Another series / license sewn up (or simply referring to Sam & Max?) [Archive]

jp-30

03/24/2006, 02:50 am

From here (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6145921.html);

"We're finalizing a plan for another game series, which will get new episodes out even faster," Connors said.

My gut feeling is that if Dan had been referring to Sam & Max, he would have namechecked them, not referred to them as 'another game series'.

Which leads me to believe that there is another as-yet-unannounced game series to be revealed. Also because Conners used 'series', not 'license' I hold out a little hope that Telltale consider themselves established enough with Bone, CSI and Sam & Max to have a crack at some original IP.

Would any members of the Telltale staff be able to drop by this thread and continue to not announce anything at all, yet make amusing (and irrelevant) quips that we can attempt to decypher for clues that don't exist?

Thank you kindly.

anonima

03/24/2006, 03:11 am

Hey, that whole grasping at straws and making ridiculous assumptions based on nothing game sounds like fun... come on Telltale, give us something, just one word even, we won't bother you again for weeks.

It would be interesting to see what sort of original IPs Telltale would come up with as well.

jp-30

03/24/2006, 03:18 am

artwking

03/24/2006, 04:08 pm

Hey, that whole grasping at straws and making ridiculous assumptions based on nothing game sounds like fun...

Of course Telltale wouldn't be the first relatively new startup adventure game company to play such games, but then there's nothing new under the Sun anyway...
Hey... I at least still had fun with the whole Bad Brain speculation thing, even though they failed miserably and most people hate them now. Now, on with the ridiculous assumptions!

Umm... Calvin & Hobbes!

Pvt._Public

03/25/2006, 07:51 am

Will Telltale ever make up their own game idea? Seriously, licenses this and licenses that is all I ever seem to hear. You guys must have some creativity right? :)

jp-30

03/25/2006, 08:09 am

Easy tiger. ;)

It's a heck of a lot easier to (and cheaper) to market / advertise known quantities than unknown ones, what with the established fanbase ready to tap.

I have no doubt that there will be original IP along in due course now that TTG are established and have a couple of franchises up and running.

But the company needs to make low-risk steps during the first couple of years as a risky original IP that failed could seriously harm their future.

Anyway, yeah, bring on the original games (but only once it's safe to do so...).

Kevin

03/25/2006, 06:20 pm

Have you checked out Hold'Em?

http://www.telltalegames.com/products/tth01

It's not an adventure game, but it's original IP and we think it's pretty funny!

Kevin

Pvt._Public

03/26/2006, 07:40 am

It may be original and whatnot but it's still playin' cards. I guess I'll be waiting some time before I see an original Telltale game then. Just make sure you get some good licenses! Don't pick any licenses belonging to obscure european comics like most adventure game companies seem to do. :)

anonima

03/27/2006, 06:08 am

Monkey Island? The voodoo lady she has a contract for five games. There must be one more! :)

Pvt._Public

03/27/2006, 09:37 am

Although Lucasarts will proably never make another Monkey Island there is no way in hell they would sell the license. Because, as has been stated before, they are evil, fat and stupid. What's more Ron Gilbert would definitely have to have his hand in it for it to be the last game and from what somebody else on the forums has said he doesn't even want to know about Monkey Island any more, which, although it is indeed a shame is sadly just how it's going to have to be.

Heatherlee

03/27/2006, 07:29 pm

Monkey Island? The voodoo lady she has a contract for five games. There must be one more! :)

Did she say what the five games were?

artwking

03/27/2006, 08:49 pm

Yeah, she was probably in Afterlife.

Or maybe an unlockable player character in RTX Red Rock. ;)

anonima

03/29/2006, 12:37 pm

I didn't know Telltale had enough people to work on three games at once.

anonima

04/10/2006, 10:13 am

I didn't know Telltale had enough people to work on three games at once.

You would think that, but the entire telltale staff has learned the delicate craft of splitting themselves into two seperate beings like amoebas, they've managed to tripple their staff in the last month and it's still climbing!

Pvt._Public

04/11/2006, 02:39 am

learned the delicate craft of splitting themselves into two seperate beings like amoebas

Mitosis, it's called mitosis. Soon they will have an army with which to... uh... make lots of games? I don't know.

jp-30

05/19/2006, 05:22 am

Oooooh. Looks like I may have been right (http://www.mixnmojo.com/php/news/showfile.php?id=2068&category=telltale)! :D

artwking

05/19/2006, 06:01 am

Oooooh. Looks like I may have been right (http://www.mixnmojo.com/php/news/showfile.php?id=2068&category=telltale)! :D
You called it!

Now go find out what the secret is. Fly to California, plant some hidden cameras, and report back here.

