse designed by comittee."

Yeah. Doesn't bode well for King's Quest, honestly. They've been sitting on the IP for a year, and now it may be another year for the game? Great.

And while Dave Grossman is a great talent, it doesn't really assuage me at all.

Bt

Better they take their time with it than rush it, no? More time = more time to "learn" what KQ fans want and don't want, how they can adjust their own style to suit it to KQ, etc. If it was rushed, people would still complain. Every KQ game starting with KQIV took two years to come out, and in the case of Mask, it was four years.

KQ IV -1988
KQ V - 1990
KQ VI - 1992
KQ VII - 1994
KQ VIII - 1998

So a one or two year wait, especially with a company who probably realizes there's a LOT at stake and probably wants to be careful going into the series, and who is working in a series whose format is out of their comfort zone, seems reasonable.

[Blackthorne519]

Different world now. We should have at least seen or heard something. This is just someone sitting on a property, and the more I think about it - the more I feel like we're about to be spoon-fed shit and told it's candy.


Bt

[Chyron8472]

The part where he said...That’s kind left for Dave Grossman and his group. Is pretty HUGE news actually... now we know who is running the show for that game... and Dave Grossman is actually a really good choice to do it...perhaps.

perhaps he's the best choice at Telltale to do it. Then again, perhaps he's not the best in the business as LucasArts' style of games is different than Sierra Online's.

Ugh.

[...] I love the complete lack of information on King's Quest. From those statements, it seems clear that they have no idea how the fuck they are going to reconcile their "adventure-games-for-dummies" formula with the King's Quest series and its longtime fans.I agree.


Personally, what would make me feel a lot better is if Telltale said they were going to bring Roberta, Josh Mandel and/or Al Lowe in on the project. Until they do this, color me skeptical.

[MusicallyInspired]

We've already been through this when KQ was first announced. We've had the conversation about Dave Grossman's game design philosophy and how it's completely different from what King's Quest always was. (something about designing games for his grandmother to play easily, I believe it was) Why are we having this conversation again?

[Chyron8472]

Because, as the OP points out, there is nothing new to talk about.

[Blackthorne519]

LOUD NOISES!!!!


Heh. It's true. We don't have anything new to talk about. I guess my enthusiasm is just starting to wane under the strain of hearing or seeing nothing for a whole year, and then getting this little bit of bitter rhubarb rubbed under my nose.


Bt

[Lambonius]

I just think that Telltale literally has no clue what to do with King's Quest. I don't think they are intentionally keeping their awesome plans under wraps or anything. I literally think they don't know what they are going to do with this series, and that they have probably been somewhat stymied by the nearly universal skepticism surrounding their ability to do this franchise justice. This will be a failure of epic proportions. Mark my words.

Also, Dave Grossman may have WORKED on some great adventure games back in the day, but his own words about Telltale's approach to adventure games prove that the guy is fairly out of touch with what most fans actually enjoyed about those old games. Him leading the KQ team is of no comfort whatsoever.

[puzzlebox]

I don't think they are intentionally keeping their awesome plans under wraps or anything. I literally think they don't know what they are going to do with this series, and that they have probably been somewhat stymied by the nearly universal skepticism surrounding their ability to do this franchise justice.

Eh what? You think they'll just wait for The Walking Dead and Fables to be over, then go "oh crap, we were supposed to have something for KQ by now"?

We didn't hear anything much about The Walking Dead while BTTF and Jurassic Park were going on, but hey look - there's a game now. The lack of info is just down to where KQ falls on their release timeline.

[Anakin Skywalker]

I just think that Telltale literally has no clue what to do with King's Quest. I don't think they are intentionally keeping their awesome plans under wraps or anything. I literally think they don't know what they are going to do with this series, and that they have probably been somewhat stymied by the nearly universal skepticism surrounding their ability to do this franchise justice. This will be a failure of epic proportions. Mark my words.

Also, Dave Grossman may have WORKED on some great adventure games back in the day, but his own words about Telltale's approach to adventure games prove that the guy is fairly out of touch with what most fans actually enjoyed about those old games. Him leading the KQ team is of no comfort whatsoever.

Exactly what a very bitter segment of the fanbase have been wanting since this game was announced, bitter because TT got the license and not them. This is the segment of the fanbase who will only accept a fan made game. This loud, angry segment of the fan base would not likely accept a game even by Roberta, Roberta whose last two KQ games were KQ7 and KQ8. It would seem to benefit the fan game groups, especially the larger ones, if they can "poison the well" surrouunding this game before it is even released, if they can spread enough negative word of mouth, if it is a "failure of epic proportions." But they are either not thinking clearly about just what they are doing here, or being misled by certain people (who want the license for themselves) to having a false sense of "we're all members of fan game groups, even if we differ, we're in this together against TT."

