Yes, ubisoft handles all of the marketing and promotion. They determine when the demo will be released, when screenshots are released, and which screenshots are shown.
hey greg, are you able to comment on the interface, as to what has changed this year to make it an "all new and improved interface"................... and could you tell us if you implemented that 3d crime kit that you said was a cool idea last year
hey it would be pretty cool if there was a csi game where a csi in the lab was a mole like in csi miami and that mole turned against the lab and started killing people. then u have to take down the mole of the department.
the fact that you cannot comment on the interface means that it is very different from last years game, meaning that you guys made more than just some simple cosmetic changes to it.................... so i cannot wait to see what you have done with it
anyway, can you tell us if hard evidence will have widescreen support and the ability to make the resolution higher than 800x 600 for us with above average computers
just wondering about this, but how much time is between a game release date, and when the game has to be finished and sent over to ubisoft to be mass produced?............... i have always wondered how much time is between a game getting handed off and the release date. lastly, can you tell us how many months it took to make to make CSI:3DM and how much time have you currently spent on Hard Evidence
i want to know this because i have always been interested in how video games are made, because one of these days i plan to use my talent for story telling to create the plot lines for video games (as a hobby, not a full blown job).................. and after seeing some of the most recent video games for PS3, X360, and PC i an seriously considering actually doing this, however my friends say this is stupid and they tell me that i should write for tv shows instead................ but i guess i am still a kid at heart and i find video games more appealing than the film industry (not to mention a lot less games than tv shows get canned) i guess my only problem is getting the door somewhere
from what i gather this game will be on cd as well, and do not compare the size of the media format to the quality of a game
compare the first two csi games to CSI:3DM, the first 2 games were composed on 3 cds and only had "flat" graphics. compare that to CSI:3 which had better "full 3D" graphics and it was able to fit on one cd
so how can you tell me that the games will be better if they are on dvd vs cd, the only improvement that increased medium size will yield is a longer game, not a better looking one. because the graphic quality of a game is determined by the census of what the average computer hardware is that most of the general public has access to
I think what he meant was that if you compare a Telltale game on 1 CD to a Telltale game on 1 DVD, the DVD version would have more room and therefore more "stuff" could be included (whether it's more gameplay, bonus features, etc.)
Regarding the release of assets, that's really not up to us. Ubisoft will release more screenshots when they decide it's the right time.
So many great questions! So few I can answer legally!
We really appreciate that you guys are so interested in the game, and want to know the details! I wish we could answer them...
Dangerzone: Once a game for the PC is finished and approved by the publisher (a gold master approved by Ubisoft), under "ideal" conditions it will take a few weeks for Manufacturing and Distribution before it reaches stores and consumers. However, sometimes publishers may decide to keep a "finished" title longer, for a variety of reasons. One example is that they may want to take better advantage of marketplace. (Like the way movies do if similar titles are coming out at the same time) NOTE that this doesn't necessarily mean they would keep working on the game in the meantime. There are many factors involved. Basically it boils down to how much does it cost to make the game, vs. how much they expect to make in return.
If the game is released on a console system, there's usually a longer approval process with the console makers (e.g. Microsoft for the Xbox, Nintendo for the Wii, etc.) before manufacturing happens. They need to ensure that all the system specifications and requirements are ahdered to. they may also sometimes have a say as to when it can be released.
As for Writing for TV or Video Games, there are benefits to both, depending on which medium interests you more, and which process is most fun. The process for making each is very different. Keep your eye on Gamasutra.com for contract writer jobs!
oh my god i just found out that the game is not going to be released until may the 2nd.
i thought it was going to be released in march the 7th or something.
Where did you get either of those release dates? I don't think Ubi has made any announcements yet. If you got those from a retailer site like Amazon or GameStop or EB, odds are they made them up (which sites like that frequently do).
i have no idea why anybody cannot get this right.................. the release date is Tuesday march 13th, that is the date that ubisoft set
if the date ever changes, it will not be moved untill the first week of march rolls around................. because there is no reason for the date to be moved unless production of the game falls behind for some reason, so thus the date will not be moved untill the intended date rolls around
as far as i can tell, ubisoft approved the final cut of the game the first week of January, and it takes about 8 weeks for a game to be fully published and sent out to stores............. so the game should be on time
(also i noticed that everyone here involved in the production of the game, talks about it in past tence............... so that tells me that it has already been handed off, thus confirming my sources)
I'm not sure of the exact specs, but they will be similar to the specs for the last game and for Sam & Max.
