The four games aren't going to be released simultaneously. They aren't going to release the two newly announced games until next year at the … moresoonest. They haven't even begun full work on them yet. They're just in the concept stages now. This is very usual for Telltale. They have many plans in progress with a very small team with a handful of people that just sorts out the basics like general storyline and concept art, and then when they are ready to start full production after their other series end, they get a larger team together.
They announced 5 games in 2011, and all of them have been released except for King's Quest (which was out of Telltale's hands as the license was pulled from them by the license holders). And there's no chance of the license being pulled for The Wolf Among Us, since they are already in the middle of production, and licenses can only be revoked when the game hasn't been produced for years. A two to three month… [view original content]
It's not a question of testing before production and release, as Telltale's episodic release schedule allows them to make changes in their episodes based on fan feedback and critical response. They add gameplay mechanics too based on that feedback, for instance the shooting sequences in The Walking Dead. Those changes (especially the possible additional gameplay mechanics) take time to add, and since they tackle exactly what fans wanted for the game, it makes for a better game over all.
When Telltale first began, their Bone episodes were released seven months apart from each other (and each episode had a shorter play time than those in The Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us). Like now, their episodic release schedule had allowed them to listen to fan and critic feedback and improve gameplay based on that feedback (in this case, they changed the mini game to their boss puzzle system that they also used later in many of their best games, added dialog not found in the source comics, and increased the episode length considerably). Thankfully, the amount of time it takes them to add changes is much shorter now.
Telltale's history has shown that the wait is worth it for the improvements the extra development time brings.
I don't know how you can say this is perfectly normal.. It may have taken 7-8 weeks to get the second episode out for those games, that is much different than 11 weeks or more, especially when you consider it's an episodic game and now they have experience releasing episodes on consoles! It is obvious either:
A: TWAU is put on backburner for other projects
B: TWAU is requiring rewrites or gameplay fixes
Either way people who are mainly interested in TWAU should get some update (IMO). Show you customers some respect, this is getting ridiculous.
Okay, I'm not going to lie. When I first bought the Season Pass, and played the first episode, I was instantly hooked. I absolutely loved the … moregame, and for quite a while I was constantly obsessed with finding out when the new episode would be released, that was around three months ago. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm generally a patient person, albeit this is somewhat ridiculous. I'm not complaining about the fact that I bought the season pass and I've yet to play the second episode, no. I'm disappointed due to the fact that the choices I have made no longer have substantial meaning anymore.
For the first month or so, I was constantly thinking what could happen in the next episode and how it was going to tie together, albeit now I just seem to have lost that spark, and I'm not so sure replaying it will instantly bring back the buzz I got when I first played the game. My choices seem so distant, hell, I can hardly even remember them all. I mean, I… [view original content]
I understand that games have to be delayed sometimes, and I understand all the more when considering that Telltale games is handling a number of different projects right now. I'm definitely not going to accuse them of being negligent or manipulative.
What I'm mainly confused about is why there's been no concrete information given on when the next TWAU episode might be coming out--even a time frame of some sort. There was never even an announcement that it was going to be late in the first place, from what I understand. If it's going to be delayed, that's fine and completely understandable. What I actually want is to stay informed so I'm not just lost in a limbo, wondering what's happening with only optimistically reassuring comments and critical speculation to keep me afloat.
If the same delay happens with the release of the other episodes,I think that it will take at least a year to release all episodes.And I think that it's a little too much for 5 episodes.
But that's just the problem; that example is when they first began.
By now one would assume that they have become more professional, and more able to deliver content regularly (or at least keep their fanbase informed; I'm sure that Telltale knew that the game would not be ready for December a while before telling us to wait until January).
In any event, I shall just hope that the next episodes release at most 6 weeks apart, although I really am not convinced, seeing that this one episode has taken twice that long.
When Telltale first began, their Bone episodes were released seven months apart from each other (and each episode had a shorter play time than… more those in The Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us). Like now, their episodic release schedule had allowed them to listen to fan and critic feedback and improve gameplay based on that feedback (in this case, they changed the mini game to their boss puzzle system that they also used later in many of their best games, added dialog not found in the source comics, and increased the episode length considerably). Thankfully, the amount of time it takes them to add changes is much shorter now.
