Board 8 > Telltale Games is shutting down

(+) Yeah! (+)

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/327085/Report_The_Walking_Dead_developer_Telltale_Games_closing_down.php

I never liked them or understood why they kept getting work, but this seems really sudden.

I know the shitty proprietary game engine was designed by the dude in charge, but was that place really that poorly managed?

In any case, good riddance I say. Teams behind Life is Strange and Until Dawn did it way better.

EDIT: Appears to be a massive downsizing. A small team of 25ish people sticking around.
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yeah man good riddance to every who lost their job am I right
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Wow. I knew they were struggling but this still seems sudden.
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They had been releasing so many games I didnt even think they were closing down

There seems to be a lot of confusion around this right now - it might not be necessarily true. No official announcements as of yet.
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Oh no! :(

I don't care what anybody says, I still loved them, and this choice-based storytelling adventure has quickly become one of my favorite genres. This is genuinely awful news to me.

Weakupedia posted...

Teams behind Life is Strange and Until Dawn did it way better.

I do hope these guys pick up the slack.
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If this is true, no TWAU S2 :(
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The Mana Sword posted...

yeah man good riddance to every who lost their job am I right

I was expecting this post. If a company can't sustain its shitty business model, it's not going to and should not survive.

Do not equate my dislike for Telltale Games with a disdain for hardworking employees.

Edit: equivocate is not the right word
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they were important for a time but it's not surprising that they're finally closing. the genre they "invented" has left them behind thanks to their god awful engine
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They aren't closing by the way. Big layoffs but no closure.
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I'll wait for a primary source
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scarletspeed7 posted...

They aren't closing by the way. Big layoffs but no closure.

Updated the first post. Gamasutra was apparently quick on the draw.
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The Walking Dead Season 1 feels like the only truly special thing they've put out IMO. Sam & Max is pretty decent as well but after TWD it just became way too obvious that almost nothing you did in their games really mattered at all, which left a really bad taste for experiences that are purported to be all about choices and consequences.

To be fair TWD S1 has the exact same problem (the entire conflict of its final episode is based on a choice you might have not even made, and you're stuck in that situation just the same even if you made the "right" choice) but I guess it has the advantage of being the first.
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so you're saying I shouldn't bother with that GoT one
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Tom Bombadil posted...

so you're saying I shouldn't bother with that GoT one

it was boring and inoffensive at best
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Tales From the Borderlands is the best one they did. Shame it sold so poorly.
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Wow. I would have never guessed this with how many licensed stuff they put out. Did everything just not meet sales expectations or did something else cause it? It's honestly shocking to me.
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they had over 300 employees as of 2017 apparently
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Shout-out to Tales from the Borderlands, their other best work after TWD S1 (with the caveat that I never played Wolf Among Us).
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https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/1043224791895797760?s=19

Wolf 2 and Stranger Things reportedly canceled
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Aww man. I love the Fables universe and was looking forward to Wolf 2.
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This is super fucked, I didnt know they were doing so poorly. They had stuff they've been working on!
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the studio is shutting down after they finish the current TWD game
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Weakupedia posted...

In any case, good riddance I say. Teams behind Life is Strange and Until Dawn did it way better.

ZenOfThunder posted...

they were important for a time but it's not surprising that they're finally closing. the genre they "invented" has left them behind thanks to their god awful engine

They shouldn't close down, they should improve
Telltale's games has potential, they released some fantastic games
Sure, it's 90% shit, but the 10% gems (TWD S1 and TFTB) are worth it
And people liked TWAU too so I guess that counts as well

I hope TWD Final Season doesn't get hurt by this, at least finish this..then close down
Clemantine tale deserves a proper ending
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They were poorly managed and expanded way too quickly.
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So I haven't played any of their recent stuff, but did they ever actually improve upon their game engine?
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Nanis23 posted...

And people liked TWAU too so I guess that counts as well

I admittedly only like that game because of the story and the universe, and that is licensed. I think most people would be fine with Fables going elsewhere.
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PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

So I haven't played any of their recent stuff, but did they ever actually improve upon their game engine?

Nope, the plan was to overhaul it after TWD finished up
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Wish I could be more sad about this but it feels like they did way too much too fast and so much of it wasn't anything special

I'd say the bubble burst but it wasn't even really a bubble, since a bubble implies that it was, like, good

We'll always have TWD season 1 tho
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PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

So I haven't played any of their recent stuff, but did they ever actually improve upon their game engine?

I played TWD The Final Season and didn't really notice anything major
Graphics improved a little and stuff like that but it's all babysteps
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdNx86H2gAY" data-time="

RIP
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WazzupGenius00 posted...

PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

So I haven't played any of their recent stuff, but did they ever actually improve upon their game engine?

Nope, the plan was to overhaul it after TWD finished up

I don't understand this. Why not overhaul it AFTER you've had your giant successes? It feels like they tried to coast on all these licensed games they had in a way. I don't understand how you don't take your time and really awe people with a brand new engine while Life is Strange and Until Dawn do some amazing things with this concept. It always felt like they just never attempted to make anything greater like those games to me.

If they took a break on these games and exploded with a new engine for, like, maybe their Batman game or something to really get buzz, I feel like they would have done well.
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I thought their games were super fun. Played the Poker games, Walking Dead Season 1, Wolf Among Us, Tales from the Borderlands, a bit of Game of Thrones, and a bit of Sam and Max. They were all super fun. Sure your choices didn't really matter in the long run but if you acknowledge it just adds different flavors to the experience it's good stuff. Those games were like TV shows except you interact with them a bit to shape the individual scenes but not overall narrative. I was totally cool with that and will miss them.
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They shouldn't close down, they should improve

they had YEARS to improve. the jump to PS4 was their chance to redo it all but nope
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Their best games were easily the Sam & Max games, which probably get my vote for funniest video games, but among their current format of episodic games, I really liked The Wolf Among Us a lot, which got me into Fables. I was really looking forward to the second season.
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I really don't care about their engine stuff. They were just too slow adding on to their existing IPs and the ones that were successful. Game of Thrones Season 2 should have been out already. It's been 4 years.
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psaltery posted...

I really don't care about their engine stuff. They were just too slow adding on to their existing IPs and the ones that were successful. Game of Thrones Season 2 should have been out already. It's been 4 years.

I would probably agree with this too.

I think they kept trying to capitalize on the new hotness too much though. Like, if there's a highly successful Guardians of the Galaxy movie and then Disney comes to you and asks you to make a narrative game about it, it's hard to turn it down.

I think they took on too much and didn't streamline on what was most successful.
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good riddance to bad rubbish

seriously, these people were hacks of the highest order

I'm honestly really surprised by all the people happy to see them fold. Some of their stuff wasn't that great, but clearly a lot of people like a lot of the stuff they've done or are doing. Seriously, The Walking Dead Season 1, The Wolf Among Us, Tales From the Borderlands, and The Walking Dead The Finale Season all sitting at Overwhelmingly Positive in the Steam ratings as far as post Walking Dead games goes. Batman: Enemy Within, Guardians of the Galaxy and Minecraft: Season 2 are all at Very Positive. That's a pretty good slew of games people enjoy.
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I likes their Batman games.
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who knew never innovating and putting out too many games too fast was bad for business
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Yeah they definitely had some gems, and I'm sad to see them go. I remember reading a big article on the development of Tales From the Borderlands and the company seemed to be pretty badly run with people switching projects constantly.

But TFTB is fantastic, play it if you haven't.

Edit: Found the article, it's a great read but spoilers obviously
https://quarterly.camposanto.com/tales-from-the-borderlands-the-oral-history-d33bb5f146e6
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Their formula never evolved and they took in so many projects. This isn't super surprising.
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ZenOfThunder posted...

they were important for a time but it's not surprising that they're finally closing. the genre they "invented" has left them behind thanks to their god awful engine

This. The Walking Dead was great and helped define a sub-genre, but then they put out too many crappy games too quickly. Cutting back is probably a good idea.
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The world needs Adventure games, and they were a reliably competent source. RIP
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I'm... kinda concerned about what happens to all the games in my Telltale account. I was trying to support a company I love by buying direct, but if their downloads go down, I'm pretty much screwed unless they issue a bunch of Steam/GOG keys.

I haven't been keen on a lot of their recent output, but I've been a fan since Sam & Max, was hugely excited when they brought back Monkey Island, wondered what the hell this 'Fables' nonsense they'd just licensed was and ended up finding a comic I adore, and Tales From the Borderlands is just a masterpiece.

And even though they had 'trendier' licenses to play with for the last few years, part of me hoped they'd one day go back to their roots and surf the highway with the Freelance Police one more time. RIP Telltale. I'll miss you.
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Sorozone posted...

Their formula never evolved and they took in so many projects. This isn't super surprising.

Yep
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what are the chances that they get bought out by a bigger company

are they publically traded?
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The vitriol towards them is strange.
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I wouldn't say there's been significant vitriol here

I'd say through sheer numbers there's the appearance of vitriol. But it's more "oh, well they weren't very good" but from a lot of people, rather than something like "good, they're pieces of shit and deserved it".
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