Seriously, I want to know whether or not LucasArts erased the original code for the cancelled game, and whether or not they still have the rights to it.
I hope someone from Telltale sheds some light on the subject...
They own the rights to the game since they produced it. They just don't have the rights to release it.
They own the rights to the game since they produced it. They just don't have the rights to release it.
Well, I hope this year someone stands up to them and asks them for the rights to that game, at E3, in public, in front of a lot of people. If not, I might have to find some way into that event and talk to them myself...
who wants it? its four years old...of course in theory most sa&max fans would be interested in it, but i doubt that you could still sell it properly. and the current owners won't just give it away for free..
who wants it? its four years old...of course in theory most sa&max fans would be interested in it, but i doubt that you could still sell it properly. and the current owners won't just give it away for free..
Also, we aren't sure how good the actual game is other than hype. I mean, for all we know, the game might be on par with MI4. I don't hate Monkey Island 4, but that game appears to be the est MI game according to the general census.
No, they can't have canceled Freelance Police! It didn't happen!
Why did they have to cancel MY anticipated game? Can't they have axed Battlefront instead!?
Come on, LucasArts! If you release the game, I'll give you a cookie! You like cookies, right? RIGHT!?
The world is over. Life is not worth living.
But they can't have canceled it!
WHY DID THEY CANCEL IT!?
RELEASE PLZ?
I hate myself and want to die: The greatest album never released.
(Repeat as necessary.)
No, they can't have canceled Freelance Police! It didn't happen!
(...)
WHY DID THEY CANCEL IT!?
RELEASE PLZ?
I hate myself and want to die: The greatest album never released.
(Repeat as necessary.)
Hmm, all of the first four stages in one post..should we be worried?
Okay, I have seen a lot of these posts that say "Let it go" or "It's gone" or "Who wants it? It's four years old" or "I doubt you could sell it properly" or "It'll never live up to the hype"... and I have to say that I strongly disagree with all of those statements. I see no substance behind any of them, and, in my opinion, all of them are basically saying the same thing: "I surrender." I know that's probably not how you see it, but that's how I see it, and I think that shows weakness. I really do not want to see a weak company.
Anyone posting here, whether you work for Telltale or not, you can tell me to "let it go" or "get over it" all you want, but I am entitled to my own opinions, and I still think that you should not give up the ghost just yet. If LucasArts did not want you to work on the project at all, they could have just not even started the project to begin with. But they did, and it was about 80% or 90% complete. And they cancelled it, and held onto it for four years. That, to me, is a company that uses people, and is unappreciative of the hard work they spent on that project. And it surprises me that people are still allowing them to get away with that. I should be mad at just LucasArts, but I feel I'm mad at Telltale too, for not even bothering to try to reacquire the rights to a project they poured their hearts and souls into. No offense, Telltale, but that is how I feel. I know the last thing you wanted to see is a long-winded rant, but I felt that I had to get that off my chest. I'm sorry if anyone else thinks otherwise.
That is my reason for wanting the project to continue. What is your reason for wanting the project to stay cancelled?
I should be mad at just LucasArts, but I feel I'm mad at Telltale too, for not even bothering to try to reacquire the rights to a project they poured their hearts and souls into.
I'm pretty sure someone tried. You don't have your project canceled and a bit later loose your job without saying a single word. Furthermore they did the best they could: They founded their own company, got the rights to Sam&Max and made a good replacement for the lost Freelance Police. What more do you want? What are you expecting to happen? Let's say LA would give the Freelance Police rights to Telltale, for free. They'd still have to finish it and probably also update the graphics a bit. After some work they could release it, but since it also has some kind of episodic format it will probably just feel like an outdated season 1. So in the end Telltale had to invest quite some work to get an old product, that probably only hardcore fans would buy.
But this is the better scenario. If LA could be convinced to give up the rights, they will most surely charge a few dollars for it, what would make everything even more complicated.
Also, you have to understand if some of the old Freelance Police team might not be interested in working on the project again.
I should be mad at just LucasArts, but I feel I'm mad at Telltale too, for not even bothering to try to reacquire the rights to a project they poured their hearts and souls into.
