The sudden closure of Telltale Games was one of the most shocking stories of the games industry in 2018. But in the time after the closure, publisher Skybound Games worked with key members of Telltale Games to finish The Final Season for The Walking Dead. Following the completion of the series, which will be the final game for all existing developers at Telltale Games, the studio's creative director Kent Mudle and Skybound Games CEO Ian Howe spoke with GameSpot about finishing the long-running and popular series under such unusual circumstances. During our interview, they spoke candidly about the closure of the studio, revealing what the immediate plans were at the time of the closure, what the developers had planned after The Walking Dead, and what they believe the lasting impact Telltale will have on gaming.
Editor's Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and readability.
Telltale's final chapter is a unique one in game development. Can you take us back to the moment when this news broke, and how you were able to find a solution to finish The Final Season?
Kent Mudle: WelI, I guess the start of this experience would be the middle of production of what would have been the final season of The Walking Dead. At that point, Telltale Games shut down. For a moment it seemed like all hope was lost and we would never really get to finish this thing. At the time Ian and I had really believed in it and worked on it very hard, and a lot of us really thought it was gonna be one of the best things we've ever made. It was heartbreaking, both to not finish that and also for a lot of people who came to work and found out that it was all over.
But luckily, we learned pretty quickly that Skybound was interested in trying to resurrect the thing, so we were given some hope. That sustained us for a certain period. But then when we finally got back up, it was almost like no time had passed, and we were actually able to just get right back to making the piece of art that we all wanted to make, and I think the experience has been miraculous.
Ian Howe: The guys couldn't work for two months as we were clearing all the legal side of things, but we were able to stick with almost the exact schedule less those two months, which was pretty incredible. That's a testament to the team and the effort they put in to get it over the line because that's hard to do. Just picking up something that's had this eight-week gap in the middle.
The day the news broke, we were really shocked. It was like "sorry, what?" We sat around a phone talking to Telltale co-founder Dan Conners and CEO Pete Hawley, and there was me and David Alpert, and a few of the other senior people at Skybound. Robert Kirkman [the creator of The Walking Dead] was laying on the couch behind us, just kind of listening, and at the end of the call, we were just diving into the weeds and Robert said, "let's just go get the story finished." That was very refreshing to just have a guide from Robert, as to say just go and make this happen. And then we, I think we flew up the next day.
Mudle: It was crazy how quickly it happened. The day we were fired, they were supposed to come back and they said pack up our stuff and Brody and Paul called me into a room and they were working on the spreadsheet and I guess they may have already been in touch with [Skybound] at that point. Yeah, like almost right away, you guys came up and we had that big meeting in the boardroom with everybody trying to figure out how viable this would all be.
Howe: The desire was to finish it, and there was definitely that dedication to try and save some jobs. These guys had been let go without any severance and have been through a tough situation--can we figure something out? Thankfully we were able to put together something pretty quickly, and I will give huge credit to the management of Telltale who went out of their way and did everything they could to make this deal happen as quickly as it could. For exactly that reason to help those people out, so that I don't think that should get lost in this.
There was a massive outpouring from fans regarding the fate of Telltale. It must have been very overwhelming to see such a response from fans, especially after the January reveal of the final two episodes.
Mudle: I think the outpouring of love and excitement that happened as soon as it was confirmed that Skybound was definitely going to continue was tremendous. Like it's almost like- people had been into the season, it was just a roller coaster of emotions. It just hit people like super hard. I just remember it being everywhere, every social media feed I had ever looked at, it was just like blasted with support.
Howe: Yeah, it was overwhelming in a good way, but also that there was a definite realization of expectation that, and at the time it happened, Skybound Games was in its infancy and it still is, honestly. It's still in its infancy and I don't know what [Kent's] expectations were, but you didn't probably realize there was so few of us.
Mudle: I didn't, when we first started talking to you guys, it sounded like you guys were like five people or something when you started being like, 'we'll save it.' Yeah, I assumed that Skybound was a bigger company.
Howe: Yeah, the games division of Skybound was five people. We were less than a year old and we were still definitely in training wheels. I mean I've been doing this for a long time so I realized that a lot of the work related to the publishing side had been done. Telltale was literally the lowest maintenance team I've ever worked with, they literally just came back in and got on with the job. That to me speaks volumes about the character of the people there, but also the desire to get it finished. Our part compared to what these guys were doing was very small, but it was really all about the focus of getting these guys back in a room somewhere with the ability to finish the story.
Around the time of the closure, reports came out that the last two episodes of the season were already written and ready for production. Did the experience of the last few months have any influence on the final episodes?
