Sam & Max: Season 2

Η Telltale ανακοίνωσε πως το φθινόπωρο ξεκινά η δεύτερη season των επεισοδιακών adventures του γνωστού διδύμου Sam & Max, ενώ εντός λίγων ημερών θα κυκλοφορήσουν διάφορες screenshots για να πάρουμε μια πρώτη γεύση της σειράς. Ακολουθεί και το σχετικό δελτίο τύπου για περαιτέρω πληροφορίες.


Telltale and GameTap announce Sam & Max Season Two

Crime fighting duo to return in Fall 2007 with another blast of episodic escapades

SAN RAFAEL, CA – July 25, 2007 - Interactive entertainment pioneer Telltale Inc. and GameTap, the first-of-its-kind broadband entertainment network from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., today announced that the groundbreaking Sam & Max episodic game series will return this fall for another round of online mayhem.

Sam & Max Season Two follows the highly successful and critically-acclaimed debut that ran from Fall 2006 through Spring 2007. Each episode will premiere exclusively for play on GameTap, followed by a downloadable release on Telltale's website the next day.

"Season One was a great success, but it's just a starting point for us," says Telltale's CEO Dan Connors. "The episodic model presents so many opportunities to innovate and engage the audience in brand new ways. Just wait until you see what Telltale and GameTap have in store with Season Two."

"GameTap and Telltale successfully proved the idea that games can work in a TV show format," said Ricardo Sanchez, vice president of content and creative director for GameTap. "The Sam & Max episodes continue to be among the top titles played at GameTap and we expect that Season Two will be an even bigger draw."

Sam & Max Season Two will feature the same quick wit and bizarre scenarios Telltale's team and Sam & Max creator Steve Purcell delivered the first time around—and more! "We're keeping the general structure and gameplay, and focusing on telling farther-reaching, crazier stories," says Telltale's design director Dave Grossman. "You'll see some changes to the world, too; improvements that were born out of player feedback and our own desire to make the most fun games anyone has ever played."

Some of these changes are evident in the first Season Two render, released today, which is set in Stinky's, the diner down the street from Sam & Max's office that remained closed for the entire first season. Additional game assets, including glimpses of brand new characters and environments, will be revealed at San Diego Comic-Con starting tomorrow at the panel, "Episodic Games and Comics – Made for Each Other" (11:30-12:30 in room 1AB).

The landmark Sam & Max Season One is currently available at <!-- w --> www.telltalegames.com <!-- w --> and <!-- w --> www.gametap.com <!-- w --> as well as other download services, and will be coming to retail stores in August courtesy of The Adventure Company in North America and JoWooD in Europe. For more information about Sam & Max, including a four-part retrospective feature celebrating the duo's 20th anniversary, visit <!-- w --> www.telltalegames.com/samandmax <!-- w -->.

Είναι πλέον διαθέσιμο το cinematic trailer του Sam &amp; Max Season Two.
Στην ίδια διεύθυνση μπορείτε επίσης να δείτε νέες screenshots και concept art, καθώς και να διαβάσετε περαιτέρω λεπτομέρειες για τη σειρά.

Ακολουθεί καινούριο δελτίο τύπου για το δεύτερο κύκλο επεισοδίων. Η ημερομηνία κυκλοφορίας του πρώτου επεισοδίου πλησιάζει καθώς ορίστηκε για τις 9 Νοεμβρίου.


Telltale and GameTap reveal first details of Sam & Max Season Two

"Ice Station Santa" will kick off new season of Sam & Max games November 8 on GameTap and worldwide November 9 from Telltale

SAN RAFAEL, CA, September 26, 2007 &#8211; The innovative Sam & Max series continues to break new ground this fall with an unprecedented second season of episodic games, starting with the most ancient and powerful opponent the duo have ever faced: Santa Claus!

Interactive entertainment pioneer Telltale Inc. and GameTap, the first-of-its-kind broadband entertainment network from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., revealed today that the first episode of Sam & Max Season Two, "Ice Station Santa," will debut on November 8, 2007 for GameTap subscribers at <!-- w --> www.gametap.com <!-- w -->. The following day, on November 9, the premiere episode will be released worldwide from Telltale's website <!-- w --> www.telltalegames.com <!-- w -->.

"The Telltale crew has been living with these characters for quite a while now and it shows in the work," says Sam & Max creator Steve Purcell. "First seasons are always the proving ground, so it's great that they get the chance to take Sam & Max through a new season of ever more bizarre and hilarious episodes."

"Ice Station Santa" puts a whole new spin on the season of giving, peace, and joy. With Christmas presents on the attack and carols of gunshots drowning out the bells, Sam & Max must storm the North Pole to bring down a less-than-jolly foe. Can they make sense of this Christmas conundrum in time to save the world's children from a holiday tainted by tears, turmoil, and Torture-Me-Elmer?