You're right. The way they just gave up and started their own company like that, and then went on to secure the rights to make Sam & Max games, and released nine well-reviewed episodes (with two more on the way, one of them this week!) -- sparking a Sam & Max revival that has extended to Steve's comics and the TV series on DVD -- not to mention the five other games Telltale released in the same timeframe and two new series in development right now... those wimps. They should have fought harder.
In all seriousness, Waitohooru, I'm sorry you're so upset about this. I didn't work at LucasArts, but I've heard people who did work on Freelance Police speak fondly of the project, and I'm sure it would have been a fun game. That said, believe it or not, these same people seem to be pretty happy doing what they're doing right now. I have never once heard someone at Telltale say "Man, this sucks, I wish I were still back at LucasArts working on that game that got canceled four years ago."
You can be mad at Telltale all you want, but getting angry at a company that has come out with more Sam & Max games in a year and a half than LucasArts did in a decade for "giving up" on Sam & Max seems pretty backwards to me. Just my opinion.
I just don't see what the purpose would be in trying to bring back Freelance Police. Great game projects get cancelled all the time. And if they do get revived, they are almost always a disappointment due to the fact that they just can't live up to expectations.
People want another Hit The Road, and they think that Freelance Police would have given them that. But, it almost certainly wouldn't have. The golden age of adventures is long gone. Even TT's Sam & Max, as fantastic as it is, doesn't have the same magic to it. (Don't take offense guys, I don't mean that as a criticism in any way)
Sorry if I'm not making any sense, it's 2 in the morning, and I'm still fuming from an arguement I had earlier, so my mind's not entirely on the subject at hand. But if I wrote it down how I think I wrote it down, then there's my reason for not wanting Freelance Police to be revived.
EDIT: Oh jeez... did I just say "it doesn't have the same magic to it"? Somebody, please take my keyboard away from me when I'm tired. These textual atrocities are slowly destroying my writer cred.
I don't think that Freelance Police would fit in Telltale's new continuity.
A new Sam & Max series has been established, with Bosco, Lincoln (Head-only edition), Sybil, Jimmy Two-Teeth, Superball... that stuff would feel disconnected now. I did undersign that petition and I think it's got already past his initial purpose. The 30.000 signatures showed Dan, Kevin and the gang that we not only cared about Sam & Max, but also that we wanted to keep on enjoying the whole "lucasartian" storytelling tradition. Starting from spring 2004 a new era has begun, with Telltale Games, Autumn Moon, Crackpot, Ron's Deathspank, Noah's and Hal's Mata Hari, Tim Schafer's whimsical attempts to spoil our brains (aka Psychonauts...).
If Telltale got the rights to the cancelled game, they would be forced to totally rewrite that to fit it in the new series. Seriously, that wouldn't be worth the money to spend on those rights.
Sam & Max have NEVER been more alive & kickin' than now. Telltale's games are even funnier than the original Hit The Road.
Right now I would be much more curious to get my hands on the late Full Throttle : Hell On Wheels...:p
Okay, I have seen a lot of these posts that say "Let it go" or "It's gone" or "Who wants it? It's four years old" or "I doubt you could sell it properly" or "It'll never live up to the hype"... and I have to say that I strongly disagree with all of those statements. I see no substance behind any of them, and, in my opinion, all of them are basically saying the same thing: "I surrender." I know that's probably not how you see it, but that's how I see it, and I think that shows weakness. I really do not want to see a weak company.
Anyone posting here, whether you work for Telltale or not, you can tell me to "let it go" or "get over it" all you want, but I am entitled to my own opinions, and I still think that you should not give up the ghost just yet. If LucasArts did not want you to work on the project at all, they could have just not even started the project to begin with. But they did, and it was about 80% or 90% complete. And they cancelled it, and held onto it for four years. That, to me, is a company that uses people, and is unappreciative of the hard work they spent on that project. And it surprises me that people are still allowing them to get away with that. I should be mad at just LucasArts, but I feel I'm mad at Telltale too, for not even bothering to try to reacquire the rights to a project they poured their hearts and souls into. No offense, Telltale, but that is how I feel. I know the last thing you wanted to see is a long-winded rant, but I felt that I had to get that off my chest. I'm sorry if anyone else thinks otherwise.
That is my reason for wanting the project to continue. What is your reason for wanting the project to stay cancelled?
