scoggins-erasers
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Puzzle Agent's art and inspirations investigated in first developer video
Game designer Mark Darin and artist/animator/"creative instigator" Graham Annable provide a look at the inspirations, unique visual style, and creepy gnome-filled plot of the recently announced Puzzle Agent in a developer featurette fresh from Telltale Games. There isn't a wealth of gameplay to be seen, but it's still a nice treat for those of us who've been trying to wrap our noggins around the mystery of Scoggins. It seems that something's amiss at the White House's eraser supplier and ... well, we'll let Darin and Annable explain the rest. Be sure to watch it all the way to the end for a special surprise. %Gallery-92249%
Puzzle Agent revealed, Telltale's Scoggins mystery solved
After very little nose-to-the-grindstone sleuthing, Telltale has revealed the answer to the Mystery of Scoggins Erasers: Puzzle Agent. IGN was recently shown this first game in Telltale's new "Pilot Program" -- a series of one-off games that could be expanded into larger franchises depending on fan reception. Considering Puzzle Agent apparently mixes Telltale's quirky brand of comedy with Professor Layton–style brainteasers, we seriously doubt this one will have a hard time catching on. The game, which is being developed for PC, Mac, WiiWare and, as we guessed, iPhone and iPad, places you in the shoes of "the Agent," who's called to solve a mystery in the Fargo-esque town of Scoggins, Minnesota. What are the specifics of this mystery, you ask? We have no idea, but based on Telltale's lineage, we're guessing it's going to be pretty wacky, and perhaps even a little bit zany. There might even be some hare-brained hijinks, if we're lucky.
Scoggins Erasers mystery deepens as Telltale delivers erasers, iPods
Click to view the entire, mysterious gallery Telltale Games continued its teasing of what would appear to be its upcoming original IP -- called or related to "Scoggins Erasers" -- today by sending us a box filled with erasers ... and an iPod Touch. Labeled "Made in Scoggins, MN," "Contains Scoggins Erasers" and "Top Secret," the package we received was opened to reveal another, smaller box marked "Top Secret." Inside this, 10 large, pink erasers, which we removed, exposing the iPod. This was surprising enough -- then we turned it on. The first thing we noticed was the lock screen image: An FBI seal with the text "Department of Puzzle Research" below it. Unlocking the device, we were greeted by a note that "Something is wrong in Scoggins, MN ... " and instructing us to check the calendar. Sure enough, on April 29 there's an entry for "Scoggins Briefing," with the note "Come to workroom 2 for debriefing." The "debriefing" is set for 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PDT, but there's no other info. We checked the Google Maps app and found no directions. The video app, however, held a single animated clip, Hidden People (watch it after the break), which depicts a man and his dog visiting a cabin where they encounter a creepy little red gnome. The photos app also contained what appears to be concept art, again with the gnomes. The very fact that all this arrived on an iPod seems to imply that Telltale's mystery title will be for iPhone / iPod Touch. The back of the iPod is clearly labeled "If found, DO NOT SELL TO GIZMODO," a testament to how secret Telltale feels the information it contains is -- or, more likely, a cheeky nod to a recent iPhone-related incident. For the record, we will not be selling the iPod to anyone. In fact, we're going to be giving it away to one lucky Joystiq reader. Be on the lookout for contest details soon! %Gallery-91622%
Telltale teases mystery of Scoggins Erasers
A new, mysterious page has appeared on the Telltale site with the equally enigmatic name of "Scoggins Erasers." Upon opening the page, visitors are greeted with an animated image. The image, seen above, is pretty simple: An unidentified pedestrian walking around a snowy landscape. A few areas of the page are interactive, notably the snowmobile, two of the factory windows and one of the tree stumps. The latter objects trigger red-capped gnomes to pop up in various parts of the screen. Beyond these areas, the only other interactive object is the sign, which does in fact link to the sign-up page for the Telltale newsletter. More information is promised on May 4, but what's the fun in waiting? Let's guess. The factory appears to be shut down -- what with the chains on the door. But why? Are the gnomes to blame? Also, who is this Scoggins? A quick look on Wikipedia unveils two possible candidates: One, it could be Myles W. Scoggins, current president of the Colorado School of Mines. Colorado is very snowy, now isn't it? Or two, perhaps it's Krysta Scoggins, Canadian country singer. Canada, as everyone knows, is encased in a thick crust of hard-packed snow 365 days a year, so this possibility would make sense. Also, school presidents and country singers need a lot of erasers -- for grading papers and writing lyrics, obviously. The third possibility, though unlikely, is that this Scoggins person is an entirely fictional person (or place) created by Telltale. Yeah, right. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