I hope it's something I like.

anonima

05/19/2006, 07:00 am

I predict it will be something Batman related, as I'm always demanding a good Batman game, and Telltale have been wonderful to me so far. (Yes, I do believe the whole company strategy is dedicated to satisfying me.)

jp-30

05/19/2006, 08:00 am

There was this movie when I was a kid that's ripe for videogames. I hope telltale have procured the license. Some of you will be familiar with it. It's called "Star Wars".

anonima

05/20/2006, 12:15 am

And how will telltale get a starwars license?

artwking

05/20/2006, 02:49 am

I'm going to predict (or just hope like hell) that the license could be Futurama. I remember a short while back when Billy West was blabbing on his website about the Futurama DVD movies that there was also talk of new episodes of Futurama on TV. Maybe he got his wires crossed and didn't realize it was about game episodes (with Telltale, of course). I know it's quite a bit of a stretch, but it's the only thing I can think of.

anonima

05/20/2006, 03:25 am

artwking

05/20/2006, 03:45 am

I think Telltale specifically said they didn't have the Futurama license in the Adventure Gamers forum chat, which I think came after Billy West's... whatever happened to his mind. It would be great though.
Yeah, but that was a MONTH ago!

A lot can happen in a month. :D

I know, I'm fooling myself!!! :(( :-s

Maybe it's Discworld? :D

Haggis

05/20/2006, 10:53 am

Maybe it's Discworld? :D
Yes! Please, let it be Discworld!

anonima

05/21/2006, 10:15 am

We don't even know for sure that it's a license do we? Something original would be interesting too, though Discworld would be nice, and something in the DC Animated Universe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC_animated_universe) even nicer. (Hint, hint.) I wonder how long it will be before there's some sort of announcement.

artwking

05/21/2006, 08:34 pm

How would something like superheroes work as an adventure game instead of an action or platform game?

The only superhero I like is The Tick, if I may say so.

Emily

05/21/2006, 10:23 pm

anonima

05/21/2006, 10:33 pm

artwking4: Spoon! The Tick and the Green Lantern are the only ones I like.

This is certainly an interesting topic to think about. Discworld would be a VERY cool option, and there are already 30 stories to choose from and expand upon. LOOM also comes to mind, since it was meant to be a 3-part series.

What I'd REALLY like to see is a game based on Greg Bear's novel "Darwin's Radio".

artwking

05/21/2006, 11:38 pm

How would something like superheroes work as an adventure game instead of an action or platform game?

Ever heard of Future Boy (http://www.generalcoffee.com/futureboy/about.html)? Great adventure game, text-based with some cartoon illustrations, about a superhero. :)
Oh, right. You told me about that one before. I keep forgetting to have money so I can buy it or something...

Of course, that's a comedy-based adventure game. Different rules apply. :D Still, if anyone could make an serious adventure about superheroes, I think Telltale could do it. I don't know how interested in it I would be, but I'm sure other people would be all over it like stink on poo. I'd try it though.

The game, not the poo.

Emily

05/21/2006, 11:55 pm

Oh, right. You told me about that one before.

I did? And you still haven't bought it? I must not be very convincing. :(

I keep forgetting to have money so I can buy it or something...

There's a free demo. :D

anonima

05/22/2006, 03:14 am

How would something like superheroes work as an adventure game instead of an action or platform game?
Well, Batman, for instance, is the World's Greatest Detective, and this is arguably how he spends most of his time in the animated series. Also, when he does fight (particularly in his animated incarnation), he does so in a way that is far more reliant on anticipating his opponent's actions than action game style fights. Batman doesn't brawl; he waits for an opening, then lands a decisively timed blow. Something like the fighting system in The Last Express, or a simple rhythm game (as long as it stays as far from Fahrenheit style as possible), I think could reproduce Batman's approach to fighting very well.

Someone like the Green Lantern, who is reliant on concentration and ingenuity to utilise his ring effectively, could work well in an adventure game too. Even Superman in his animated incarnation is as much about brains as brawn. The advantage of the episodic approach too is that you could do some episodes from the perspective of normal people who get caught up in events involving the heroes, as one of my favourite episodes of Batman: The Animated Series (P.O.V.) did.

anonima

05/23/2006, 06:28 pm

Yesterday, news broke of a Lost video game to be published by Ubisoft. Isn't that the publisher of CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder? Hmm. Anyway, Lost would make a great adventure game. It must be driven by a great story, and immerse players in a world that they need to explore fully. It just wouldn't work as, say, a first person shooter.

Jake

05/23/2006, 06:53 pm

Lost is being developed by Ubisoft Montreal (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/42219). A lot of former Microids people work there apparently (though who knows what that means for Lost). Hopefully the game turns out well. I love Lost.

jp-30

05/23/2006, 10:14 pm

How would something like superheroes work as an adventure game instead of an action or platform game?

Don't you remember Scott Adam's text adventures The Hulk and Spiderman?

