A Rather Bold Prediction...
Here goes. With all the talk of MI canon, and the challenges it presents to anyone attempting to write new stories for the series, I've been wondering for a while what our Telltale peeps think about all that. And I'll go out on a limb here and say that MI2's ending and EMI's H.T. Marley reveal will both be referenced in Tales. I have this hunch that at least one of them will figure heavily into an ep. The opportunity to humorously indulge (more than a casual aside or two) some of this stuff could prove totally cathartic to long-suffering fans.
There's been a lot of concern about an episodic series doing justice to the MI experience. I think the "self-contained-but-serialized" episodic format could actually be rather ideal for tackling some of the, shall we say, messier corners in the MI attic.
Sorry for the long winded and possibly nonsensical post. Thoughts?
There's been a lot of concern about an episodic series doing justice to the MI experience. I think the "self-contained-but-serialized" episodic format could actually be rather ideal for tackling some of the, shall we say, messier corners in the MI attic.
Sorry for the long winded and possibly nonsensical post. Thoughts?
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Well, that would be a nice blend... and possibly cathartic, yes
Other combination of references from all four episodes could work as well, more in general I really would like to have a sort of smooth blending of all previous episodes topped with abundant TTG Magical Sauce of Awesoness (TM)
This is TTG.
I delight myself to be able to take actually good story-telling as a given
Well, actually I think Sam and Max became way too self-referential towards the middle of S1/2, so TTG aren't immune to this. But I've high hopes for TMI.
I think it'll work fine, because after all, pretty much every monkey island game has run in more-or-less self-contained episodes. (Think of SMI: "The Three Trials," "The Journey," "Under Monkey Island," and "Guybrush Kicks butt") These chapters are self-contained and seperate from one another with the exception of a few inventory items that carry over (and even then - not many). So I don't think this format will harm Monkey Island at all...in fact, with the exception of the wait between episodes, which will only heighten anticipation, it probably won't have much of an impact at all.
Another thing. With their statement that "time heals all continuity wounds", and the fact that this game is supposed to take place after "Monkey Island 5", makes me curious as to whether the series will be largely self contained with it's story, and not bring back old characters or locations. That'd be a shame, but I can see why they'd want to leave the writers options open if someone ever does decide to do a full blown sequel.
Maybe since TellTale said its not? They want this to fit in after MI5, if this was MI5 then I am sure Ron Gilbert would of wanted to be lead designer considering MI was his idea and I think only he knows the real secret of monkey island (Hint: It's people)
But Ron Gilbert only provided some insgiht on the project and he's fine with it. If it was a direct sequal I just think he would of liked a lead designer/director since once again, it's his game.
Dave had just as much to do with it as Ron did.
And it's been stated since that the whole "After Monkey Island 5" thing has been taken very much out of proportion by some people. And even if they didn't say it, what makes it not a full sequel for everybody? We have Ron Gilbert's involvement and input, if only at an advisory level. We have writers from previous games, voice actors from previous games, designers from previous games, and the music guy. It's a new adventure starring Guybrush Threepwood on a high-seas adventure, it's not exactly a "spin-off". In concept, it has all the trappings of a direct sequel. So even if Telltale and LucasArts released a joint press memo saying "THIS IS NOT MONKEY ISLAND 5", with Ron Gilbert signing the thing in his own blood, I'd still say that they're wrong, and this thing has everything to be called a full-blown sequel(tm).
It's been stated many times (by the writers/designers) that the "after MI5" thing was a joke that got out of hand. This is the fifth monkey island game and is as much an MI5 as Curse is MI3.
I really don't know how to respond to this. So ToMI isn't MI5 because Ron Gilbert provided more to this game than he did to CoMI/MI3 & EFMI/MI4 (being none in those games) but you still consider those to be MI3 & 4 otherwise you wouldn't be talking about a MI5 game...
So yeah. It is a sequel, but they don't think it's a sequel in the sense of the preceeding games.
He didn't say it wasn't MI5, he said it takes place after an "imaginary MI5". Which was
It's still a sequel to the other games and is the fifth game in the series, hence it is as much MI5 as EFMI is MI4 and CMI is MI3.
It just takes place a long time after Escape and starts at the end of another adventure like the Indy movies.
Hahaha, probably. It's just really annoying this whole it's not made by Ron, it's not MI5 crap, it really need's to die.
I'm just so happy to have the next new installment of Monkey Island with Ron and Dave's involvement
Now if only next season we can rope Tim in as well...
I know Telltale games is barely starting and breaking in the industry business, but i believe they are testing the water way too much. I say if they get good reviews from MI5 and its a total success, then i say go for making complete games. The only games where its good making miniadventures its Sam and Max, with different cases and different scenarios.
No, its like watching a TV show and waiting for the next episode... would you rather they released all episodes of [Insert TV show here] all at once? Maybe you would but its not how these things are done. Its about the cliffhangers and the anticipation of the next episode.
Its the way things are done at TTG and I think it works really well for a game like Monkey Island. It's not "testing the water" - its the way in which the whole company is set up.
I like it. I like putting down thirty bucks and participating in the fun and discussion between episodes. I like reaping the benefits of $30 over five/six months.
And your analogy is faulty anyway. It's like demanding that only movies are made, because TV shows are too fragmented.
And they aren't just little beginners, putting out small plays before they go into the big industry. They're built from the ground-up for this. Their entire company runs the way it does because they want to release games like this. To devalue their entire structure as simple child's play is really underestimating them.
Forum discussions between the release, trailers for each one, etc. etc.
If you have the time, you'll also get to replay each single episode for all the little hidden detail and punch-lines while still being "in the middle of the story", so to say...
It's a lot of fun in my opinion!
Good analogy. If the MI series and other past adventure games can be likened to film (or the novel), TTG's episodic format can clearly be likened to television (or comics. Hell, radio serials!). Film is now about a 120-year old form. Just to put things in perspective, if you compare TV's lifespan to film's, we would be somewhere in the 1960's right now.
Now let's hop, skip, jump our way through the zeitgeist to episodic gaming. I doubt there's anyone young enough on this board to not remember a time when it didn't exist. There's a reason they call it cutting edge. It's because we've just scratched the surface of this exciting new form. There's still so much to be discovered, and we have all the more clarity to do so when we're not demanding that our TV shows be like our movies.
P.S. My opening post on this thread was kind of a joke. Really started it to get some discourse going on the whole nature of this episodic gaming thing, and I found all the responses to be interesting and thoughtful. So thanks!
While we, the players, are enjoying the first episode, the designers are still working at the later ones. So they have the possibility to react to criticism. It would also take much longer than just for days before we can start playing if we got the whole game at once. I also think that the waiting enhances the joy, like in the old times when I was a kid and couldn't wait for my next cartoon magazine.
Then there's downloading time. Even today, downloading hundreds of Megs takes awhile... if you download just an episode, you don't have to stare at your busy computer for hours.
Not to mention people who don't live in the US, like me. I love games to download, because I save the money for the shipping and don't have to wait weeks for my package to arrive.
So, everything is great for me. I just hope TMI will run on my computer, or I'll... be very sad.
I'm really looking forward to that. This will be my first time playing a Telltale game "live." Be gentle with me, Telltale!
I agree - I actually got a little bored when playing through all of S&M season 1 back-to-back but when I played season 2 individually they were much more fun.
(they may have just been better)