Death of a Game: Telltale Games
nerdSlayer Studios・36 minutes read
Telltale Games rose to prominence with hits like The Walking Dead but faced financial struggles, layoffs, and eventual closure in 2018, impacting the adventure game genre and its dedicated fan base. Despite critical success, issues with executives, financial uncertainty, and failure to innovate led to Telltale Games' downfall, emphasizing not all stories end with a happy ending.
Insights
- Telltale Games, founded by ex-LucasArts developers, rose to fame with The Walking Dead in 2013, showcasing a shift towards interactive storytelling and revitalizing the adventure game genre.
- Despite critical acclaim and profitable titles like Sam & Max Save the World, Telltale Games faced financial struggles, leading to closure in 2018 after failed attempts to secure major IPs and a lack of innovation, emphasizing the challenges in balancing creativity with commercial success in the gaming industry.
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Recent questions
What is the history of adventure games?
Adventure games have a rich history dating back to the 90s with classics like The Longest Journey, The Secret of Monkey Island, and Myst.
What led to Telltale Games' success in 2013?
Telltale Games found major success in 2013 with The Walking Dead, leading to critical acclaim.
What challenges did Telltale Games face in 2018?
Telltale Games faced financial struggles and layoffs, eventually shutting down in 2018 after firing most of its workforce.
How did Telltale Games expand its game portfolio?
Telltale Games expanded to create games based on popular IPs like Homestar Runner and Wallace and Gromit, achieving modest success.
What impact did Telltale Games' closure have on the industry?
The failure of Telltale Games impacted the adventure and interactive games genre, with classic hits like Sam and Max, Tales from the Borderlands, and The Walking Dead being affected.
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Summary
00:00
Reviving Adventure Games: Telltale Games' Journey
- The adventure game genre has a rich history dating back to the 90s with classics like The Longest Journey, The Secret of Monkey Island, and Myst.
- Telltale Games was founded by developers from LucasArts to revive the adventure game genre, focusing on interactive storytelling.
- Despite struggling for 14 years, Telltale Games found major success in 2013 with The Walking Dead, leading to critical acclaim.
- Telltale Games faced financial struggles and layoffs, eventually shutting down in 2018 after firing most of its workforce.
- Telltale Games attempted to revive canceled games like Sam & Max Freelance Police and Hell on Wheels, facing challenges with acquiring rights.
- Telltale Games developed its proprietary engine to create adventure games, starting with Telltale Texas Hold'em in 2005.
- Telltale Games obtained the rights to Sam & Max after LucasArts abandoned the adventure game genre, leading to the successful launch of Sam & Max Save the World in 2006.
- Sam & Max Save the World received critical and commercial success, leading to Telltale Games' profitability with a devoted fan base.
- Telltale Games expanded to create games based on popular IPs like Homestar Runner and Wallace and Gromit, achieving modest success.
- Telltale Games secured licenses for major IPs like Monkey Island, Back to the Future, and Jurassic Park, showcasing their ability to work with mainstream properties.
13:42
Telltale's Rise and Fall in Gaming
- Back to the Future game launched in 2010, surpassing Monkey Island's success in design.
- Telltale's puzzles became easier over six years, leading to criticism for Back to the Future game.
- Despite criticism, due to the IP's stature, Back to the Future game was more successful.
- Telltale aimed to replicate this success with Jurassic Park IP, but the game received poor reviews.
- Telltale transitioned from traditional puzzle games to cinematic experiences, leading to mixed results.
- Telltale's revenue in 2010 was $10 million, a significant increase from the previous year.
- Telltale secured rights to The Walking Dead and Fables comic series, aligning with their rise in success.
- The Walking Dead Season 1 was a massive hit, winning over 80 Game of the Year awards and selling 8.5 million episodes.
- The Wolf Among Us, based on Fables comics, was critically successful but not as commercially lucrative.
- Telltale faced challenges with The Walking Dead Season 2 due to key developers leaving the company.
26:43
Telltale's Batman Game: Rise and Fall
- Telltale secured developer rights for a Batman game set in the DC Universe in 2015.
- Before the Batman game, Telltale published "Seven Days to Die" on consoles to diversify.
- The Batman Telltale series launched in August 2016 but faced issues like pacing problems and bugs.
- Telltale's formula seemed stagnant, leading to criticism for lack of innovation.
- The Batman Telltale series was a financial bust, impacting Telltale's reputation.
- Telltale continued releasing games in quick succession, ignoring feedback for innovation.
- The company underwent restructuring, with Kevin Bruner stepping down as CEO.
- Pete Hawley took over as CEO, leading to layoffs of 90 employees to focus on fewer, better games.
- Despite efforts to revamp, Telltale struggled financially, leading to a partnership with Netflix.
- Telltale faced closure in September 2018 due to financial troubles and failed partnerships, resulting in the letting go of 250 employees.
38:43
Telltale Games: Rise and Fall
- Telltale Games faced significant challenges, including appointing Kevin Bruner as CEO, refusing to create games for Netflix like Stranger Things, and transitioning into an episodic factory rather than a development company, leading to burnout among studio talent. The failure of Telltale Games impacted the adventure and interactive games genre, with classic hits like Sam and Max, Tales from the Borderlands, and The Walking Dead being affected. Despite the talent within the company, issues with executives and financial uncertainties led to a sad ending for Telltale Games, highlighting the reality that not all stories conclude with a fairy tale ending.
