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Telltale Games previews 'The Walking Dead: Michonne'
As promised, Telltale Games has delivered a six-minute preview for its next The Walking Dead game. TWD: Michonne will focus on the dual-katana wielding character in a story that fits into a bit of missing time from the original graphic novel. It won't have anything to do with the new episode that aired on TB tonight, but instead players will follow along as Michonne turns pirate and hits the zombie-infested high seas. The first episode of the $15 miniseries will come to PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360 on February 23rd, before arriving on Android and iOS on February 25th.
'The Walking Dead: Michonne' debuts on February 23rd
The Walking Dead: Michonne is a three-episode miniseries from the undead-drama masterminds at Telltale Games, and the first installment is set to drop on February 23rd for PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360. Android and iOS versions land on February 25th. The premiere episode is titled "In Too Deep" and it ties directly into Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead graphic novel: Michonne disappears between issues #126 and #139, and Telltale's miniseries divulges what she did during that absence. Spoilers: She becomes a badass pirate.
'Minecraft: Story Mode' comes to the Wii U on January 21st
Those of you with a Wii U have been missing out on Minecraft: Story Mode, created by Mojang and Telltale Games, the indie developer behind The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones titles. But that's changing soon. Today, Telltale announced that Minecraft's narrative-based series is coming to Nintendo's console in just a few days, on January 21st.
Telltale's 'Game of Thrones' first season ends next month
Beware, for the night is dark and full of terrors folks: Telltale Games is wrapping the first season of its Game of Thrones series, Iron from Ice soon. When the season finale, dubbed "The Ice Dragon," releases next month on the 17th, Telltale says it'll be the first time that an episode hits each platform simultaneously (Android, iOS, Mac, PC, Playstation and Xbox). What's more, the story-focused developer says that the finale will provide "a uniquely harrowing conclusion" for every player based on the decisions you've made thus far. If I know anything about Telltale and Game of Thrones that means a number of characters are going to die. Probably viciously. Need a place to start? Telltale's using a classic pusher move and is offering the first episode for free. Try not getting attached to anyone.
'Minecraft' with a story isn't as weird as you'd think
A story-driven game about Minecraft, the block-building phenomenon adored by children and adults alike, might sound a tad contradictory. By design, Minecraft has little in the way of plot or characters -- the world is randomly generated and the best "stories" occur naturally based on what you decide to build and explore. The game's open nature is what makes it special, and it's also the reason why Minecraft: Story Mode, a spin-off title with a carefully crafted plot, has been met with so much skepticism. Minecraft works because it doesn't have a story -- is it possible, or right, for another developer to give it one?
You don't have to know 'Borderlands' to play 'Tales from the Borderlands'
The final trailer for Tales from the Borderlands, the narrative-driven point-and-click adventure game from Telltale, is full of action, guns, humor, drama, raw emotion and a catchy chiptune-inspired soundtrack. It's a bit like the game itself (which is good, since it's a trailer for exactly that). If you're worried about diving into this game blind, Engadget's former sister site Joystiq reviewed the premiere episode back in November 2014 and had the following to say: "Regardless of your level of Borderlands experience, Tales from the Borderlands is a witty, well-written adventure with broad appeal. And yeah, there's a dick joke or two." The fifth and final installment of Tales from the Borderlands drops on October 20th for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PC and Mac; October 21st for Xbox One and Xbox 360; and October 22nd for iOS and Android.
'Firewatch' reaches PC and PS4 on February 9th, 2016
Campo Santo's Firewatch has racked up its fair share of hype: its creators hail from venerable studios like Telltale and Double Fine, and it's based on the unusual premise of serving as a lookout in the Wyoming wilderness. If that sounds intriguing, you'll be glad to hear that it won't be much longer before you can try it yourself. The team has revealed that Firewatch will be available on Linux, Mac, Windows and PlayStation 4 on February 9th, 2016. There's still a lot to show about the game in the months ahead, but early reports are promising. It thrives on strong characterization (you play a middle-aged man retreating from a failing marriage), and it blends first-person exploration with the challenges of a classic adventure game. Hopefully, the finished title lives up to the early promise.
Minecraft's story mode means more action, less dirt farming
Back in December, Telltale Games hinted that there was a narrative-driven installment of the Minecraft franchise on the way. Now in the newly released trailer, we get to see the story behind the first episode dubbed "The Order of the Stone." Players will assume control of Jesse (who can be either a man or woman, kudos for the gender-neutral name Mojang) who takes a group of friends to a fan convention that celebrates a group of lauded warriors called -- obviously enough -- 'The Order of the Stone.' Obvious trouble brews and it is up to Jesse and his square-pals to track down the Order, consisting of Warrior, Redstone Engineer, Griefer, and Architect, to restore peace and justice to the Minecraft universe.
