The International House of Mojo

The fans were fuming after LucasArts canned Freelance Police. Some created a petition that received more that 30,000 signatures asking LucasArts to resume production. Others took to writing to the source directly, as chronicled by the gone-but-not-forgotten Wibble Wobble Hatstand

To: rbreen@lucasarts.com
Subject: Sam & Max 2 >:

Achtung, baby!

I'm writing to inform you that the decision to cancel Sam & Max 2 was, quite frankly, poo.

Now I'm no expert on the games industry, but I do know that there was a lot of anitcipation for the game. Not just from the adventure gaming community (which, despite what your "statistics" might say, is actually damn strong), not just what the gaming magazines say, but most importantly from Mr Joe Public! Sam & Max 1 was a hugely well loved and well remembered game, and the sequel not only looked GREAT (as everyone said), but looked like it could attract a lot of customers through its use of sub-games, plot style and of course the link to the original game. I mean come on. Doom III hasn't been cancelled because no-one buys 3D shooters in low resolutions anymore, has it!? No! They changed! They adapted! They fought for the glorious revolution of gaming kind!!

PLUS surely, surely it makes more sese to complete the game and cash in on the investement you have made. I mean Jeeeeeeeeeze. Are you the company that gave us classics like Monkey Island and Grim Fandango or not!?

There's a lot more I could say on the subject, but I wouldn't want to take up too much of your time. Time that should be spent firing whoever cancelled the game in the firts place. ;

Jolly pip pip,

Gabez

To: mbihr@lucasarts.com
Subject: Sam & Max 2 CANCELLED? I am SHOCKED and APPALED

Dear lady (at least I pressume you're female. My sources tell me your name is Mary Bihr, and, well, with a name like that, you do sound quite femenine. But I digress),

I am, of course, writing to protest about the horribly unfair cancellation of that fine sequel Sam & Max 2. Not only was it very well anticipated, but it does not take a rocket scientist to work out that LucasArts' recent move to scrap the game is sheer lunacy. What is LucasArts playing at? Do they want a scandal? And what would a scandal achieve? A few bigwigs resigned, a game canclled, a public crying out for stronger gaming government? Let justic be done though the heavens may fall! Even you, Ms Bihr, with your democratic spirit and good will, would find it hard not to class such decisions as below good. We shall see!

We. Shall. See.

• Gabez

To: mnelson@lucasarts.com
Subject: Sam & Max 2 cancelled, a public OUTRAGED, one man says PATHETIC

Mr Nelson.

I apreciate that you're new to the job, but this mistake you are making in cancelling Sam & Max 2 is beyond stupid. Let me explain - a lot of people were looking forward to this game. A lot. Not JUST the strong adventure gaming community. Not just the games journalism industry! But, and most importantly, the general public. And do you know why? Because Sam & Max 2 was hugely well loved and is very well remembered from any self respecting gamer. Plus! The additions made to Sam & Max 2 with the plot and sub-games would no doubt have increased interest even more! And what is this? Is LucasArts to abandon the adventure gaming genre? The one they almost single-handely created back in the last millenium? Or is it to fight on, for the GLORIOUS REVOLUTION OF GAMING KIND!? For Sam! For Max! For gamers everwhere! I beg you! For your own sakes! Undo the changes you have wought upon this unhappy people of the world. And SING.

Is this the LucasArts that gave me such classic as GRIM FANDANGO and MONKEY ISLAND, or is it a NEW , SPINELESS LUCASARTS that do nothing but clatter around in their IVORY TOWERS!? If so, sir, then this is one customer that you will NOT have.

Bonjour,

Gabez

To: pr@lucasarts.com
Subject: RTX Red Rock - BEST EVER!

No, I'm kidding - this is about Sam and Max 2. Bet you didn't see that coming!

I can't say I'm entirely shocked at your decision to cancel the Sam and Max game, but I am a little surprised. I suspect I was harbouring a modicum of 'faith' in LucasArts prior to today. That's gone now (thanks), but I know why it was there. Simple - your legacy. Your games are, or were, renowned as innovative, original, and entertaining on a level that no other developer could achieve. Reissues of Sam and Max, The Dig and Grim Fandango are still on sale in games stores across the country, so someone must be buying them! The funny thing is, a decent new adventure game would STILL almost be unique in 2004.

But I won't waste my time arguing that pure originality and the willingness to take a chance leads to success. That's what those crazy Viewtiful Joe guys thought, and look what happened to them! (Hint: one of the top Gamecube games released recently.) No, of course, you want money, and the market for a good adventure game simply doesn't exist. Er, yes, it does!

Your own Monkey Island 4 rose to the upper reaches of the PC CD-ROM and PS2 charts - over CHRISTMAS! Grim Fandango was critically acclaimed, though perhaps the sales weren't as good as hoped at the time - though, since it's been reissued several times, someone must like it. Sam and Max Freelance Police has been hyped more than ANY adventure game in the past few years - more than Broken Sword 3 (which, I believe, did reasonably well), far more than The Longest Journey (which sold well enough for a sequel) - need I go on?

No market? Consider this: there is a whole world outside the standard 18-30 male demographic - not that those INSIDE it wouldn't welcome some hot adventure action. It's what most of us grew up with. No, really. More homes now have a home computer than not - not all of them (in fact, the minority) are cutting-edge enough to run the latest eye-popping gore-fests of games, nor will their owners have the inclination to play them. This is a market that remains virtually untapped.

And yet, with me able to cough up this 'evidence' in a spare ten minutes, you say that it is "not the appropriate time to launch a graphic adventure on the PC"? And you believe it enough to cancel a game nearing completion, writing off your costs so far? Laughable!

I'm not going to ask you to reconsider - that would make you look silly. We wouldn't want that. But please, consider this - do you want to be remembered as a developer of quality entertainment, or a purveyor of endless 'cash cow' Star Wars garbage?

(Alternate version for the 'sales' boys: want to stand out from the crowd with some quality entertainment products to appeal to all ages, or would you rather have your mediocre titles - and even the good stuff like Armed and Dangerous - buried by such homogenous pap as 'Enter the Matrix'? Think about it, man.)

Love, Fanboy Dave

To: pr@lucasarts.com
Subject: Cash cow

Dearest Lucasfilm,

It has just come to my attention that you have decided to cease production of Sam & Max 2. I have to congratulate you as you've really outdone yourselves this time. This must be one of the worst decisions in your long history of bad decision making. I'm sure it would have sold millions of copies and you'd all be rolling in money. Cheer up though, there's always another terrible star wars cash in to be made.

keep milking, PTDC

To: pr@lucasarts.com
Subject: A bip-bipping cheerio!

When I saw that you had cancelled the eagerly awaited sequel to Sam & Max, I immediately vomited everything I'd eaten that day, in addition to what looked to be about a pint of blood. I think you've already received enough in-depth emails so I'll keep mine simple:

I can't pay for a game that doesn't exist anymore. You just lost a customer.

Cheers, Alex Jacobs.