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Impressions: Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse - The Penal Zone (PS3)
You wouldn't expect to find "We've tightened up the graphics on Episode Three" among the usual list of noted improvements between Telltale's episodic releases. After all, with endearing, demented characters like Sam and Max taking up quite a bit of the screen, who cares how many polygons are left for that potted plant in the corner? "We wanted to bump everything up presentation-wise for this season," said designer Chuck Jordan, drawing attention to the Telltale engine's impressive -- nay, tight -- visual enhancements. The Penal Zone, the first of five monthly episodes comprising Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse, features noticeably improved lighting, real-time shadows and more expressive facial animation. As Jordan pointed out, "an expression can sell a joke for the first time." Based on the demo I saw at the Game Developers Conference, it's also apparent that the improved graphics do make a difference to that potted plant. Because you transform into one. "When you finally get to control Max," Jordan said, "it's really weird." Like, really really weird. %Gallery-88038%
Molyneux explores Fable 3's episodic potential (with the aid of Charles Dickens)
During a one-on-one conversation with writer Frank Rose at South by Southwest titled "The Emotion Engine: Can a Video Game Speak to the Heart?," Lionhead's Peter Molyneux offered some early details on the episodic potential of Fable 3, citing the serial nature of Charles Dickens' novels. He began by comparing Fable 3's industrial setting to the mid-19th century setting of Charles Dickens' London, calling it a "brilliant time to set a game." "You look at the characters and the world that someone like Charles Dickens developed and you think, 'Well, it would be brilliant to feel like you're walking through that Dickensian version of London with a little bit of darkness.' Those novels, if you don't know them, are very, very dark," Molyneux explained. "They're written in a way that breaks the story up into these episodes. So why don't we do a similar sort of thing?" Though Molyneux told Joystiq just last week that Fable 2's episodic experiment had been "massively successful," he stopped short of promising similar functionality for Fable 3; however, yesterday, he seemed to suggest they would be doing just that. "So what we're thinking with Fable 2 to start off with, and with Fable 3, we're going to give you the first big episode and then allow you to continue to download new episodes," Molyneux said. "And that's analogous to the way Charles Dickens wrote his books." Asked if he would be developing these episodes "as you go along," Molyneux responded, "This is the new world of computer games where in fact, a lot of us are now saying, is, 'If we can have a really strong digital relationship with people then that means you don't have to entirely finish your game or your universe or your experience on release.'" Now, before you get upset, appreciate that Molyneux knows how "strange and bizarre" that sounds, so he's got two examples to help you better understand.
Sam & Max PSN pre-orders start March 18; other console versions a 'definite possibility'
Sam and Max will bring their off-kilter humor to PlayStation 3 for the first time in The Devil's Playhouse: The Penal Zone, the first episode in a new season of Telltale's episodic adventure series. In a first for the PlayStation Store, the full season -- consisting of five monthly episodes -- will become available for pre-order on March 18, nearly a month before The Penal Zone launches on April 15. While PC and Mac owners will receive substantial benefits for pre-ordering the full season, including a free game episode, access to developer chats and extra downloadable goodies, Telltale noted that it also has a deal in store (you know, actually in the store) for console players. According to Telltale PR manager Chris Schmidt, pre-ordering the full pack will reduce the cost to $29.99, a minor but not unwelcome discount from the regular price of $34.95. Speaking to Joystiq at a meeting during the Game Developers Conference on Friday, Schmidt also addressed the obvious question: Will this season of Sam & Max come to Xbox 360 or Wii? He called it a "definite possibility" a few months down the line, and noted that it's in Telltale's best interest to work with more partners and deliver its games to as wide an audience as possible. Designer Chuck Jordan jokingly added that Telltale would ultimately like "to get the games on everything that has a chip in it." Forget the 360 -- what could be better than getting Sam & Max in a tube of Pringles?
Sam & Max voted as next Telltale series for Macs
[GinnyN] With Guybrush Threepwood fans taken care of, Telltale's adventure game-lovin' enthusiasts have voted Sam & Max as the next title to get Mac-ified. The Telltale blog confirmed the choice yesterday, saying that the other two titles up for porting (Wallace & Gromit and Strong Bad) will be playable on OS X "within the course of this year." Alongside the announcement (which didn't include a release date), the site posted a handful of "propaganda" created by voters to sway others to their side. We've posted one of our faves above, but we suggest checking out the whole lot.