What you don't understand is that in trying to stymie TT, in trying to kill this project or in trying to ensure that is an "epic failure", you will lose...Not lose in this effort, but lose in your long term goal: Only one fan group has any possibility of ever getting the license and you dislike that group almost as much as TT. They are the only fan game group who will ever get even NEAR the license. The license will not magically fall to IA or AGDI if TT's game flops. Activision will not bring Roberta out of retirement, and likely, she wouldn't want to be brought out of retirement anyway for any game project. No magic will happen with any kickstarters---No original Sierra people will be able to buy up the KQ license. I guarantee that. KQ is the crown jewel of the Sierra brand legacy; it was Sierra's biggest moneymaker and pretty much THE game series people associated with the Sierra brand name--It will cost much more than LSL, so no kickstarter magic. No fan group will get the game.

The epic failure you're hoping for only hurts KQ and it's fans who aren't butt hurt about being passed over, fans who want to see KQ reborn.

If TT's KQ is a failure of epic proportions as many of a certain segment of the fanbase seem to hope it will be--And do not pretend many of the same people have been extremely negative about this game since it was first announced--back goes KQ on the shelf, perhaps forever.

[Blackthorne519]

No one's trying to stymie or kill Tell Tale's project; hah, to think that would be thinking too highly of oneself. But there is skepticism that they have any idea what to do with the game. That's all there is - no one has secret agents trying to go in and destroy the game.

Also, no one thinks that a license would magically pass to someone else. That's not a concern - the concern is that, as mentioned before, they finish The Walking Dead and Fables and YES they do go "Oh shit, we were supposed to do something with King's Quest". It is a legitimate concern. For me, I'm just saying the lack of news and the passage of time does not bode well for them - nor does the news that Dave Grossman is leading the project. You could tell me that Steven Speilburg was leading the project, and if that was the ONLY news I had, I was still be concerned because it's a red-herring. It's no news. It's a bit of something that supposed to seem like news, but in reality it's as newsworthy as a fart in the wind.

Yes, I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for a long time with this - my resolve has broken, and their recent efforts at games as of late have done little to re-invigorate my enthusiasm. It's not that I think their current games are horrible, but that they don't exist in the same realm or genre as King's Quest.

Bt

[Anakin Skywalker]

No one's trying to stymie or kill Tell Tale's project; hah, to think that would be thinking too highly of oneself. But there is skepticism that they have any idea what to do with the game. That's all there is - no one has secret agents trying to go in and destroy the game.

Also, no one thinks that a license would magically pass to someone else. That's not a concern - the concern is that, as mentioned before, they finish The Walking Dead and Fables and YES they do go "Oh shit, we were supposed to do something with King's Quest". It is a legitimate concern. For me, I'm just saying the lack of news and the passage of time does not bode well for them - nor does the news that Dave Grossman is leading the project. You could tell me that Steven Speilburg was leading the project, and if that was the ONLY news I had, I was still be concerned because it's a red-herring. It's no news. It's a bit of something that supposed to seem like news, but in reality it's as newsworthy as a fart in the wind.

Yes, I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for a long time with this - my resolve has broken, and their recent efforts at games as of late have done little to re-invigorate my enthusiasm. It's not that I think their current games are horrible, but that they don't exist in the same realm or genre as King's Quest.

Bt

So since you are no longer willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and are against a game that has not even come out yet, and have no enthusiasm for this game, I take it you will be done posting here? That is, unless you just want to stick around to spread negativity about the game.

[Blackthorne519]

You did not read my words correctly. I am not against the game; there is no game. I am not against their efforts to make a game, either. The only thing is that my belief that they could make a decent game has wavered. Until I see some actual information about the game, I can not be for or against a game.

I am not spreading negativity about the game. I am expressing doubt about the manner in which they are dealing with the property.


Bt

[puzzlebox]

the concern is that, as mentioned before, they finish The Walking Dead and Fables and YES they do go "Oh shit, we were supposed to do something with King's Quest". It is a legitimate concern. For me, I'm just saying the lack of news and the passage of time does not bode well for them

That is not going to happen. Telltale is a business with a successful production model, not a bunch of monkeys bashing about on computers. That would be like Wal-Mart going "oh crap, we forgot to open our stores today", or a European country saying "shit guys, we spent all our money and now have to pull out of the Euro" (ok... well maybe the last one is a poor example). :p

As I said before, there is rarely (if ever) much public news about Telltale games that are scheduled for release far in the future. It's just not the way they do things.

