One of the more interesting and exciting things about your upcoming release Bone: Out from Boneville is that it's the first in a series of episodes, and that it's going to use an online distribution model. Valve had a lot of success with Steam, and has discussed the episodic format as well. What attracted you to this model? Is it just the lowered initial investment, or is this something you hope to continue in future endeavors? Do you see publishers becoming less relevant in the future?
TT: We're certainly intrigued by the notion of bringing titles directly to consumers with greater frequency. That being said, we don't see the traditional publisher model or retail channels disappearing in the near future.
Would you consider releasing any of your games in stores?
TT: Absolutely. We plan to explore a wide range of distribution channels and platforms.
For Bone you've chosen to employ a classic point and click interface. This has become increasingly rare in 3rd person adventures. I know many of the people at your company worked on Grim Fandango and Escape From Monkey Island, which pushed away from that kind of interaction. Why the change of heart? Do you feel, in hindsight, like those games would have been stronger with a point and click interface?
TT: We believe point-and-click works really well for interacting in the Bone world. It's a very natural interface. It is also an interface that is ubiquitous on the web, making the game easily accessible to the millions of Internet users we are introducing to this truly mass market form of entertainment.
Recently it seems like many have been trying to expand the idea of what an adventure game can be. "Purists" seem fewer and farther between, and we see the like of Time Shaeffer trying to sell his platformer as an "adventure of sorts". What advantages to you see to taking the purist's route, and how do you see the genre developing?
TT: Story, character, and immersive worlds are fundamental to great games. Genre lines frequently blur. Great games like Zelda and Half-Life have elements that can fit within the Adventure category, as does Psychonauts. We support any endeavors to create interesting and fun games with strong stories, characters and worlds.
Do you think that adding non-adventure elements in more than a mini-game/diversionary capacity limits the kind of story you can tell? Do you think, for example, that Bone could still be Bone if it was a platformer?
TT:Now that Bone is out, journalists and fans can draw their own conclusions :) We're very pleased with the integration of different elements in Bone, and we're looking forward to pushing this even further with new episodes in the future.
Also interesting about Telltale is that they seem to want to focus on licensed properties, which is unusual to see in the mission statement of a proudly independent company. What is it that attracts you to using licensed properties? Do you find it creatively limiting?
TT: We look for great source material wherever it can be found. Sometimes it is completely new and original and other times it comes from existing licenses. Jeff Smith has created a wonderful canvas with his Bone comic books and we're having a great time taking them in new directions with our interactive adaptations.
While adventure games have been pigeonholed into a niche in recent years, it seems like an exception has been made for the moody, atmospheric, first person adventures; To use the pejorative, "Myst-clones", while the lighthearted sort that once dominated the genre has fallen largely to the wayside. Why do you think this apparent double-standard exists?
TT: I believe the real issue is providing a compelling and easily accessible entertainment experience. Creating an engaging experience that is easy to start playing, yet provides layers of depth to uncover, leads to a game with universal appeal! This type of entertainment will expand beyond traditional boundaries when the broader audience recognizes the joy of playing along with believable, witty characters that challenge, without frustrating the player.