Mudle: Well at the time of Telltale's closing down, Episode 3 had just hit sort of the middle point of development, which was funnily referred to as the ratings milestone--meaning all the voicework had been recorded and all the visuals were in sort of a rough state. So Episode 3 really just kind of had to get finished and just get a normal series of edits along with some nips and tucks anyway. Episode 4 had already had its first round of voicework recorded. So the first draft of the episode was written and recorded and like very base level like visual stuff had been done.
Thankfully before Telltale shut down, we already had talked, you know we work with Skybound editorial to get feedback from them and we already were aligned on what the plan was going to be to finish the thing. Though we did some revisions and some minor adjustments, it was exactly as it would have been had Telltale not exploded, really. And it was a testament to Skybound for letting us do our own vision without trying to like meddle with it in any way except for giving us feedback. But it was exactly what we envisioned and we'd all agree with Skybound to do even before Telltale shut down.
It seems fitting in a way that Telltale's history closed out on The Walking Dead. This series, in particular, helped propel the studio to new heights, and in a lot of ways, it seems like it's a bit of an epitaph summing up Telltale was all about.
Mudle: Weirdly, I think it would have done that anyway regardless of the studio closing. It was always going to be the last Walking Dead game, and we all knew at that point. After that, we were actually planning to move Telltale as a studio into new kinds of games, with new graphics engines, and just kind of go bolder. So this was always intended to be the last hurrah for the classic style of a Telltale game. Like the choices, the waiting, and all that stuff. So it was always trying to be like the very best one of those. We know that it's such a long-running series that we wanted to do a bunch homages to the past and that kind of stuff.
We even wanted to do some stuff in the last quarter of the episode that was supposed to be like, this is what a new Telltale game could be like with like those mechanical twists and that kind of thing. So it was always kind of intended to be a tribute to Telltale's legacy. And it's weird that it's ended up being that in, you know, in its finality because it was the last one ever.
Telltale had some strong parallels with Lucasarts of the '90s, with games like Full Throttle and Grim Fandango. A lot of fans saw the studio very much in that school of thought, offering these in-depth adventures with some compelling characters.
Mudle: That does mean a lot that fans saw that in us. I'm a storyteller at heart and if I can get the audience to care about something you care about, these fictional people that we made up so, so passionately that they feel real feelings, I think that's a huge accomplishment. I think the legacy of Telltale has had left has on the games industry has been kind of broad and wide as a whole. I think it's still a really rich space to explore, and I'd like to think Telltale helped kickstart all that again. So I think that legacy will stick around forever, and it'll always be an honor to have been a small part of that.
I can only imagine how bittersweet experience this must be for you all. Though it's sad to see Telltale come to an end, you do leave a sizable legacy of games behind.
Howe: Well, I've been doing publishing for 28 years and this is the project I'm probably most proud to be associated with. The motivation to bring it back and to rescue it gives me a great deal of personal satisfaction that we were able to do that. The fact that this community has really actually come together. I'm very grateful to have been a part of this.
Mudle: Yeah, absolutely. Episode 4 makes me extremely emotional, honestly. Like a lot of it is tough near the end, in that it's kind of a loving tribute to the people that worked on the game. I still can't even look at it without getting a little misty-eyed. I'm just so proud of the work everybody did. We all came together to make this beautiful thing and to leave that stretching back into all the years that I worked with all of those people. It's the end of an era, and it's sad, but I'm glad we got to at least finish it in style.
By Anonymous on Apr 06, 2019 08:30 pm The new Pet Sematary movie makes some pretty significant changes to Stephen King's original book. But what exactly does it do differently? We break down the new remake and analyse the major differences to the novel.
Prior to NXT Takeover: New York on Friday, April 6, 2K Games held the Million Dollar Championship tournament for WWE 2K19, with the semi-finals taking place at WWE Axxess and the finals at the Takeover preshow during Wrestlemania week. What we expected was a standard, run-of-the-mill tournament. What we got was the most entertaining non-PPV event of the entire week.
At Axxess, semifinalists Gregory Davis from Jacksonville, Florida; Stephan T. Benson from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; David Hoey from Sydney, Australia; and Roman Droßard from Pfalzfeld, Germany were teamed up with WWE superstars to coach them along the way, as they fought each other for the chance to take on AJ Styles at NXT Takeover for a million dollars.
The semifinals were a site to behold with WWE superstars Kofi Kingston, Big E, Xavier Woods, The Miz, Ember Moon, Corey Graves, and Paige (not pictured) entered the fray. Droßard and Davis were eliminated in the first round, and it came down to Benson--using Brock Lesnar--and Hoey--using Braun Strowman. The two can be seen above, shaking hands after the round.
