Exclusive: Interview with Telltale Games 
Exclusive: Interview with Telltale Games
Telltale Games will soon launch Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People for Nintendos WiiWare service. Nordic Nintendo community N-Gamez contacted Telltale asking about their general reception of the WiiWare service as well as the process of developing Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People for WiiWare.
The following is the original text-based interview with Telltale Games' lead designer Mark Darin. For more information on Telltale Games and Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People , visit www.telltalegames.com. Be sure to check back soon for our exclusive review of Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People.
Interview (part 1)
N-Gamez: Being Telltale Games' first WiiWare title, how did the development of 'Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People' (SBCG4AP) differ from your other productions?
Mark Darin: We knew this was going to be a Wii and PC title from the start, so the first thing we did was sit down and figure out what the Wii can do that would make this game special, but also not alienate the PC gamers. Naturally we thought about the controller. We thought about this a lot. It's important to our design philosophy that our games are easily accessible to experienced gamers and novices alike. For that reason we decided to make a game that would only use the Wii remote and not focus on the nunchuk controller. Then we did a lot of brainstorming on ways we could move the main character, Strong Bad, around the world. We had a lot of crazy ideas, even one that involved moving the entire world around the character, but in the end it was the traditional point and click interface that worked best to suit the story and gameplay. And it turned out to be a perfect match for the Wii remote!
N-Gamez: Which thoughts went into designing SBCG4AP, e.g. with the Wii-controller and WiiConnect24 in mind?
Mark Darin: When we first started designing SBCG4AP, we knew that we wanted to capture the essence of the characters, but weren't sure what kind of art style to go with. First we tried a purely 3D style, but it felt less and less like Homestar and more like someone had just slapped the characters into a 3D game. Instead we decided to really go after the Flash style graphics, but keep it in a 3D universe. This helps us create what we called "Homestar +1", which looks and feels like the Homestar universe that the fans already know and love while along players to truly explore the world and feel as though they are truly interacting with it! To achieve this visual style, we created custom shaders so our game engine could make 3D art look like the art on the HomestarRunner.com website.
Wii Connect 24 was also something that piqued our interest! We knew we wanted to use this feature to allow players to form communities and communicate (brag, talk smack) with their friends. It seemed natural to do this through Strong Bad's iconic laptop computer. The character is well known for sarcastically answering fan emails, so we set out to find a way for players to get their own virtual boxing gloves on his computer. What we ended up with is the ability to compose an email on his laptop (Lappy), attach a screen shotâ€â€Strongbad can take pictures with his personal digital camera (Snappy) almost anywhere in the gameâ€â€and send it to any of their Wii Friends, even if they don't have the game. These "Letters from Strong Bad" even incorporate players' Miis in an interesting way that I'll leave as a surprise for now!
N-Gamez: When did you first realize, that the Homestar Runner universe had potential as a console/PC-based game, and how was the process coming to terms with the Chapman brothers?
Mark Darin: Telltale is always looking for material and people with whom we can form a strong partnership. The Chapmans had been making episodic content for several years with the Homestar Runner cartoons. Plus their characters are bright, colorful, and most of all, milk-out-of-nose funny! We recognized the potential right away and got in contact with them. Luckily they were already fans of our work on Sam & Max and were confident that we would do the characters and stories justice.
As it turns out, working with the Mike and Matt Chapman has also been a fantastic experience. They have been closely involved from day one. They are constantly helping with not just character development, but also gameplay, puzzles, music, and artwork, not to mention providing all of the voices! This is truly a game that simply could not be made without their constant input.
N-Gamez: Why the decision to use Strong Bad as the leading character in SBCG4AP?
Mark Darin: As Strong Bad himself boasts on the website, "I'm the real reason you're here." And it's true. Strong Bad himself is such a character that he has gathered a huge number of fans worldwide. Besides, he's a bit of a Bad Guy, and everyone knows it's more fun to be the bad guy!
N-Gamez: As far as we can understand, SBCG4AP will focus on classic point-and-click elements. How do you see the point-and-click genre today, and how does the genre fit the Nintendo Wii?
Mark Darin: I see the point and click genre as one that is evolving. I already see its influence in hybrid games such as Penny Arcade Adventures and Mass Effect. I also think that the tried and true interface is so simple and intuitive to use that it is a fantastic way to introduce people into the world of story-based games. Story is a huge focus at Telltale and we want people to feel welcome when picking up our games, not like they're learning to play a video game. The Wii is making big strides in making gaming a family experience where anyone can just grab the remote and start playing, no matter what age or experience level. We feel that the genre is perfect for that, letting the whole family gather around the TV, watching the story play out and helping each other solve the puzzles. Adventure games are one of the few types of games that can be enjoyed equally by a group of people, even when only one person has the controller!
Interview (part 2)
N-Gamez: SBCG4AP will be released as a series, why the decision to do episodic content instead of a full retail release?