Telltale aiming for new franchises, 'more topical' content
Speaking to Develop, Telltale CEO Dan Connors had some good news for episodic adventure fans. After noting that Telltale has grown significantly over the last few years, Connors stated that the company is currently "looking to engage more franchises, including those that are more topical and relevant in the current entertainment world." He added that Telltale wants to "work with great characters to tell great stories," and believes that it can target new audiences by "creating interactive versions of the worlds, characters and stories that they love." As an example, he asks what a Sopranos game would look like, saying, "How can you pull those fans into the interactive world?" Connors made similar statements last year, and it certainly seems that Telltale is looking to expand further into creating games based on popular programming, akin to its CSI: Deadly Intent. It actually sounds like a pretty good idea, especially given the preponderance of mystery-oriented shows out there these days. But just imagine all the completely inappropriate shows that could get the Telltale treatment. Two and a Half Men, The Tyra Show, Perfect Strangers. Wait, that last one is actually perfect. Someone make that game right now.
Sonic 4 coming to the iPhone/iPad?
Sega surprised everyone last night with the reveal of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 -- apparently the newest game in the series will be a download-only episodic title coming to the Xbox and PS3 later this year. And the iPhone, too? The very end of the trailer, as you can see above, has a blank rectangle after the XBLA, PSN, and WiiWare logos, which some presume is a space for the App Store logo eventually. In addition, various graphics were found on the official site that hint at an iPhone release as well. The game, which you can see in the trailer linked above, is a colorful return to the series' 2D roots, but even the updated 3D graphics are probably enough for the latest versions of the iPhone to handle. And of course there's the iPad -- considering that the game is called "Episode 1" (so presumably Sega is going to be releasing a few of these), Sega will probably want as big an install base as possible. Just widening the display of an iPhone app might not work so well, as these simulator screenshots on Gadget Lab show, so it's very possible that one of the launch games for Apple's tablet could be a sweet, high-resolution old school Sonic sequel. We'll keep you updated -- just watch out for the drool.
'Project Needlemouse' is Sonic the Hedgehog 4; episodic on PS3, Wii and 360 this summer
It's long been known that "Project Needlemouse," announced by Sega last September, was the codename for a new 2D, console Sonic the Hedgehog title. It was subsequently revealed (much to our delight) that Sonic would be its only playable character, and we now know that the game will be, in fact, a direct sequel to 1994's Sonic & Knuckles on Sega Genesis. Not only that -- it'll be (wait for it) episodic. We also know that the officially titled Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 looks like a proper Sonic game -- i.e., there's hope for it yet. GameSpot, which has a first look at the blue bolt's new downloadable XBLA, PSN and WiiWare adventure, reports that "episode 1" will be available on all three platforms "this summer." Additionally, Sega confirmed to the site that the game will support online leaderboards and motion control on Wii and PS3 (Sixaxis for the latter; sorry, "Arc"). You can watch the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 after the break. What do you think?
EA producer predicts cheaper games ... more premium extras
EA Canada's Jason DeLong told Game Informer that he expects to see games become cheaper in the future, at least per initial investment. "I think that we're going to start to see -- maybe not in the next year, but in the near future -- games go down the route of smaller up-front experiences and lower prices at the beginning," DeLong said, "and then the ability to extend the game through episodic material or future feature material. I think that's a direction we're probably heading in." So that doesn't mean that games will be cheaper, in the long run -- it means that DeLong sees the potential total price of a game spread between a disc or initial download and follow-up expansions. It's sort of like what EA and BioWare are already doing with Dragon Age: Origins -- except Dragon Age sells for $60 to start. DeLong added that keeping people playing in the current economy is "going to be an interesting creative problem for us to solve." So then, problem solved?