Telltale's history has shown that the wait is worth it for the improvements the extra development time brings.
If the same delay happens with the release of the other episodes,I think that it will take at least a year to release all episodes.And I think that it's a little too much for 5 episodes.
As I mentioned, Telltale has improved considerably since they first started. Their breaks between the first and second episodes are only two or three months (which isn't that long, considering that the improvements they include in them are at least as extensive as the ones in Bone and now take half as long or less to release).
I'd love for Telltale to go back to their early days of open transparency as much as everyone else, but I understand that it's not possible. Before they only released games on their online store and GameTap, and had much lower profile licenses. Now that they are working with large corporations such as Warner Bros (which owns Vertigo, which is an imprint of DC Comics) for Fables, and with big name licenses like The Walking Dead, and have to deal with distribution deals with large console manufacturers like Sony and Microsoft, there's a lot of non-disclosure agreements and other legal red tape that they have to deal with. That's likely the reason that they can only give release dates when they have them, and can only give vague statements such as that they're still working on the game when they don't have them (and Telltale's PR people, Laura Perusco (puzzlebox) and Job Stauffer have been giving those statements for both The Wolf Among Us and The Walking Dead Season Two long before the end of December announcements for both franchises were made).
As I said above, the extra wait between the first and second episodes is part of Telltale Game's development process, and since the extra wait time is to address fan feedback, it provides for a better game (as Telltale has done since their conception). If you look at their history, the rest of the episodes in the season have always released at a quicker rate after the improvements are made (as the last few episodes of Back to the Future and The Walking Dead released less than two months apart), so I'm sure The Wolf Among Us will do so as well.
But that's just the problem; that example is when they first began.
By now one would assume that they have become more professional, and mo… morere able to deliver content regularly (or at least keep their fanbase informed; I'm sure that Telltale knew that the game would not be ready for December a while before telling us to wait until January).
In any event, I shall just hope that the next episodes release at most 6 weeks apart, although I really am not convinced, seeing that this one episode has taken twice that long.
I wonder, if I get my money back, if they can't make it 'til Summer 2014....
I buyed the season pass with the promise, that they'll make it until then, but what I have seen so far tells another story.
Never make promises you can't keep, kids! Otherwise the black man comes and swings his....black suitcase on the table of the court and sues you, until you are bled dry.
telltale come on. You cant do this to your fans. We are waiting. Give us a date, gives some infos, damn give just something. We want to know whats going on. This is not very respectful to be so silent to your customores. I know you like this radio silence system from your company but pls, pls give us SOMETHING!
telltale come on. You cant do this to your fans. We are waiting. Give us a date, gives some infos, damn give just something. We want to know w… morehats going on. This is not very respectful to be so silent to your customores. I know you like this radio silence system from your company but pls, pls give us SOMETHING!
I don't understand this mentality that since they historically take longer between the first and second episodes of their series', it's ok that they are doing so again. It seems they are taking longer and longer between these two episodes of each series, and I don't think we should just write it off and accept it as an inevitability, especially since they seem to have found a solid base for the mechanics they are sticking with in the form of The Walking Dead Season 1. I figured they would have improved their turnover rates significantly, but it seems the opposite has occurred. I think there is some cause for concern here. Maybe not a lot, but definitely some.
The four games aren't going to be released simultaneously. They aren't going to release the two newly announced games until next year at the … moresoonest. They haven't even begun full work on them yet. They're just in the concept stages now. This is very usual for Telltale. They have many plans in progress with a very small team with a handful of people that just sorts out the basics like general storyline and concept art, and then when they are ready to start full production after their other series end, they get a larger team together.
They announced 5 games in 2011, and all of them have been released except for King's Quest (which was out of Telltale's hands as the license was pulled from them by the license holders). And there's no chance of the license being pulled for The Wolf Among Us, since they are already in the middle of production, and licenses can only be revoked when the game hasn't been produced for years. A two to three month… [view original content]
I really don't mind the wait between episodes, but there really needs to be communication from TTG.
