The Spoony Experiment - Because bad movies and games deserve to be hurt back!

http://twitter.com/doggans doggans

I trust Telltale implicitly with the license to my favorite movie trilogy. Tales of Monkey Island and Sam and Max: The Devil’s Playhouse had some of the most gripping stories I’ve ever played in a computer game (and were absolutely hilarious, of course).

Anonymous

You better not be leading us into a licence game trap bro.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Oliver-Meyer/1288596186 Oliver Meyer

Wait, they’re doing Jurassic Park, too? Hm, now I’m curious as to what they’re gonna do with that license. A BTTF point-and-click adventure seems straightforward enough, but JP? Hmm…….we shall see.

http://www.facebook.com/OCDSuperman Nathan Jackson

Holy Crap! I just saw Geoff Sexyness. I’ve been wondering whatever happened to his and Jordan Doom’s podcast. Did you get a chance to ask Spoony?

http://www.facebook.com/Nutforest Tobias Nødskou Rasmussen

Finally some PAX vids :D All hail the spoonyone!

Anonymous

Bleh, again with the episodes gimmick? :[

http://twitter.com/CedarMusketeer Bryan Gardner

I love how Tell Tale Games is bringing back the Adventure Game as a legit genre in PC gaming. With their re-imagining of Sam and Max and the Monkey Island series to Strong Bad’s Cool Game For Attractive People, they have basically taken the Adventure game concept and given it an upgraded graphics look.

Now I know people aren’t usually very good at the whole Episodic Game concept, but Tell Tale is actually quite good with the concept. They will release a new episode usually once a month, you can buy the whole series up front for about 30 bucks, and it does make the game last longer. I personally have SBCG4AP, and it actually helped me through a summer that for the most part was dragging by.

I will be asking to get this series for Christmas, since it should be coming out around then, and I will be playing the heck out of it.

http://twitter.com/doggans doggans

Not sure what your problem with episodic gaming is, but if it’s really a big deal, you can just wait until the end of the season and buy the whole game for 35 bucks.

Anonymous

I don’t have any problems with the concept. After all, they’re just games; it’s just that I miss having to play a 8-10 hour adventure game, instead of playing one 1-2 hour game, then wait for a month, play the second, etc.

http://www.droppingpenny.de DP_Albert

At least there is one American developer, who still makes excellent Point & Click adventures, unlike others who nearly killed the Genre *cough* Lucasarts *cough*. The Interview was very interesting and I agree with the fact that they are trying to do the movies justice and not ruin it, at least I got this impression from the Interview.

Anonymous

Licensed games are generally worst if they’re released alongside the movie/book/TV license that they’re based on, which implies that the game was rushed out just to get sales from people who watched the movie. When a game is released based on a movie much later than the movie was, it generally has a much better chance of success.

http://twitter.com/doggans doggans

Fair enough. And it’s certainly true that larger scale adventure games often allow for more complexity and nonlinearity. But I think Telltale has mastered the art of episodic storytelling in a game format.

Anonymous

Remember spoonys The Thing review? “Movie licence games almost always, always suck, especially when they’re made 20 years after the fact”

I’m not saying this is gonna suck, I’m saying I’ve never ever played a good licence game.

http://www.google.com/profiles/Fyodoror Fyodoror

2:20 AAAHHH THE SEXYNESS !! IT BURNS!!!

Anonymous

Great interviews Spoony! You are about to become a great reporter, you are seriously covering this Back to the Future game better than any other site has.

http://twitter.com/JSHADOWM John Sideris

Like Goldeneye 007 on the N64. it was made 2 years after the movie and it is awesome. not “WAS awesome”. IS.

http://www.facebook.com/andrewrg1 Andrew Resch Gillespie

Awesome interview Spoony. Even if there isn’t much out on the game yet, I’m fired up about it! Especially with Christopher Lloyd on the project! Tom Wilson’s been doing a fair amount of voice acting for video games in recent years, so maybe they could get him too? I’m not sure I’d want to see Biff be the villain (again) in this game but having him around nevertheless would really help with making it feel like the movies. Good work Spoony and I look forward to more of your PAX videos. I wish I was there.