To get to this point was no easy task, as the Million Dollar Challenge in WWE 2K19 was exceptionally tough. "I took ages to get the challenge done," explained Hoey. "I think I was working on it--on and off--I'd say easily three weeks." Since completing the challenge and being selected for the semifinals, Hoey spent roughly three hours a day playing, and he even brought his PS4 over from Australia to practice. Out of all the contestants, Hoey had the longest way to travel, and told us he was pretty jet-lagged.
His competitor was dressed head-to-toe in gold, and every conversation with him felt like a WWE promo. He calls himself the "Golden Voice of Sports Entertainment," and Benson chose his outfit for a specific reason. "It takes gold to beat gold," Benson told GameSpot prior to the semifinals. The final match in the Million Dollar Challenge has players taking on a golden AJ Styles. "By the end of this tournament, everyone is going to be laying in a heap, and I'm going to have my hand raised in victory as your million dollar champion." He wasn't lying.
As for what the two would do with the money, Hoey explained he's young, and he'd put it in the bank, while Benson said he'd take care of his family. The final match between the two may not have been the most exciting, as Benson spent most of the time outside of the ring, running from Hoey, but when a million dollars is on the line, you've got to do what you can to win. However, the antics of the WWE superstars were hilarious, which included Woods holding up a sign that read, "Match of the century" and Big E awkwardly sitting on the middle ringpost. After winning, AJ Styles came out and got in Benson's face. The two cut promos on each other, and it was onto the finals.
This led to NXT Takeover where the final bout took place on the preshow. Benson came out and very quickly got the crowd booing with his smack talk. However, when it came to the actual match against Styles, Benson came out on top, and he made it look very easy. After his win, he was presented with a million dollar check, while Styles threw his controller from the entrance ramp into the ring.
"This is the first day of the rest of my new life," Benson told GameSpot backstage after his win. "I'm going to be smart with the money, but I'm gonna have some fun." He didn't seem too worried about Styles going into the match even though Styles is a huge gamer, appearing on UpUpDownDown regularly. "I promised him. I would take him to suplex city, all expenses paid with all the bells and whistles, and look where I'm standing. I'm a million dollars richer, baby. Can't no one argue that."
We joined forces with Perfect World Entertainment so two of our readers can get a chance to take home a custom painted Hob Nintendo Switch console and the digital code to download a free copy of Hob: The Definitive Edition, a single-player adventure game that's coming to the Switch on April 4.
Here are the prizes:
For our two grand prize winners, they will take home the exclusive custom painted Hob Nintendo Switch console plus a copy of the game for Nintendo Switch.
There will also be 10 runner ups who will get a digital code to download Hob: The Definitive Edition on the Nintendo Switch.
To enter for a chance to win, you have to fill out the form below after reading the official rules and accepting the terms and conditions. You also have the option to get extra entries to increase your chances of winning by following us across social media.
If you are having trouble viewing the form please use this link. Good luck!
Given how many different haircuts and facial hair styles various characters have sported throughout the Avengers: Endgame trailers we've seen so far, there's been lots of speculation about how much time will have passed between the end of Infinity War and the start of Endgame. Disney today screened around 10 minutes of footage for select press on the company's studio lot in California, and given how much we still actually don't know about Endgame, even in those scant minutes of footage, we learned quite a bit--including exactly how much time has passed between the end of Avengers: Infinity War and the beginning of Avengers: Endgame.
In this footage, we got a specific answer: When Tony records his extremely sad message for Pepper, which appears to be more or less the movie's opening scene, he mentions specifically that he and Nebula have been stranded in space for 22 days. That's just over three weeks between Tony and co.'s ill-fated battle with Thanos, and Endgame's early scene of Tony and Nebula stranded out in space.
Tony also mentions that their oxygen will run out by the following morning. Given that both he and Nebula will eventually make it back to Earth--judging by other glimpses we've seen, at least--we can assume their situation is about to change. That potentially places several scenes we've glimpsed in trailers around the same time frame, though others appear to be further in the future--or maybe even in the past. For example, we know from the trailers that Paul Rudd's Ant-Man will team up with the Avengers again in Endgame, but we didn't glimpse his arrival yet in the most recent footage screened to press.
That's not the only thing we learned from the latest screening. Click here for nine more things the footage revealed--from the Avengers' new secret weapon against Thanos to what the remaining heroes plan to do.
By Anonymous on Apr 06, 2019 05:57 am A fourth signal leads to a world where Pike must make a life-changing choice, as Burnham and Spock investigate a rogue Section 31 ship. Greg & Chastity break down the story and references from Star Trek: Discovery season 2 episode 12 , "Through the Valley of Shadows". Disclosure: CBS is GameSpot's parent company.
