I don't get it.

Ron Gilbert said it is his dream to make "his" final monkey island game and now Telltale is allowed to actually make another monkey island game.
Why the %$&! didn't they do Ron Gilbert's version together and made us all happy?

Comments

  • edited September 2009
    Because Ron Gilbert is working at Hothead, designing Deathspank.
  • edited September 2009
    I don't think that a commercially-viable number of fans actually want Ron Gilbert's game.
  • edited September 2009
    Well, this isn't the final MI game then, ofcourse..?
  • edited September 2009
    I know, but they could have waited like a year or so, I don't think they asked Ron and he said "You know, I'd really like to do Monkey Island, but unfortunately I don't have the time. Ask me again in 5 years." I don't know if he'll ever get this chance again.
  • edited September 2009
    I don't think that a commercially-viable number of fans actually want Ron Gilbert's game.

    What? Seems like I got all the discussion about what the SECRET of monkey island actually is wrong...
  • edited September 2009
    I know, but they could have waited like a year or so, I don't think they asked Ron and he said "You know, I'd really like to do Monkey Island, but unfortunately I don't have the time. Ask me again in 5 years." I don't know if he'll ever get this chance again.

    Both the SE of SMI and TMI seems to be doing quite well, so I'm sure there will be more Monkey Islands in the future. If Ron Gilbert really wants to design another MI game, and not just be consulted and contributing to the brainstorming like with TMI, I'm sure he'll get his chance eventually.
  • edited September 2009
    Bagge wrote: »
    Both the SE of SMI and TMI seems to be doing quite well, so I'm sure there will be more Monkey Islands in the future.

    On the other hand, maybe they aren't interested in doing Ron Gilbert's version, because revealing the secret and finishing the initial story would make people not being interested in further Monkey island games.
  • edited September 2009
    What? Seems like I got all the discussion about what the SECRET of monkey island actually is wrong...
    I think you missed the part where half the fans are huge supporters of Curse and its implications. Those who like Curse would be jilted, with it "not happening". Then there are those who don't like Curse but have their own view of the series, this is a fanbase that is made up of individuals that want desperately to be "proven right" by a reliable source. Half those people would hate it. And this is before we get down to the point of whether or not it's an actually good GAME, who knows how Ron Gilbert has changed as a developer since LeChuck's Revenge.

    On the surface it may appear to be a good idea, but it's really a powder keg in sheep's clothing.
  • edited September 2009
    On the other hand, maybe they aren't interested in doing Ron Gilbert's version, because revealing the secret and finishing the initial story would make people not being interested in further Monkey island games.

    I'm pretty sure there is no conspiracy at work at Lucasarts and Telltale to keep Ron Gilbert from doing a Monkey Island game.
  • edited September 2009
    Bagge wrote: »
    I'm pretty sure there is no conspiracy at work at Lucasarts and Telltale to keep Ron Gilbert from doing a Monkey Island game.

    yeah, you're probably right. It's just weird, that this has been talked about the last 10 years and now when it's knocking on his door, he just doesn't have time.
  • edited September 2009
    I think you missed the part where half the fans are huge supporters of Curse and its implications. Those who like Curse would be jilted, with it "not happening". Then there are those who don't like Curse but have their own view of the series, this is a fanbase that is made up of individuals that want desperately to be "proven right" by a reliable source. Half those people would hate it. And this is before we get down to the point of whether or not it's an actually good GAME, who knows how Ron Gilbert has changed as a developer since LeChuck's Revenge.

    On the surface it may appear to be a good idea, but it's really a powder keg in sheep's clothing.

    Interesting to hear your thoughts, but I just think the creator of this game should get the chance to end it, whether people will like it or not is another question which is "only" important concerning sales figures.
  • edited September 2009
    Doesn't Ron actually own the intellectual property of MI and their original characters? Or is it all sold to Lucas Arts?
  • edited September 2009
    Ron Gilbert? I know he made Monkey Island and he's pretty talanted I agree. I just think people give the guy too much credit. He's not the Messiah you know. I'm getting sick of people just licking his feet. CMI was great, EMI was not that bad and TMI seems pretty awesome so far. So I don't care much about Ron Gilbert and his so called "secret".
  • NSMNSM
    edited September 2009
    Interesting to hear your thoughts, but I just think the creator of this game should get the chance to end it, whether people will like it or not is another question which is "only" important concerning sales figures.