I do, and they were AWFUL! (so you're right, Superheros do not lend themselves to Text Adventures...) :p

As for a LOST "adventure" game;

Source (http://www.itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=32045) Hit TV series 'Lost' inspires a global online game
By Jeffrey Goldfarb, Reuters | 26 April 2006 10:19 AEST | General News

LONDON (Reuters) - More than 20 broadcasters around the world are uniting to run an interactive game based on the hit TV series "Lost", planting clues on different media formats to help solve a cryptic worldwide mystery.

The marketing initiative, announced on Wednesday, is a fresh example of how TV producers are seeking new ways to take advantage of the selling power of their most popular programmes by engaging fans whose media consumption habits are evolving.

"Cutting edge technology has vaulted us into a new era," said Steve McPherson, the president of ABC Entertainment, a part of the US network behind "Lost".

"Audiences are demanding greater depth of content and more creative ways of storytelling," he added.

The first clues for the "Lost Experience", as the game is known, will be shown on May 2 during the program's broadcast on Britain's Channel 4, May 3 on ABC and May 4 on Australia's Seven Network. Singapore's Channel 5 and Star India are among the others participating.

The game will follow a parallel storyline not featured in the TV show about a group of castaways marooned on a mysterious island following a plane crash.

It is not dependent, however, on having seen any specific episode because audiences in different countries are not being shown the series at exactly the same time.

MAKE THE CONNECTIONS

The broadcasters gave little indication of the game's objective or how long it would last.

"The experience provides insight to unlock some of the island's secrets for those savvy enough to collect the clues, make the connections and find the answers," they said in a statement.

Added Vicky Powell, a spokeswoman for Channel 4: "It's not about winning a prize, it's an opportunity to raise the level of the program and sustain interest for viewers."

The game is mainly Internet-based, but the broadcasters suggested that "any and every platform" could contain clues, echoing other marketing efforts that have used email, billboards, phone calls and fake Web sites to tantalise fans.

"It's like a giant, mysterious jigsaw puzzle that will come to life for all the world to solve, whether you are a fan of the TV series or not," said Mike Benson, the senior vice president of marketing for ABC Entertainment.

Dozens of sites already exist, including one for the non-existent Oceanic Airlines (http://www.oceanic-air.com) whose plane crashed on "Lost", though it is often unclear which were created by the show's producers and which are fan-generated.

"Lost" has been the fastest-selling TV series ever for Buena Vista International Television, the distribution arm for Walt Disney, which also owns ABC. The program has been licensed in more than 210 territories.

I also love the show, but I have grave fears that the longer the show is renewed, the more chance we're gonna get an unsatisfactory ending a la X-Files or Twin Peaks. :(

Pvt._Public

05/25/2006, 09:24 am

Hopefully the game turns out well. I love Lost.

I love pancakes. Make a game about pancakes. Do it now. PancakeQuest. Invasion of the Waffles. OMG!

artwking

05/25/2006, 04:13 pm

I love pancakes. Make a game about pancakes. Do it now. PancakeQuest. Invasion of the Waffles. OMG!
Telltale should use this comic sub-license:

Pancake MoFo's! (err... it's edited from what it really is :D )

http://chugworth.com/comic.php?id=104

Dave Grossman

05/26/2006, 05:32 am

I love pancakes. Make a game about pancakes. Do it now. PancakeQuest. Invasion of the Waffles. OMG!

Best idea I've heard all week! If we're not working on it already, we should be.

jp-30

05/26/2006, 06:06 am

I demand you do some research tomorrow at IHOP over breakfast.

Heatherlee

05/26/2006, 10:41 pm

I love pancakes. Make a game about pancakes. Do it now. PancakeQuest. Invasion of the Waffles. OMG!

Have you ever played Quest for Glory II and had your hero get lost in the desert?

Waffle adventure game -- already done.

anonima

05/27/2006, 12:00 am

once they make pancake quest they then need to declare pancakequest thursday! where you can only play pancakequest on the first thursday of march.. :p

anonima

05/28/2006, 12:17 am

tabacco

05/28/2006, 02:47 am

anonima

05/30/2006, 03:00 am

once they make pancake quest they then need to declare pancakequest thursday! where you can only play pancakequest on the first thursday of march.. :p

This is only tangentially related but I was in the store the other day and I saw Eggo has pre-made microwaveable pancakes..

When did this happen? How freaking long was I out?

Man... Eggo pancakes. Scary. Fun fact: You can make your own waffles and freeze them with much the same results as Eggo (except they'll taste better) (unless you're a lousy cook).

At that point wouldn't it just be easier to keep pre-mixed batter in the fridge? The amount of time you spent nuking a frozen waffle can't be much longer than cooking one in the waffle iron.

The whole point of a frozen waffle is you're just that lazy. So if you're going to put in the slightest effort in the first place, you may as well go all the way.

I could be missing the point though. My fridge is currently home to 6 eggs, some broccoli, two kinds of beer and various instances of salad dressing... so I wouldn't say I'm in the best position to comment.

oh, I forgot the shredded cheese. You can't have a bachelor fridge without bags of shredded cheese.

tabacco

05/30/2006, 08:00 am

anonima

05/30/2006, 02:33 pm

I think the idea is that when you make waffles, you make a bunch of extras and freeze them. It's less effort to pull one out and put it in the toaster than it is to get some batter out, unearth and plug in the waffle iron, and cook it. Especially if you're in a rush.