Anonymous

I want to see some gameplay or atleast pictures so bad!!!! I want to love this like I love the Ghostbusters on the PC, but I won’t get my hopes up yet. I remember how bad the last Back to the Future game was….

http://www.facebook.com/people/Vincent-Kresse/100000039787473 Vincent Kresse

PAX, what E3 used to be.

http://twitter.com/BustermanZero Peter Dawson

Tell Tale’s track-record is 2 for 3 so far with adventure games, and even their failure, Tales of Monkey Island, does have some devent elements to it, being better than the first non-Ron Gilbert games in the series. I suppose I’m worried about fanboyism ruining the game, but really if non-fans worked on it and failed it would be worse than fans failing so I guess even if it flops it’ll at least be faithful to the original movies. I did love the fact that they brought in a DeLorean, fully-decked out. One wonders how they got that in the building but since there was a giant statue for Fallout: New Vegas, they must have a giant door for things like that.

http://twitter.com/doggans doggans

While I disagree about TOMI being a failure (I think it may be my favorite story in the whole franchise, with a lot of twists I genuinely didn’t expect, and it was great to have Gilbert and Grossman contribute to the franchise again), I’m curious; which were the other two Telltale games you played?

http://twitter.com/BustermanZero Peter Dawson

To qualify my TOMI statements, while the first couple of episodes had some clever moments I felt they didn’t live up to the original games or even the later episodes of the same series. While a game can get better later and it is welcome, if the game isn’t decent enough early on then I’ll call it a failure. My real gripes were the item combination system, PC movement controls and the heavy-handed homages to earlier games in the series, though some of the puzzles were pretty bland. As I’ve said though by episode 3 the games do get pretty solid, so since Gilbert planned the project rather than designed I’m going to be a fanboyish dick and assume that’s when his contributions really kicked in.

Other two Telltale games I’ve played are the Sam and Max series and Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Awesome People. Don’t know how much of the original creator’s stuff was in the former but it still worked, capturing a decent amount of the original series’ (that is, the game and comics and i suppose the TV show) humor. The Cool game meanwhile felt just perfect for what it promised. I do know they also did a couple of Bone games and a few CSI games and they seemed to be decently popular but I haven’t played them so I can’t judge.
http://twitter.com/BustermanZero Peter Dawson

To qualify my TOMI statements, while the first couple of episodes had some clever moments I felt they didn’t live up to the original games or even the later episodes of the same series. While a game can get better later and it is welcome, if the game isn’t decent enough early on then I’ll call it a failure. My real gripes were the item combination system, PC movement controls and the heavy-handed homages to earlier games in the series, though some of the puzzles were pretty bland. As I’ve said though by episode 3 the games do get pretty solid, so since Gilbert planned the project rather than designed I’m going to be a fanboyish dick and assume that’s when his contributions really kicked in.

Other two Telltale games I’ve played are the Sam and Max series and Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Awesome People. Don’t know how much of the original creator’s stuff was in the former but it still worked, capturing a decent amount of the original series’ (that is, the game and comics and i suppose the TV show) humor. The Cool game meanwhile felt just perfect for what it promised. I do know they also did a couple of Bone games and a few CSI games and they seemed to be decently popular but I haven’t played them so I can’t judge.

Anonymous

Now we need advertisement like this:
www youtube com / watch?v=mfNEoHoO9ZU

Or if you’re too lazy to add the dots and remove the spaces. Search: Space Channel 5 E3

http://www.facebook.com/stukerrigan Stuart Kerrigan

Agreed, TOMI was not a failure by any stretch for TellTale.

Anonymous

Obviously, know what’ll make this game good, if not great? The power of love.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Roberts/1169493872 Mark Roberts

Spoony! Great video. I wish I could have went to PAX. Couldn’t afford to go. I was curious about what you thought about 4th edition D&D. The “red box” is a great throw back. I actually started with the original “red box” Where you could play a fighter, wizard, thief, cleric, dwarf, elf or halfling. (yes the other races are classes.. as I kid I was blown away that you could be a race and a class.) I loved 3rd edition, even with the insane amount of prestige classes. Then they blow it up with 4th edition. They really “WoW’ed it. The only difference is there are more class selections. I just hate what they did with it. I bought the first 3 books and the first two 4th edition FR books, and I stopped because I don’t like anything they did. Ironically enough I thought one of the reasons they did this to simplify D&D, but now with the hundreds of different classes there are now, I know that isn’t the case.

So Spoony what is your opinion of 4th ed, and what are the other users opinions. I think I have a different look as I played 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 3.5 of D&D. I wonder if newer gamers have a different outlook?

http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Roberts/1169493872 Mark Roberts

Spoony! Great video. I wish I could have went to PAX. Couldn’t afford to go. I was curious about what you thought about 4th edition D&D. The “red box” is a great throw back. I actually started with the original “red box” Where you could play a fighter, wizard, thief, cleric, dwarf, elf or halfling. (yes the other races are classes.. as I kid I was blown away that you could be a race and a class.) I loved 3rd edition, even with the insane amount of prestige classes. Then they blow it up with 4th edition. They really “WoW’ed it. The only difference is there are more class selections. I just hate what they did with it. I bought the first 3 books and the first two 4th edition FR books, and I stopped because I don’t like anything they did. Ironically enough I thought one of the reasons they did this to simplify D&D, but now with the hundreds of different classes there are now, I know that isn’t the case.