THIS IS SPARTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek: :mad:
Sorry but you serious sounded like you were doing a speech from braveheart or 300.
Anyway, your mad at telltale? how about you try gaining the rights to release a game from company not willing to hand it over? then why don't you finish the game? get all the designers, voice actors etc back. While your at remake the graphics! then why don't you also find the fricking budget to pay to get the license and remake the game?
The time and energy spent to bring an unfinished, four-year-old project to a marketable state is likely to be significant that it makes more sense to start over fresh, which (gasp!) is exactly what Telltale did.
I don't think that Freelance Police would fit in Telltale's new continuity.
A new Sam & Max series has been established, with Bosco, Lincoln (Head-only edition), Sybil, Jimmy Two-Teeth, Superball... that stuff would feel disconnected now. I did undersign that petition and I think it's got already past his initial purpose. The 30.000 signatures showed Dan, Kevin and the gang that we not only cared about Sam & Max, but also that we wanted to keep on enjoying the whole "lucasartian" storytelling tradition. Starting from spring 2004 a new era has begun, with Telltale Games, Autumn Moon, Crackpot, Ron's Deathspank, Noah's and Hal's Mata Hari, Tim Schafer's whimsical attempts to spoil our brains (aka Psychonauts...).
If Telltale got the rights to the cancelled game, they would be forced to totally rewrite that to fit it in the new series. Seriously, that wouldn't be worth the money to spend on those rights.
Then again, they could write it as a prequel to the episodic series, or something like that...
Seriously, making that game a prequel to the episodic series is a good idea. They should totally rename it as "Season Zero"... because it takes place before Season One. And what number comes before one? Zero! I mean, duh! It's been right in front of us the entire time!
Id say 'let sleeping dogs(and rabbits) lie, Telltale have expressed wishes to continue with Sam and Max for the time being. and have fewer distractions than Lucasarts which in my opinion (according to what Lucasarts have put out recently) allows them to create a much more enjoyable series. Im enjoying the episodic approach it gives players something to look forward to.
I really don't care about the Lucas Arts game anymore. I think the Telltale games are as good as Hit the Road. Actually, I'm glad things turned out the way they did. We got 2 games in 2 years, and a third one will follow.
I really don't care about the Lucas Arts game anymore. I think the Telltale games are as good as Hit the Road. Actually, I'm glad things turned out the way they did. We got 2 games in 2 years, and a third one will follow.
But still, I think we should add yet another one to the release schedule, just in case...
Id say 'let sleeping dogs(and rabbits) lie, Telltale have expressed wishes to continue with Sam and Max for the time being. and have fewer distractions than Lucasarts which in my opinion (according to what Lucasarts have put out recently) allows them to create a much more enjoyable series. Im enjoying the episodic approach it gives players something to look forward to.
Also, the layout of the block Sam and Max works at is completely different to the layout in the TT version.
According to pics online, the layout in the cancelled S&M is more akin to the block seen in HTR where there is no building in between the freelance police HQ and Bosco's. I think there is no lot to the the left of the HQ. Lastly, the layout of the TT S&M office is different when compared to the previous games where the door is located on another wall.
One can explain it by having the block being blown up andrebuild between the events from the TT and LA series, but that doesn't explain why S&M never bothered to fix the damages of the block in season2.
Also, the layout of the block Sam and Max works at is completely different to the layout in the TT version.
According to pics online, the layout in the cancelled S&M is more akin to the block seen in HTR where there is no building in between the freelance police HQ and Bosco's. I think there is no lot to the the left of the HQ. Lastly, the layout of the TT S&M office is different when compared to the previous games where the door is located on another wall.
One can explain it by having the block being blown up andrebuild between the events from the TT and LA series, but that doesn't explain why S&M never bothered to fix the damages of the block in season2.
I'm sure they will think of something.
And yes, I said "will think of something", not "would have thought of something". I know this game is a part of the past, but I also want it to be part of the future.
I really hope now that Darrell Rodriguez is LucasArts' new president, he does the right thing and uncancels this game. Telltale put too much heart and soul into this game to allow it to remain cancelled for at least four years, and I'm too vindictive to forgive Jim Ward for what he did. I was personally offended by his G4 comment about saying LucasArts' old point-and-click games were like the Dukes of Hazzard and Bewitched movies, and about those games staying buried until "at least 2015". He even had the nerve to claim that his upcoming games were going to be better than them! I thought that was very disrespectful of him to say something like that.
