Telltale has released Poker Night at the Inventory, the new downloadable game in which Max is matched against three other colorful game industry personalities; Penny Arcade's Tycho, Team Fortress 2's Heavy and Homestar Runner's Strong Bad. See the trailer here and enjoy the poster artwork above by Chuck BB, Eisner Award winning artist of Black Metal. Enough links?
I spent a good three hours playing that and had to literally pry myself away from the computer because I had unavoidable things to do.
ReplyDeleteAddictive stuff.
I just got done playing a few rounds. Anyone who likes any of these characters should definitely pay the five bucks for this.
ReplyDeleteGreat game. Hilariously written.
This game is hilarious, although sadly once you've heard all the dialogue it loses a lot of its charm. Hopefully any future "At the Inventory" games Telltale does will be more intensive (in both dialogue and gameplay).
ReplyDeleteOut of curiosity, Steve (I hope you don't mind people asking you stupid questions all the time in the comments), how does it feel having Sam and Max (well, Max, anyway) in a full-blown crossover? Were you familiar at all with H*R/TF2/Penny Arcade before this game?
Okay, Steve, I would like to confess something... I did not buy Poker Night At The Inventory.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry... but I was told in an article from Gamepro that "Strong Bad, the Heavy, and Max would all be voiced by their original actors":
http://www.gamepro.com/article/previews/216419/pax-2010-poker-night-at-the-inventory/
I watched a video of someone playing the game, and I listened to Max's voice in that game. It was William Kasten... not the "original actor" I was promised.
I know there are a lot of people out there who will probably say "But William Kasten is better!"... so I'd just like to say that I wish there was an option to include Nick Jameson's Max voice in future versions of this game (as well as other games)... because, like I said before, I feel that neither he nor Bill Farmer have been given a fair chance.
Speaking of, what is YOUR opinion of Nick's Max voice, Steve? I've noticed in interviews, you've mentioned every Max voice actor except for him, for some reason... why is that?
Dunno about that... I've been playing for a large number of hours and it seems there are still lines I haven't heard.
ReplyDeleteThere are talks in the Telltale forums about expansions. I love that idea, and I would be all over that.
I think Telltale bringing another voice to Max in future games is pretty unlikely, unless Kasten decides not to do it anymore, or something happens.
Back to Poker Night, I'm really enjoying all the lost Sam and Max anecdotes on old cases. Noodle incident, anyone? I especially like the bit where Max tries to imitate Sam's voice XD that was hilarious!
I fold. No max, you have just win the game, you can't fold. But! *takes the money*
ReplyDelete@maritzac I wish something DID happen, and right now. If Telltale really cared about Sam and Max as much it claims it does, it'd allow the original voices as an option after forcing the Sam and Max fans to go a full five years without. I thought that Telltale would allow authentic Sam and authentic Max. After all, it allows authentic Strong Bad, and authentic Guybrush.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone from Telltale is reading this, I'd like this to happen... 2010 is almost over, and I'd like both members of the Freelance Police to be given their original voices back as a Christmas present, in Special Edition versions of their games.
Please? Pretty please with sugar on top?
This is a matter of opinion, waitohooru. You really shouldn't claim Telltale are doing this out of a lack of respect or care towards the Sam and Max franchise.
ReplyDeleteSam and Max started out as comic book characters. Their voices have always been a matter of interpretation. So even though the Hit the Road voice actors were the first, that in no way makes them the definitive, authentic or best interpretations of Sam and Max.
Anyway, Poker Night!
It's a really funny game, and for its low price of five bucks, I can heartily recommend it to any Sam and Max fan. Though it helps if you're familiar with the other characters as well, of course.
I really like that the AI seems to be tweaked to match the personality of the characters. Max is a dangerous, kind of reckless player. Pretty hard to read, too.
@Guru Guy And just because the new voice actors have been in more games than the original actors have, and the new actors' games ARE being currently sold today, that does not make THEM the definitive, authentic, or best interpretations either. Like you said, it's a matter of opinion.
ReplyDeleteAnd I stick strongly to my beliefs, and I would still like the original voice actors to actually get a fair chance. You understand, right?
There's something else you're forgetting, waitohooru. Steve Purcell isn't a Telltale employee. His involvement with the episodes has been, at best, an advisor. That's not intended as an insult towards what Telltale's doing to Sam and Max (Steve clearly approves of them, otherwise he wouldn't let them continue to have the license), but it does mean that if there's something you want Telltale to do, he's not the person you should ask. If it's really that important, post about it on Telltale's forums. The developers regularly read and post there and do try to please their fans as much as they can. Bear in mind they can't bow down to every single demand someone makes (and you're not even close to the first person to ask for the Hit the Road voice actors back), but at least you'll probably be heard.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, back to Poker Night. Anyone notice the back of the cards on the standard deck looks like Max's mind-reading cards? Best to use one of the unlockable decks. ;)
@RAnthonyMahan No, I think I'd much more likely get the response I desire if I post it here, so Steve Purcell can look at it himself. I think he'd be more likely to socialize with fans of the original voice actors than anyone at Telltale would be, no offense.
ReplyDeleteBesides, I sent him a 200-signature petition asking for the original voices back. I don't know if he read it or not, but I hope he did! If not, I'll send him another.
Just because Steve Purcell reads all the comments on this blog doesn't mean he can (or should) go along with everything people ask. He's so busy working at Pixar (are you involved with Cars 2, by the way?) that you should consider yourself lucky he has the time to regularly update and comment on two blogs.
ReplyDeleteIt's best to just accept that David Nowlin and William Kasten are the voices of Sam and Max for the foreseeable future. But these comments have gotten way too derailed from Poker Night (hilarious game, by the way. I hope Telltale does a more in-depth sequel) that I'm going to drop the subject. Do what you want, but just think realistically about what would come of it.
@RAnthonyMahan I hope that once he's done with Cars 2, he'll hopefully make it up to both of the original actors by including them in SOMETHING.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, but I think he's been spending too much time at Pixar lately, and not enough time on Sam and Max.
Whooooa entitlement much.
ReplyDeleteIf pigs could fly then it would rain bacon. Or something.
As a fan I'd love to see more Sam and Max comics, but going as far as saying "Steve, you should spend more time making comics and not working with Pixar or tending your garden or making your cookies or fighting in a cage of death with mutant wrestlers"... now THAT is arrogant.
Waitohooru, I'm obviously not going to change your mind, and that's why I'm going to stop responding to your posts, but a final suggestion: it's time to move on. That or pool the money with those 200 people, hire the actors yourself, and make a fan-dub.
I'm pretty sure if Telltale could get/afford Bill Farmer and Nick Jameson, they would have. They had to cast new actors, and are most certainly going to stick with them for the sake of consistency. That's just the way it goes.
ReplyDeleteThen I hope to God that Sam and Max Hit the Road gets rereleased and Sam and Max: Freelance Police gets finished. If the original voice actors aren't going to be in the new series, then at least give the games that DO contain them a fair chance.
ReplyDelete