By Anonymous on Apr 06, 2019 05:30 am Shazam! starring Zachary Levi is in theaters now. Mike and Meg give their spoiler filed review of the new DC superhero movie and explain why they think it's the best DC Extended Universe film yet.
Epic Games has announced a new addition to Fortnite: Battle Royale. Called the Reboot Van, the feature allows you to bring back squadmates that have died in battle--similar to the respawn stations in Apex Legends.
As part of Fortnite's next update, Reboot Vans and Reboot Cards will be added to the battle royale game. Upon death, squadmates will drop their Reboot Card, which can be used at a Reboot Van to respawn them.
"After a squadmate has been eliminated, grab their dropped Reboot Card and any surviving squadmates can activate it at a van," Epic Games community manager Nathan Mooney said in a video detailing the new respawn feature, which can be watched below. "Once activated, you'll definitely know, as a beacon and audio cue will be set off, informing nearby players to the reboot in progress and how many players will be arriving. You're squad will appear, one by one, on top of the van--ready to jump back into the match."
Much like in Apex Legends, your teammates will respawn back into the match without their weapons or items. So, in order to be sure they aren't left completely helpless, it's in your best interest to have something on hand that you can drop for your revived allies. Upon respawning a player, the Reboot Van will temporarily deactivate, and only turn back online after a set period of time.
The idea of respawning in Fortnite was first addressed in an Epic Games Reddit AMA in February 2019. "We've been considering this mechanic for a while and have been exploring it," an Epic producer said. "[We] want to make sure we give it the time it needs and fully understand its impact on the game as a whole. Look for further updates during Season 8." Season 8 started shortly thereafter, on February 28, and introduced pirate-themed content into Fortnite. The new Legendary skin for Season 8, Ruin, has just been revealed, and it can be unlocked in Week 8 by completing the season's weekly challenges.
In our Fortnite review, Michael Higham gave the game an 8/10. The battle royale game is available on Xbox One, PS4, PC, Switch, and mobile.
If you've been itching to play Assassin's Creed on PC recently, today's the day to pick up whichever titles you want, as Fanatical is running a huge sale on Assassin's Creed games for PC. The sale covers many of the main series titles, including Origins, Syndicate, Rogue, Unity, Black Flag, and, of course, Odyssey, the latest installment in the series. A spin-off, Assassin's Creed Chronicles (with three episodes set in China, India, and Russia, respectively), is also available at a discount.
Note that these deals are for Uplay, not Steam, and you must have the Uplay game client installed on your PC. You must also have an Ubisoft account (which is free to create). Once you've purchased Assassin's Creed at Fanatical, you'll be prompted to log into your Ubisoft account--once you do, you'll see the word "activating," and the game will be added to your Ubisoft account. You'll then find the game, ready to play, in the "Games" section of the Uplay desktop app. Get more info on redeeming Fanatical purchases for Uplay here.
Mortal Kombat 11 developer NetherRealm has given fans their first look at another playable character. During today's Kombat Kast livestream, the studio unveiled the Kollector, an entirely new fighter making his debut in the upcoming fighting game.
"A proud servant of the Outworld Empire, the Kollector cares only for his wealth and status and will kill anyone to keep it," NetherRealm said of the character. Much like Goro, the Kollector has four arms that he takes full advantage of in battle, as you can see in his reveal trailer above. The video also gives us a look at one of the Kollector's Fatalities, which sees him literally ripping an opponent apart.
The Kollector is the third brand-new playable character announced for MK 11 thus far. Earlier this week, NetherRealm revealed Cetrion, an Elder God capable of wielding elemental powers in battle. Before that, the studio unveiled Geras, the loyal servant of MK 11 boss Kronika. Geras has the power to conjure up objects made of sand and even manipulate time.
More than 20 playable characters have been confirmed for the game so far, including an assortment of returning favorites like Kung Lao, Liu Kang, and Jax, who were revealed during Sony's inaugural State of Play presentation. NetherRealm also unveiled one of MK 11's DLC characters, Shang Tsung, whose likeness this time is based on Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the actor who portrayed him in the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie.
Mortal Kombat 11 launches for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch on April 23. The Switch version is being developed by Shiver Entertainment with oversight from NetherRealm; we had a chance to check it out at PAX East 2019 and found it ran and played perfectly fine on the console despite being a visual downgrade. You can read more about Mortal Kombat 11 in our pre-order guide.
By Anonymous on Apr 06, 2019 02:00 am We checked out tons of indie games for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch at PAX East 2019, from Katana Zero and Bloodroots to new DLC for Dead Cells and The Messenger. You don't wanna miss these!
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