because there is no reason for the date to be moved unless production of the game falls behind for some reason, so thus the date will not be moved untill the intended date rolls around
There are plenty of reasons a date can shift and not all of them have to do with production -- there are also marketing considerations, desires to release the game at a certain time of year or to coincide with the release of another game (or to NOT coincide with the release of another game so it doesn't compete!), etc. Jake's right that places like GameStop and EB often guess at a release date. As far as I know Ubisoft has not announced an exact release date, in spite of the fact that some retail outlets said it would be some specific day in March.
If released 13th March, that means it's only 1 month and 11 days left! Wooohoo! This means we might get to see lots of stuff in February
Btw, I actually love the plain look on the cover instead of having the CSI crew on the front, but maybe that's just me Is there any way to get a full size of that plain 3DOM art, so I can print it myself?
lets not forget that the 3 previous csi games all came out in march as well (although i forget the specific dates) with the exception of the miami game, which came out in november
since TDOM came out on march 6th, i guess they assume that this years game will fall on the same date (as many big title games do)
but from what i can sift, hard evidence will be released a week or two later than the TDOM release date (for unknown reasons)
We don't have that cover art, because Ubi makes those, not us That said, I also really like the more minimalist look for the CSI box; It looks like a nice classy DVD box set. That said, I think the photos of the cast are what help catch peoples eye on store shelves, so I imagine they'll be appearing on the final box.
And, despite pleas to the contrary, if Ubisoft hasn't officially announced a release date anywhere (in a press release, on their website, in an official published interview), then there is no official release date. As with all rumors on the internet about our games, we can only confirm that that release date is in fact just a rumor. When we know for sure what the official release date is, we'll plaster it all over the site, forums, and blog so you'll all know when you can get your next CSI fix.
Hey Jake, as they are making those minimalist art stuff, could you or someone else contact Ubisoft asking if they can release that DVD art as well? It sure would be a lot nicer to look at my CSI collection then I didn't find any e-mail addresses so...
And, despite pleas to the contrary, if Ubisoft hasn't officially announced a release date anywhere (in a press release, on their website, in an official published interview), then there is no official release date.
March IS official for germany (but no specific day), here you can download the release list from ubi:
Oooh, would that mean that an English release will be released before the German?:D Either way, I've heard from someone talking to Ubisoft, that it should be out in Scandinavia 9th March.
Hey, that reminds me.. That's the same day the fourth episode of Sam & Max is coming out
usually the us gets their hands on a game first and then a game goes worldwide over the next few weeks
from what i can sift the us release date is march 13th, and the uk release date is march 30th.................... so most other countries will see the game sometime inbetween those dates or in the begining of april
and even though none of those dates are set in stone yet................ i do not see any reason for them to change, although i can tell you that if the dates have not changed by mid febuary, then they most likely will not change at all
also i do not think that keppler will not be in the game, because the story of the cases were written months ago (exactly when i am not sure) and the time up untill now has been on production of the game itself, animating, 3d modeling, texture artistry, dialoge recording, coding, and testing.................... this is a process that takes many months and people to complete, and even though there is usually only one new game a year, only a few months are spent on each new game (except some major companies that have the an entire office working on a new game all 12 months of a year) but it seems that telltale likes to devide their time and workforce over more than one project, so we get more than just one game type of game every year (sometimes we even get episodic games)
as for the boxart, this is just wishfull thinking, but i hope that the case will be exactly like a dvd boxset, it should compose of a cardboard folder with a cd holder glued inside, and a folder like pocket on the other side to hold the instruction booklet, the folder should come in a vynal cover with the game art and the csi cast on it. the outside of the folder itself will look just like a black case file. the inside will be a college composed of screenshots from the game, scattered papers, and grissoms id badge, the artwork will cover the entire interior of the folder because the cd holder is clear. the game manual will look like a vanilla file folder, the pages will appear to be lab and autopsy reports (although it is really just an instruction manual) with in game photos that appear to be clipped to the sides................ although i know the chances the game case looking like this are slim to none
most likely the game case will be the same as last year, a large dvd style case under a cardboard cover with a small openable flap containing info on the game, but we can still hope *Sigh*
i am very happy to know they r bringing out a new game but i live in uk so i wnt get it till september but the last 2 csi games that where made csi-dark motives and csi 3 dom where brillent the cases were very cool csi the 1st game cases where good but way too short.