Telltale's 'Minecraft' adventure game arrives on October 13
Minecraft, but as a point-and-click adventure game? When Telltale's Story Mode title was first announced, it left many of us scratching our heads. Minecraft is hardly known for its rich narrative, and its open-ended gameplay couldn't be further from the tightly woven, decision-driven moments found in most Telltale games. However, since then we've had a steady clip of trailers and screenshots that give us an idea of how it'll all shake out -- and now we've got a release date too. Minecraft: Story Mode launches on October 13th with the first episode, "The Order of the Stone." It'll be available on PC, Mac, PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360 -- iOS and Android will join them on October 15th, followed by Wii U and PS Vita sometime in the future. Retail versions will be dropping on October 27th -- Telltale is calling it a "Season Pass Disc," which means you'll get instant access to the first episode and download codes/patches for the latter four episodes that wrap up the series.
Marvel and Telltale team up for a brand-new game
Telltale, the studio behind Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead adventure games, has partnered with Marvel for a game series due out in 2017. Telltale announced the collaboration in a brief blog post, and details from an event in San Francisco note that it's a PC and console game (via GameSpot). Other than that, we have the above image and our imaginations.
Telltale Games and Lionsgate are working on a 'Super Show' TV series
Telltale Games has created quite the following with episodic titles like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead. Now, with the help of Lionsgate, the studio is looking to tackle a televisions series with a similar approach: a game/show hybrid the studio is calling a Super Show. The format includes both scripted and "playable" elements for episodes, so just like the games, viewers will be able to decide the sequence of events. "It's not an interactive series with a show, or a TV show with a game, but a story integrated in a way that only Telltale can do," Telltale CEO Kevin Bruner told Entertainment Weekly. "For us it's a very natural evolution of the interactive story telling expertise we've pioneered."
How a former Rockstar developer is leading a revolution in gaming
When Navid Khonsari left Rockstar Games after working as the cinematic director on several Grand Theft Auto titles, he was sure he wouldn't make another video game. Instead, he returned to his first love, documentary filmmaking and, in the process, stumbled upon the creation of 1979 Revolution. "A culmination of doing games, falling in love with narrative storytelling and now this new fascination with documentary really became the seed for 1979," he says. "That combined with my personal experience of growing up in Iran and experiencing the revolution firsthand."
'Minecraft' is geting a story-based game from the studio behind 'The Walking Dead' and 'Game of Thrones'
Minecraft's silent landscaper Steve is exiting his blocky world and stepping into Telltale's world of stories: Minecraft is getting a "narrative-driven" game from the folks behind The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones games. Like Telltale's other work, Minecraft: Story Mode will be episodic and available on a wide variety of platforms when it launches "some time in 2015." Apparently Microsoft's promise to keep Minecraft multiplatform is holding, despite the acquisition.
Telltale Games is bringing The Wolf Among Us to iOS by the end of the year
The Wolf Among Us, the hit episodic title from Telltale Games, is breaking free of its current console and desktop shackles and will land on iOS by the end of the year. The developer revealed the news in a new trailer released just today. The game takes classic fairytale characters and adds a dark and brutal twist, gaining praise from all corners of the gaming world. No official release date or pricing structure was revealed, but given that the game is episodic -- and given that Telltale's episodic The Walking Dead game also appeared on iOS -- you can expect each playable episode to fall somewhere near the same US$5 mark.
The Wolf Among Us hits snag on Mac, release delayed
The latest episodic adventure from Telltale Games, The Wolf Among Us, has been getting favorable reviews around the web, but Mac gamers haven't yet been able to sample the new title. According to a post on Telltale's community site, the Mac version has run into "an unforeseen issue," and will be delayed a "few days." The Wolf Among Us features an alternative take on classic fairy tales and children's stories including Snow White, The Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood. The game has been split up into five episodes which will be released individually over the course of several weeks. When the first episode is ready to roll on Mac, it will be available via Steam and the Telltale website. [via GameInformer]
Telltale Games bringing 'The Walking Dead' to the OUYA this winter
It's safe to say The Walking Dead game has had a pretty successful term on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 -- still, there's always a chance to grow beyond the more traditional consoles. With that in mind, Telltale Games announced today its plans to bring the zombie-heavy gaming series to the OUYA later this year. The game studio behind the title doesn't go beyond saying it'll be "coming this winter." However, it did say the release will include The Walking Dead: Season One along with the 400 Days DLC. The second season, meanwhile, is said to be in the works and due to follow at some point in the future. Owners of the tiny, Android-based box will be able to play the first episode at no cost, which should help decide if they want to carry on with the rest of the story or, you know, keep playing You Don't know Jack.
