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Featuring footage too graphic for initial release! 17 Nov, 2006 / Comments: 24

By Jason


If you've read the latest Telltale newsletter (which you have, seeing as you're subscribed to it and all), you know that newly updated versions of the Bone games are so close to release that they can't even give us a date yet. Besides scalable resolutions, the games will now include additional "lines and cutscenes," a less bad Thorn model in Out from Boneville, and re-recorded voice for the same character in the same game (by the Cow Race actress).

Regarding the dialogue, it was apparently written by Smith himself and possibly Heather. Is it just more lines from the comic or entirely new writing? Either way, it's pretty cool that the digital nature of the games' distribution allows for this kind of postmortem expansion, not just for the tech but, it would seem, for the story as well!

But, wait, does this mean that the bitter fan schisms that result from multiple versions of the same film will also occur with Telltale's games? Will "purists" insist on only playing the "theatrical cut" of Bone, with the original actors and unaltered scenes? Gran'ma Ben shoots first!

And hey, check out the nice Sam & Max banner that Jake put up! Doesn't it make you want to buy the game a second time?
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24 Comments

  • numble on 18 Nov, 2006, 19:30…
    The Telltale Newsletter says "Sam & Max are here."
  • fov on 20 Nov, 2006, 05:31…
    I always try to write it as "Sam & Max is" or "Sam and Max are", with the former being a title and the latter being a reference to the characters.

    In this case, I was a rush to get the newsletter out and made a mistake. ??
  • ThunderPeel2001 on 25 Nov, 2006, 16:39…
    You're absolutely right, though: 'Sam & Max: Culture Shock IS here' and 'Sam & Max ARE here' are both correct.
  • fov on 20 Nov, 2006, 05:32…
    "In a rush," even. As I apparently also was to make that post. :P
  • Udvarnoky on 19 Nov, 2006, 06:48…
    Could be argued that the ampersand was just shorthand stemming from laziness!

    I have a Wii. Thought everyone should know.
  • Glo_kidd on 20 Nov, 2006, 06:42…
    i too have a wii, and its fantastic
  • clone2727 on 19 Nov, 2006, 16:15…
    Come on..

    Go PS3!
  • ThunderPeel2001 on 19 Nov, 2006, 13:36…
    Oooh! Is it good? I have an XBox 360 and I can't help but say I'm disappointed with it's poor selection of games. The Wii looks fun!
  • Udvarnoky on 19 Nov, 2006, 22:42…
    I only bought Zelda, which I won't have time to play seriously for a few days. I wish I had bought Rayman. But I'm having a blast just screwing around with the console.
  • jp-30 on 20 Nov, 2006, 01:05…
    I saw a thread on another forum about some rayman sequel with a mutated bunny or something. Kinda Max-esque. Looked... interesting.
  • Glo_kidd on 18 Nov, 2006, 18:38…
    In not completely unrelated news, IGN has released a list of "Essential gamesfor the animal within" wich includes Sam and max hit the road (as well as other animal themed games. heres the link http://pc.ign.com/articles/746/746654p2.html
  • Udvarnoky on 19 Nov, 2006, 06:56…
    Nice!
  • ThunderPeel2001 on 18 Nov, 2006, 15:52…
    Hurrah for the banner...

    Boo! For the voice acting in Out from Boneville! Bizarrely I've found myself in a purist camp. As someone with ears, I am completely unable to listen to the god-awful, Thorn from The Great Cow race. I didn't even finish the demo because she was so poor. I admit the original actress wasn't brilliant, but she wasn't terrible either. This new one sounds so completely awful! :(
  • jmartin on 18 Nov, 2006, 01:37…
    Umm... I hate to be the one to say this, but shouldn't it be "Sam and Max are back"
  • Udvarnoky on 18 Nov, 2006, 02:07…
    "Sam & Max is" is correct, for the same reason saying "LucasArts is" is correct. LucasArts is singular as the name of the company, and "Sam & Max" is singular as the name of the entity. If he was referring to Sam and Max the characters, then it would be plural.

    For more meaningless drivel see this Telltale thread, or your nearest obnoxious know-it-all.
  • itchythesamurai on 18 Nov, 2006, 04:54…
    Udvarnoky speaks the truth, it is like with band names.
  • ThunderPeel2001 on 18 Nov, 2006, 15:14…
    The Beatles is back? Guns N' Roses is back? I think not!
  • jp-30 on 20 Nov, 2006, 07:30…
    You've picked 2 bands with plural names. How about "Duran Duran is back", "Blur is back"...

  • Gabez on 18 Nov, 2006, 16:40…
    I think that "The Beatles" is more strongly associated with an individual group of people, whilst companies and brand-names are more faceless. Sam & Max refers to more than just the two fictional characters... like you wouldn't say "Star Wars are coming back."
  • ThunderPeel2001 on 19 Nov, 2006, 13:34…
    Sam & Max is also strongly associated with individual entities. Just like any band. "Razorlight is playing the Astoria tonight" is wrong, for example.

    The title distinctly refers to the two characters (because that's the only thing that's actually carried over from the last game) and, as such, should be "ARE".

    At the end of the day, though, I'm just happy they're getting support at Mojo!
  • Remi O on 19 Nov, 2006, 21:52…
    It kind of depends; if "Sam & Max" is used as a title it should be singular. When the game was released it obviously would be natural to say "it is released" not "they are released." Same goes with "Pirates of the Caribbean." Yeah, there are multiple pirates, but it's still a title, which makes it singular, not plural.

    So it all comes down to what the "Sam & Max" refers to; singular would be correct if it's the title of the game, plural would be correct if it's the characters. Seeing that it's not entirely clear from the context of the banner, I would say both would be acceptable.

    And so I have spoken.
  • ThunderPeel2001 on 25 Nov, 2006, 16:37…
    You're absolutely right.

    The game IS released is correct, the game are released is wrong. We're not talking about "the game" though, we're talking about characters...!

    Captain Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swan IS back, is just wrong. Captain Jack and Elizabeth ARE back, is right.

    The same is true for any collective.

    Tetris IS back, for example is correct. Sam & Max IS back, is wrong, specifically because it refers to two characters, and not the game (which was originally called: Sam & Max Hit the Road).

    But I guess it's arguable if you're saying that Sam & Max Hit the Road and Culture Shock are all part of one series.
  • jp-30 on 20 Nov, 2006, 05:17…
    Mojo. Debating the lexicon since 1876.
  • Erwin_Br on 20 Nov, 2006, 13:02…
    *sigh*