Communication is key in order to keep faith with your paying customers. DO IT!!!
Starting to lose hope, I never thought I'd ever be this genuinely angry at a Game Company because of the time it took to release something.
You know, with the exception of Valve, but I digress.
I didn't expect Season 2 of Walking Dead until December, but not even The Wolf Among Us?
This extended delay without even a word of new info or screenshot is beginning to grate on my nerves a bit.
If they had said, "looks guys, it's a ton of work, their is the holiday's. We won't release next one till sometime after that working on glitches" that could be understood. However they would have to actually communicate with us, for that to even be a remote possibility. Does this mean early Jan, mid Jan?. I'm still in dark about that.
If it's not too much trouble, I'd like ..some answers. or even one.
WTF telltale games ?! How long we need wait for the next episode ?! 3-4 months or years ? " We want to know whats going on. This is not very respectful to be so silent to your customores".
The issue is not the delay. If the game still needs work, then sane and mature gamers should be all for delays if they prefer a quality, finished product over a glitchy beta test.
The issue is how awful they are at simple communication. Admit that Episode 2 is taking longer than expected rather than making everyone think this is even slightly indicative of how it's going to be the rest of the season. Don't pretend that 'news at the start of January' should mollify people.
If they had said, "looks guys, it's a ton of work, their is the holiday's. We won't release next one till sometime after that working on glitc… morehes" that could be understood. However they would have to actually communicate with us, for that to even be a remote possibility. Does this mean early Jan, mid Jan?. I'm still in dark about that.
If it's not too much trouble, I'd like ..some answers. or even one.
I maintain (and will continue to maintain until proven horribly wrong) that we are not in the middle of a delay but rather a creative release schedule that Telltale aren't bothering to tell us.
Think about it. The walking dead is their crown jewel. But you can't pump that game out over a monthly period. Even if it were possible, it would be poor business sense as then they'd blow through their most high profile game in a matter of months and be left empty handed.
No you have to go bi-monthly with something like the walking dead. But how to keep the rabid masses happy during the months off? Telltale's output isn't just for old adventure fans anymore. Oh no. They make best selling game of the year winning stuff now and that means they have a much wider audience to keep happy.
So how to fill the time between the months of the walking dead? Well hey, what about that OTHER high profile, thus far well received game that's also based on a best selling comic book but happens to be similar enough to the walking dead but different enough to stand on it's own? That game would be a bi-monthly release as well wouldn't it?
So what do you do with two high profile, lucrative game releases that can only release once ever second month? Why you BLEND THE RELEASES TOGETHER.
Hold back wolf a little bit so that Walking Dead can have the big spiffy christmas launch window and when it takes it's scheduled downtime in January... BOOM! WOLF AMONG US!!!
Then one month Dead, one month Wolf, over and over again until both seasons end.
Suddenly two completely separate game franchises are sharing an epic nine month release calendar that will equal massive sales and attention for telltale games.
It's certainly the most reasonable explanation for the silence from TTG. There is of course the conspiracy theorists point of view that they're rewriting a large portion of the game due to people guessing the 'big reveal' of the plot, but imo this is unlikely, even if it turns out to be right, there's lots more to the game to be told and unlikely they'd rewrite the entire thing.
It's not like they can admit they're holding back the release either; 'Hey guys, we've finished the game, but for us it makes much more business and fiscal sense to release in between TWD. So sorry, you'll just have to wait...' Cue impending shitstorm.
So yes, I'm in agreement that the game is probably ready to go, but they're waiting for the 'best' time to release it, which unfortunately for us is next year.
I maintain (and will continue to maintain until proven horribly wrong) that we are not in the middle of a delay but rather a creative release … moreschedule that Telltale aren't bothering to tell us.
Think about it. The walking dead is their crown jewel. But you can't pump that game out over a monthly period. Even if it were possible, it would be poor business sense as then they'd blow through their most high profile game in a matter of months and be left empty handed.