Telltale teases new Sam and Max in 2010
click to Maximize imagesEveryone's favorite episodic adventure game series about anthropomorphic detectives (we assume!) is returning in 2010! Telltale Games just put up a teaser site for something Sam and Max-related happening in 2010, featuring concept art hidden within the Sam and Max constellations (which we've placed in our gallery for your convenience). The reference in the audio narration to "a power-mad space gorilla pitted against a canine detective and a sociopathic bunny with psychic powers," along with the starry-sky imagery and (most definitively) the Max spaceship suggest that Sam and Max will be in space. Impressive -- it took the Leprechaun movie series four installments to make it off the Earth. The narration also mentions that "This story will be different. You will be in control." This could be a reference to a new control scheme Telltale planned to use in Season 3. %Gallery-79930%
Blue Toad Murder Files teaser has the best accent ever
If you happen to pass us on the street within the next few days, you're probably going to hear us exclaim "maaaaahhdaaaaah" at seemingly random intervals. There's a good reason for that -- the latest teaser for the episodic, co-op mystery series Blue Toad Murder Files features the single greatest narrator ever featured in any trailer, ever. There's something strangely poetic to his cadence, and, of course, to his impassioned dialect every time he utters the third word in the game's title: "Maaaahhdaaaah." Absolutely brilliant. Check out the trailer above, and make sure you stick around until the very end. That's when the narrator really hits his stride.
Free Wallace & Gromit episode and more for 20th anniversary of series
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Wallace & Gromit series, Telltale Games is offering Episode III of its Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures series, Muzzled!, for free! If you've been curious about how polite bumbling and cheese lust translate into game mechanics, now's your chance to find out. This offer applies to the PC version. The company is also marking the auspicious occasion by discounting the full season of the PC version to $20 (from $35), releasing the whole set on Xbox Live Arcade, taking orders for a Collector's DVD, and participating in a charity drive with the Wallace & Gromit Children's Foundation and Penny Arcade (to which your full-season purchase will contribute). The discount and free game will only be available until November 8.
Team17 details Alien Breed episodes structure
At the Eurogamer Expo -- in Europe! -- Team17 has revealed its plans for the episodic structure of its upcoming downloadable title, Alien Breed Evolution. It was previously revealed that the game would be released in three separate episodes, and now Team17's John Dennis explains that each episode will contain a prologue and five levels that are "much larger than they should have been." In addition, each episode contains two major "set pieces" -- large scripted events -- as well as two boss battles and a multiplayer level. Each episode should last five to eight hours. The first episode of Alien Breed Evoluation should release fairly soon, as it was originally slated for "around October." The XBLA version will enjoy an unknown period of exclusivity before the PSN and PC versions are released.
Attend Tales of Monkey Island's Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood on Oct. 30
Tales of Monkey Island's fourth chapter will be available for download on this Friday, October 30. The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood features Guybrush stuck on Flotsam Island with a bunch of poxed pirates (including a greenish, poxed Elaine). Will he be tried and executed? Our guess is yes. The middle of this episodic game series seems like the right time to kill off the beloved protagonist of a long-running franchise. Why not? In addition to a probably-dead Guybrush, Trial marks the return of Stan, the fast-talking salesman from the original games! Ever the classy businessman, Stan appears to be selling souvenirs at Guybrush's trial. %Gallery-76680%
Telltale discusses XBLA wait times, possibility of XBLA Monkey Island
In an interview with Shacknews, Telltale Games CEO Dan Connors said long wait times between episodic content releases on XBLA are "over." When asked why the XBLA follow-up to the first Wallace & Gromit episode has taken over five months, Connors said Microsoft's second-annual Summer of Arcade promotion had kept the second episode off the virtual store shelves, allowing Telltale to develop new episodes of the series to keep release dates between episodes close. "I think our goal, going forward, is to launch on as many platforms as we can simultaneously," Connors said. With two episodic franchises under its belt on Microsoft's downloadable service, Connors said he "would love" to see Tales of Monkey Island -- its best selling episodic franchise based on the classic adventure series -- on Microsoft's downloadable platform. "I know they had great success with Monkey Island: Special Edition. We think there's definitely an audience there and we definitely want to get the game to them." Thankfully we're able to hold our breath just as long as Guybrush Threepwood, so the wait for a possible release shouldn't be too painful.
Telltale hoping to push content to new consoles, handhelds & Macs
With more avenues now open between consumers and game creators than ever before, third-party companies like Telltale Games can sell their wares on every platform -- as long as their software runs on it. That's the tricky part, but Telltale CEO and co-founder Dan Connors has told Gamesindustry.biz that his team is already looking to take advantage of the "huge potential" out there."I definitely think there's huge potential there, and right now we're working on getting our content over to some more channels, over to new consoles and the Mac," Connors said. With any luck, PlayStation 3 will be caught in Telltale's wider net -- it's the only current home console that has yet to be visited by a talking dog, a hyper-kinetic rabbity thing ... or even a dog that doesn't talk but is still weirdly expressive.Telltale's ambitions go further still, added Connors. "And after that's done, we're going to be looking at handhelds. I think we have to consider the PSP Go for sure."