So Spoony what is your opinion of 4th ed, and what are the other users opinions. I think I have a different look as I played 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 3.5 of D&D. I wonder if newer gamers have a different outlook?

http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Roberts/1169493872 Mark Roberts

Spoony! Great video. I wish I could have went to PAX. Couldn’t afford to go. I was curious about what you thought about 4th edition D&D. The “red box” is a great throw back. I actually started with the original “red box” Where you could play a fighter, wizard, thief, cleric, dwarf, elf or halfling. (yes the other races are classes.. as I kid I was blown away that you could be a race and a class.) I loved 3rd edition, even with the insane amount of prestige classes. Then they blow it up with 4th edition. They really “WoW’ed it. The only difference is there are more class selections. I just hate what they did with it. I bought the first 3 books and the first two 4th edition FR books, and I stopped because I don’t like anything they did. Ironically enough I thought one of the reasons they did this to simplify D&D, but now with the hundreds of different classes there are now, I know that isn’t the case.

So Spoony what is your opinion of 4th ed, and what are the other users opinions. I think I have a different look as I played 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 3.5 of D&D. I wonder if newer gamers have a different outlook?

http://www.facebook.com/englerp Engler Pascal

Well, while there are certainly many mediocre license games, there are more good games adapted from movie licenses (Indiana Jones 3 and 4, the PC-Star wars games in the time frame from Xwing to Jedi Knight:Outcast, Knights of the old republic, Tron 2.0, Goldeneye, Monoliths Alien vs predator games…) than watchable movies adapted from games. (Well, none?)

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1218524780 Doug Hancox

Dennis Lenart looks like the Del Taco commercial guy… Gregg Binkley! that’s his name.

Anonymous

Spoony, I have to ask: You mentioned the franchise possibly being in better hands than Telltale Games, even while you basically rave about Telltale as a dedicated and true developer (which I agree with). So I ‘m curious: what hands would you have picked for BTTF yourself?

http://twitter.com/MrNamefag Ashely Lutz

You heard that wrong, he said he COULDN’T imagine it being in better hands.
http://twitter.com/MrNamefag Ashely Lutz

You heard that wrong, he said he COULDN’T imagine it being in better hands.

Anonymous

I have to wonder.. why? I mean, I know how loved Back to the Future is.. but why now? They are banking REALLY hard on the nostalgia factor with this one considering the source material and the format (adventure game).

The episodic thing is also.. concerning. A lot of series are using the “Its episodic!” excuse just to milk more money out of people *cough* Starcraft 2 *cough* Sonic *cough* and test the water rather than releasing a full length and complete game.

Anonymous

I have to wonder.. why? I mean, I know how loved Back to the Future is.. but why now? They are banking REALLY hard on the nostalgia factor with this one considering the source material and the format (adventure game).

The episodic thing is also.. concerning. A lot of series are using the “Its episodic!” excuse just to milk more money out of people *cough* Starcraft 2 *cough* Sonic *cough* and test the water rather than releasing a full length and complete game.

Anonymous

I have to wonder.. why? I mean, I know how loved Back to the Future is.. but why now? They are banking REALLY hard on the nostalgia factor with this one considering the source material and the format (adventure game).

The episodic thing is also.. concerning. A lot of series are using the “Its episodic!” excuse just to milk more money out of people *cough* Starcraft 2 *cough* Sonic *cough* and test the water rather than releasing a full length and complete game.

http://twitter.com/nolanmcgarry Kefkaesque

Telltale did the same thing with Sam & Max and Monkey Island though, and that turned out pretty good.

There’s nothing wrong with an episodic release schedule IF it’s done properly. The problem is that it’s often used to simply milk more money out of people.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Blayney/683346875 Michael Blayney

I feel like such an asshole for even saying it, but I never liked BttF. Any of ‘em. Not even as a kid. :S

Anonymous

About the ‘why now’ question: because the timing is perfect: It’s BTTF’s 25 year anniversary soon, and a GOOD BTTF game in celebration is a perfect addition.

Anonymous

“oooohhh!! the delorean!! =DD”
spoony squeeing like a little fangirl… that was probably the cutest thing i have ever heard in my entire life! :3 it even beats the noises that happy fennec foxes make!

http://twitter.com/Goligoth Kevin Budianto

Geoff Sexiness? We saw him!!

http://www.facebook.com/people/Anof-TehDruid/100000811171331 Anof TehDruid

I wondered where Beholder had gotten to this year.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Anof-TehDruid/100000811171331 Anof TehDruid

I wondered where Beholder had gotten to this year.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NWIEWVR2MEBSPFMTCXAVU6VSCE Richard Brum

Hearing “The Power of Love” instantly put me into a happy place. :D Can’t wait for this game to come out! Only a few months away!