hey is it possible for you to add a "whats going on with csi" page like you did with sam and max............... or at least put something for us to ponder over on the telltale website (becuase hard evidence is not mentioned at all on the telltale website, except for that one blog post)
P.S. as long as we see at least one tidbit of info per month, we are fine........... otherwise the fans get restless, and when we are restless we get angry, and when we get angry, the sun turns blue, puppies stop being cute, and fish start drowning
and if you cannot say, post, or release anything new............... can you at least tell us what penalty is keeping you from doing so (I.E. ubisoft will take you into the back room with a one eyed knife thrower named squiggy or castrate you)
no ya serioulsy dangerzone is right. its been since december since there has been alot of kool things announced about the game however, its february. i understnad ubisoft has to go over everything that telltale releases but come on. at least 1 new screen or a comment or something about the game will be gladly appreciated
i don't want to scare anyone but it looks like the release date has postponed to september 2007. this is on game.co.uk & gamespot.com as well as others. can anyone confirm it?
Ubisoft is not holding us at knifepoint or threatening to kidnap our firstborn children if we say anything about Hard Evidence. It's Ubisoft's game to promote (unlike Sam & Max, which is our game to promote) and we have to respect their marketing decisions. They have plans for how they want to promote the game, and it wouldn't be right for us to reveal anything about the game before they're ready.
As we've said many times - when we CAN talk about it, we WILL talk about it.
ok............. i can see how you are respecting ubisofts marketing strategy (although i like telltales market campaigns better :rolleyes: ) anyway, can you at least give us the courtesy to confirm that the game is complete and has been handed off
because if it has, then that means that the march release date is correct
Seriously guys... when we can say something, we will say it, believe me. Asking randomly in hopes that there's some piece of news we forgot we could reveal probably won't work
I've been accused of speaking in hyperbole in regards to this stuff, but I'm pretty sure that when we can make more CSI 4 announcements, you'll know because Emily will have blown up the Earth.
I've been accused of speaking in hyperbole in regards to this stuff, but I'm pretty sure that when we can make more CSI 4 announcements, you'll know because Emily will have blown up the Earth.
Never know... one of these days I might blow up the earth, just because I think it would be fun.
i am sorry, and i did not intend to be a pest............... but you have to see this from our perspective. you announce a new videogame based on a long running and successfull series (in both tv shows and video games) and then because of ubisofts gag on telltale, you go cold turkey on us. you say nothing for months when a steady stream of info on a title close to its release date is expected.................. it almost seems like ubisoft is taking advantage of telltale, and simultaniously not even trying to push this game and make it successfull. so you have no idea how much this pisses me off (because i want this game to be successful just as much as you guys do) and i am sure others feel the same as i do
adding to my frustration, you have a forum with top notch customer service giving good info and prehype on all of your other games. but you cant take advantage of it on this game because of ubisoft............this is like dangling a peice of bait just out of our reach, and so far the game is not mentioned on the ubisoft site at all............. no coming soon page, no forum, no replys from customer service, not even a preorder page.............so needless to say, their customer service department sucks. thus we are not getting anything from them
if their ad campaign for TDOM (there really wasnt one) is any indication of how hard evidence will be handled................ then we will not see anything else untill after the game is released, and most of what we see........will be from telltale
a proper game ad campaign should contain, ad banners on sites, a website set up months before the launch, multiple screenshots, a gameplay video or two, and maybe even a demo of the game a few weeks before the release date................ we saw none of this before TDOM, (the website came almost a month and a half after the game was released) and it looks like we will get the same treatment from ubisoft with hard evidence
normally i do not like to rant and rave like this (i am usually a cool tempered person) but i hate being treated like crap by ubisoft..............all i can say to you telltale, is try to get involved in the advertising for this game
because i will buy this game no matter what, but i know some people that are not as attached to csi and as open minded as i am..............and the market campaign for a game is more powerfull than the game itself, and as of right now.............. your hard worked on product has almost no representation, when it should be featured on multiple gaming websites and also be one of the most talked about upcomming video games of the spring (alongside sam and max)
Comments
Grissom's beard is indeed shaved off in our game!