I'm sorry, but nothing anyone can say is going to change my mind about this, so you'll have to forgive me if it sounds like I'm beating a dead horse here.
his G4 comment about saying LucasArts' old point-and-click games were like the Dukes of Hazzard and Bewitched movies, and about those games staying buried until "at least 2015".
He said that?? Wow, not a good way to get on the good side of the gamers. He forgets that the majority of us fondly remember and revere those games.
I don't think LucasArts can "uncancel" the game. They don't have the rights to release it. Those rights ran out in 2005, which is when Steve and Telltale started working together on the new games.
I don't think LucasArts can "uncancel" the game. They don't have the rights to release it. Those rights ran out in 2005, which is when Steve and Telltale started working together on the new games.
So basically...nobody can release it because of a legal web of sorrow?
Depends on your perspective, I guess. I still think it would be weird and confusing for that game to be released at this point, so I don't really consider it a web of sorrow.
would it be breaking anything important if over the summer you were to write up a multi part synopsis of the old game and post it over the course of the summer in the blog? (like you did with "the history of sam and max" last summer)
Comments
They own the rights to the game since they produced it. They just don't have the rights to release it.
Well, I hope this year someone stands up to them and asks them for the rights to that game, at E3, in public, in front of a lot of people. If not, I might have to find some way into that event and talk to them myself...
Also, we aren't sure how good the actual game is other than hype. I mean, for all we know, the game might be on par with MI4. I don't hate Monkey Island 4, but that game appears to be the
Why did they have to cancel MY anticipated game? Can't they have axed Battlefront instead!?
Come on, LucasArts! If you release the game, I'll give you a cookie! You like cookies, right? RIGHT!?
The world is over. Life is not worth living.
But they can't have canceled it!
WHY DID THEY CANCEL IT!?
RELEASE PLZ?
I hate myself and want to die: The greatest album never released.
(Repeat as necessary.)
Anyone posting here, whether you work for Telltale or not, you can tell me to "let it go" or "get over it" all you want, but I am entitled to my own opinions, and I still think that you should not give up the ghost just yet. If LucasArts did not want you to work on the project at all, they could have just not even started the project to begin with. But they did, and it was about 80% or 90% complete. And they cancelled it, and held onto it for four years. That, to me, is a company that uses people, and is unappreciative of the hard work they spent on that project. And it surprises me that people are still allowing them to get away with that. I should be mad at just LucasArts, but I feel I'm mad at Telltale too, for not even bothering to try to reacquire the rights to a project they poured their hearts and souls into. No offense, Telltale, but that is how I feel. I know the last thing you wanted to see is a long-winded rant, but I felt that I had to get that off my chest. I'm sorry if anyone else thinks otherwise.
That is my reason for wanting the project to continue. What is your reason for wanting the project to stay cancelled?
--Erwin
But this is the better scenario. If LA could be convinced to give up the rights, they will most surely charge a few dollars for it, what would make everything even more complicated.
Also, you have to understand if some of the old Freelance Police team might not be interested in working on the project again.
You're right. The way they just gave up and started their own company like that, and then went on to secure the rights to make Sam & Max games, and released nine well-reviewed episodes (with two more on the way, one of them this week!) -- sparking a Sam & Max revival that has extended to Steve's comics and the TV series on DVD -- not to mention the five other games Telltale released in the same timeframe and two new series in development right now... those wimps. They should have fought harder.
In all seriousness, Waitohooru, I'm sorry you're so upset about this. I didn't work at LucasArts, but I've heard people who did work on Freelance Police speak fondly of the project, and I'm sure it would have been a fun game. That said, believe it or not, these same people seem to be pretty happy doing what they're doing right now. I have never once heard someone at Telltale say "Man, this sucks, I wish I were still back at LucasArts working on that game that got canceled four years ago."
You can be mad at Telltale all you want, but getting angry at a company that has come out with more Sam & Max games in a year and a half than LucasArts did in a decade for "giving up" on Sam & Max seems pretty backwards to me. Just my opinion.