[Chyron8472]

So since you are no longer willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and are against a game that has not even come out yet, and have no enthusiasm for this game, I take it you will be done posting here? That is, unless you just want to stick around to spread negativity about the game.People can be fans of the King's Quest franchise and post on this forum without being yes-men for Telltale.


This point he makes:Yes, I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for a long time with this - my resolve has broken, and their recent efforts at games as of late have done little to re-invigorate my enthusiasm. It's not that I think their current games are horrible, but that they don't exist in the same realm or genre as King's Quest.I agree with. Telltale has given no significant news whatsoever since the initial announcement, even though it's been ages since then, and any games developed since then have done little to nothing to relieve any skepticism.

...I think that last statement may be the whole issue. People have been skeptical about this project, and no effort has been made by TTG to assuage these feelings for so long. Not such that these feelings have festered into hatred for the company/project, but have calloused into something closer to frustrated indifference.

[Lambonius]

People have been skeptical about this project, and no effort has been made by TTG to assuage these feelings for so long. Not such that these feelings have festered into hatred for the company/project, but have calloused into something closer to frustrated indifference.

Nailed it!

And this, too:

It's not that I think their current games are horrible, but that they don't exist in the same realm or genre as King's Quest.


Telltale no longer makes the kind of game that King's Quest is. Unless they change their direction for this one game (unlikely,) it will be a failure. Period. At least, it will be a failure inasmuch as it won't be King's Quest game.

If only Activision had given me personal control over the KQ license (despite my never asking for such a thing), none of this would even be an issue! CURSES!!

[Anakin Skywalker]

Nailed it!

And this, too:



Telltale no longer makes the kind of game that King's Quest is. Unless they change their direction for this one game (unlikely,) it will be a failure. Period. At least, it will be a failure inasmuch as it won't be King's Quest game.

If only Activision had given me personal control over the KQ license (despite my never asking for such a thing), none of this would even be an issue! CURSES!!

I think some KQ fans will never be happy unless the new official KQ game is one they themselves authored. The fans heaped hate on KQ7, and then on KQ8, both Roberta/Sierra games; AGDI's has it's detractors, so does POS. So what is a King's Quest game, really?

As Roberta said back in 1998:

"The adventure game has to change also, albeit perhaps not exactly in the same way that I changed it in Mask of Eternity. If experiments are not done to find how to mainstream the genre or to make it more "commercial" for today's audience, it will die ... and then everybody loses. Those "purists" may have gotten their way to keep adventure games from evolving, but all they would have really succeeded in is helping to kill it."

And on Roberta's idea of what a "KQ game" is:

"The components that make a King's Quest are (in my mind, anyway and since I am the creator of the series, I guess that holds some weight): A land, or lands, of high fantasy; fantasy creatures from myth, legends, and/or fairytales both good and bad; situations to be found in those same types of stories; a "quest" type story; a calamity in the land with one "hero" to "save the kingdom"; a story of the "good" hero against the "evil" bad guy; a story that everyone can relate to, i.e., a "reason" for having the hero go out and risk his or her life for "saving the kingdom"; interesting worlds to explore; high interactivity; interesting characters; great animation; great visuals and music. Within that general framework, I feel that I can have some "leeway" to accomplish those tasks."

[Chyron8472]

But now, TTG has to contend with nostalgia.

Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and to ignore it in favor of adventure-games-for-the-casual-gamer is a poor design choice, especially for a franchise such as this.

Besides, someone can ruin a franchise by producing crap for the masses and still make money from it, but that doesn't make it right. Just look at George Lucas.

[Blackthorne519]

I don't give a fig what Roberta said about King's Quest in 1998. I really don't.

I'd just like to see some kind of news on King's Quest. Chryon hit it on the head with this.

...I think that last statement may be the whole issue. People have been skeptical about this project, and no effort has been made by TTG to assuage these feelings for so long. Not such that these feelings have festered into hatred for the company/project, but have calloused into something closer to frustrated indifference.

Roberta has nothing to do with this current KQ frustration, and I don't think that she would honestly have any kind of positive influence on King's Quest if she were to work on the games today.


Bt

[Anakin Skywalker]

I don't give a fig what Roberta said about King's Quest in 1998. I really don't.

I'd just like to see some kind of news on King's Quest. Chryon hit it on the head with this.



Roberta has nothing to do with this current KQ frustration, and I don't think that she would honestly have any kind of positive influence on King's Quest if she were to work on the games today.


Bt

And this leads me back to my original statement. A certain segment of the fans don't want a KQ game by Roberta, or by TT. They only would accept a fan made game made by themselves or their peers.