No you have to go bi-monthly with something like the walking dead. But how to keep the rabid masses happy during the months off? Telltale's output isn't just for old adventure fans anymore. Oh no. They make best selling game of the year winning stuff now and that means they have a much wider audience to keep happy.
So how to fill the time between the months of the walking dead? Well hey, what about that OTHER high profile, thus far well received game that's also based on a best … [view original content]
WOW now we aren't getting it until January? What happened to getting it right after TWDS2? This has to be the longest stretch between a first episode and a second episode to date. The games are worth the wait though in my opinion and at least they aren't as bad as Valve. We know they won't give us two episodes then years later we still won't have the third episode.
Before the Thanksgiving holiday one of Telltale's Pr people had twittered that he had played the game and thought that it would come out soon after the Thanksgiving holiday. So that says to me it was completed, and they are waiting to put it out. With only sketchy information, we can only speculate why they are waiting. My issue with where we are as a community waiting for release is, wait perhaps 3 months get episode 2, after 2 hours of play, back to 3 months wait again for episode 3 and so forth. I have purchased episodic comics in the past, but the wait was nothing like this. Even though there are disclosure agreements with outside companies, there are things that could be said to the community, but Telltale chooses not to do so. For myself personally, I will have to see where this goes. I did not make myself aware that these issues were reoccurring for this company, as I did read information prior to purchase, but not about these issues. I am usually pretty thorough when reviewing before purchase, this one got away from me I guess. No harm to me, I have a life, other games to play, other things to do and accomplish. I will have to be more observant in the future.
WOW now we aren't getting it until January? What happened to getting it right after TWDS2? This has to be the longest stretch between a firs… moret episode and a second episode to date. The games are worth the wait though in my opinion and at least they aren't as bad as Valve. We know they won't give us two episodes then years later we still won't have the third episode.
Comments
It's at least 50% longer than the longest before, which is quite substantial.
It's not a question of testing before production and release, as Telltale's episodic release schedule allows them to make changes in their episodes based on fan feedback and critical response. They add gameplay mechanics too based on that feedback, for instance the shooting sequences in The Walking Dead. Those changes (especially the possible additional gameplay mechanics) take time to add, and since they tackle exactly what fans wanted for the game, it makes for a better game over all.
When Telltale first began, their Bone episodes were released seven months apart from each other (and each episode had a shorter play time than those in The Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us). Like now, their episodic release schedule had allowed them to listen to fan and critic feedback and improve gameplay based on that feedback (in this case, they changed the mini game to their boss puzzle system that they also used later in many of their best games, added dialog not found in the source comics, and increased the episode length considerably). Thankfully, the amount of time it takes them to add changes is much shorter now.
Telltale's history has shown that the wait is worth it for the improvements the extra development time brings.
[removed]
I don't know how you can say this is perfectly normal.. It may have taken 7-8 weeks to get the second episode out for those games, that is much different than 11 weeks or more, especially when you consider it's an episodic game and now they have experience releasing episodes on consoles! It is obvious either:
A: TWAU is put on backburner for other projects
B: TWAU is requiring rewrites or gameplay fixes
Either way people who are mainly interested in TWAU should get some update (IMO). Show you customers some respect, this is getting ridiculous.
not only have I played TWD, I Finished the game.......about 10 times!! my fav so far!
This thread could use the color.
I absolutely agree
I understand that games have to be delayed sometimes, and I understand all the more when considering that Telltale games is handling a number of different projects right now. I'm definitely not going to accuse them of being negligent or manipulative.
What I'm mainly confused about is why there's been no concrete information given on when the next TWAU episode might be coming out--even a time frame of some sort. There was never even an announcement that it was going to be late in the first place, from what I understand. If it's going to be delayed, that's fine and completely understandable. What I actually want is to stay informed so I'm not just lost in a limbo, wondering what's happening with only optimistically reassuring comments and critical speculation to keep me afloat.
If the same delay happens with the release of the other episodes,I think that it will take at least a year to release all episodes.And I think that it's a little too much for 5 episodes.
But that's just the problem; that example is when they first began.