I just don't see what the purpose would be in trying to bring back Freelance Police. Great game projects get cancelled all the time. And if they do get revived, they are almost always a disappointment due to the fact that they just can't live up to expectations.
People want another Hit The Road, and they think that Freelance Police would have given them that. But, it almost certainly wouldn't have. The golden age of adventures is long gone. Even TT's Sam & Max, as fantastic as it is, doesn't have the same magic to it. (Don't take offense guys, I don't mean that as a criticism in any way)
Sorry if I'm not making any sense, it's 2 in the morning, and I'm still fuming from an arguement I had earlier, so my mind's not entirely on the subject at hand. But if I wrote it down how I think I wrote it down, then there's my reason for not wanting Freelance Police to be revived.
EDIT: Oh jeez... did I just say "it doesn't have the same magic to it"? Somebody, please take my keyboard away from me when I'm tired. These textual atrocities are slowly destroying my writer cred.
1. If LA actually sold the rights to Freelance Police, how much money would they accept? Would it be in the 6-digit, 7-digit, or 8-digit range?
2. Could a game like this be made for the Nintendo Wii?
A new Sam & Max series has been established, with Bosco, Lincoln (Head-only edition), Sybil, Jimmy Two-Teeth, Superball... that stuff would feel disconnected now. I did undersign that petition and I think it's got already past his initial purpose. The 30.000 signatures showed Dan, Kevin and the gang that we not only cared about Sam & Max, but also that we wanted to keep on enjoying the whole "lucasartian" storytelling tradition. Starting from spring 2004 a new era has begun, with Telltale Games, Autumn Moon, Crackpot, Ron's Deathspank, Noah's and Hal's Mata Hari, Tim Schafer's whimsical attempts to spoil our brains (aka Psychonauts...).
If Telltale got the rights to the cancelled game, they would be forced to totally rewrite that to fit it in the new series. Seriously, that wouldn't be worth the money to spend on those rights.
Sam & Max have NEVER been more alive & kickin' than now. Telltale's games are even funnier than the original Hit The Road.
Right now I would be much more curious to get my hands on the late Full Throttle : Hell On Wheels...:p
THIS IS SPARTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek: :mad:
Sorry but you serious sounded like you were doing a speech from braveheart or 300.
Anyway, your mad at telltale? how about you try gaining the rights to release a game from company not willing to hand it over? then why don't you finish the game? get all the designers, voice actors etc back. While your at remake the graphics! then why don't you also find the fricking budget to pay to get the license and remake the game?
i very much doubt telltale didn't try.
Hell on wheels looked horrible! I'm glad it got cancelled. Payback would have been better.
Actually, Hell On Wheels was a redesign of Payback.
Take a look at this recent article (with Bill Tiller's quotes):
http://www.aventuraycia.com/v3/articulo.php?id=11&pagina=1&idioma=english
Then again, they could write it as a prequel to the episodic series, or something like that...
kool-aid?
Uh... yeah, Kool-Aid. Kool-Aid of the Jim Jones variety.
Does anyone agree with me on this?
But still, I think we should add yet another one to the release schedule, just in case...
Also, the layout of the block Sam and Max works at is completely different to the layout in the TT version.
According to pics online, the layout in the cancelled S&M is more akin to the block seen in HTR where there is no building in between the freelance police HQ and Bosco's. I think there is no lot to the the left of the HQ. Lastly, the layout of the TT S&M office is different when compared to the previous games where the door is located on another wall.
One can explain it by having the block being blown up andrebuild between the events from the TT and LA series, but that doesn't explain why S&M never bothered to fix the damages of the block in season2.
I'm sure they will think of something.
And yes, I said "will think of something", not "would have thought of something". I know this game is a part of the past, but I also want it to be part of the future.
I'm sorry, but nothing anyone can say is going to change my mind about this, so you'll have to forgive me if it sounds like I'm beating a dead horse here.
He said that?? Wow, not a good way to get on the good side of the gamers. He forgets that the majority of us fondly remember and revere those games.
So basically...nobody can release it because of a legal web of sorrow?
Depends on your perspective, I guess. I still think it would be weird and confusing for that game to be released at this point, so I don't really consider it a web of sorrow.