Yes, ubisoft handles all of the marketing and promotion. They determine when the demo will be released, when screenshots are released, and which screenshots are shown.
We're not able to comment on the details of the interface... You'll have to wait and see!
-greg
anyway, can you tell us if hard evidence will have widescreen support and the ability to make the resolution higher than 800x 600 for us with above average computers
just wondering about this, but how much time is between a game release date, and when the game has to be finished and sent over to ubisoft to be mass produced?............... i have always wondered how much time is between a game getting handed off and the release date. lastly, can you tell us how many months it took to make to make CSI:3DM and how much time have you currently spent on Hard Evidence
i want to know this because i have always been interested in how video games are made, because one of these days i plan to use my talent for story telling to create the plot lines for video games (as a hobby, not a full blown job).................. and after seeing some of the most recent video games for PS3, X360, and PC i an seriously considering actually doing this, however my friends say this is stupid and they tell me that i should write for tv shows instead................ but i guess i am still a kid at heart and i find video games more appealing than the film industry (not to mention a lot less games than tv shows get canned) i guess my only problem is getting the door somewhere
compare the first two csi games to CSI:3DM, the first 2 games were composed on 3 cds and only had "flat" graphics. compare that to CSI:3 which had better "full 3D" graphics and it was able to fit on one cd
so how can you tell me that the games will be better if they are on dvd vs cd, the only improvement that increased medium size will yield is a longer game, not a better looking one. because the graphic quality of a game is determined by the census of what the average computer hardware is that most of the general public has access to
Regarding the release of assets, that's really not up to us. Ubisoft will release more screenshots when they decide it's the right time.
What are the specs of the game....?
We really appreciate that you guys are so interested in the game, and want to know the details! I wish we could answer them...
Dangerzone: Once a game for the PC is finished and approved by the publisher (a gold master approved by Ubisoft), under "ideal" conditions it will take a few weeks for Manufacturing and Distribution before it reaches stores and consumers. However, sometimes publishers may decide to keep a "finished" title longer, for a variety of reasons. One example is that they may want to take better advantage of marketplace. (Like the way movies do if similar titles are coming out at the same time) NOTE that this doesn't necessarily mean they would keep working on the game in the meantime. There are many factors involved. Basically it boils down to how much does it cost to make the game, vs. how much they expect to make in return.
If the game is released on a console system, there's usually a longer approval process with the console makers (e.g. Microsoft for the Xbox, Nintendo for the Wii, etc.) before manufacturing happens. They need to ensure that all the system specifications and requirements are ahdered to. they may also sometimes have a say as to when it can be released.
As for Writing for TV or Video Games, there are benefits to both, depending on which medium interests you more, and which process is most fun. The process for making each is very different. Keep your eye on Gamasutra.com for contract writer jobs!
i thought it was going to be released in march the 7th or something.
if the date ever changes, it will not be moved untill the first week of march rolls around................. because there is no reason for the date to be moved unless production of the game falls behind for some reason, so thus the date will not be moved untill the intended date rolls around
as far as i can tell, ubisoft approved the final cut of the game the first week of January, and it takes about 8 weeks for a game to be fully published and sent out to stores............. so the game should be on time
(also i noticed that everyone here involved in the production of the game, talks about it in past tence............... so that tells me that it has already been handed off, thus confirming my sources)
I'm not sure of the exact specs, but they will be similar to the specs for the last game and for Sam & Max.
There are plenty of reasons a date can shift and not all of them have to do with production -- there are also marketing considerations, desires to release the game at a certain time of year or to coincide with the release of another game (or to NOT coincide with the release of another game so it doesn't compete!), etc. Jake's right that places like GameStop and EB often guess at a release date. As far as I know Ubisoft has not announced an exact release date, in spite of the fact that some retail outlets said it would be some specific day in March.
Btw, I actually love the plain look on the cover instead of having the CSI crew on the front, but maybe that's just me
since TDOM came out on march 6th, i guess they assume that this years game will fall on the same date (as many big title games do)
but from what i can sift, hard evidence will be released a week or two later than the TDOM release date (for unknown reasons)
And, despite pleas to the contrary, if Ubisoft hasn't officially announced a release date anywhere (in a press release, on their website, in an official published interview), then there is no official release date. As with all rumors on the internet about our games, we can only confirm that that release date is in fact just a rumor. When we know for sure what the official release date is, we'll plaster it all over the site, forums, and blog so you'll all know when you can get your next CSI fix.