Roberta is the whole reason KQ ever existed. I'd say her definition of what makes a KQ game a KQ game is a lot more important than what you think, or what I think.

[Lambonius]

"The components that make a King's Quest are (in my mind, anyway and since I am the creator of the series, I guess that holds some weight): A land, or lands, of high fantasy; fantasy creatures from myth, legends, and/or fairytales both good and bad; situations to be found in those same types of stories; a "quest" type story; a calamity in the land with one "hero" to "save the kingdom"; a story of the "good" hero against the "evil" bad guy; a story that everyone can relate to, i.e., a "reason" for having the hero go out and risk his or her life for "saving the kingdom"; interesting worlds to explore; high interactivity; interesting characters; great animation; great visuals and music. Within that general framework, I feel that I can have some "leeway" to accomplish those tasks."

So let's assume for a second that this IS the one true definition of what King's Quest is. Does anyone honestly think Telltale will deliver this?

[BagginsKQ]

with one "hero" to "save the kingdom"
Oops, KQ7 broke that one! Two heroines!

[MusicallyInspired]

Still digging that trench, Anakin? You're awfully presumptuous.

[Anakin Skywalker]

Still digging that trench, Anakin? You're awfully presumptuous.

Just as presumptuous as the people who have already pretty much stated a game is going to suck before seeing ANYTHING from it. Seriously, this fan game maker solidarity, standing together against TT, isn't going to help you out in the long run when one group gets the license and says "Sorry guys, I got it, you didn't."

[Icedhope]

No fighting on the boards.

I tottaly forgot they were making Fables and I still have no clue what fables is.

[BagginsKQ]

I've heard it described as King's Quest, but more for adults... Dark and gritty... Something about how it incorporates fairy tales into its stories.

[Chyron8472]

And this leads me back to my original statement. A certain segment of the fans don't want a KQ game by Roberta, or by TT. They only would accept a fan made game made by themselves or their peers.

I would assume the reason why certain people don't care specifically for Roberta at this point is because she is responsible for such as KQ8. Maybe not entirely, but she did play her part in it, and it's most certainly not a classic point-and-click adventure game as the others in the series were.

This is to say that I would see said people having it in mind that Roberta might tend to cave to "marketplace realities" in as much as to not be particularly helpful in sticking to the classic genre like the game should.

[Anakin Skywalker]

You know what? Let's just agree to disagree. You're not going to change my mind nor will I change yours, but can I ask that you guys try to have an open mind about this game?

[Chyron8472]

I can try to have an open mind. It doesn't, however, mean that I will have an open wallet.

[Blackthorne519]

I just think Roberta has been out of touch with gaming for so long that she's irrelevant. I also don't think she was the genius game designer people make her out to be. Not saying she didn't have a good idea, but she got a LOT of help along the way. And she was the bosses wife. The lady did like to tell stories, and she was in the right place at the right time.

I'm not saying only a FAN should get the license, you're putting words into a lot of people's mouths. I don't even think Tell Tale shouldn't have the license - I'm just saying my trust for them to do right by the game is waning daily. It's been over a year without a goddamn peep.

I'm not throwing Roberta under the bus - her track record speaks for itself, and we all obviously love the games. I just don't think she'd be too relevant right now. At least others who are getting back in the game, Josh Mandel, Mark Crowe, Jane Jensen, have kept active in making games for the last 14 years.


Bt

[Anakin Skywalker]

I can try to have an open mind. It doesn't, however, mean that I will have an open wallet.

So, you've decided you're not going to buy the game even before seeing a screenshot or concept art?

[Chyron8472]

I've decided not to pre-order it as soon as humanly possible.

I also reserve the right to decide to wait until after someone else, ideally whose opinion of proper Sierra-style adventure games is similar to mine, tells me the game is acceptably King's Quest before I decide to officially approve of it (and similar games by Telltale) by paying full price for it.

[Anakin Skywalker]

I just think Roberta has been out of touch with gaming for so long that she's irrelevant. I also don't think she was the genius game designer people make her out to be. Not saying she didn't have a good idea, but she got a LOT of help along the way. And she was the bosses wife. The lady did like to tell stories, and she was in the right place at the right time.

I'm not saying only a FAN should get the license, you're putting words into a lot of people's mouths. I don't even think Tell Tale shouldn't have the license - I'm just saying my trust for them to do right by the game is waning daily. It's been over a year without a goddamn peep.

I'm not throwing Roberta under the bus - her track record speaks for itself, and we all obviously love the games. I just don't think she'd be too relevant right now. At least others who are getting back in the game, Josh Mandel, Mark Crowe, Jane Jensen, have kept active in making games for the last 14 years.