    Whether people like it or not is the only question. Telltale games is not a charity. They're trying to create commercially viable games, not deliver the most blatant fan service of all time.

    How jarring would it be for a gamer to find that the previous two games he played suddenly don't exist?
  • edited September 2009
    By the way, Ron Gilbert actually brainstormed with Telltale at the early stages of the project and gave them story and character ideas.
  • edited September 2009
    I don't think that a commercially-viable number of fans actually want Ron Gilbert's game.

    Most MI fans would buy it. Heck, all people who bought TOMI would buy MI3.

    Lucasarts hinted that if the MI special editions sold well, they would consider making new monkey island adventures. It only makes sense that the next game they would do after MI2SE is MI3, Ron Gilbert edition.
  • edited September 2009
    I think you missed the part where half the fans are huge supporters of Curse and its implications. Those who like Curse would be jilted, with it "not happening". Then there are those who don't like Curse but have their own view of the series, this is a fanbase that is made up of individuals that want desperately to be "proven right" by a reliable source. Half those people would hate it. And this is before we get down to the point of whether or not it's an actually good GAME, who knows how Ron Gilbert has changed as a developer since LeChuck's Revenge.

    On the surface it may appear to be a good idea, but it's really a powder keg in sheep's clothing.

    Just do two plot arcs. Fans would accept that. Just have an alternate universe, they do it with anime all the time.

    Have Lucasarts do MI3, and Telltale continue the tales saga.
  • NSMNSM
    edited September 2009
    Fury wrote: »
    Just do two plot arcs. Fans would accept that. Just have an alternate universe, they do it with anime all the time.

    Have Lucasarts do MI3, and Telltale continue the tales saga.

    If you look at the OP, he wants to know why the Ron Gilbert version wasn't done instead of tales.
  • edited September 2009
    dvibe wrote: »
    Doesn't Ron actually own the intellectual property of MI and their original characters? Or is it all sold to Lucas Arts?

    Ron never owned the MI license. He did Monkey Island as part of his job as game designer at Lucasfilm games.
  • edited September 2009
    Bagge wrote: »
    Ron never owned the MI license. He did Monkey Island as part of his job as game designer at Lucasfilm games.

    Hmm. Okay..
  • edited September 2009
    I really do think that Ron is saving the final part of his trilogy for a book. Not to put the man down, but he's saving this as a bargain chip, people will always be interested in it and if he can package the original script/ideas/outline plans, and sell them when he's in a bit of money trouble, then he could, if he spills the beans on the internet on a forum then he's just lost a fallback money plan.
  • edited September 2009
    dvibe wrote: »
    Hmm. Okay..

    I think what he's saying is that since Ron was a Lucasarts employee instead of an independent developer, the IP is automatically property of Lucasarts, and NOT of Ron. That's usually the way it works; the company pretty much owns your ideas. When Ron left Lucasarts, he did not have to sell MI rights back to the company to allow them to continue making the games, since they were never his to begin with, in the legal/business sense. In fact, if Ron was to start making his own MI games, it's more likely HE would have to buy the rights from THEM.
  • edited September 2009
    I think everyone is getting too bogged down in the details of the "secret" and canon. The bottom line is that it's Ron Gilbert's creation, the core and best of the series was under him, and the original creator should rightfully come back to the helm. It pisses me off that he's continually not allowed the chance. That's what would be best.

    The idea that "Monkey Island, designed by the original creator!" isn't as commercially viable is retarded too.
  • edited September 2009
    Not sure what you mean by "not allowed." Has he tried and been rejected or something?
  • edited September 2009
    Guys, I know I shouldn't say it, since some of you think Ron Gilbert is the One, but umm... maybe, just maybe he doesn't really want to do another Monkey Island game. He seems rather happy doing Deathspank. Trust me, if he really, really wanted to make a Monkey Island sequel, he would have found a way by now.
  • edited September 2009
    Jace Taran wrote: »
    I think what he's saying is that since Ron was a Lucasarts employee instead of an independent developer, the IP is automatically property of Lucasarts, and NOT of Ron. That's usually the way it works; the company pretty much owns your ideas. When Ron left Lucasarts, he did not have to sell MI rights back to the company to allow them to continue making the games, since they were never his to begin with, in the legal/business sense. In fact, if Ron was to start making his own MI games, it's more likely HE would have to buy the rights from THEM.