March IS official for germany (but no specific day), here you can download the release list from ubi:
http://www.ubisoft.de/bv/presse/release
Hey, that reminds me.. That's the same day the fourth episode of Sam & Max is coming out
from what i can sift the us release date is march 13th, and the uk release date is march 30th.................... so most other countries will see the game sometime inbetween those dates or in the begining of april
and even though none of those dates are set in stone yet................ i do not see any reason for them to change, although i can tell you that if the dates have not changed by mid febuary, then they most likely will not change at all
also i do not think that keppler will not be in the game, because the story of the cases were written months ago (exactly when i am not sure) and the time up untill now has been on production of the game itself, animating, 3d modeling, texture artistry, dialoge recording, coding, and testing.................... this is a process that takes many months and people to complete, and even though there is usually only one new game a year, only a few months are spent on each new game (except some major companies that have the an entire office working on a new game all 12 months of a year) but it seems that telltale likes to devide their time and workforce over more than one project, so we get more than just one game type of game every year (sometimes we even get episodic games)
as for the boxart, this is just wishfull thinking, but i hope that the case will be exactly like a dvd boxset, it should compose of a cardboard folder with a cd holder glued inside, and a folder like pocket on the other side to hold the instruction booklet, the folder should come in a vynal cover with the game art and the csi cast on it. the outside of the folder itself will look just like a black case file. the inside will be a college composed of screenshots from the game, scattered papers, and grissoms id badge, the artwork will cover the entire interior of the folder because the cd holder is clear. the game manual will look like a vanilla file folder, the pages will appear to be lab and autopsy reports (although it is really just an instruction manual) with in game photos that appear to be clipped to the sides................ although i know the chances the game case looking like this are slim to none
most likely the game case will be the same as last year, a large dvd style case under a cardboard cover with a small openable flap containing info on the game, but we can still hope *Sigh*
hey is it possible for you to add a "whats going on with csi" page like you did with sam and max............... or at least put something for us to ponder over on the telltale website (becuase hard evidence is not mentioned at all on the telltale website, except for that one blog post)
P.S. as long as we see at least one tidbit of info per month, we are fine........... otherwise the fans get restless, and when we are restless we get angry, and when we get angry, the sun turns blue, puppies stop being cute, and fish start drowning
and if you cannot say, post, or release anything new............... can you at least tell us what penalty is keeping you from doing so (I.E. ubisoft will take you into the back room with a one eyed knife thrower named squiggy or castrate you)
As we've said many times - when we CAN talk about it, we WILL talk about it.
Can you talk about what the team that worked on CSI is now up to? =P
because if it has, then that means that the march release date is correct
Never know... one of these days I might blow up the earth, just because I think it would be fun.
...either that or dye my hair pink. Hmm...
adding to my frustration, you have a forum with top notch customer service giving good info and prehype on all of your other games. but you cant take advantage of it on this game because of ubisoft............this is like dangling a peice of bait just out of our reach, and so far the game is not mentioned on the ubisoft site at all............. no coming soon page, no forum, no replys from customer service, not even a preorder page.............so needless to say, their customer service department sucks. thus we are not getting anything from them
if their ad campaign for TDOM (there really wasnt one) is any indication of how hard evidence will be handled................ then we will not see anything else untill after the game is released, and most of what we see........will be from telltale
a proper game ad campaign should contain, ad banners on sites, a website set up months before the launch, multiple screenshots, a gameplay video or two, and maybe even a demo of the game a few weeks before the release date................ we saw none of this before TDOM, (the website came almost a month and a half after the game was released) and it looks like we will get the same treatment from ubisoft with hard evidence
normally i do not like to rant and rave like this (i am usually a cool tempered person) but i hate being treated like crap by ubisoft..............all i can say to you telltale, is try to get involved in the advertising for this game
because i will buy this game no matter what, but i know some people that are not as attached to csi and as open minded as i am..............and the market campaign for a game is more powerfull than the game itself, and as of right now.............. your hard worked on product has almost no representation, when it should be featured on multiple gaming websites and also be one of the most talked about upcomming video games of the spring (alongside sam and max)