Motion capture is getting more common in games, and there are plenty of studios who use it like you describe. It's still too time- space- and labor-intensive for episodic adventure games from a smaller studio, though. All our stuff is animated "by hand."
For facial expressions too? I know for body animation, Fahrenheit used it very nicely for example. I guess I should play Heavy Rain to see, but it's a PS3 exclusive still.
And by hand ain't bad or anything. Just wondering if they used a tape of the voiceactors to add specific gestures and stuff they made up during it, that otherwise would never be imagined by the animator to add, but add to the whole.
Animated movie featuretes always praise how that helped them all after all...
Also I'm pretty sure you made up the word "mimications."
To be fair, the opportunity [Sam 'n Max for the iPad] didn't present itself until after we had already started pre-orders, and we couldn't just come out and tell everyone about it because we were contractually obliged not to.
In fact, 90% of the studio didn't even know about it until yesterday. It's been kept under extreme lock and key at Apple's bequest. I still haven't even seen the sucker, and I've got my hands in a bit of everything around here.
That is actually very interesting to learn. So does that mean the Telltale engine is easily ported to the iPad or did you guys just steal one or two programmers and locked them away in a bathroom with an iPad SDK manual, throw in some occasional soy kaf and something inflatable and get out some killer code in record time?
Are you guys allowed to answer questions about developing the game for the iPad now that the news is broke?
That is actually very interesting to learn. So does that mean the Telltale engine is easily ported to the iPad or did you guys just steal one or two programmers and locked them away in a bathroom with an iPad SDK manual, throw in some occasional soy kaf and something inflatable and get out some killer code in record time?
Are you guys allowed to answer questions about developing the game for the iPad now that the news is broke?
All of our core engineers happen to be in one room together in the back. So we just papered over the windows and no one was allowed in that back room. We all knew that a big secret project was going on, just not what it was.
That is actually very interesting to learn. So does that mean the Telltale engine is easily ported to the iPad or did you guys just steal one or two programmers and locked them away in a bathroom with an iPad SDK manual, throw in some occasional soy kaf and something inflatable and get out some killer code in record time?
Are you guys allowed to answer questions about developing the game for the iPad now that the news is broke?
It wasn't two guys locked in a bathroom, it was three guys locked in a small office in the back. So you were pretty close!
I'd be interested in knowing what compromises, if any, had to be made to make it runnable on the iPad.
The game, content-wise, is identical to its PC/PS3 counterparts. Same puzzles, dialog, core art. The interface got a decently-sized makeover so that it is touch-friendly (and works at the iPad's different aspect ratios and orientations), the same way we clean up the interface to work with a PS3 controller instead of a keyboard, or whatever else. So, at it's heart it is the same core engine and the same game scripts running. The iPad can't match a PS3 or PC for raw power, so the textures and models are often a bit lower resolution, and some of the full screen effects (like color tinting and glow/bloom) are reduced or removed. Fortunately, the iPad has a pretty high pixel density -- the pixels are pretty tiny! -- and runs at 1024x768, so the game still looks very crisp and nice even with a few of the PC's details missing. We think it's pretty impressive and fun to play the game in its full 3D, full voice and music glory, on such a weird slim device like the iPad.
I don't really have any questions.. I'm just taking this as an opportunity to tell you again that you are awesome! Every one of you! ...except for Majus. He constantly refuses to send me american food via mail. The nerve!!
Keep up the brilliant work!
Wow, didn't see this coming at all. I would love to be able to play the Ipad-version some day! Congratulations!
One question - I noticed on the screenshots that the inventory is the old cardboard box viewed from above, and in the GiantBomb QuickLook of the PS3-version the box was missing. Are there more menu-changes like this between the different versions?
Are you able to tell us whether TTG approached Apple, or Apple approached TTG? I'm curious.
Well done by the way to your programmer slaves in the back room the guys who got it working so quickly on something they'd (presumably) never programmed for before.
whats your address Silverwolfpet I will send you candy... and you do not even have to get into a creepy van to get it.... BONUS
Yeah, right! That's what the nice people in the alley said, and after I gave them my address, they stole my stuff. They DID leave candy though... so they were half-nice, I guess.
Yeah, right! That's what the nice people in the alley said, and after I gave them my address, they stole my stuff. They DID leave candy though... so they were half-nice, I guess.
What the hell are you talking about I sent you a Mcrib a week ago, and I sent you those awesome Jalepeno Poppers..now I know my american food isn't good for you, I'm hurt...Ooooh! I found A NICKEL!
What the hell are you talking about I sent you a Mcrib a week ago, and I sent you those awesome Jalepeno Poppers..now I know my american food isn't good for you, I'm hurt...Ooooh! I found A NICKEL!
Oh, those were from you?? I'm so sorry, I just didn't know who "IcaEdHopp" was! you should really learn how to spell your own name! Like me! SeelfurVoltPat!
Which is only slightly less disgusting than what it is actually supposed to resemble... Gross stringy piles of chewing tobacco once favored by professional baseball players.
I always thought American food was most unhealthy ... perhaps it's just not sent to you because it is intercepted and treated as biological/chemical weaponry.
I always thought American food was most unhealthy ... perhaps it's just not sent to you because it is intercepted and treated as biological/chemical weaponry.
We just watched Food, Inc. in Human Geography last week so I feel like I should say something about this, but I'll refrain.
Forgive me if this has been answered already (late to the party), but what were the design factors that triggered the decision to drop true point and click input from all your games since Monkey Island?
Forgive me if this has been answered already (late to the party), but what were the design factors that triggered the decision to drop true point and click input from all your games since Monkey Island?
