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  • Beyond Great

  • edited December 2019

    As previously confirmed, future Telltale titles will have an episodic structure overall. However, the jury’s still out on whether the games will release episodically or drop all at once. One thing is clear, though, the new Telltale won’t follow the former company’s development model. For example, if The Wolf Among Us 2 is released one episode at a time, all five will be complete before fans get their hands on the first part.

    The studio’s CEO Jamie Ottilie shared this interesting tidbit with GameDaily.biz during a recent interview. He told the publication, “we are creating the stories episodically, but how they will be released is still to be determined. I think the important distinction here is that we will no longer be developing episodically. If we do release the game in episodes, all of them will be ready before the first one hits the store.”

    So, this should mean that episodes will release much closer together, not months apart. Maybe even all-at-once Netflix-style?
    Sounds cool and a great way to keep development and the plot tight.

  • Hopefully not all at once. I really appreciate the episodic structure to create discussion and build suspense with each episode. As I mentioned previously weekly/bi-weekly would be the perfect sweet spot.

    AChicken posted: »

    As previously confirmed, future Telltale titles will have an episodic structure overall. However, the jury’s still out on whether the games

  • Didn't they do something similar with TFS? Plan the ending before the beginning? I guess its different since so many things were cut from the game becuase of budget

  • Didn't they do something similar with TFS? Plan the ending before the beginning?

    Yeah they (kinda) did, they released a schedule for eps 2, 3 & 4.

    Didn't they do something similar with TFS? Plan the ending before the beginning? I guess its different since so many things were cut from the game becuase of budget

  • Yeah but they weren't all completed though.

    Didn't they do something similar with TFS? Plan the ending before the beginning? Yeah they (kinda) did, they released a schedule for eps 2, 3 & 4.

  • If they release the games fully, episodic but not separate for months I believe it'll sell better, but the forums hype will decrease immensely.

  • This is for the best in everyway. Way less crunch and overall quality will be better as there isnt going to be rewrites and all that.

    I will miss not being able to talk about the story in between episodes, but realistically its probably for the best they release it all at once. Only way they can possibly get away with episodic releases if its once a week.

  • Sadly you're right but still that's proof that they knew what they were doing with TFS

    patrickrc95 posted: »

    Yeah but they weren't all completed though.

  • This is the case for all Telltale games though. They all start with a Season outline but due to developing games live it just made everything clunky even though they had a plan. Having it all done at a once lets them go back and fix things that dont feel correct when playing the whole season. When released live that stuff is always there forever and it cant be fixed.

    Sadly you're right but still that's proof that they knew what they were doing with TFS

  • One episode a month sounds good to me

    If they release the games fully, episodic but not separate for months I believe it'll sell better, but the forums hype will decrease immensely.

  • I am all for a biweekly release or a strictly one month release. Part of me prefers the latter, because I think they will still have time to fix adjust and fix certain things such as bugs in case they appear.

  • Yes. But if all the episodes are completed before the First Episode, it means that no matter what happens they'll have all the episodes ready regardless of the sales. Whereas with The Final Season, they had everything planned out but not finished, forcing Skybound's Hand.

    Sadly you're right but still that's proof that they knew what they were doing with TFS

  • edited December 2019

    Ah I see I get it now, probably what @Poogers555 tried to tell me before (?)

    patrickrc95 posted: »

    Yes. But if all the episodes are completed before the First Episode, it means that no matter what happens they'll have all the episodes read

  • I am going to riot if they take away the release schedule. Honestly the fact that the games weren't released all at once was one of the most fun parts of Telltale Games back in the day.

  • I dont know... on one hand if they dont spread out releases Ill really miss talking inbetween episodes, but on the other, realistically, vast majority hates episodic releases, so if they want sales might as well drop it all at once.

    Only way I can see them getting away with spread out releases if its like a 1 week wait and each episode has enough content worth (and that most players would find worth) while to keep occupied while they wait for the next chapter next week.

    I am going to riot if they take away the release schedule. Honestly the fact that the games weren't released all at once was one of the most fun parts of Telltale Games back in the day.

  • Yeah 1 week to 1 month. Just test things out with Wolf. But watch when we're all talking about this with detailed essays and crap and then when Wolf 2 releases all the people who were hyped for it don't actually buy the game and just watch their favourite youtubers play it. That would suck. Luckily there won't be 400 employees to pay like last time but still, I really hope people spend some money on it. Just like movies, you don't really play Telltale games for the gameplay. You can't put movies online for free and you need to pay to watch them, now I'm not saying they should ban Telltale games on youtube and other video platforms but these games really are in a weird spot. It's certainly going to be a challenge and I hope that 10 years from now Telltale is still standing.