Hmmm true. Definitely useful info then for those late night waffle making benders.

Bonus points if you can convince someone who isn't you to make all of the waffles in the first place.

jp-30

05/31/2006, 08:43 pm

If this waffle license doesn't pan out... how about

Blade Runner

There's a crapload of activity around the movie (http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa121.html#brse) in the next couple of years.

This coming September, there will be a new limited DVD release (HD-DVD & Blu-ray Disc are also planned) of the restored 1992 Director's Cut (you know... the one that isn't really a director's cut). This will be available for just four months. We believe this is basically the 2-disc release that Warner had originally planned to bow LAST year.

Then next year, just in time for the film's 25th anniversary, Ridley Scott's ultimate Blade Runner: The Final Cut will hit theaters for a limited run. This will be a REAL director's cut, with restored scenes and more - all the stuff that Ridley's always wanted to do with the film but hasn't really been given the chance to do before. That will be followed later in the year by an Ultimate Blade Runner DVD release. You can expect a multi-disc box set (again, likely with a simultaneous HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc release) that will contain at least four different versions of the film... ALL in full anamorphic widescreen, we might add. You'll get the film's original U.S. theatrical cut, you'll get the expanded international theatrical cut, you'll get the 1992 Director's Cut and you'll get the new Final Cut as well. Now... we realize at this point, you may have questions. Keep in mind, there's a TON of additional material that's going to be included in this set that hasn't been announced and can't be talked about yet - all-new material that you've never seen before. The set is pretty early in the planning and production stage, so it's way too early to talk details, but trust us... some very cool stuff is in the works. These extras will likely be different from the September '06 release, so if you buy both you'll at least be getting your money's worth.

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/miscgfx2/bladerunnerartdrewstruzan.jpg

The previous Westwood adventure game shows that there's potential outside of Deckard's character, and even playing as Deckard in a time before the movie is set would be possible.

I know it's yet another 'law enforcement' type game, but rather different to both CSI & Sam & Max. Also lends itself to episodic content with a new case for the Blade Runner each episode, and an overall arc, perhaps leading into the events immediately preceding the movie.

And you have that Westwood game's fanbase to market to, as well as the huge cult following of the movie. A demo packed in as DVD bonus content would reach a lot of people (I believe certain multiplater FPS Star Wars games by a company you may be familiar with have used their regular DVD releases to get their game demos into many houses, creating their biggest selling games ever).

Anyway, something to think about if the waffles don't work out.

numble

11/22/2006, 10:56 pm

More grasping at straws!

From September 30, 2006 interview (http://www.adventuresplanet.it/interviste.php?chi=1159649357)
AP: Will you release other “realistic” adventure, like CSI, or something slighty different like Texas Hold'em in the next future?

Emily: Having worked on CSI, Telltale is definitely set up to do realistic-looknig games as well as cartoon games, and I know we're looking at several licenses to start working on down the road. We're not ready to say what that next project will be, but it won't necessarily be a comedy.

Yeah... so it's hardly any information at all, but can at least get some people (me) to grasp at straws that are beyond the S&M, DOTT, wacky cartoony mode.

Guybrush_Threepwood

11/23/2006, 05:18 am

What about an Indy graphic adventure?:rolleyes:

Diduz

11/23/2006, 05:35 am

My best bet? The guys are working on another CSI or... Lost: the tie-in has been announced by Ubisoft. ;)

Derwin

11/24/2006, 04:04 pm

All I know is that I am excited! So excited, I just wet myself.

Dangit... twice.

numble

11/28/2006, 01:13 pm

From Telltale's recent participation in Adventure Europe's developer chats (http://250.215.232.72.reverse.layeredtech.com/~adeu/forum//index.php?topic=1340.0):

Heather Logas:
Production is always hectic. But yeah, I think more so with these games. Still, things come along remarkably smoothly for what we're trying to do. It's amazing. Kris Kilayko took over the production of the season and she is keeping everything ship-shape. I haven't been personally working on Sam & Max for a little bit now but to me it seems like things come together at startling speeds.

Me:
I'll take your thinly veiled hint to ask about what you've been working on besides Sam & Max.
(Hoping the answer is something besides updating Bone....)

Heather Logas:
That wasn't intended as a hint, but even if it was this is a spoiler free zone!

Are they up to something, or am I just grasping at straws?

jp-30

11/28/2006, 02:31 pm

Nah, they're up to something alright.

Shacknews (http://www.shacknews.com/extras/2006/051206_e3_day2_chris_1.x) (May 12 2006) "Finally, Bruner revealed that the company has a secret project in the works, but he wouldn't give so much as a hint towards its identity."