Bt

But wait a minute. If we want a game that's "true to the old stuff", does it matter if Roberta is relevant or keen on what's new in gaming? And I disagree. She was the sole writer/designer on the first five KQ games. She started the damn series. She had help in the form of artists and musicians, but from KQs 1-5, she was pretty much the writer/executive producer and director all in one. And her being the bosses' wife has nothing to do with her talent, only that she got more support and freedom than others did.

Then who should get the license? You don't seem to be OK with TT having it. You don't really think Roberta would do a good job with KQ. So, who should have it? And how many times does it need to be said that not talking much about a game that is far down the pipeline a standard TT practice, that it's not like they've done this only with TT? I can sense a strategy where there is one, and this "We're all in this together as fan game makers against TT strategy" is going to bite you in the ass when a certain fan designer gets the license and says "Sorry BT, I got it, not you."

Relevancy doesn't matter in this field as adventure games themselves aren't that relevant in the larger pond of gaming itself. Jane Jensen may have continued making games since 1998 but they were pretty craptastic....

[Chyron8472]

But if the game had a Phoenix Online or AGDI logo slapped on it, we both know you'd be waiting around the block just like BT, Lamb and all the other fan game people. It's alright. It's ok to admit you don't really like KQ, just the fan games.I will not EVER play The Silver Lining. I've played a portion of the demo of ep.1 (of which I was not impressed) and heard enough spoilery stuff about such as how TSL creates a certain wizard's relationship to Valanice that I refuse to ever darken POS's website again.

Yes, I liked AGDI's KQ and QFG games alot; I hated Al Emmo, though. I also liked IA's KQ3, but I found AGDI's game to be superior in a few ways (eg. the barmaid's voice-acting; not needing to click after each line of dialogue).

My favorite KQ game remains KQ6. Then the AGDI KQ games; KQ7; IA's KQ3; KQ4; KQ3; and KQ1 and 2. I really do hate the animal voices in KQ5, and have not played the diskette version yet.


I trust AGDI and IA because they have proven themselves. Telltale has not. Others feel the same as I do, and Telltale has done nothing to alleviate these feelings despite having a very long time inded in which to do so. And has been said, the best way to let a company know you don't like their product is to not buy it.

[Irishmile]

Why are we having this conversation again?

Because it's relevant to the article posted.... And this is a message board for chatting.

[Anakin Skywalker]

I will not EVER play The Silver Lining. I've played a portion of the demo of ep.1 (of which I was not impressed) and heard enough spoilery stuff about such as how TSL creates a certain wizard's relationship to Valanice that I refuse to ever darken POS's website again.

Yes, I liked AGDI's KQ and QFG games alot; I hated Al Emmo, though. I also liked IA's KQ3, but I found AGDI's game to be superior in a few ways (eg. the barmaid's voice-acting; not needing to click after each line of dialogue).

My favorite KQ game remains KQ6. Then the AGDI KQ games; KQ7; IA's KQ3; KQ4; KQ3; and KQ1 and 2. I really do hate the animal voices in KQ5, and have not played the diskette version yet.


I trust AGDI and IA because they have proven themselves. Telltale has not. Others feel the same as I do, and Telltale has done nothing to alleviate these feelings despite having a very long time inded in which to do so. And has been said, the best way to let a company know you don't like their product is to not buy it.

So then leave. You don't want TT to make the game, you won't buy it, so don't stick around and spread your doubt. Seriously.

[Blackthorne519]

Again, you aren't getting what I am saying.

Then who should get the license? You don't seem to be OK with TT having it.

I am fine with TT having the license. What I am not fine with is them sitting on it, and doing nothing with it. Or sharing nothing about it with the fans. And my support is waning. I'm not outright saying "THE GAME WILL SUCK! THEY DON'T DESERVE IT!". Hell, THERE IS NO GAME YET. I am saying that their silence on the matter doesn't bode well to me, and the minor news of Dave Grossman going over a few ideas on it doesn't assuage me.

I don't have any opinions on who should have the license. I really don't; I don't have a solid answer. Personally, I do think AGDI would have made a decent King's Quest game if granted the license, but it may not have had the penetration to other markets.

I am reserving any kind of real judgement on TT's KQ until I get some solid news about it - but I am saying my doubts are increasing as time rolls on.


Bt

[Chyron8472]

So then leave. You don't want TT to make the game, you won't buy it, so don't stick around and spread your doubt. Seriously.I'm not willfully spreading doubt. TTG is doing that without my help. Also, I didn't say I refuse to ever buy the game. I said I reserve the right to not pay for it until I decide it's worth spending money on. I have already decided not to preorder any more deluxe sets from Telltale, since I preordered their TOMI Deluxe Set and it was rather insulting.