    Okay, I see.. Well, seems logic.
  • edited September 2009
    Ron Gilbert:

    "I had definitely planned on doing that in the third game, yes. There's no question about that, but, you know, and then when Jonathan and Larry made Monkey Island III, which is a great game...I think they did a fabulous job on that. They didn't know what the secret was. I told nobody. So, you know, they weren't really able to kind of reveal that, but I would love to make another Monkey Island game. If I could make another one...I have this whole story mapped out in my head for how I want to tie it all together with the other two games, kind of bring it all back to the original thing, and that would just be a dream of mine."

    Source: http://www.gamespot.com/features/6153188/p-2.html
  • edited September 2009
    Spadge wrote: »
    Guys, I know I shouldn't say it, since some of you think Ron Gilbert is the One, but umm... maybe, just maybe he doesn't really want to do another Monkey Island game. He seems rather happy doing Deathspank. Trust me, if he really, really wanted to make a Monkey Island sequel, he would have found a way by now.
    Not true. LucasArts has had a virtual embargo on the adventure genre forever, and own all the rights. He can't just wish it into existence. Plus, he's said so himself that he would love to do another.
  • edited September 2009
    Ron Gilbert is overrated. He didn't make the games on his own; he wasn't even responsible for a lot of the humour in the first game. And to be honest I think all this secrecy he has over 'the Secret' is just to keep himself interesting. I think CMI, EMI and Tales have proved over and over that Monkey Island doesn't need one man to make a good game.

    Charlie
  • edited September 2009
    Ron Gilbert:

    "I had definitely planned on doing that in the third game, yes. There's no question about that, but, you know, and then when Jonathan and Larry made Monkey Island III, which is a great game...I think they did a fabulous job on that. They didn't know what the secret was. I told nobody. So, you know, they weren't really able to kind of reveal that, but I would love to make another Monkey Island game. If I could make another one...I have this whole story mapped out in my head for how I want to tie it all together with the other two games, kind of bring it all back to the original thing, and that would just be a dream of mine."

    Source: http://www.gamespot.com/features/6153188/p-2.html

    This is what I thought would be plausible. I don't think that CoMI, EfMI or ToMI destroys Ron Gilbert's first intended idea. He just has to rewrite it to fit in with these games.

    I see these three games as much part of the story as the first two games.
  • edited September 2009
    Cadavre wrote: »
    This is what I thought would be plausible. I don't think that CoMI, EfMI or ToMI destroys Ron Gilbert's first intended idea. He just has to rewrite it to fit in with these games.

    I see these three games as much part of the story as the first two games.

    I'd love to see Ron Gilbert make a Monkey Island game that said Curse was right, just to see Rather Dashing have a heart attack! :D:p

    Of course I'm joking, I don't wish harm onto anyone.
  • edited September 2009
    Ron Gilbert is overrated. He didn't make the games on his own; he wasn't even responsible for a lot of the humour in the first game. And to be honest I think all this secrecy he has over 'the Secret' is just to keep himself interesting. I think CMI, EMI and Tales have proved over and over that Monkey Island doesn't need one man to make a good game.

    Charlie


    Exactly

    "The original [The Secret of] Monkey Island team consisted of seven people," including programmers Tim Schafer and Dave Grossman, who turned out to be funny guys with a strong faculty for writing, Gilbert recalled.

    If ron didnt have tim or dave (or the other unnamed 4) then monkey island 1 & 2 would NOT be monkey island we know and love. If ron was to come out and make the third, he would need to have the original team back, which I cannot see happening. They are grown men now, and they're onto pastures anew. I dunno but for what I have seen of deathspank, I am glad that the IP is in Telltales hands.

