Adventure Series: Part III
Developers talk back about the past, present, and future of the adventure game.
Article by Travis Fahs (Email)
November 28th 2005, 12:40AM
Before wrapping things up I wanted to get a chance to talk to some of the people still carrying the torch. Telltale Games hot on the release of their deliciously old-school point-and-click adaptation of Jeff Smith's Bone seemed to be the perfect candidates. The LucasArts defectors who worked on Grim Fandango, and the cancelled sequel to Sam and Max have recently announced their intent to begin a new series of episodic Sam and Max adventures. They're a company full of commitment to the classic conventions that worked and some new ideas, including online distribution and episodic gaming to make servicing the niche more viable. I dropped them a letter and an amalgamated unit crediting itself as president and founder Dan Conners, and principal members Troy Molander and Kevin Bruner replied with some answers.
After careful evaluation of current market place realities and underlying economic considerations, we've decided that this was not the appropriate time to launch a graphic adventure on the PC" -Mike Nelson. The cancellation of Sam and Max: Freelance Police for such a transparent reason was maybe the hardest blow to a fanbase that has been slapped around quite a bit. My first question to you is: Was there really a basis for this? Is adventure gaming a niche, or can a traditional adventure game be a real, mainstream success?
TT: People love adventures – whether they're in novels, movies or games! Yes, the adventure gaming category has been challenging at times. That being said, we firmly believe in the opportunity for exciting new kinds of titles.
Telltale is all about creating interactive entertainment featuring engaging stories, strong characters, and rich environments. We're delivering on this with a series of titles released episodically. We can get episodic titles to market faster at cost effective price points. Bone: Out from Boneville, which we began distributing in September, is the first example. The second episode is scheduled for release in early 2006.
As many have heard, Telltale signed an agreement with Steve Purcell to create new games based on Sam & Max. This is another example of ways that Telltale will bring great characters and stories to life.
The industry is recognizing the demand for classic adventure gaming franchises. What's strange is that it almost seems as if companies will make these just about anything except adventure games. Sierra famously alienated fans with King's Quest 8. The recent Leisure Suit Larry was more or less a series of bad mini-games loosely strung together that appealed to no one. Why would a company see almost anything as more vital than adventure? Where does this attitude stem from, and how did it all happen?
TT: Companies have been looking for ways to "redefine" the genre and this can take a series in an unusual direction.
A great title absolutely must have a compelling story, characters and must keep the player engaged. This is our core focus.