Mel

11/28/2006, 02:34 pm

Maybe the Sea Monkeys have been especially rambunctious lately.

jp-30

11/28/2006, 02:36 pm

The dead ones?

Mel

11/28/2006, 02:42 pm

That's when they're at their worst. :eek:

Soup

12/06/2006, 08:49 pm

is the Full Throttle liscence up for grabs yet? or is Lucasarts still being, well, Lucasarts?

A really far pitch from left field, how about Doctor Who, or its spinoff, Torchwood?

jp-30

01/07/2007, 07:33 pm

Oh, man. I hope we get an announcement on this 'secret licence' soon - it would make sense to time it while the world is enamoured with Sam & Max episodes...

Optimaximal

01/09/2007, 01:58 pm

Jake

01/09/2007, 03:17 pm

I like that there's a "secret license."

Oilers99

01/09/2007, 03:49 pm

I'd pay serious SERIOUS money for a Calvin & Hobbes game. The Telltale Tool is a perfect platform for it.

If that fails, a Doctor Who game would be good, if a little too kinetic for Telltale (after all, how do you run from a Dalek when the characters move at a snail pace?).

I have incredible doubts that such a thing will happen. Bill Waterson has been notorious for keeping Calvin and Hobbes exclusively in comic strip form.

I'm crossing my fingers that it's a totally original series. Bringing back Sam and Max is great, but I could use some fresh stuff from Telltale, especially now that I've seen first-hand that they're quite capable.

Welshy

01/09/2007, 03:55 pm

this may sound a bit unrealistic, but you know who i would LOVE to have telltale create an adventure game for...

http://tn3-2.deviantart.com/fs10/300W/i/2006/088/8/7/Ren_and_Stimpy_colored_by_Lolzards.jpg

jp-30

01/09/2007, 05:47 pm

No, sir, I don't like it.

:p

Mel

01/09/2007, 07:40 pm

Pinky and the Brain! :D

http://superheroes-r-us.com/images/products/PinkyBrain_1.jpg

numble

01/09/2007, 07:59 pm

These anthropomorphic duos are too similar in comedic style to Sam and Max for me--I'd prefer a change up.

Mel

01/09/2007, 08:19 pm

You've got a good point there. :)

jp-30

01/09/2007, 10:56 pm

Yeah, so where's Blade Runner!? :D

bpage

01/16/2008, 09:49 pm

Space Quest. I'd love to see what Telltale and the "Two Guys from Andromeda" could do together. That would be my deepest adventure gaming wish.

Kaldire

01/17/2008, 12:39 am

Hero1

01/17/2008, 01:20 am

you know tilted mill(from caesar fame) just made the new simcity game.. if telltale can't acquire the rights to lucasarts properties maybe they could get the old sierra properties off vivendi.. I'd love to see a new police quest game!

jmm

01/17/2008, 06:00 am

would be awesome.. any of the sierra titles before vivendi.. even another sierra or dynamix titles.. id love to see a rise of the dragon or even a borrowed time/deja vu redo of somekind.. Bladerunner.. sigh I just got that dvd set but dont have the eggs to open it. Doh! carry on!

You know, the Bladerunner game was licensed from the Bladerunner Partnership so... if anyone wants to make a game based on Bladerunner...

jp-30

02/19/2008, 09:40 am

says CEO Dan Connors (http://telltalegames.com/company/pressreleases/id-62). "All this great talent is accelerating our plans to take advantage of the momentum Telltale has earned through the first two seasons of Sam & Max. We'll be announcing several new episodic series on multiple platforms in the near future, to offer even more new experiences for fans. Stay tuned!

I'm tuned. TOTALLY tuned.

Great news with Stemmle joining too! I wonder if this means one of the current Sam & Max project leads will now be leading a new series and leaving Sam & Max to Mike...?

Udvarnoky

02/19/2008, 09:46 am

I wonder if one of these licenses is the one that Telltale hinted at back in the Paleolithic Period, also known as May 2006 (http://www.mixnmojo.com/php/news/showfile.php?id=2068&category=telltale).

EDIT: Or, you know, the one that this thread was created about. ¬

jp-30

02/19/2008, 10:57 am

Not necessarily a license, though in either case (which of course may well be referring to the same project). ;)

Edit;

Before speculation starts running rampant, I'll go on record saying that both of the unannounced series are based on existing licenses. We really like working with licensed properties for various reasons (the built-in audience and brand recognition that comes with them being some), and I think we'll continue to do licensed games for the foreseeable future.

...and that's all I can say about that. Today, anyway. :D

Damn you Emily! :p

Jake

02/19/2008, 05:21 pm

It's not that there's no desire at all to do a game based on a world developed internally, but doing that comes with a new set of challenges and a decently sized shift in our immediate goals as a company. Right now we're having fun and success playing in other people's sandboxes and doing cool things with their characters and worlds. Something may percolate up of our own design some time in the future, but that time isn't right now. :)

jp-30

02/19/2008, 06:14 pm

I'm looking forward to that day, Jake.

