The International House of Mojo

thx 4 coming!

Log and other goodies to go up here later this week.

Missed out on our birthday chat? No matter - there was some demand to meet again regularly on Sundays, so that's what we'll try. Hopefully it'll work out lolz.

Update: Due to popular demand (?) we've also set up a Mojo/#monkey-island Facebook group! If you're a regular or even not-so-regular visitor to Mojo and you're on Facebook, why not join us on Monkey-Island!

The International House of Mojo turned ten years old this year: what follows is an article chronicling a history of the site, mainly picking up from where Spaff's article left off in 2000. Read! Interviews from previous staff members. View! Exciting images from the past. Gasp! As old secrets are finally uncovered.

See it all, and then some, over here.

Update: Page 3 has been updated with answers from Jake Rodkin.

Update 2 (by Remi): Read all about Gabez's rise to the top, and the long fall down.

Update 3: a birthday chat will take place this Sunday in #monkey-island on Gamesurge (connect to irc.gamesurge.net using mIRC). New people as well as old regulars are welcome: use this as a chance to chat to lots of other Mojoers in real-time 3D! Post on this forum thread if you need any help.

GameTrailers have a short new trailer up for Insecticide, which actually shows some gameplay footage of the PC version and isn't bouncing all around the screen so you can actually tell what's happening this time. Check it out here, in SD or HD.

Everyone round to George's house for Mojo's 10th Birthday! All crash the Skywalker Ranch! We're gonna get ROWDY tonight!

First one to crap on that giant Yoda statue gets first pick in the prop storage room!

Two new previews for Ice Station Santa have found themselves existent, and they are from GamesRadar and 1up. Inside both is a veritable treasure trove of new information, screenshots, and a gameplay video.

Revelations include that the season will consist of five episodes this time around and that the pricing structure will remain the same: $8.95 a pop as well as a full season offer that includes the option of a disc version. For more Season 2 stuff, check out Telltale's web site later today.

Update: There's also one by Gametap. Gametap does previews now?

In a short but sweet announcement by Jake he reveals, well, this:

Sam & Max Season Two makes its debut with Episode 201: Ice Station Santa, premiering for GameTap subscribers on Thursday, November 8th. Then, just a day later on Friday, November 9th, the game will be available to buy and download from Telltalegames.com!

After a quick break, the releases will go monthly, starting with episode 202's debut on GameTap, Thursday, January 10th, followed by the worldwide release on Telltale's website, Friday, January 11th. After that, look for the subsequent episodes to land on GameTap and Telltale's site the second Thursday/Friday of each month!

Awesome. Stay tuned for tomorrow's more detailed announcement about Season 2 which will hopefully contain an episode count.

About a week ago, a 24-year old performer named Tyler Nelson was interviewed by local Oklahoma newspaper The Edmond Sun. The thing about Tyler is that he has a small part in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skullwootwoot, and in the interview he divulged lots of key plot info for the movie. That's right, he took a page out of Dr. Wolfgang's playbook and violated his NDA, despite being involved in, you know, a secretive high profile film project.

Well, word on the street is that Spielberg ain't exactly happy with Nelson's little slip-up, and he's said to have cut the young actor's only scene. A spokesman for Spielberg is quoted as saying, "Who knows whether that particular person will ever work in this town again?"

Whoops! So, any of you Mojo readers who happen to be part of the cast or crew of the upcoming Indiana Jones film, I'd have to advise against doing that.

I'm pretty sure this is the case. Look for the game in stores over the next week or so. It's not a release accompanied by much fanfare, but Ubisoft treated 3 Dimensions of Murder the same way and apparently it worked out alright for them. Expect the Wii version to come out sometime later in the fall.

Update: It's definitely out, as this Ubisoft press release confirms. Additionally, it contains a new Case 3 trailer!

Mojo-er numble has pointed out that NeoGAF are conducting an interview with Tim Schafer;

NeoGAF will be interviewing Tim Schafer of Double Fine Productions, and we need your help. This is your chance to ask those burning questions about Tim and his accomplishments in the video game industry.