"Sam & Max was our first GameTap Original title and it proved that episodic gaming can be truly successful," said Ricardo Sanchez, GameTap's VP of Content and Creative Director. "We're excited to be working with Telltale again to bring another great season of Sam & Max to our subscribers."

Each new Sam & Max episode will launch on GameTap on the second Thursday of the month, followed one day later by its worldwide premiere on <!-- w --> www.telltalegames.com <!-- w -->. After "Ice Station Santa" in November, Episode 2 is scheduled for January 10 for GameTap subscribers and January 11 worldwide. Monthly releases will continue up through the season finale in April, for a total of five games in Season Two.

"Season One was a groundbreaking accomplishment, but it's only the beginning," says Telltale's CEO Dan Connors. "For Season Two, we have taken all the best elements of the first season and improved on them even more. Telltale is cranking the whole episodic experience up another notch and you can expect a very enjoyable six months."

As with Sam & Max Season One, customers can purchase the full Season Two set or individual episodes from Telltale, or play the games as part of a subscription to GameTap. Full pricing information, along with brand new "Ice Station Santa" screenshots, video and additional Season Two details, can be found at <!-- w --> www.telltalegames.com/samandmaxseasontwo <!-- w --> and <!-- w --> www.gametap.com/samandmax <!-- w -->.

# # #

About Sam & Max
Steve Purcell published "Monkeys Violating the Heavenly Temple" as his first Sam & Max comic in 1987. Sam & Max solved assorted crimes and mysteries as Freelance Police in their sturdy 1960 black and white DeSoto Adventurer from their home base in New York City. After a series of follow-up comic books, Purcell worked with a team at LucasArts to create the critically-acclaimed Sam & Max Hit the Road adventure game in 1993. The dog and rabbity-thing duo moved to television in an award-winning animated series in 1997. They are now appearing in an all-new webcomic series at <!-- w --> www.telltalegames.com <!-- w -->, which won an Eisner award in 2007 for Best Digital Comic.

About Telltale, Inc.
Telltale is a new breed of interactive entertainment company pioneering high-caliber episodic game publishing and development. Founded in 2004 by industry veterans with decades of experience, the company has quickly become a leader in episodic gaming by delivering award-winning interactive experiences that emphasize engaging stories, strong characters, and rich worlds. Telltale has shipped 10 titles to date, using proprietary tools that streamline development of high-quality, cinematic experiences for multiple platforms and digital distribution. These releases include the monthly six-episode series Sam & Max: Season 1, episodes adapted from Jeff Smith's epic Bone graphic novel series, and games based on television's popular CSI program in partnership with Ubisoft. Telltale offers content development and custom publishing services for license-holders interested in interactive adaptations of their properties. Telltale's games are available at the company's website and through select partners such as Turner Broadcasting's GameTap subscription service. To learn more about Telltale, please visit <!-- w --> www.telltalegames.com <!-- w -->.

About GameTap
GameTap (GameTap.com), a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is the leader in digital game distribution and broadband entertainment. Launched in 2005, GameTap delivers more than 950 authentic versions of the greatest console, computer and arcade games, including original and exclusive episodic titles such as Myst Online: Uru Live, Sam & Max: Seasons One and Season Two, Galactic Command - Echo Squad, and American McGee's Grimm. Visitors to GameTap.com can play free games on its ad-supported website, purchase top PC and catalog titles from its digital retail storefront, and tune into GameTap TV's original programming that includes Retrospective documentaries and new Re\Visioned animated series. GameTap paid members receive unlimited access to its massive library titles, community and multiplayer features, original games, and content.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment products around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.

Προσωπικά η Season 1, νομίζω ότι κατά κάποιο τρόπο "εκβίαζε" το χιούμορ, δεν μου άρεσε οπότε δεν σκίζω και την σκούφια μου για την 2.
Βέβαια, ελπίζω να μπορώ να εκφράσω το ότι ένα adventure δεν μου άρεσε χωρίς να κινδυνεύω να χαρακτηριστώ εμπαθής και αρνητικός

Μιας και πλησιάζουμε στην ημερομηνία κυκλοφορίας του "Sam &amp; Max Season Two", η Telltale μόλις κυκλοφόρησε ένα trailer για το "Sam &amp; Max 201: Ice Station Santa", μαζί με πολλές νέες screenshots:

Screenshot 1
Screenshot 2
Screenshot 3
Screenshot 4
Screenshot 5
Screenshot 6


EDIT:
Όποιος κατέβασε το trailer πριν τις 19/10, θα πρέπει να το ξανακατεβάσει αν πράγματι θέλει να δει το trailer του Ice Station Santa. Λόγω λάθους της TellTales (άνθρωποι είναι κι αυτοί <!-- s;-) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt="" title="Wink" /><!-- s;-) -->), το link ήταν λάθος και σε έστελνε σε ένα διασκεδαστικό gameplay video που σχετίζεται με τους Sam &amp; Max κι ένα... bug. Το link έχει πλέον διορθωθεί, οπότε... enjoy it!