Also, I am an active member of this forum community. I'm not leaving just because I'm concerned. At least I'm interested. On the other hand, I have never been in the forums for The Walking Dead, and have not posted anything in Jurassic Park more than to discuss the movies before the game came out.

I did say previously that my (and others) opinion of the project has calloused into frustrated indifference, but it is your argumentative attitude that is getting me more annoyed at present than the game itself.

[allaboardfilms]

Telltale hasn't done anything with the license yet because they've been working on other games, namely The Walking Dead and Fables. Would you rather them rush the game out the door and have it be messy and poor or let them take their time and make an installment true to the series?

[BagginsKQ]

I would assume the reason why certain people don't care specifically for Roberta at this point is because she is responsible for such as KQ8. Maybe not entirely, but she did play her part in it, and it's most certainly not a classic point-and-click adventure game as the others in the series were.


Actually she pretty much has all the responsiblity for the RPG/combat aspects... She chose to focus on that part of development first, at the expense of puzzles. Because she didn't have much experience in that type of gaming, and wanted to get it 'right'. Because she chose to do development that way, when time and budget restraints cropped up, she didn't have the kind of time to put into the puzzles as she should have. Things ended up being cut.... Not just puzzles, but she had to cut out areas and the enemies/bosses that went along with them, in order to have time to finish puzzles in the completed areas.

It's also probably one of the reasons why the early part of the game seems more finished (more puzzles) than the later half of the game. Especially the last few levels (Frozen Reaches and the three Temple levels), but even Barren Region is somewhat 'barren' pun intended when it comes to the balance of puzzles to RPG mechanics. She couldn't just drop those levels as they were important to the story, but she also didn't have time to put many puzzles into them, and they tend be more battle oriented (than the first levels).

It also didn't help that she was a perfectionist... She wanted to have everything 'perfect' before she moved onto the next aspect of game design... So again the focusing on getting the RPG mechanics/combat working, and also going through several 'art designs', and boosting the engine so she could get the graphics as good as she wanted them to be (she wanted it to look better than most of the 3D stuff at the time, with higher polygon counts). Things like full 3-d instead of the 2D sprites, etc. Still she never quite got that the way she wanted it, since she didn't have access to the newer Red Baron II engine, and she was shoping they would release their game before she completed her own so she could get access to the engine (and boost the graphics further).

So ya, the problem is she didn't balance her priorities right.

[Blackthorne519]

Telltale hasn't done anything with the license yet because they've been working on other games, namely The Walking Dead and Fables. Would you rather them rush the game out the door and have it be messy and poor or let them take their time and make an installment true to the series?

See, you are making an assumption that they are working on it in any real capacity. There is little information to support this. Yes, if I knew they were working on it in a real capacity, I would have some more patience. Yet, the only news we've gotten in a full year is that Dave Grossman is looking in to it.


Bt

[corruptbiggins]

See, you are making an assumption that they are working on it in any real capacity. There is little information to support this. Yes, if I knew they were working on it in a real capacity, I would have some more patience. Yet, the only news we've gotten in a full year is that Dave Grossman is looking in to it.


Bt

And you're making an assumption that they are not. The same little information supports either assumption.

[Blackthorne519]

And you're making an assumption that they are not. The same little information supports either assumption.

And why should I not think that? Based on the current evidence I have, my leanings towards believing the amount of work they have done for King's Quest is minor seems more feasible. I could be wrong, though. They have yet to prove this.

Bt

[puzzlebox]

See, you are making an assumption that they are working on it in any real capacity. There is little information to support this. Yes, if I knew they were working on it in a real capacity, I would have some more patience.

I'm struggling to understand why this is so important to you... just because they may not be actively working on KQ right now does not mean there won't be a game next year. :confused:

[Irishmile]

Double Fine is also not currently working on a Kings Quest game... Do you equally hate them?

[MusicallyInspired]

Because it's relevant to the article posted.... And this is a message board for chatting.

My main point was that people didn't know that Dave Grossman was heading this when that was revealed ages ago. I'm confused as to why people don't remember it. When the KQ forums first opened there was a flurry of people against the idea of Dave Grossman leading it because of his previous blatant statements about his negative opinions on Sierra's game design.

I'm not saying we shouldn't talk about it again, I'm just wondering why people have forgotten or think this is brand new information.

[Irishmile]

I think Dave Grossman is smart enough to know when puzzles need to be difficult that statement was made talking about other games he made and likes to make. He is a professional and I have faith that he will do the game justice and will make the game he is paid to do.

[Blackthorne519]

Double Fine is also not currently working on a Kings Quest game... Do you equally hate them?