Apparently it takes around 2-4 weeks to gain posting rights when signing up at NeoGAF, so numble has kindly offered to consider questions left by Mojoers in the comments below and post them on your behalf.

The Gamers Pub conducted a 25-minute audio interview with Greg Land and Mark Darin, the designers of the upcoming CSI: Hard Evidence. Available both for streaming and as a downloadable mp3, the interview reveals every single thing that the designers are willing to answer to the questions that the interviewer elected to ask. How could you pass that up?

As pointed out by the auspicious The Pumpkin Post, Gaming Today has got a new Q&A with Bill about A Vampyre Story which you'll surely want to be reading.

GT: LucasArts was very popular in the 90's for their adventure games. Nowadays, it seems LucasArts has abandoned its roots and are focusing mostly on Star Wars games. Do you think they should try to dabble in the adventure games business once again, or are they doing the right thing by sticking to the cash cow that is Star Wars?

Bill Tiller: I think there's room for both. Even if they lost money on adventure games I think they should still do them. Then they could do animated movies and an amusement park based on the game and make a ton of money off of Guybrush and Le Chuck plush toys, night lights, and pajamas. I wish them the best of luck, but I'm sad not to see Guybrush for another five years.

Oh, and there's a new screenshot in there too! Woot.

Posted on the new official web site is the two-minute trailer for the game that was shown at the Games Convention in Leipzig. It is the first available footage of the game ever, as far as I know, and it makes quite an impression.

Your thoughts?

Update: You should all be aware that acclaimed Mojo reader Haggis has recently launched his own Autumn Moon fan blog, which you should visit regularly!

A recent forum post by Emily at Telltale suggests that the PC and XBOX versions of CSI: Hard Evidence could be released before the month is over. Adventure Gamers, a site that, unlike us, doesn't tend to lie, lists the game as coming out in September.

Seeing as games get released on Tuesdays, and seeing as there's only one Tuesday left in the month, it's looking like CSI: Hard Evidence will be released on September 25th. That's not exactly an official date, but don't freak out if it happens.

In other Telltale news, the good folks are holding a playtest for the second episode of Sam & Max: Season 2 this Saturday. Forget about buying that anniversary gift and book the next flight to San Rafael so you can violate your NDA and tell me everything.

Billions of blue blistering barnacles in ten thousand thundering typhoons: tis that day of t' year again! Nay, not bath time, ya scurvy watermelon: tis Interna'ial Talk like a Pirate Day! Ye better be charnin' t' sea-shanties handsomely t'night, an' no bilge for yer pansies, or else tis Davey Jones Locker for you, and t' crow's nest for ya mamsie. I be havin' yer lights and liver if ye dare be a landlubber: and a dram o' rum to any seadogs who nae belay a saucy wench, on t' account. Now man t' poopdeck ya swabs, or I?ll be pooping ya salt m'self, BeGad.

Is it just me, or does Barricade of the Decepticons from Transformers sound just like Bluster Blaster of the C.O.P.S. from Sam & Max: Reality 2.0?

While we're still a little wary around these parts when it comes to Star Wars games - too many burnt fingers, too many broken hearts - we are at least vaguely interested in the 'big new game' Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. However, what we really want is that lightsaber game on the Wii. Up until now, TFU has only been confirmed for 360, PS3, PSP and, um, DS.

Good news, then! Because LucasArts has apparently revealed to gaming website CVG that TFU is indeed coming to the Wii, along with all the Wiimote-waving we want.

"Wii is a great platform for The Force Unleashed, because the console's motion-oriented controllers really bring the game to life," said Jimmy Jim Jimjimjim Ward. "We've worked hard to make the Wii version of the game unique in order to truly let you unleash the Force." That's good to know, especially as the game's being developed for Wii by Krome Studios and not LucasArts.

Still, motion-controlled lightsabers, being evil, a storyline bridging the movies... and a multiplayer mode to boot, apparently. Can Mojo step up to Cautiously Optimistic now? Yes, I know it means changing the bulb.