Mark Darin: Episodic content is the foundation that this company was built upon. We believe more and more people are becoming interested in being able to sit down in front of their computers or TV sets and have a satisfying entertainment experience even if they only have a few hours to spare. Our games cater to a more relaxed environment that can be enjoyed at a more leisurely pace, like watching your favorite TV show or "movie night" with the family. Internally, working episodically is nice because it allows us to adapt a TV-like approach with our designers and writers.
With Strong Bad's Cool Game, we have a different designer and writer on each episode, similar to how each episode of a TV show has a different writer and director. Using different people for individual episodes prevents us from getting burnt out on the material too quickly. Additionally, the frequent releases allow us to form a more direct community with our fans, and we can adapt our games according to the feedback we get from them. This is a phenomenon that is only possible with episodic content.
N-Gamez: How many episodes are you planning, and can we expect episodes/seasons bundled together like we've seen with Sam & Max?
Mark Darin: We are planning to release five episodes of Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People. These will be released on a monthly basis. It's too early to say exactly what will happen after these five episodes are released online and on WiiWare, but we do really like the idea of giving episodic games the "box set" treatment at the end of the run, just like a TV series ends up on DVD at the end of the season. We reach a whole new audience that way.
N-Gamez: We bet a lot of fans will be expecting core Homestar Runner characters like Trogdor, The Cheat and Marzipan to make an appearance in the game as well. Can you reveal any details on how many characters will be present in the game, and how they fit into the gameplay?
Mark Darin: We've got all the main characters in the game, so fans will not be disappointed! How they fit is extremely varied. It really all depends on the story. We definitely do not throw in characters just for the sake of showing them off. Every bit of gameplay and character interaction makes sense and maintains a believable world.
N-Gamez: Apparently, the Homestar Runner user base is primarily located in the United States. What are your expectations to the release of SBCG4AP, both in the US as well as here in Europe?
Mark Darin: While some of the referential humor is fairly esoteric, the characters themselves are humorous in a universal way. The European audience for the Homestarrunner.com website is constantly growing. I've heard that there are fan sites that have gone through the painstaking task of translating and subtitling the cartoons in several languages. I have every confidence that the game will be successful in making people laugh their butts off, no matter where they happen to live.
N-Gamez: Finally, can we expect any future Homestar Runner/Telltale projects on the WiiWare, e.g. a Wii version of the popular Peasant's Quest, and what can you tell us about other upcoming projects?
Mark Darin: Currently we have enough on our plates with the first five episodes of Strong Bad, but if fans clamor for more, we'll certainly consider continuing the series! But in the meantime, Wii owners will be happy to finally be able to play Sam & Max, which is coming out as a retail product for Wii this fall. That's a wild ride the whole family won't soon forget!
N-Gamez thanks Telltale Games' Mark Darin for the interview.
The following is the original text-based interview with Telltale Games' lead designer Mark Darin. For more information on Telltale Games and Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People , visit www.telltalegames.com. Be sure to check back soon for our exclusive review of Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People.
Interview (part 1)
N-Gamez: Being Telltale Games' first WiiWare title, how did the development of 'Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People' (SBCG4AP) differ from your other productions?
Mark Darin: We knew this was going to be a Wii and PC title from the start, so the first thing we did was sit down and figure out what the Wii can do that would make this game special, but also not alienate the PC gamers. Naturally we thought about the controller. We thought about this a lot. It's important to our design philosophy that our games are easily accessible to experienced gamers and novices alike. For that reason we decided to make a game that would only use the Wii remote and not focus on the nunchuk controller. Then we did a lot of brainstorming on ways we could move the main character, Strong Bad, around the world. We had a lot of crazy ideas, even one that involved moving the entire world around the character, but in the end it was the traditional point and click interface that worked best to suit the story and gameplay. And it turned out to be a perfect match for the Wii remote!
N-Gamez: Which thoughts went into designing SBCG4AP, e.g. with the Wii-controller and WiiConnect24 in mind?
Mark Darin: When we first started designing SBCG4AP, we knew that we wanted to capture the essence of the characters, but weren't sure what kind of art style to go with. First we tried a purely 3D style, but it felt less and less like Homestar and more like someone had just slapped the characters into a 3D game. Instead we decided to really go after the Flash style graphics, but keep it in a 3D universe. This helps us create what we called "Homestar +1", which looks and feels like the Homestar universe that the fans already know and love while along players to truly explore the world and feel as though they are truly interacting with it! To achieve this visual style, we created custom shaders so our game engine could make 3D art look like the art on the HomestarRunner.com website.
Wii Connect 24 was also something that piqued our interest! We knew we wanted to use this feature to allow players to form communities and communicate (brag, talk smack) with their friends. It seemed natural to do this through Strong Bad's iconic laptop computer. The character is well known for sarcastically answering fan emails, so we set out to find a way for players to get their own virtual boxing gloves on his computer. What we ended up with is the ability to compose an email on his laptop (Lappy), attach a screen shotâ€â€Strongbad can take pictures with his personal digital camera (Snappy) almost anywhere in the gameâ€â€and send it to any of their Wii Friends, even if they don't have the game. These "Letters from Strong Bad" even incorporate players' Miis in an interesting way that I'll leave as a surprise for now!
