telltale
Latest
Puzzle Agent due in June, pre-order now to save on other Telltale stuff
If you're interested in evaluating Telltale's first episodic game "pilot" for yourself, you can now pre-order the new puzzle-adventure game Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent from Telltale's website in advance of its June release. As a nice incentive to check it out, when you buy the $9.95 download, everything else in your cart will be discounted by 50%! Not that Monkey Island bundle -- good thinking, though. Graham Annable fans might be interested in adding the new Book of Grickle to their carts. And people writing this post might be interested in throwing in a set of Homestar Runner figurines. The pre-order offer applies to both PC and Mac (you'll get both with purchase), but not WiiWare, iPhone, or iPad. %Gallery-92249%
Grab the Secret and Tales of Monkey Island games for $20
You know that phrase, "out with the old, in with the new?" Telltale recently put together a sweet little bundle that allows you to obtain the new while also obtaining (the renovated version of) the old, all for a reasonable price. Until this Friday, you can grab Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition and all five chapters of Tales of Monkey Island for $19.99. If only the bundle included something borrowed and something blue -- then you could easily use it to satisfy all of your nonsensical pre-wedding rituals. [Via Big Download]
Telltale's 'Scoggins' project related to artist Graham Annable
No one's completely cracked the mystery of Scoggins, as teased on Telltale's official site, but Gamasutra has placed a big part of the puzzle. The outlet has connected the work of artist Graham Annable, responsible for the "Grickle" short films and books, to the teaser. Not only does the Scoggins art closely match that of Annable's, he has a history with Telltale, formerly serving as creative director at the company. Moreover, we noticed the same gnomes from the teaser image (which he calls "The Hidden People") in these Flickr samples of Annable's work. It tells us little of what kind of games we can expect from the collaboration, but we'd expect questions about that to be answered on May 4, as you can see in the teaser above.
Sam & Max's Future Vision would make a great present
Or it does. Or it ... did? Ever since I peered through Future Vision -- an amazing ocular toy employed in the first episode of Telltale's latest adventure, Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse -- my awareness of time has been (was?) sullied. In fact, I will never be more convinced that I'm staring through the device in this very moment, plagiarizing every word my future self was writing ... later today. Yes. Now I will write, I feel like I'm being watched. %Gallery-88038%
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!]
New Sam & Max: The Penal Zone trailer, iPad version on sale
Telltale has released a new trailer for the latest season of Sam & Max, entitled The Devil's Playhouse. While the trailer is specifically tailored to the iPad version -- which is already available -- we're sure that all the Mac, PC and PS3 holdouts will enjoy it just the same (while they wait until next week). Just to make that pain a little more poignant, Telltale has also announced that iPad version of the first episode, The Penal Zone, is now on sale in the App Store. Usually going for $9.99, the season opener can be gotten at $6.99 for "a limited time." Sam & Max Episode 1: The Penal Zone for iPad ($6.99) %Gallery-90029%
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%
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.
Telltale games headed to Mac, Tales of Monkey Island out now
Hey, remember that "totally unconfirmed" report that stated Telltale would be bringing its whole catalog to the Mac and, furthermore, would be showing off Mac versions of its games at Macworld? You can slide that over to "totally confirmed" now, as Telltale has officially announced that it is indeed bringing its titles to Mac OS. The first game to hit the platform will be Tales of Monkey Island, which is actually available for the Mac right now. Telltale is currently asking fans to decide which game it releases next: Strong Bad, Sam & Max or Wallace and Gromit. Perhaps the best part about it all: Telltale also announced that the Mac versions of its games will be free to anyone who already purchased the PC version. Presumably, that also means that those who buy the Mac version will have access to PC versions. Either way, it means a whole new audience for Telltale's games. The company will be at Macworld this week, showcasing Tales of Monkey Island. Speaking of which, curious Mac gamers out there can grab the demo for Tales of Monkey Island at the Telltale website (and we suggest you do).
'Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse' outed by OFLC
Like good burlesque, Telltale had been teasing a new season of Sam & Max ... meanwhile, like good porn, Australia's OFLC went ahead and just exposed the goods. Unless a dramatic change occurs, it appears the title of the next installment in the comedic adventure series is titled Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse - Episode 1: The Penal Zone. The premature ratings announcement obviously doesn't contain much aside from a title -- there's no telling whether the game might eventually come to Mac or iPhone as recently rumored -- but at this point, we'll take whatever glimpse we can get. [Thanks, 5abanja]
Sam & Max Season 1 on sale for $5
We're not big fans of teaser pages, but we do wish there were a few more like the one hinting at more Sam & Max in 2010. The site has now evolved beyond rambling about "a power-mad space gorilla" to ... well, there's still some rambling, but there's also a real deal: The whole first season of Telltale's Sam & Max for just $4.99. If you haven't touched the series or just like buying things really, really cheap, now would be the time to act. Here's to hoping future teasers follow Telltale's lead and lump some utility in with the titillation. [Update: If that price still isn't low enough for you, Telltale's offering one of any episode from any series for free to those who complete this survey. Hop to it!] [Thanks, Dao Jones]
Telltale Games may be releasing all games for Mac
Telltale Games has been rocking the retro lately, doing great things like bringing Secret of Monkey Island and Sam & Max back in new forms, and releasing new episodic classics like Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People. Now they might be doing so on the Mac: rumor has it that they'll be releasing their whole catalog on the Mac as soon as next month, just in time for an appearance at Macworld Expo. Apparently there are many Mac fans both on the team and in the customer base, and they're just figuring out a way to do it. Sounds awesome to us -- Telltale's stuff is already available on a few other platforms (both PC and consoles), but they have a history of putting fans first, so we might even expect some goodies to come with a Mac release. We'll have to wait and see what they've got planned. [Via IMG]
Telltale offering 25 percent off orders this week
You've unwrapped every package under the tree and the one special thing you wanted more than any other -- an episodic adventure game by Telltale -- was nowhere to be seen. Were all your letters to Santa for naught? Thankfully, you can set right this terrible injustice at Telltale's online store, which is offering 25 percent off of everything this week. It won't restore your faith in magic, but it will keep a few extra bucks in your pocket and, really, isn't that what matters most of all? [Via BigDownload]
Tales of Monkey Island's Pirate God ascends December 8
Tales of Monkey Island wraps up on December 8 with the PC release of its fifth episode, Rise of the Pirate God. Well, this season wraps up then, anyway. Something tells us that there might be more Monkey Island on the way. If you purchased the full season of Tales, then you will, of course, already be getting this. But for those of you not interested in buying the whole season at once, Telltale is now selling individual episodes on its website -- a service previously limited to Amazon. This "just buy each game" content delivery system is really taking off! %Gallery-64680%
Wallace and Gromit's Grand Adventures $20 sale extended
We're not ones to cast aspersions about your horrible proclivity for procrastination -- heck, we haven't filed income taxes since, like, 2002 -- but if you chose to wait before cashing in on last week's Wallace and Gromit's Grand Adventures sale, it nearly cost you very dearly. We say almost because Telltale decided to extend the offer past its initial Monday deadline, letting adventure game junkies continue to pick up the entire four-episode season of Wallace and Gromit for just $20. The developer hasn't given the sale a new expiration date, so please ... procrastinate responsibly.
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.
This Wednesday: Wallace & Gromit episodes 2, 3 and 4 on XBLA
Here's hoping you really like Wallace & Gromit and, more specifically, Telltale's episodic Wallace & Gromit games, because that's all you're getting on Xbox Live Arcade this week. As promised, the final three episodes, The Last Resort, Muzzled! and The Bogey Man will all be dropping on XBLA this Wednesday, each priced at 800 ($10). That brings the total for all four games to $40, which isn't too bad, although PC owners should be aware that Telltale is offering the entire season -- which includes a collector's DVD -- for $34.95 as well. Still, if you've got a yen for some couch-bound, Achievement-filled Wallace & Gromit, it's a pretty good deal.
Remaining Wallace & Gromit episodes hit XBLA all at once on Nov. 4
The remainder of Telltale's Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures episodes will make it onto Xbox Live Arcade all in one go on November 4 which, coincidentally, is the 20th anniversary of the dynamic duo's first animated short, A Grand Day Out. The already-released Fright of the Bumblebees, will now be joined by The Last Resort (which was a no-show in September), Muzzled! and The Bogey Man, each going for 800 ($10). The mathletes out there have already figured this out, but that puts the entire season at $40 – a deal if it were a retail package. Also on November 4, Telltale Games' website will begin taking orders for the "full season DVD" on PC, which includes all four episodes, image galleries, a "making of" video and more. With three titles dropping on one day, I'm not sure we'd call this "episodic" in the traditional sense. %Gallery-39989%
