Idea for a different type of episode release schedule
i realise that nothing like this is going to be implemented this season... but i still wanted to pitch this idea and see what you guys think of it
anyways, i noticed something today as i continued replaying 201 again before 202 comes out... this is the way i replay the episodes
i find myself playing an act of the game, then saving and getting off for a while (or till the next day) and then playing the next act, and i keep doing this for each act till i finish... this is because i like to really go over the game and make sure i did not miss anything before i "put it away" so to speak... and going through the whole game in this manner all in one playthrough is enough to drive even me mad
but i found myself thinking how cool it would be if the episodes were broken up into sections like this... and released in sections, one act a week for a month... so the "Episode" would become a month long arc in a story and each act would become its own episode in a way
by the time an arc finishes, the next arc will begin the following week...
although the episodes will be smaller, having 2-3 fresh puzzles every week will keep everyone satisfied longer i think (and it may be easier from a development standpoint as well, being able to also integrate bug fixes in these releases, by having the episode remain a work in progress even after its inital release)
take episode 201... if the teaser and the 1st act (up till you return to the street) was the 1st weeks release... but you would not be able to go to the street till the next week in the second release.... (up till then there would be something over the car if you clicked on it saying stay tuned till next week, or whatever) then the second release would cover up to...
by the time the 4th section of the episode comes out... they are showing the coming soon stuff of the next arc... and it begins all over again the next week
once the month is over.... the final release is issued which comains the entire arc as a single episode (the format they are using now) so that those of you who want to play the entire episode as a whole once a month may still do so... and each arc should be priced as a whole as well... pay the 8.95 at the beginging, then get the updates as they come out
anyways... what do you guys think of this idea... having the current games released in this manner so we can have weekly sam and max episodes?
anyways, i noticed something today as i continued replaying 201 again before 202 comes out... this is the way i replay the episodes
i find myself playing an act of the game, then saving and getting off for a while (or till the next day) and then playing the next act, and i keep doing this for each act till i finish... this is because i like to really go over the game and make sure i did not miss anything before i "put it away" so to speak... and going through the whole game in this manner all in one playthrough is enough to drive even me mad
but i found myself thinking how cool it would be if the episodes were broken up into sections like this... and released in sections, one act a week for a month... so the "Episode" would become a month long arc in a story and each act would become its own episode in a way
by the time an arc finishes, the next arc will begin the following week...
although the episodes will be smaller, having 2-3 fresh puzzles every week will keep everyone satisfied longer i think (and it may be easier from a development standpoint as well, being able to also integrate bug fixes in these releases, by having the episode remain a work in progress even after its inital release)
take episode 201... if the teaser and the 1st act (up till you return to the street) was the 1st weeks release... but you would not be able to go to the street till the next week in the second release.... (up till then there would be something over the car if you clicked on it saying stay tuned till next week, or whatever) then the second release would cover up to...
the exorcism.... and end with the cliff hanger of them being cornered by the monster... then have release 3 pick up and have the part with the christmas spirits, and finally the final puzzle and the conclusion can be a release of its own
by the time the 4th section of the episode comes out... they are showing the coming soon stuff of the next arc... and it begins all over again the next week
once the month is over.... the final release is issued which comains the entire arc as a single episode (the format they are using now) so that those of you who want to play the entire episode as a whole once a month may still do so... and each arc should be priced as a whole as well... pay the 8.95 at the beginging, then get the updates as they come out
anyways... what do you guys think of this idea... having the current games released in this manner so we can have weekly sam and max episodes?
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Also, I'm an impatient person. I'm literally jumping up and down in excitement (well, not literally) for episode two, and when it comes I am going to devour it. If I get to the end of the first bit I'm going to be thinking "ohhh, I need more Sam & Max now!". Which leads me on to my next point quite nicely...
...Ice Station Santa lasted for around four or five hours. If you want to release it in four parts, that's around one hour a week, which really isn't much. As soon as you've got into the game, it'll be over, leaving an impression of "oh, was that it?" and although you may think your idea will expand the length of the game, I think it will make it appear much shorter.
Finally, the episodes are like they are because it is meant to be like television shows. If you're tucking into an episode of say, Lost, and at the end of act 1 it said "come back next week for act 2!" you wouldn't think highly of it. I think that people would much prefer to sit down for four acts in one sitting for a month.
Like I said, sorry to shoot your idea down, and I hope what I said made sense - I'm not good at long (edit: I've just seen that this post isn't really very long
These games are short, and rightfully so; I really enjoy the shorter but monthly (more or less) release schedule for Sam & Max. The episodes are so packed full of little tidbits to go back and explore for as well. Each episode really gives me more than a months worth of off and on play. A weekly schedule would make me feel a little more rushed to finish so I was ready for the next week, where as with the monthly releases, I can blow through the story and then spend some lazy afternoons goofing around and enjoying all the little jokes and asides I would have otherwise missed.
And let us face it, most, if not all of us are just glad to have more Sam & Max on our gaming buffet. And I am more than happy with the way Telltale has handled things. Season two has just begun, but I already salivate for Seasons three, four, five, and beyond!
As you already said, it's your choice to break the game into chunks and play a little at a time. It sounds to me as if you simply can't stop yourself from devouring the game whole and essentially want Telltale to force you to.
That said, while I can see where you're coming from, the episodes are already very short. Breaking them down into even shorter segments would likely frustrate more people than it would please.
LOL, why was that moment so funny i wonder ^___^
oh, wait...