N-Gamez: When did you first realize, that the Homestar Runner universe had potential as a console/PC-based game, and how was the process coming to terms with the Chapman brothers?
Mark Darin: Telltale is always looking for material and people with whom we can form a strong partnership. The Chapmans had been making episodic content for several years with the Homestar Runner cartoons. Plus their characters are bright, colorful, and most of all, milk-out-of-nose funny! We recognized the potential right away and got in contact with them. Luckily they were already fans of our work on Sam & Max and were confident that we would do the characters and stories justice.
As it turns out, working with the Mike and Matt Chapman has also been a fantastic experience. They have been closely involved from day one. They are constantly helping with not just character development, but also gameplay, puzzles, music, and artwork, not to mention providing all of the voices! This is truly a game that simply could not be made without their constant input.
N-Gamez: Why the decision to use Strong Bad as the leading character in SBCG4AP?
Mark Darin: As Strong Bad himself boasts on the website, "I'm the real reason you're here." And it's true. Strong Bad himself is such a character that he has gathered a huge number of fans worldwide. Besides, he's a bit of a Bad Guy, and everyone knows it's more fun to be the bad guy!
N-Gamez: As far as we can understand, SBCG4AP will focus on classic point-and-click elements. How do you see the point-and-click genre today, and how does the genre fit the Nintendo Wii?
Mark Darin: I see the point and click genre as one that is evolving. I already see its influence in hybrid games such as Penny Arcade Adventures and Mass Effect. I also think that the tried and true interface is so simple and intuitive to use that it is a fantastic way to introduce people into the world of story-based games. Story is a huge focus at Telltale and we want people to feel welcome when picking up our games, not like they're learning to play a video game. The Wii is making big strides in making gaming a family experience where anyone can just grab the remote and start playing, no matter what age or experience level. We feel that the genre is perfect for that, letting the whole family gather around the TV, watching the story play out and helping each other solve the puzzles. Adventure games are one of the few types of games that can be enjoyed equally by a group of people, even when only one person has the controller!
Interview (part 2)
N-Gamez: SBCG4AP will be released as a series, why the decision to do episodic content instead of a full retail release?
Mark Darin: Episodic content is the foundation that this company was built upon. We believe more and more people are becoming interested in being able to sit down in front of their computers or TV sets and have a satisfying entertainment experience even if they only have a few hours to spare. Our games cater to a more relaxed environment that can be enjoyed at a more leisurely pace, like watching your favorite TV show or "movie night" with the family. Internally, working episodically is nice because it allows us to adapt a TV-like approach with our designers and writers.
With Strong Bad's Cool Game, we have a different designer and writer on each episode, similar to how each episode of a TV show has a different writer and director. Using different people for individual episodes prevents us from getting burnt out on the material too quickly. Additionally, the frequent releases allow us to form a more direct community with our fans, and we can adapt our games according to the feedback we get from them. This is a phenomenon that is only possible with episodic content.
N-Gamez: How many episodes are you planning, and can we expect episodes/seasons bundled together like we've seen with Sam & Max?
Mark Darin: We are planning to release five episodes of Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People. These will be released on a monthly basis. It's too early to say exactly what will happen after these five episodes are released online and on WiiWare, but we do really like the idea of giving episodic games the "box set" treatment at the end of the run, just like a TV series ends up on DVD at the end of the season. We reach a whole new audience that way.
N-Gamez: We bet a lot of fans will be expecting core Homestar Runner characters like Trogdor, The Cheat and Marzipan to make an appearance in the game as well. Can you reveal any details on how many characters will be present in the game, and how they fit into the gameplay?
Mark Darin: We've got all the main characters in the game, so fans will not be disappointed! How they fit is extremely varied. It really all depends on the story. We definitely do not throw in characters just for the sake of showing them off. Every bit of gameplay and character interaction makes sense and maintains a believable world.
N-Gamez: Apparently, the Homestar Runner user base is primarily located in the United States. What are your expectations to the release of SBCG4AP, both in the US as well as here in Europe?
Mark Darin: While some of the referential humor is fairly esoteric, the characters themselves are humorous in a universal way. The European audience for the Homestarrunner.com website is constantly growing. I've heard that there are fan sites that have gone through the painstaking task of translating and subtitling the cartoons in several languages. I have every confidence that the game will be successful in making people laugh their butts off, no matter where they happen to live.
N-Gamez: Finally, can we expect any future Homestar Runner/Telltale projects on the WiiWare, e.g. a Wii version of the popular Peasant's Quest, and what can you tell us about other upcoming projects?
Mark Darin: Currently we have enough on our plates with the first five episodes of Strong Bad, but if fans clamor for more, we'll certainly consider continuing the series! But in the meantime, Wii owners will be happy to finally be able to play Sam & Max, which is coming out as a retail product for Wii this fall. That's a wild ride the whole family won't soon forget!
N-Gamez thanks Telltale Games' Mark Darin for the interview.