Perhaps "Making Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures"?
Forgive me if this has been answered already (late to the party), but what were the design factors that triggered the decision to drop true point and click input from all your games since Monkey Island?
There's here somewhere.
In resume, they were experimenting with direct control in W&G and then discovered they can do the game more awesome with better enviroments using Direct Control instead of Point and Click. And then start the drama
Or the various interviews that say, specifically, "We love that our enhanced ability to convey facial expressions can more easily sell the jokes in Season Three"?
Hi design team guys! I preordered 2 days ago and I've been reading through your answers and have found them to be extremely informative. But I still have a potentially redundant question (my memory isn't that great).
Since you're implementing better face animations, are there going to be more attempts at subtle jokes through facial expressions and body language or is it still going to mostly be off-kilter, Sam & Max dialogue?
I'm not sure if I really phrased that in an entirely efficient manner.
Hey there Telltale. I have a couple of questions regarding the recent iPad edition to Sam & Max. First off, I noticed in a screenshot that there were blue dotes to indicate what Sam could interact with. This reminded me of a feature used by the company (forgot the name) that created Steel Sky and Broken Sword for their iPod versions of their games. Were you inspired by this or is it just coincidence?
Second, will there be a demo version of episode 301 for the iPad? I ask this because I think it would be a great way to introduce people to the game.
Thanks.
Comments
And by hand ain't bad or anything. Just wondering if they used a tape of the voiceactors to add specific gestures and stuff they made up during it, that otherwise would never be imagined by the animator to add, but add to the whole.
Animated movie featuretes always praise how that helped them all after all... I probably have
Oh god.
I remember that post.
What was I thinking?!?
Okay that exchange was hilarious. You both get tons of points for that.
That is actually very interesting to learn. So does that mean the Telltale engine is easily ported to the iPad or did you guys just steal one or two programmers and locked them away in a bathroom with an iPad SDK manual, throw in some occasional soy kaf and something inflatable and get out some killer code in record time?
Are you guys allowed to answer questions about developing the game for the iPad now that the news is broke?
I'm interested in hearing on what actual, measurable criteria this person would be judged as an idiot.
All of our core engineers happen to be in one room together in the back. So we just papered over the windows and no one was allowed in that back room. We all knew that a big secret project was going on, just not what it was.
It wasn't two guys locked in a bathroom, it was three guys locked in a small office in the back. So you were pretty close!
The game, content-wise, is identical to its PC/PS3 counterparts. Same puzzles, dialog, core art. The interface got a decently-sized makeover so that it is touch-friendly (and works at the iPad's different aspect ratios and orientations), the same way we clean up the interface to work with a PS3 controller instead of a keyboard, or whatever else. So, at it's heart it is the same core engine and the same game scripts running. The iPad can't match a PS3 or PC for raw power, so the textures and models are often a bit lower resolution, and some of the full screen effects (like color tinting and glow/bloom) are reduced or removed. Fortunately, the iPad has a pretty high pixel density -- the pixels are pretty tiny! -- and runs at 1024x768, so the game still looks very crisp and nice even with a few of the PC's details missing. We think it's pretty impressive and fun to play the game in its full 3D, full voice and music glory, on such a weird slim device like the iPad.
I don't really have any questions.. I'm just taking this as an opportunity to tell you again that you are awesome! Every one of you! ...except for Majus. He constantly refuses to send me american food via mail. The nerve!!
Keep up the brilliant work!
One question - I noticed on the screenshots that the inventory is the old cardboard box viewed from above, and in the GiantBomb QuickLook of the PS3-version the box was missing. Are there more menu-changes like this between the different versions?
Edit: this is the screenshot I was talking about:
Well done by the way to your programmer slaves in the back room the guys who got it working so quickly on something they'd (presumably) never programmed for before.
How does it feel to revisit Sam and Max again?
Do you think you can top season 2?
Will Bluster Blaster make a return?
Can I have a cookie?
Yeah, right! That's what the nice people in the alley said, and after I gave them my address, they stole my stuff. They DID leave candy though... so they were half-nice, I guess.
What the hell are you talking about I sent you a Mcrib a week ago, and I sent you those awesome Jalepeno Poppers..now I know my american food isn't good for you, I'm hurt...Ooooh! I found A NICKEL!
Oh, those were from you?? I'm so sorry, I just didn't know who "IcaEdHopp" was! you should really learn how to spell your own name! Like me! SeelfurVoltPat!
..I...want...Nickel!!!
No. It does.
Which is only slightly less disgusting than what it is actually supposed to resemble... Gross stringy piles of chewing tobacco once favored by professional baseball players.
We just watched Food, Inc. in Human Geography last week so I feel like I should say something about this, but I'll refrain.
There's here somewhere.
In resume, they were experimenting with direct control in W&G and then discovered they can do the game more awesome with better enviroments using Direct Control instead of Point and Click. And then start the drama
Sorry, but, have you check out the trailer?
1. Are the graphics more advanced then previous seasons?
2. Will the teleporting feature take to the same places you can go to in the Desoto?
3. What's the control type?
That's all I can think of at the moment but i'm sure i'll have more...soon
(please forgive me if some of the questions were alredy asked)
Max has non-creepy working eyebrows now, I'm ecstatic.
Since you're implementing better face animations, are there going to be more attempts at subtle jokes through facial expressions and body language or is it still going to mostly be off-kilter, Sam & Max dialogue?
I'm not sure if I really phrased that in an entirely efficient manner.
Second, will there be a demo version of episode 301 for the iPad? I ask this because I think it would be a great way to introduce people to the game.
Thanks.