> ..and that's all I can say about that. Today, anyway.

Hmmm. Would Wondercon be an appropriate time and place to make an announcement? In theory. Hypothetically etc.

Jake

02/19/2008, 06:33 pm

WonderCon would be an appropriate place to sell some copies of Surfin the Highway! Whooooooo!

dg10050

02/19/2008, 06:50 pm

How about hardcover copies of Surfin' the Highway? ;)

Jake

02/19/2008, 08:15 pm

One day those will exist and my life will be sweet.

Mel

02/19/2008, 08:16 pm

One day those will exist and my life will be sweet.

Well, once the hardcover is done, they'll put you in a room with a sewing machine making those plushies everyone wants.

I kid. :D

TrogLlama

02/20/2008, 02:52 pm

I've noticed a couple of possibilities of different comedy duos, and I'd like to say that you really need to move past the duo. Why not a trio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animaniacs)? Or maybe just one guy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freakazoid!)?

Mel

02/20/2008, 05:27 pm

I have to stop reading this thread. I sometimes wonder why I'm on the internet sometimes. I hate speculation (even if it's meant in a fun way). I'm the type of person who feels that I'll know when I'm told. It's not that I'm not curious but then if you get your expectations really high, you may be disappointed when you hear what it actually is.

There's probably some deep psychological issue I need to deal with. :p

dg10050

02/20/2008, 05:33 pm

I think they should do a game based on everyone's favorite Operating System mascot, Tux! Think of all of the adventures he could have in user-land, compiling kernels, figuring out why the heck his Xorg configuration won't work, maintaining packages...
I think it would be great! ;)

MarkDarin

02/20/2008, 07:23 pm

Hero1

02/20/2008, 07:41 pm

tux racer rules!

Jake

02/21/2008, 07:05 pm

Sure! But it won't run in Linux.

I would love a Games For Windows-certified, DirectX 10/Vista-only series of episodic Tux adventures.

Mel

02/21/2008, 07:13 pm

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a254/Melanie68/PenguinSlap.gif

dg10050

02/22/2008, 03:57 am

I would love a Games For Windows-certified, DirectX 10/Vista-only series of episodic Tux adventures.

You could always just use some protection like SecuROM that prevents Linux users from playing the game. >_> *cough*

doom saber

02/23/2008, 01:49 pm

Be funny if Telltale gotten the license for the Ace attorney games, considering how the game follows the japanese legal system. However, the AA games are episodic

TrogLlama

02/23/2008, 03:34 pm

Be funny if Telltale gotten the license for the Ace attorney games, considering how the game follows the japanese legal system. However, the AA games are episodic
They're not actually episodic. They don't follow the episodic formula at all.
They aren't smaller parts of a whole sent out periodically, they're one large game that divides itself into chapters.
Also, AA follows no legal system anywhere. It probably resembles Japanese courts more than American courts, but it's definitely not the same.

jp-30

02/23/2008, 04:30 pm

What the difference between a chapter and an episode?

TrogLlama

02/23/2008, 04:34 pm

What the difference between a chapter and an episode?
Well, a game could be released episodically and call each episode a 'chapter,' so in reality it doesn't really make a difference.
In the case of Phoenix Wright, however, it's like a chapter in a book- the book comes out, you pick it up, you finish a chapter and move on to the next chapter, so on and so forth until you finish the book and have to wait for the next book to come out.

doom saber

02/23/2008, 08:59 pm

Well, a game could be released episodically and call each episode a 'chapter,' so in reality it doesn't really make a difference.
In the case of Phoenix Wright, however, it's like a chapter in a book- the book comes out, you pick it up, you finish a chapter and move on to the next chapter, so on and so forth until you finish the book and have to wait for the next book to come out.

Well, they did release Phoenix wright case per case on the phone and the case in PW can be played by itself like S&M, so I don't see the difference, especially how it would seems unlikely that Telltale would release a game one episode at a time on the wii unless they really compress it; I'd imagine the wii's memory card is even less than that of an Xbox360 HDD.

I mean, both games have cases, but Telltale decided to release the cases every month so as to get the game out quicker and for game players not to wait till all the cases are out.

doom saber

02/23/2008, 09:04 pm

They're not actually episodic. They don't follow the episodic formula at all.
They aren't smaller parts of a whole sent out periodically, they're one large game that divides itself into chapters.
Also, AA follows no legal system anywhere. It probably resembles Japanese courts more than American courts, but it's definitely not the same.

But doesn't Sam and Max does the same where all the small cases releases to one another at the end of the season? Just because Telltale releases them out per case first before putting them together, does not mean they are completely different.

Actually, AA follows the japanese legal system, though they are a few changes. I mean, the basic set up where there are no jury, there is only one-judges and that the person is guilty till proven innocence.