By now one would assume that they have become more professional, and more able to deliver content regularly (or at least keep their fanbase informed; I'm sure that Telltale knew that the game would not be ready for December a while before telling us to wait until January).
In any event, I shall just hope that the next episodes release at most 6 weeks apart, although I really am not convinced, seeing that this one episode has taken twice that long.
At least a year.
If this continues we will be getting episode 5 in 2015, which is a scary thought.
I loved the first but it sucks to think that we have to wait 2 months to play a 4 hour episode :P Hope part 2 will release soon
As I mentioned, Telltale has improved considerably since they first started. Their breaks between the first and second episodes are only two or three months (which isn't that long, considering that the improvements they include in them are at least as extensive as the ones in Bone and now take half as long or less to release).
I'd love for Telltale to go back to their early days of open transparency as much as everyone else, but I understand that it's not possible. Before they only released games on their online store and GameTap, and had much lower profile licenses. Now that they are working with large corporations such as Warner Bros (which owns Vertigo, which is an imprint of DC Comics) for Fables, and with big name licenses like The Walking Dead, and have to deal with distribution deals with large console manufacturers like Sony and Microsoft, there's a lot of non-disclosure agreements and other legal red tape that they have to deal with. That's likely the reason that they can only give release dates when they have them, and can only give vague statements such as that they're still working on the game when they don't have them (and Telltale's PR people, Laura Perusco (puzzlebox) and Job Stauffer have been giving those statements for both The Wolf Among Us and The Walking Dead Season Two long before the end of December announcements for both franchises were made).
As I said above, the extra wait between the first and second episodes is part of Telltale Game's development process, and since the extra wait time is to address fan feedback, it provides for a better game (as Telltale has done since their conception). If you look at their history, the rest of the episodes in the season have always released at a quicker rate after the improvements are made (as the last few episodes of Back to the Future and The Walking Dead released less than two months apart), so I'm sure The Wolf Among Us will do so as well.
4 hours is a bit ambitious.
More like 2 or 2 and a half.
I wonder, if I get my money back, if they can't make it 'til Summer 2014....
I buyed the season pass with the promise, that they'll make it until then, but what I have seen so far tells another story.
Never make promises you can't keep, kids! Otherwise the black man comes and swings his....black suitcase on the table of the court and sues you, until you are bled dry.
Worse than waiting for it is not even knowing when it is going to come out.
telltale come on. You cant do this to your fans. We are waiting. Give us a date, gives some infos, damn give just something. We want to know whats going on. This is not very respectful to be so silent to your customores. I know you like this radio silence system from your company but pls, pls give us SOMETHING!
Ranting certainly isn't going to help...
I don't understand this mentality that since they historically take longer between the first and second episodes of their series', it's ok that they are doing so again. It seems they are taking longer and longer between these two episodes of each series, and I don't think we should just write it off and accept it as an inevitability, especially since they seem to have found a solid base for the mechanics they are sticking with in the form of The Walking Dead Season 1. I figured they would have improved their turnover rates significantly, but it seems the opposite has occurred. I think there is some cause for concern here. Maybe not a lot, but definitely some.
I really don't mind the wait between episodes, but there really needs to be communication from TTG.
Communication is key in order to keep faith with your paying customers. DO IT!!!
na , even when you do all the conversations and check everything you can interactive with there is no way it takes more than 2 and an half hours.
Telltale Games pressents The Wolf Not Among Us!
Nah...They can't present "The Wolf Not Among Us". The are unable to handle 2 games at a time, so it is impossible for them to release this game too.
Starting to lose hope, I never thought I'd ever be this genuinely angry at a Game Company because of the time it took to release something.
You know, with the exception of Valve, but I digress.
[removed]
How is this relevant to the thread?
Make your own thread to post this video.
your name reminds me of sephiroth
I think it's just self-promoting
If they had said, "looks guys, it's a ton of work, their is the holiday's. We won't release next one till sometime after that working on glitches" that could be understood. However they would have to actually communicate with us, for that to even be a remote possibility. Does this mean early Jan, mid Jan?. I'm still in dark about that.