Source: CVG

But seeing as you're a gluttonous hog, you'll still want to check out the latest preview of Sam & Max: Season 2 by OCModShop. This sentence helps to make the post a bit longer.

That's right, Adventure Gamers has the first preview of the long avaited A Vampyre Story from Bill Tiller's Autumn Moon Entertainment.

Whether A Vampyre Story can deliver on the expectations remains to be seen, but Autumn Moon certainly exudes confidence in their project. In fact, their ambitions have grown since the game got signed by a publisher. A Vampyre Story will end on a cliffhanger, with plans already in place for a trilogy of games, and with ports to console systems being actively considered. The succes of Telltale Games has perhaps had some role in inspiring this confidence, and with any luck Autumn Moon will be able to shape its own identity independent of its LucasArts roots, the same way Telltale Games has managed to do so over time.

Head on over to Adventure Gamers' new website and take a look.

Source: Adventure Gamers

As a follow-up to their timeless preview of Mata Hari, Adventure Gamers had a little one-on-one time with Mr. Big Sky Trooper himself, Hal Barwood.

I haven't made a pure adventure game in fifteen years because, as you know very well, the market kind of fell out in the United States for this sort of thing and everybody stopped building them. And now they are making a comeback. We're fond of them, I think they have a very... (ponders for a while)... I like two things about them very much. The first one is that they are story-driven. That means actual character counts and the details of a story really mean something in an adventure game. I'm a storyteller at heart, so I like that very much. I also like the fact that there's something clean and whole and entire about an adventure game. It doesn't feel messy to me. It feels like a wonderful capsule of experience, like you would experience a book. It has a certain dimension that gets me involved [as a player] and when I go away it feels like I still know all about it and I feel attached to it. Whereas a lot of games are just very frustrating and I eventually give up. So I like that feeling too. I hope to do more of it.

Topics covered include a more detailed explanation of the game's unique inventory system, Hal's approach to puzzles, how the concept of the game came about, and so much more.

That's what Ain't It Cool News seems to think, that a teaser trailer for Indiana Jones and the Cocks will be shown before Robert Zemeckis' motion-capture epic Beowulf.

Since Beowulf is being released in November and Lucas has said that the Indy teaser should be expected around Thanksgiving, the notion is plausible, and therefore 100% confirmed.

Though it's hardly a credible source, I've noticed that many sites and online retailers are listing A Vampyre Story as coming out in January 2008. When the internet lies about release dates it's traditionally to make them earlier, not later, than expected.

So I shot Crimson Cow an email and was told that "we will release early 2008 in Germany, and in USA as well." D'oh!

Ah well. Maybe when it became clear that the game couldn't make a Halloween release they decided to push it to next year to avoid pitting Mona against the unholy AAA terrors of the Christmas season. Or maybe it's just delayed. Not to worry though, we've still got Battlefront PSP and Thrillville 2 to end the year on a high note!

Br?tal Legend. Yes, that's an umlaut, and yes that is a title Double Fine has filed a US trademark application for. There are some more, not overly surprising, info over at Gamestop, though little to reveal what the game is, you know, about. The Mojo still takes the highly unconfirmed rumor (which Gamestop apparently picked up from us) with more than a grain of salt.

So yeah, we'll see.

Adventure Gamers took a stroll down to Telltale's offices and got some hands-on time with the first episode of Sam and Max's second season. What did they think, you might ask?

Naturally, one thing that really stood out to me was the humor. I often found myself laughing out loud and for a long time as I played. As Season One progressed, the humor got a little edgier, and in this first episode, I thought it was edgier still, with a bit stronger language and references to some dark subject matter (which was even the basis for one puzzle). So for those who felt the first season was a little too tame in its humor, at least in the beginning, rest assured that no similar complaints are likely to greet the new series.

You owe it to yourself to read the entirety of the preview which has a good deal of exclusive scoop in it. It is also mentioned that some "specific details" about the season will be coming later in the month, so get ready for that.

And it is:




Well, there you go.