Last Flight resurfaces as an episodic game
Remember Last Flight, the WiiWare vampires-on-a-plane game from Nibris expats Bloober Team? Sebastian from Any Given Gamer did, noticing a Tweet from executive producer Marcin Kawa that sort of indirectly referred to the game. He guessed that it meant news about Last Flight would be on the way, and he was right!Bloober Team sent out some screenshots today! The last time we saw the game was over a year ago and just as concept art, so we're thrilled to see actual screens of food critic Larry Adelman taking out some vampires. In a fact sheet, Bloober Team outlined the game's motion-based slashing: each hand is mapped to either the Wiimote or Nunchuk, and moving the controller swings the weapon. The game is being divided into four episodes, to make it "as accessible and affordable as possible." According to Bloober Team, the game is comparable to a boxed Wii release, but the bite-sized purchases remove a barrier to entry for people not sure about buying a game from a new team. Perhaps the most surprising news: Eurogamer says that the game will be out this year!%Gallery-75104%
Hydrophobia floats to XBLA, goes episodic
click for screens of what Hydrophobia looks like now We haven't heard anything about Dark Energy Digital's water physics-based horror/puzzle game Hydrophobia in nearly a year, which makes today's news that the game is heading to XBLA rather than getting a full retail release all the more jarring. According to a preview of the game by Xbox World 360 UK (as reprinted on CVG), not only is Hyrdrophobia getting the digital distribution treatment, it'll be heading to Microsoft's console in the form of "three episodes of around five hours each, to be released within a twelve month window." The preview contains undoubtedly the largest glut of info on the game we've seen since we first heard about it way back in 2007 -- when it was still planned for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Apparently the episodes could continue if they prove successful enough, though no word is given on if they'll ever head to PS3 and PC. The game has already missed its planned March 2009 release window and dropped a few consoles for its eventual release, so we've reached out to Dark Energy Digital for more details. [Update: Dark Energy Digital got back to us with some fresh shots from the game (seen above).] %Gallery-74474%
Penny Arcade Adventures Ep. 3 announcement not coming at PAX
Those who were hoping to hear savory details about Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 3 during the Penny Arcade Expo (how appropriate!) are about to have said hopes dashed upon the rocks. During our recent interview with the comic's creators, Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, we learned that no news regarding the game will come during the duo's Seattle-based gaming community event.There's a reason for the game's non-appearance during PAX -- but Holkins and Krahulik were tight-lipped about what that reason is. Krahulik teased, "When you hear the announcement, you'll be like 'oooooh.' It'll make sense." Holkins articulately added, "You'll feel vigor in all of your limbs." We're fairly certain that's a good thing.
Telltale's next franchise announcements 'around October,' not necessarily comedies
Known for perfecting the episodic release, Telltale Games says it's stepping into "new genres." CEO Dan Connors told VG247 as much in a recent phone interview, and the idea for this move is coming from a somewhat expected place -- television shows like The Sopranos, Lost and True Blood. "We've already evolved the genre in a lot of ways ... but we believe there's a lot of head-room to make more dramatic advances in storytelling and drama inside of this genre [adventure games]." Considering the company's past work with franchises like CSI though, you could say this tale has already been told. (YEEAAAAAAAAAAAAH!)Though Telltale will be at PAX alongside us and everyone we know, don't expect any announcements just yet. Connors says the soonest we'll be hearing about anything is "around October," so, ya know, get comfy.
Tales of Monkey Island available at Amazon in one-tale increments
Telltale Games is selling the entire season of Tales of Monkey Island -- buy it now and get each chapter as it's released. But what if you're interested in only one Tale of Monkey Island? And you don't want to play it on Wii? The company announced today that individual episodes of the adventure game revival are available for purchase from Amazon.com's Game Downloads shop, for $8.95 each. The availability of the games on Amazon will help expose them to a wider audience, and will also serve to offer a low-risk trial to potential adventure game fans who will almost immediately wish they'd just purchased the whole season. %Gallery-64680%