What the hell kind of comparison is that? That is so illogical, it boggles my mind. Congratulations - you have hit me harder in the brain than any intoxicant ever could!

Double Fine never declared that they bought the rights to King's Quest, nor did they declare their intentions to make it.

That's like getting mad at Burger King for not making a Big Mac, man.


Bt

[Lambonius]

I like where this thread is going.

I guarantee you that members of IA/AGDI are not the ONLY people concerned that Telltale will fuck the King's Quest license up the ass. We're just the only ones who have actually stuck around these boards to comment on it. There was a pretty big outcry way back when it was first announced that Telltale was seeking to shit on the King's Quest legacy, and we certainly weren't the ones leading it.

And honestly, I have never thought that any fan group had any chance of getting their hands on the King's Quest license for commercial use. POS might be able to get it one of these days, but not at the moment. They simply aren't successful enough yet to have the capital to exchange that kind of money with Activision.

The only person who ever expressed anything resembling the kind of "fan-group license envy" that you imagine was AGC2 at AGDI--and quite frankly, I think most of the rest of us thought that was utterly ridiculous.

[BagginsKQ]

pretty big outcry way back when it was first announced that Telltale was seeking to shit on the King's Quest legacy
Telltale certainly didn't announce it like that in their PR statements...

I don't want POS to get anywhere near a commercial fan release of KQ... Thank you very much... In my humble opinion, they really don't get KQ, at all (AGDI did some things I'm not a big fan of, but POS made the same mistakes and took them further)...

[Blackthorne519]

AGDI did breathe new life into the whole affair. I was there, in 2001 - 10 years ago - when they breathed life and excitement into a corpse. You cannot take that away from them.

King's Quest I VGA was amazing at the time. It was fun.... and we were all amazed. Regardless of my feelings on fan-fiction, and they readily admit II+:Romancing the Stones took it to a new level.

So far, the only thing Tell Tale has done is pony up the bucks to pay for a license.

Bt

[Anakin Skywalker]

I like where this thread is going.

I guarantee you that members of IA/AGDI are not the ONLY people concerned that Telltale will fuck the King's Quest license up the ass. We're just the only ones who have actually stuck around these boards to comment on it. There was a pretty big outcry way back when it was first announced that Telltale was seeking to shit on the King's Quest legacy, and we certainly weren't the ones leading it.

And honestly, I have never thought that any fan group had any chance of getting their hands on the King's Quest license for commercial use. POS might be able to get it one of these days, but not at the moment. They simply aren't successful enough yet to have the capital to exchange that kind of money with Activision.

The only person who ever expressed anything resembling the kind of "fan-group license envy" that you imagine was AGC2 at AGDI--and quite frankly, I think most of the rest of us thought that was utterly ridiculous.

If you know for certain that they're going to "fuck the KQ series up the ass", why the hell do you stick around here? There's other boards. Do you just want to spread negativity about this game? Seriously. You'd probably prefer POS having the license. Fucking Emo Quest.

[Blackthorne519]

Hey hey hey, Ani - calm down now. You're getting reactionary here. You know Lambonius doesn't want PoS having the license. You're going to get some itchy fingered Mod in here thinking he's doing good by shutting down the thread, when this is the most activity we've had around here in a while. Just take it down a notch, and think before you post - I know you're not stupid. Don't get all reactionary on things. You know Lambo is the king of hyperbole.


Bt

[Lambonius]

You know Lambo is the king of hyperbole.


I say we launch a Kickstarter to fund Emo Quest!

[BagginsKQ]

So far, the only thing Tell Tale has done is pony up the bucks to pay for a license
How do you know if Tell-Tale payed for the license? Couldn't have Activision came to Telltale, and offered them the license? Either way both companies are going to make a profit.

[puzzlebox]

You're going to get some itchy fingered Mod in here thinking he's doing good by shutting down the thread

ohai. I'm not a "he", but I can fill in on the shutting-down front until one of the dudes gets here. :p

I don't want to close this (or any) thread, but I second the call for calm. It seems there's barely a single thread that escapes all this interpersonal sniping. It's getting really old. Whatever issues you've got, can we just skip the shit-giving and focus on the games.

I say we launch a Kickstarter to fund Emo Quest!

Starring Colin Farwalker:

http://i.imgur.com/zvuoy.jpg

[Irishmile]

I would play Emo Quest...

[BagginsKQ]

Emo Quest sounds like the bastard child of Eco Quest... If the latter series is about bleeding heart eco hippies with some ecoterrorism thrown in...

Emo Quest can be about Adam Green's ansgsty goth teenage years... When he starts talking to snakes, rats, bats, spiders, and insects... Oh wait he started on that path in the second game didn't he?