Jake

02/24/2008, 12:06 am

I've always thought that the Ace Attorney games use a very similar model to what we do, in terms of episode length, amount of re-use, etc (especially in the later games), with the significant difference that they put all the cases out at once, instead of one at a time. I think that series would be a great fit for a downloadable service (where is DSWare?).

TrogLlama

02/24/2008, 08:53 am

But doesn't Sam and Max does the same where all the small cases releases to one another at the end of the season? Just because Telltale releases them out per case first before putting them together, does not mean they are completely different.

Actually, AA follows the japanese legal system, though they are a few changes. I mean, the basic set up where there are no jury, there is only one-judges and that the person is guilty till proven innocence.
Yes, but instead of Sam & Max where episodes come out in short intervals until you reach the end, they all come out at once. Sure, there was the thing with the phones, but the game was already out for the DS at that point.

doom saber

02/24/2008, 10:14 am

Yes, but instead of Sam & Max where episodes come out in short intervals until you reach the end, they all come out at once. Sure, there was the thing with the phones, but the game was already out for the DS at that point.

Even so, I don't think whether the game is released all at once or one per case makes Sam and Max episodic and AA not. What if the cases were called episodes in AA, would it still not be episodic? Also, the AA games can be released as individual case as seen on the mobile phones and as Jake said eariler, the cases seems fitting as an individual downloadable game.

Besides TT starting the whole episodic nature first, the only reason I can think of in why the game is released all at once and not per case is the price of cartridge production and lack of harddrive memory storage. The first three AA games are actually made for the Gameboy Advance, but were eventually ported to the DS because of how popular the first AA remake was outside of Japan. It would be expensive and illogical if Capcom released each case on a cartridge each few months or so.

However, with the DS having wi fi and the popularity of downloadable games are on the xbox live marketplace and the PSN, I don't see why Capcom cannot make several downloadble cases for the wii or DS(if Nintendo makes a flashcard.)

TrogLlama

02/24/2008, 11:47 am

Even so, I don't think whether the game is released all at once or one per case makes Sam and Max episodic and AA not. What if the cases were called episodes in AA, would it still not be episodic? Also, the AA games can be released as individual case as seen on the mobile phones and as Jake said eariler, the cases seems fitting as an individual downloadable game.

Besides TT starting the whole episodic nature first, the only reason I can think of in why the game is released all at once and not per case is the price of cartridge production and lack of harddrive memory storage. The first three AA games are actually made for the Gameboy Advance, but were eventually ported to the DS because of how popular the first AA remake was outside of Japan. It would be expensive and illogical if Capcom released each case on a cartridge each few months or so.

However, with the DS having wi fi and the popularity of downloadable games are on the xbox live marketplace and the PSN, I don't see why Capcom cannot make several downloadble cases for the wii or DS(if Nintendo makes a flashcard.)
Well, there's a roadblock on the DS because of limited internal memory space.
And the reason AA is not episodic is because of the release schedule. Could it be episodic? Sure, if it had been released as episodes. However, they didn't release it like that. They might release future installments episodically, and that'd be just fine by me. However, up to this point, the game haven't been episodic (with the exception of the cell phone version.) And yes, I did know that they were released as GBA games first. I honestly don't know what your point is with that whole paragraph, because the same things that prevent episodic games on the GBA prevent episodic games on the DS. I mean, if they released a blank cartridge you could load up with downloaded games it could work, but otherwise, no.

In conclusion, the AA games are not episodic because they haven't been released as smaller pieces with shorter gaps in between, they've been released as a large piece with larger gaps between games. However, they could potentially be released episodically at some point, as we've seen with the cell phone bit.

jp-30

02/25/2008, 01:09 am

Thanks for the head's up at mixnmojo.com, Jason!

New interview with Kevin Bruner (http://www.destructoid.com/gdc-08-an-interview-with-kevin-bruner-telltale-games-cto-71815.phtml)

Can you give us any hints about the two new episodic franchises you'll be announcing in the near future?

They're big franchises, even bigger than Sam and Max. One will be on WiiWare. It's been great to start with relatively small licenses like Bone, then move up to Max, then to these two new ones.

Any chance of a Full Throttle series?

Bruner still talks with LucasArts quasi-frequently, and they'd definitely be open to a FT game, but there aren't any plans for it yet. The two new licenses aren't LucasArts-related.

Harald B

02/25/2008, 01:19 am

"even bigger than Sam and Max"? I thought Sam and Max was rather niche at best; is it actually wildly popular in the states?

Jake

02/25/2008, 01:36 am

The interviewer was paraphrasing -- I doubt Kevin used those exact words -- and Sam & Max, while perpetually niche, is decently well known in the gaming world, especially when compared to something like... Bone... or Telltale Texas Hold'em :)

Linque

02/25/2008, 07:50 am

Okay, so let's do some math again:

Bigger Than Sam & Max + Not Lucasarts + Full Throttle being discussed + 1x WiiWare + 1x Non-WiiWare + 1x The Simpsons Game Lead Dev hired

=

The Simpsons adventure game

AND

Some very cool big franchise I cant think of now

PLUS

New Full Throttle episodes in 2009!