    I would much prefer a Shenmue 3.. and to be honest there is a greater likelihood of it coming out than the og team coming back to make an MI3. This discussion has turned into people chasing shadows.
  • edited September 2009
    Cadavre wrote: »
    This is what I thought would be plausible. I don't think that CoMI, EfMI or ToMI destroys Ron Gilbert's first intended idea. He just has to rewrite it to fit in with these games.

    I see these three games as much part of the story as the first two games.

    ToMI was consulted with Ron, so probably - if he has it all in mind - the game at least fits his vision. It's also possible that Tales are kind of introduction for Ron's ending of the story.
    And bad ideas can just be ignored - like nobody mentions Govenor Horatio Marley in ToMI and I didn't hear a single complain about this.
  • edited September 2009
    Ash735 wrote: »
    I'd love to see Ron Gilbert make a Monkey Island game that said Curse was right, just to see Rather Dashing have a heart attack! :D:p

    Of course I'm joking, I don't wish harm onto anyone.
    I wouldn't have a heart attack, I'd just start to live in a fantasy world in which Ron Gilbert's third Monkey Island does not exist. In much the same way Guybrush lives in his own fantasy world in Secret of Monkey Island and LeChuck's Revenge. =p
  • edited September 2009
    I don't think that a commercially-viable number of fans actually want Ron Gilbert's game.
    I think there are a lot more who want it than people who specifically don't want it. Most people just don't know about the situation at all.

    I do hope to see Ron step in somehow and have a bigger role with ToMI, perhaps with the last episode of s1 or with s2 somehow. Tim, too. "Guest directors" for an episode would be cool.
  • edited September 2009
    OK, lets look at this from a financial perspective. Game developers are in the business of making money. By making money it allows them to expand and make more games and hire more people.

    Game developers are not in the business of satisfying artistic vision, especially not the artistic vision of those no longer under their employ (in the case of LucasArts) or those never under their employ in the first place (in the case of Telltale). I ask what would LucasArts and Telltale have to gain by letting Ron Gilbert come in finish his version of MI3? (Aside from shutting up all the MI2 fans :p). They would have one game they could make money off of sure but then they'd be left with a dead IP. All they could really do with it is pull a Capcom and re-release it every few years.

    Game developers understand that it is a business. I'm sure Ron Gilbert doesn't cry himself to sleep every night becasue he was never able to make his MI3. As far as I'm concerned it's a closed issue. And for those of you who hate the later Monkey Island games because they don't line up with yours and Gilberts vision for the series all I can offer is don't support them. As long as you continue to buy the sequels they will continue to be made, and almost certainly without Ron Gilbert calling the shots.
  • edited September 2009
    Nemesis2K wrote: »
    If ron didnt have tim or dave (or the other unnamed 4) then monkey island 1 & 2 would NOT be monkey island we know and love. If ron was to come out and make the third, he would need to have the original team back...

    I agree that Ron would have made a different game without Tim and Dave, but I don't think he would really need them to make the third. (Want them? Probably. Need them? Not really.) He would just need excellent writers who are fans of the series. (Much like Telltale.)
  • edited September 2009
    Me, I'd be very happy to see Ron involved more for a very simple reason. Not to resolve/complicate matters concerning originally intended plots between parts 2 and 3 or anything like that - but simply because I find him to be darn *funny* whenever he jots down words and ideas. In the same spirit, I think Tim is also side-splittingly funny - perhaps the funniest of all game creators (IMHO).

    I understand that both these guys are busy (and happily) moving on with their own projects - and I'm very excited to see the results. And in no way do I want to diminish Dave's ability to be funny - it's just that something special happens when these people get together to write fun material. I know this is just my personal opinion - just as I know there are some people who still prefer Wings over The Beatles - but I digress...

    I'm less concerned about "canon" and the intricacies of the storyline in MI as long as it works and above all, is funny.
  • edited September 2009
    Marzhin wrote: »
    By the way, Ron Gilbert actually brainstormed with Telltale at the early stages of the project and gave them story and character ideas.

    Yeah, I think Ron Gilbert will eventually get around to making another Monkey Island game (which will probably be the final one). I don't think that the plot or storyline of Tales will affect Gilbert's ideas for his next MI game. That's probably what he was making sure of when he went to help out a little with the character ideas and plot of Tales...
Sign in to comment in this discussion.