    Poogers555 posted: »

    I dont know... on one hand if they dont spread out releases Ill really miss talking inbetween episodes, but on the other, realistically, vas

  • edited December 2019

    I hope people dont just watch it on youtube and actually buy it, however Wolf 2 has to have some real choice and consequence so it can change this. Main reason why Youtube ended up killing Telltale was because how linear Telltale Games became. The illusion was pretty much gone with newer games so a ton of people basically just said "Why am I paying for this when I can just watch a no commentary video of it on youtube for free?"

    This is also another reason for why I feel they should try and add better gameplay than just QTEs. I dont think QTEs should be removed, but they need to add real gameplay as well. It gives more people a reason to buy the game as it has non-linear gameplay they can get a different experience with instead of just watching it on youtube and still getting the same feeling.

    So hopefully New Telltale with their marketing can really highlight that this is something that has more impact on your choices and that you want to actually play, not watch.

    Ghetsis posted: »

    Yeah 1 week to 1 month. Just test things out with Wolf. But watch when we're all talking about this with detailed essays and crap and then w

  • Release the game and then release the episodes with a 1 month interval.
    As it was meant to be done back in the day, but this time, actually do it right.

  • I think a cool compromise would be releasing episodes weekly or bi-weekly (only if they have all episodes done in advance of course!).

    Old Telltale had poor advertising, in part, because upper management mandated live episode revisions so they didn't have a ton to advertise until super close before the episode was out. (Cough cough inaccurate "Next Time On" previews)

    But, if episodes are completely done in advance, this would allow Telltale to genuinely market their episode releases like TV shows, with actual advertising. Not to mention, predictable episode releases would make people warm back up to episodic gaming. Waiting for the next episode in unpredictable 2 week-4 month intervals wasn't very fun.

  • Facts

    I think a cool compromise would be releasing episodes weekly or bi-weekly (only if they have all episodes done in advance of course!). Ol

  • I reckon they have little excuse for not doing this now.

  • edited December 2019

    I still have PTSD from the 4 month wait for episode 2 of TWAU and episode 2 of Tales from the Borderlands.

    I think a cool compromise would be releasing episodes weekly or bi-weekly (only if they have all episodes done in advance of course!). Ol

  • Haha, member when they had "episodes release every 4-6 weeks" in their FAQs and then never managed to fulfill that statement, even taking 3-4 months in some cases? Good times.

    Anyway, I agree with most of you that I'd miss the individual episode discussions if they released them all at once. The bi-weekly releases indeed sound like the sweet spot.

    BigBadPaul posted: »

    Release the game and then release the episodes with a 1 month interval. As it was meant to be done back in the day, but this time, actually do it right.

  • so let me get this straight new telltale games games will be released full with no waiting period sometimes upto 4 months under old telltale but will still be episodic

  • Three months after TWAU S2's First Episode.

    "Heh, heh, yup guys, we're working hard on it. It'll be out soon."

    releases a spinoff of a obscure character that no one cares about.

    "Oh, sorry. We are dealing with a delay. Don't worry!"

    People leave the twau fandom because of the delay.

    "Ah, shit! Our cash cows have left!"

    Telltale rushes the episode out, but it sucks.

    *The fans did not like that.

  • The game will be in episodes but it wont be developed live (meaning all episodes will be 100% complete before they release episode 1)

    They havent said how they plan to release episodes yet though. Meaning it may all just drop at once, or they will hold off on episodes and wait like a week or 2 inbetween.

    donmike84 posted: »

    so let me get this straight new telltale games games will be released full with no waiting period sometimes upto 4 months under old telltale but will still be episodic

  • Wonder how long of a wait we can expect now. Is 2021 too optimistic?

  • Assuming its overall very similar to a Telltale game I would say 2021 is the most likely out come.

    booper posted: »

    Wonder how long of a wait we can expect now. Is 2021 too optimistic?

  • That’s cool as long as they release them weekly/bi-weekly. Forum discussion is 90% of these games for me.

  • I am wondering, since all episodes will be developed before release, could our choices matter more now?

  • Most likely as the entire thing is done meaning they wont need to compromise. A big issue for why choices barely meant anything in past games was because not only was everything rushed or they re wrote the script half way through which wont be an issue if the whole game is already complete.

    I am wondering, since all episodes will be developed before release, could our choices matter more now?

  • Choice always mattered, just not in the way people expected, or even desired

    I am wondering, since all episodes will be developed before release, could our choices matter more now?

  • Yes. And some more than others.

    Choice always mattered, just not in the way people expected, or even desired

  • He said 'matter more'

    Choice always mattered, just not in the way people expected, or even desired

  • edited December 2019

    Yeah I was just saying they always mattered, like as a whole, looking back, it was a bit random of me to say that in response to that comment. Sorry

    Ghetsis posted: »

    He said 'matter more'

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