Think of it - what are the odds of me being wrong TWICE in a row?

jp-30

02/25/2008, 10:53 am

Never quote me the odds!

Anyway, I'd imagine Chin being hired may have as much to do with him working alongside 1/2 the Telltale team at LucasArts back in the day as any link to a Simpsons game.

Hope you're right though, even if I'd prefer Futurama games to Simpsons.

And if Full Throttle episodes do eventuate, they clearly won't be available until 2015. ;)

doom saber

02/25/2008, 01:30 pm

Well, there's a roadblock on the DS because of limited internal memory space.
And the reason AA is not episodic is because of the release schedule. Could it be episodic? Sure, if it had been released as episodes. However, they didn't release it like that. They might release future installments episodically, and that'd be just fine by me. However, up to this point, the game haven't been episodic (with the exception of the cell phone version.) And yes, I did know that they were released as GBA games first. I honestly don't know what your point is with that whole paragraph, because the same things that prevent episodic games on the GBA prevent episodic games on the DS. I mean, if they released a blank cartridge you could load up with downloaded games it could work, but otherwise, no.

In conclusion, the AA games are not episodic because they haven't been released as smaller pieces with shorter gaps in between, they've been released as a large piece with larger gaps between games. However, they could potentially be released episodically at some point, as we've seen with the cell phone bit.

Well, it didn't stop nintendo in the past of releasing games to be downloaded on a blank cartridge (the cable Super Nintendo service they had only in Japan.)

I think we swayed from the original topic, which was that AA can be made as individual downloads and not what is a person's opinion on what is episodic or not. We are not going to change each other's opinion on what is episodic or not and AA is similar to the format of Sam and Max with different cases with the exception of releasing the games as a whole or not; I mean, if they show two new episodes or a whole new season (this rarely happens, but it does when a series is cancelled before showing the remaining eps and is shown on another network like Sci-fi) of a television sitcom on TV, does that mean it is not episodic because the episodes were all shown side by side?

Also, here is the definition of an episode on wiki:

An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars. Episodes of news programs are also known as editions.

As stated, episodes are a portion of a sequence of a body of work, just like how the cases are in AA. Being released individual or all at once doesn't define what is episodic and what is not.

Anyway, to get to the matter, Capcom or any other company they license the game to, can easily make new cases for the game to be downloaded. That was the main reason of the argument.

Will

02/25/2008, 03:50 pm

Full Throttle being discussed

Did I miss something?

Jake

02/25/2008, 03:59 pm

xChri5x

02/25/2008, 04:08 pm

Oh god I hope it's not a license that's as big as the simpsons...

jp-30

02/25/2008, 04:24 pm

CSI's as pretty much as big as the Simpsons insofar as TV Ratings etc, I would figure (though obviously not quite an equal in merchandising).

My guess is that it's (they're) a TV or Movie license, and there's more brewing than just the Telltake Games. Jim Ward was right from a marketing standpoint to tie LucasArts releases with compatible non-gaming 'events' like movie & DVD launches.

I think the Blade Runner boat may have been missed, but there're a few other things on the horizon that I'm hoping get expanded on game-wise (not necessarily from Telltale, of course) - namely the new X-Files movie and the Dark Crystal sequel.

Hero1

02/25/2008, 07:38 pm

So big license.. I automatically think TV show. The wii-ware one I think would prob be more family orientated. Justin Chin I'd expect to be working on an action/adventure game maybe for xbox live. So throwing out some possibilities for the wiiware - Simpsons, Family Guy maybe something on adult swim
the other license I'm guessing could be something like Heroes

Mel

02/25/2008, 07:44 pm

Did I miss something?

This is what happens when you take a bathroom break in the middle of a meeting.

Linque

02/26/2008, 01:02 am

A Johnny Bravo game. That's what we need.

xChri5x

02/26/2008, 01:34 am

I'm hoping for something more unique...

jp-30

02/26/2008, 02:11 am

How can a licensed game be "unique"?

Linque

02/26/2008, 02:23 am

I have a hunch these are going to be moderately high profile franchises.

Haggis

02/26/2008, 04:03 am

An interviewer asked Kevin if we would make Full Throttle games, and I guess Kevin basically said, "I guess if someone gives us Full Throttle and says make a game of it, we would." Which clearly means that we're making it. (Don't show anyone a photo of the romper room, it would only confuse them. :) )
Yeah, what I found interesting about that tidbit was that it said: "Bruner still talks with LucasArts quasi-frequently, and they'd definitely be open to a FT game, but there aren't any plans for it yet. The two new licenses aren't LucasArts-related."

So it's obvious that Telltale aren't working on Full Throttle now, but just the possibility of such a thing ever being possible excited me.