[thom-22]

The thing that really jumps out at me about the article is that it is yet another missed opportunity to reach out to the fans. (And I'm not talking about providing details on the actual game; more on that below.) Even before they announced KQ, since widespread discontent with BTTF first surfaced, Telltale has never reached out to the segment of their customer base who are put off by their "here are some things to click on while we tell you a story" style of adventure gaming.

Failing to make any attempts to win dissatisfied fans back is an exceedingly unusual thing for a company to do unless they're perfectly fine with throwing them over. That's the message I've gotten from Telltale for a year-and-a-half now, so I really shouldn't be surprised at this latest interview.

... that whole first section, where they asked him about adventure games and innovation, seems just filled with passive aggressive arrogance. "I wish Ron and Tim were doing something new," etc., etc.

Of course they wish Ron and Tim were doing something new, because that would validate their own approach to adventure game design. Instead, all of the excitement with the DFA and the Sierra designers making new games (and let's not forget Tex Murphy) is a repudiation of where Telltale has taken the genre, and that self-serving sentence Lamb quoted tells me they damn well know it.

We didn't hear anything much about The Walking Dead while BTTF and Jurassic Park were going on, but hey look - there's a game now. The lack of info is just down to where KQ falls on their release timeline.

No, we didn't hear anything much about the game itself but we certainly saw efforts to engage the fans. Go to Telltale's blog and use The Walking Dead tag. Keep clicking the "Older Blogs" link till close to the end. You'll find that within a few months of announcement Telltale had a Twitter page for TWD. There is at least one piece of concept art 10 months before release. They were hyping the game at E3 and reaching out to fans at ComicCon long before the game came out and even before Jurassic Park's release. Where is the equivalent effort for King's Quest? If they had a web page and some marketing art (http://www.telltalegames.com/community/blogs/id-763) for TWD at the time of announcement, shouldn't they have some for KQ by now?

[Jennifer]

No, we didn't hear anything much about the game itself but we certainly saw efforts to engage the fans. Go to Telltale's blog and use The Walking Dead tag. Keep clicking the "Older Blogs" link till close to the end. You'll find that within a few months of announcement Telltale had a Twitter page for TWD. There is at least one piece of concept art 10 months before release. They were hyping the game at E3 and reaching out to fans at ComicCon long before the game came out and even before Jurassic Park's release. Where is the equivalent effort for King's Quest? If they had a web page and some marketing art (http://www.telltalegames.com/community/blogs/id-763) for TWD at the time of announcement, shouldn't they have some for KQ by now?
It makes sense The Walking Dead was promoted a little bit shortly after announcement, because it was planned to come out in 2011 before all of Telltale's projects got bumped by the Jurrassic Park postponement.

Take Fables as an example of a game with a later planned release with a similar level of promotion as King's Quest. There's been very little said about Fables, and only recently it was revealed it's coming out in Q3 2012. That means the earliest the first episode of King's Quest can come out is November or December of this year. And more likely it will start coming out in 2013.

So, we'll probably start seeing some info at the cons this year. They plan to reveal Fables at Comic Con. We might get some KQ tidbits there, or maybe earlier if Telltale decides to show their upcoming games at E3.

[BagginsKQ]

See the problem is some people think if it doesn't come out by the end of the year, that there will not be any chance to play the game, ever... You know that silly Mayan apocolypse thing that people and hollywood make such a big deal over (see 2012, LOL)?

[Lambonius]

Of course they wish Ron and Tim were doing something new, because that would validate their own approach to adventure game design. Instead, all of the excitement with the DFA and the Sierra designers making new games (and let's not forget Tex Murphy) is a repudiation of where Telltale has taken the genre, and that self-serving sentence Lamb quoted tells me they damn well know it.


YES!!! This exactly!! :cool:

[gamingafter40]

Telltale usually controls its official PR fairly tightly, and because they work digitally and don't necessarily have to go through a lengthy gold disk/duplication/distribution cycle to get a game to market, they don't start releasing much information until they're within a few months of release and creative decisions about the first episode are somewhat finalized. Nobody wants to get burned by showing off preliminary artwork, rough puzzles or placeholder voice acting -- in the Internet age, the first impression often becomes THE impression.

Telltale's marketing also has to be careful to differentiate Fables from King's Quest -- both are set in universes where fairy tale characters exist, but the properties have very different approaches and subject matter, and both have different but similarly niche audiences. While I am sure the games will look and feel very distinct from each other, bullet points and sound bites may not be easy to manage; talking about King's Quest when they're not even ready to talk about Fables could confuse the audience and damage sales of both titles.