The Walking Dead developer discusses multi-platform development
The Walking Dead is one of a growing number of game titles which were designed from the start to run on multiple platforms, including the major gaming consoles, OS X, Windows and iOS. Venture Beat talked to Steve Allison of Telltale Games about the game's roots and some of the challenges involved in a multi-platform launch. Allison points out that smartphone and tablet specs are creeping close enough to desktops and consoles that a multi-platform launch now makes sense. He says, "Given the rise of smartphone and tablet specs that are now in the same range as our target PC and home console specs, as long as we make a great narrative entertainment experience, a Telltale game is going to be fairly rock-solid and consistent across every platform for the most part." The short interview also talks about the difficulty of timing a launch across several, very different platforms and discusses some of the tweaks the team made for iOS. You can read the full interview on Venture Beat's website.
TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Puzzle Agent 2
I've been looking forward to this one. I first enjoyed Graham Annable's Puzzle Agent last summer actually on the iPhone, even though it was also released for the Mac and PC previously. The sequel is now available on iOS, and I can't wait to play it. Annable's weird mix of homespun comedy and creepy gnomes is fascinating to me (and you'll love it too, especially if you have a taste for the weird and slightly frightening), and Puzzle Agent's puzzles were ingenious little bite-sized affairs, paced perfectly well with a story full of wacky characters and twists. There's no Game Center integration here, and the presentation might not be perfect -- the first iPhone title suffered a little from weird graphical glitches (though there were no game-breaking bugs that I found). But nevertheless, the Puzzle Agent series is much-loved by a certain crowd, myself definitely included. If you know you'll like it already, you can pick it up on the iPhone for US$4.99 or on the iPad in HD for $6.99. If you've never played the series before, you can check out the first title for the same prices, play through the free version, or just wait a bit for them to go on sale.
Telltale releases Puzzle Agent on the iPhone, iPad
Just an FYI before you start your Labor Day weekend (and any associated trips): Telltale Games has released its latest title, Puzzle Agent, for the iPhone and the iPad. The game got middling reviews on Metacritic, but I think that's mostly because of the genre -- if you're a fan of sharp writing and interesting puzzles to play on the drive or flight out to the country for your vacation, it's a worthwhile title to fill the time with. Even if all of the puzzles aren't perfect, the game's atmosphere is excellent, and the art style is exactly the kind of thing we need more of on the iPhone. Nelson Tethers' adventures as a Puzzle Agent exploring the Scoggins Eraser Company are a worthy addition to the App Store. You can get the small-screen version for US$4.99. The game's also available on the iPad as Puzzle Agent HD, for a premium price of $6.99, though it doesn't offer up any extra features besides of course the larger graphics (and easier to read text in some cases). But whichever one you choose is mostly just a matter of practicality -- both are excellent to play through. And this is an extra bit of news unrelated except for the "Puzzle" connection, but it's always nice to go into a holiday weekend with something to look forward to: Namco has announced that it will be bringing the great Puzzle Quest 2 to the iPhone sometime this fall, complete with Game Center integrated for full multiplayer. We'll look forward to that one for sure.
GDC 2010: Hands-on with Sam and Max: The Devil's Playhouse
Last month at Macworld, Telltale Games announced that they'll be releasing their games day-and-date on both Mac and PC at the same time. Last week at GDC 2010, they announced a brand new season of Sam and Max, and also the news that, on April 15th, the first episode of The Devil's Playhouse will be available on both Mac and PC (as well as the PSN, if you're into that sort of thing). I got a chance to see the game at GDC, and while the version I saw was running on the Playstation 3, I can promise you that they said we'd get Sam and Max, and that's exactly what we're getting. Like the other games in the series (which aren't on the Mac quite yet, but are coming soon), The Devil's Playhouse (the first episode is called "The Penal Zone") is a cartoony point-and-click adventure game featuring the legendary Freelance Police duo. We played through an initial sequence that had the two going up against the evil General Skunkape and his spaceship, armed only with Max's ability to travel through phonelines, some silly putty that will let him change into a potted plant (or a bazooka), and the help of an alien brain in a jar. Just like the rest of the series, Sam and Max features item-based puzzles with plenty of absurdity and humor.