If it's not too much trouble, I'd like ..some answers. or even one.
Maybe it's just part of the game. Maybe the second episode already exists, but we need to find him.
Pause the game during the intro then X Y up right A Y (on xbox) to unlock episode 2
WTF telltale games ?! How long we need wait for the next episode ?! 3-4 months or years ? " We want to know whats going on. This is not very respectful to be so silent to your customores".
Yep, this needs to be cleared up.
The issue is not the delay. If the game still needs work, then sane and mature gamers should be all for delays if they prefer a quality, finished product over a glitchy beta test.
The issue is how awful they are at simple communication. Admit that Episode 2 is taking longer than expected rather than making everyone think this is even slightly indicative of how it's going to be the rest of the season. Don't pretend that 'news at the start of January' should mollify people.
I maintain (and will continue to maintain until proven horribly wrong) that we are not in the middle of a delay but rather a creative release schedule that Telltale aren't bothering to tell us.
Think about it. The walking dead is their crown jewel. But you can't pump that game out over a monthly period. Even if it were possible, it would be poor business sense as then they'd blow through their most high profile game in a matter of months and be left empty handed.
No you have to go bi-monthly with something like the walking dead. But how to keep the rabid masses happy during the months off? Telltale's output isn't just for old adventure fans anymore. Oh no. They make best selling game of the year winning stuff now and that means they have a much wider audience to keep happy.
So how to fill the time between the months of the walking dead? Well hey, what about that OTHER high profile, thus far well received game that's also based on a best selling comic book but happens to be similar enough to the walking dead but different enough to stand on it's own? That game would be a bi-monthly release as well wouldn't it?
So what do you do with two high profile, lucrative game releases that can only release once ever second month? Why you BLEND THE RELEASES TOGETHER.
Hold back wolf a little bit so that Walking Dead can have the big spiffy christmas launch window and when it takes it's scheduled downtime in January... BOOM! WOLF AMONG US!!!
Then one month Dead, one month Wolf, over and over again until both seasons end.
Suddenly two completely separate game franchises are sharing an epic nine month release calendar that will equal massive sales and attention for telltale games.
It's certainly the most reasonable explanation for the silence from TTG. There is of course the conspiracy theorists point of view that they're rewriting a large portion of the game due to people guessing the 'big reveal' of the plot, but imo this is unlikely, even if it turns out to be right, there's lots more to the game to be told and unlikely they'd rewrite the entire thing.
It's not like they can admit they're holding back the release either; 'Hey guys, we've finished the game, but for us it makes much more business and fiscal sense to release in between TWD. So sorry, you'll just have to wait...' Cue impending shitstorm.
So yes, I'm in agreement that the game is probably ready to go, but they're waiting for the 'best' time to release it, which unfortunately for us is next year.
WOW now we aren't getting it until January? What happened to getting it right after TWDS2? This has to be the longest stretch between a first episode and a second episode to date. The games are worth the wait though in my opinion and at least they aren't as bad as Valve. We know they won't give us two episodes then years later we still won't have the third episode.
Before the Thanksgiving holiday one of Telltale's Pr people had twittered that he had played the game and thought that it would come out soon after the Thanksgiving holiday. So that says to me it was completed, and they are waiting to put it out. With only sketchy information, we can only speculate why they are waiting. My issue with where we are as a community waiting for release is, wait perhaps 3 months get episode 2, after 2 hours of play, back to 3 months wait again for episode 3 and so forth. I have purchased episodic comics in the past, but the wait was nothing like this. Even though there are disclosure agreements with outside companies, there are things that could be said to the community, but Telltale chooses not to do so. For myself personally, I will have to see where this goes. I did not make myself aware that these issues were reoccurring for this company, as I did read information prior to purchase, but not about these issues. I am usually pretty thorough when reviewing before purchase, this one got away from me I guess. No harm to me, I have a life, other games to play, other things to do and accomplish. I will have to be more observant in the future.
Technically January /is/ "right after TWDS2". December is almost over, after all. As scary as that is.