Anonymous

While I love BttF and will be playing this on day one also, I am so much more excited for the Jurassic Park game and I wish people were talking about that.

http://www.facebook.com/xfirefly Tori Maier

I did the same thing when I saw it :D Eeeee!!

http://twitter.com/doggans doggans

Re: the episodic model being used to milk more money…since a whole season of games from Telltale usually costs less than most major games from other companies, I wouldn’t worry about that being the motivation.

http://www.facebook.com/Treima Jimi Alexander

“The most enduring movie series of all time.”

WHAAAAAAA? You cannot be serious.

I think Michael J. Fox is going to have a horse head delivered to his bedroom. Or get visited by Boba Fett.

http://twitter.com/MrNamefag Ashely Lutz

He’s not saying it’s the best, he’s saying it’s the most enduring. Which, it is. There isn’t a single person in North America that hasn’t at least heard of it, and the majority of people who have heard of it have watched it and loved it, and that’s just North America.
http://twitter.com/MrNamefag Ashely Lutz

He’s not saying it’s the best, he’s saying it’s the most enduring. Which, it is. There isn’t a single person in North America that hasn’t at least heard of it, and the majority of people who have heard of it have watched it and loved it, and that’s just North America.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Erik-Bergstrom/100001219111586 Erik Bergstrom

I’ve gotta ask, what was that touch screen game at 3:00?

http://www.facebook.com/Treima Jimi Alexander

Show me someone in North America that hasn’t heard of Star Wars or The Godfather, and I’ll show you a liar.

Anonymous

I’ve never seen Spoony so excited for a gaame. He talks so fast so he can just hear what the guy has to say.

Jawmuncher

Completely agree with you.
BTTF is over shadowing JP.
At PAX it seems no one even asked them about, haven’t had any new info and it was the first game announced from the NBC deal.
Hopefully it’ll be soon though they were both scheduled for “winter”

http://www.facebook.com/people/Phil-Minott/1724831167 Phil Minott

wow spoony looks ecstatic. well we all know that if any of us saw that the result would be total and complete insanity and child like glee.

Anonymous

Looking forward to this game. Thanks for the scoop.
BTW, recording voiceover is way better than trying to shout over a large crowd. I think you should continue using that kind of approach when doing these conventions.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Charles-Verdin/69305066 Charles Verdin

Coincidentally, The Protomen performed “The Power of Love” at their Saturday show in Jamspace at PAX, among other covers.

http://twitter.com/slycooper20 Zachary Long

I think that was Catan.

http://twitter.com/MrNamefag Ashely Lutz

Star wars wasn’t enduring, George Lucas saw to that.

http://twitter.com/MrNamefag Ashely Lutz

It was weird seeing happy spoony for once. It was so adorable.

http://thenewyawker.darkbb.com/ Tylarannosaurus Rex

*girlish squeal*

What about the JP game that pops up at the end of the vid?

Anonymous

Ehhh….I love the Back to the Future movies, but I really don’t want to see the franchise made into a game. If you ask me, it just needs to be left alone. Then again, I’m a skeptic.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_O4AG4MH6CCEUBGM44C6KXGKHRM Tony

It’s already been on NES. And then BTTF 3 on Sega Genesis. They both totally sucked. A new one deserves justice.

http://twitter.com/thisgamesux THiSGaMeSuX

But as the internet has taught us, there is a good Back to the Future game… it was only released in japan.

:smith:

I’m looking forward to this, the new GHOSTERBUSTERS game was great, loved it, even though its re-playability is almost nil it was a GOOD game. If they can make one half as faithful to the movies I’ll have a lot of fun.

http://twitter.com/Mecahawk Tyler Burnette

WTB Comb PST

Anonymous

Rest In Peace, Star Wars. A moment of silence, please, for our fallen comrades.

http://twitter.com/xxDrCrackbone Matt

I have a lot of confidence in TellTale games. Not only do they do generally well with Monkey Island, they’ve got a good track record with outside franchises; Anyone here ever play Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People?

I’ll let that sink in for a little bit.

Anyways, it looks like they’ve got a lot of respect for the original films and will try to capture what made them great. It is possible to make a great liscense game, and TellTale’s a competent developer.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Stefin-Quinones/759906678 Stefin Quinones

Your PAX coverage is awesome its good to see someone with real excitement doing coverage,most sites go to pax and their coverage is presented with such blah and seen it all that sometimes its unbearable.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Sami-Ryyppö/1444333656 Sami Ryyppö

Even I got interested in this game when Angry Video Game nerd showed some gameplay of it… and I’m not even a Back to the Future fan. (I do like the movies, but I can’t really consider myself a fan)

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000138902073 Nathaniel Morton

You should do a let’s play of BTTF!

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PAX Coverage – Back to the Future