Κυκλοφόρησαν οι πρώτες screenshots για το δεύτερο επεισόδιο.

Οι πρώτες shots από το τρίτο επεισόδιο το οποίο τιτλοφορείται 'Sam & Max 203 : Night of the raving dead' και από ότι βλέπω θα είναι full στο zombie...

Διευρύνεται η ομάδα της Telltale και μάλιστα από "βετεράνους" σύμφωνα με σημερινό δελτίο τύπου που μας έστειλε:


Telltale expands talent with high-caliber hires from traditional and new media sectors
Diverse staff defining Telltale as a new breed of interactive entertainment studio

SAN RAFAEL, CA, February 19, 2008 &#8211; Interactive entertainment pioneer Telltale, Inc. announced today that industry veterans Mike Stemmle, Justin Chin, and Brett Tosti have joined the company. These new additions come as part of a sustained wave of growth that has nearly doubled the studio's size since this time last year. The rapid growth speaks to Telltale's commitment to build and diversify the studio's product and platform offerings in the coming year.

Telltale's most recent hire, Mike Stemmle, has joined the studio as a designer for the popular and critically-acclaimed episodic Sam & Max series, as well as other upcoming projects. Stemmle is best known for his work at LucasArts as a co-designer on the classic Sam & Max Hit the Road, and as lead designer on Sam & Max Freelance Police before its cancellation. His other credits include Escape from Monkey Island and Afterlife.

"Mere words are proving woefully inadequate to describe my delight at hooking up with this fiendishly dedicated crew," says Stemmle. "The excitement and talent swirling around Telltale remind me of the geysers of imagination that erupted across the gaming industry in the early 90's. Only this time, with rational production schedules."

Telltale is also building up its internal production expertise with the addition of executive producers to oversee two unannounced series currently in development. Justin Chin, an award-winning artist and designer, has nearly twenty years of experience working with companies such as Electronic Arts, Activision, Sega, LucasArts, and Midway. Chin most recently served as a senior designer on The Simpsons Game, which shipped for Xbox 360, Wii, and other platforms in Fall 2007. Chin's previous credits include the Dark Forces: Jedi Knight series and Medal of Honor: Allied Assault Breakthrough. Brett Tosti has worked as a producer on high-profile PC and console games since 1992, for Factor-5, Sony Entertainment, and LucasArts. His credits include the Rogue Squadron games for Nintendo 64, Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike for GameCube, and Lair for PlayStation 3. As Telltale's executive producers, Chin and Tosti will increase the studio's output and contribute to the company's growth in multi-platform development.

"By adding some of the industry's most talented and innovative veterans, we are solidifying our position as a leader in defining the next generation of entertainment. Because Telltale offers a new way of doing things focused on creative freedom and new ideas, I believe we will continue to be a magnet for the best minds and talent in the business," says CEO Dan Connors. "All this great talent is accelerating our plans to take advantage of the momentum Telltale has earned through the first two seasons of Sam & Max. We'll be announcing several new episodic series on multiple platforms in the near future, to offer even more new experiences for fans. Stay tuned!"

Along with these game industry veterans, Telltale continues to bring in talent from other sectors of the entertainment industry. Recent hires include Andy Hartzell, author and illustrator of the graphic novel Fox Bunny Funny, and Grant Alexander, who worked as a background and concept artist on the Adult Swim cartoon Lucy: Daughter of the Devil.

Further expansion of the studio's creative, technical, and executive teams is planned to continue throughout 2008. Telltale will share additional information about new projects under development for PC and console platforms in the coming months. A full list of employee bios, as well as recent announcements and details about Telltale's ongoing Sam & Max episodic series, can be viewed at <!-- w --> www.telltalegames.com <!-- w -->.


About Telltale, Inc.
Telltale is pioneering new forms of interactive entertainment, building upon strong foundations in both traditional and new media. Founded in 2004 by industry veterans with decades of experience, the company has quickly become the leading online episodic gaming publisher and developer, delivering award-winning interactive experiences that emphasize engaging stories, strong characters, and rich worlds. Telltale is establishing a regular, ongoing schedule of online episodic series, across all major gaming and entertainment platforms and channels. Telltale's games include the Sam & Max game series, episodes adapted from Jeff Smith's epic Bone graphic novels, and games based on television's popular CSI program in partnership with Ubisoft. Telltale has built a robust digital distribution channel at <!-- w --> www.telltalegames.com <!-- w -->, and also publishes its games with select partners.