Update: StarWarsShop.com is already selling T-shirts with the title on it.

ftp://ftp.lucasarts.com/demos/pc

You could download demos for games that aren't for sale anymore, if you want.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of some determined fans, the internet now has some more Indiana Jones 4 flavored sustenance to chew on. A devoted Indy fan and reader of Harrison Ford Web snapped a few photos that glimpse some of the massive studio sets on which the movie is currently filming as well as a few props that have been tagged as belonging to the shoot. The sets are either at a distance or only partly visible, but it's impressively sneaky work nonetheless. It's always fun to gaze, and it's not like you need much to speculate.

Of course, if you're too darned upstanding to take part in that shady stuff, you could always just read this new Sam & Max: Season 2 preview by Digital Entertainment News on your way to bible school.

Source: Harrison Ford Web

Over at Filefront you can find a new promo for one the cases in CSI: Hard Evidence. Apparently someone got stabbed in a hotel room. But wouldn't that be...murder?! If you ask me the proper authorities should get to the bottom of that. Also Filefront seems to think that the game is coming out for the PS2 and DS, but they're liars.

If you had something infinitely more important to do the day the first promo for another one of the game's cases came out, you should totally, like, watch it as well.

Marek Bronstring, the Scandinavian Batman, recently returned from the Games Convention in Leipzeg where he took many photos.

Amongst the ones that might interest Mojo readers are: Bill Tiller without sideburns, Hal Barwood played by Alec Guiness (and poster signing), Sam & Max, Sam & Max, Sam & Max, Sam & Max, Sam & Max, Sam & Max and A Vampyre Story.

Enjoy it all for free: here.

You might also be interested in Adventure Gamer's mega review of Sam & Max Season One.

When Double Fine launched its snazzy new web site recently, there was an enticing "Minigames" section that was decorated by a less enticing "Coming soon" message.

But today, the company has released its first minigame: the instant-classic Epic Fighter, based on the characters and universe of Razmig Mavlian's equally epic Epic Saga Action Comic. With an extensive array of selectable characters, an art style that makes Psychonauts look stale, and an impeccable combat system, this is a game that's unlikely to be dethroned as the Greatest Thing Ever in the foreseeable future.

Man, I've been waiting to read a preview for Insecticide, that crazy action/adventure bug game that will be the debut release of Crackpot Entertainment, for quite some time now. Fortunately, 1up stepped in to shed some light on this mysterious title, which will - get this - blend adventure and action elements together in some sort of balanced mixture of hardboiled detective gameplay.

Okay, so I'm getting a bit fed up with the inordinate amount of Insecticide write-ups that keep regurgitating the exact same information we've known for months. But it should be said that 1up's take on the game circa a few weeks ago (go me!) is more in-depth than most others, so do check it out for the new screenshot (or at least a version of it comprised of more than seven pixels) and also the hint that the game could find its way onto other platforms down the line. Other than that, the content of the article isn't going to contain any revelations for the informed reader, but at least the game remains as promising as ever.

One other thing to note is that 1up has the game coming out in the fall, but considering recent reports that both versions should not be expected until next year, it may be best to assume 1up's intel is outdated, if only to avoid ruining your Christmas.

Telltale has posted its first gameplay video from Sam & Max: Season 2 on the minisite. The clip sees Sam and Max paying a visit to Bosco to find that...well, watch for yourself.

It should also be made known that downloadable versions of this and the splendid trailer are now available.

GameZone (apparently our favorite site ever) previewed CSI: Hard Evidence back at PAX. There's nothing really new revealed, I'm afraid, but unless you're lazy and a felon there's no reason not to stay regular.

There are also some new impressions of Sam & Max: Season 2 by Destructoid, also from PAX. Again, you'll find more old than new in your reading, but there's some good stuff in there nonetheless. I'm looking forward to that Jimmy Two-Teeth Punch Out minigame.

Finally, it should be noted that Telltale's August newsletter totally exists and features a microscopic look at what may be the cover of their Surfin' the Highway reprint. She's easy on the eyes.

Update: Sigh, I'm just not on the ball. View this new Insecticide preview as well, okay?