Articles

Grossman talks Sam. And Max too. 15 Jun, 2006, 17:24 / 20 comments

By Remi


GameSetWatch has published a short Sam & Max related interview, where senior designer Dave Grossman lets out some golden nuggets about the upcoming game. Like:
Interface-wise, expect a wise interface ? guffaw, guffaw, oh, I couldn?t resist, though I?m sure we?re all wishing I did. The games use an intuitive and fairly minimal point-and-click style interface, with an inventory and a few other whistles to support things like driving Sam and Max?s extremely cool car, shooting, and other mayhem. Cranium required, but for the most part you can leave your reflexes at the door.
For more, check out the interview. And oh, the new Telltale newsletter is out, but you all knew that.
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20 Comments

  • Udvarnoky on 17 Jun, 2006, 22:38…
    Holy crap, do we totally have a small, blurry screenshot of the game's in-game menu?
  • justluke on 16 Jun, 2006, 11:14…
    I hate to say this, but... I've never liked Sam & Max and I don't understand the enthusiasm for it. Lucasarts' Sam & Max game was shoddy and uninteresting - a quirky cartoon adventure in the DOTT style but without that games style, genuine humour, decent storyline or snappy dialogue. But at least it's more appealing than Bone.

    And what's with Telltale? Franchise after franchise after franchise. Where is the original stuff? *Sigh*

    And what's with the episodic format? Am I really the only one who can see the significant, obvious flaws in releasing games this way? Games are not TV series'. You can't produce the episodes quickly enough guys. Who'd pay significant amounts of money to watch an episode of Lost and then have to wait over six months for the next episode. No one.

    Ok, rant over.
  • Gabez on 16 Jun, 2006, 19:29…
    Each to their own I suppose!

    Personally I like Telltale dealing with so many lisences, because they're doing it in such a good, interesting way.

    And I think the TV thing is an analogy. It's a completely different system for games, but I do think it's one that'll appeal to gamers. The trick will be to get them hooked on the first episode.
  • justluke on 16 Jun, 2006, 19:43…
    I reckon that the average gamer has a shorter attention span than a TV addict. Don't you agree?
  • Gabez on 16 Jun, 2006, 19:50…
    I dunno... there's a lot of channel skipping from TV addicts, whilst gamers go for precisely what they want, and read up on stuff before hand. Plus, people can try the game for free.

    To be honest, though, I don't really understand what attention span has to do with it... are you suggesting that people will get bored of a series and wonder off to play something else? Because, like, I don't think that's true. Just look at MMOs. ;
  • justluke on 17 Jun, 2006, 07:58…
    I think they will get bored of a series when they can complete an episode in well under ten hours and then have to wait over six months for another episode. Your analogy with MMOs doesn't really work, because you can play them almost endlessly.
  • Gabez on 17 Jun, 2006, 09:41…
    Oh, I see your point now... Well, it's possible. But I don't think it will be six months... maybe three months. And it might be a case of "hey, I enjoyed that game, but now I'm going to forget about it and play something elese" but then a few months later you hear news about the next episode and you're like "oh yeah, I remember playing that! It was fun. I want to see what happens next!"

    I think memory, not attention, is the key point here.
  • Remi O on 17 Jun, 2006, 19:54…
    From what I understand it will be less than three months.
  • justluke on 18 Jun, 2006, 09:30…
    Still too long.
  • justluke on 17 Jun, 2006, 10:22…
    Well, time will tell.
  • isotuc on 16 Jun, 2006, 17:50…
    sam&max is great & you are not.
  • Udvarnoky on 16 Jun, 2006, 19:49…
    I'm filing this under Best Post Ever.
  • justluke on 16 Jun, 2006, 19:42…
    To know me is to love me. :p
  • hierohero on 16 Jun, 2006, 08:06…
    the minimal controls..and the "trickier than cow race" but not brain squeezing challenges still concern me...
  • Junkface on 16 Jun, 2006, 04:41…
    Yay! Interactive driving and shooting! "Minimal" however makes me fear it will be a single verb type interface. But "fairly minimal" gives me room for hope!
  • Shanty on 16 Jun, 2006, 14:28…
    Hey, don't knock the single verb interface. Or are you saying that Beneath a Steel Sky, Broken Sword and The Dig are anything less than awesome?
  • Jake on 17 Jun, 2006, 00:04…
    Some people assume that adventure games aren't good unless they have at least 20 verbs, because clicking the same hotspot 20 times in a row is what makes adventure games fun.
  • hierohero on 17 Jun, 2006, 00:57…
    I dont think any1 wants 20 verbs.. but 5 over say 1..does have its merits
  • Gabez on 17 Jun, 2006, 00:06…
    It's also a great way of saying "we're stuck in a time-war and look way too complciated for you to understand!"
  • Udvarnoky on 15 Jun, 2006, 19:12…
    I mean, there's actually a new Sam & Max game coming out.