Lionsgate Invests in Telltale And News About Telltale's "Super Show"
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LIONSGATE INVESTS IN LEADING GAME DEVELOPER TELLTALE GAMES
The two companies will collaborate on interactive media opportunities with a focus on original properties
SANTA MONICA, Calif. and SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Feb. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the continued diversification of its content business and recent entry into the game space, Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a premier next generation global content leader, has made a significant investment in leading game developer and publisher Telltale Games, the two companies announced today. As part of its investment, Lionsgate Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer will also join the Telltale Board of Directors.
The investment will continue the extension of Lionsgate's film and television brands into the game space and will bring Lionsgate's expertise in creating and marketing premium content to Telltale's unique narrative-driven, storytelling approach to gaming. The collaboration will also enable the two companies to explore opportunities to co-develop existing and original IP into episodic games and television.
Telltale has emerged as an industry leader in narrative-driven episodic games with the blockbuster hit The Walking Dead, which has sold 8.5 million copies and topped sales charts on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and Steam, as well as the hit Game of Thrones, based on the smash television series, The Wolf Among Us, the episodic interactive graphic adventure video game based on Bill Willingham's Fables comic book, and Tales from the Borderlands, Telltale's adaptation of the acclaimed PC, Mac and console video game title from Gearbox Software and 2K Games.
"Telltale is one of the premier storytellers in the gaming world today," said Lionsgate Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer. "Their leadership in narrative-driven episodic games, together with our investment and the potential opportunities created by our premium content expertise, will continue to strengthen their ability to offer exciting new avenues of storytelling to their next generation audiences across a broad range of platforms."
"Lionsgate is one of the most innovative, entrepreneurial and impressive content companies in the world today. I'm delighted to welcome an experienced executive like Jon, a leader who shares our unique vision, to our Board," said Telltale CEO Kevin Bruner. "Lionsgate has a great track record in developing and marketing feature films as well as platform-defining premium scripted television. This partnership will accelerate Telltale's ability to create not only original games, but episodic television series based on our game properties – an area at the cutting edge of industry growth."
"Our partnership with Kevin Bruner and his team at Telltale continues to accelerate our momentum in the game space," said Lionsgate President of Interactive Ventures & Games Peter Levin. "The convergence between premium filmed entertainment brands and original game properties is a natural direction in which to continue diversifying our content business, and Telltale is the perfect partner with whom to explore this dynamic area of growth."
Telltale Games CEO Kevin Bruner discusses new venture The Super Show
Telltale Games has made a name for itself over the last few years delivering a series of episodic video games based on existing franchises like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead. From the start, Telltale’s series have taken on more the model of a TV series than a regular game, with each episode formatted like a television episode, the focus squarely on characters and story. These episodic games go one step further than a TV show could, giving players the opportunity to choose dialogue and actions that affect the flow of the overarching season.
It’s no surprise then, that Telltale’s newest venture bridges the gap between episodic video games and television and combines the best of both worlds—a Super Show.
Lionsgate, the studio behind TV hits like Orange Is the New Black and Mad Men, announced today that it will be investing in Telltale, in an effort to produce original franchises, which will include properties made in Telltale’s new Super Show model. Telltale will be developing its first original IP as a Super Show, with more information to come about the project.
EW spoke exclusively with Telltale CEO Kevin Bruner to find out wha exactly a Super Show entails, what the deal with Lionsgate means for the developer, and how the developer will operate as both a game and television studio.
More information in this article.
Job made some interesting Tweets
Kevin also tweeted this
Comments
I hope they make a sci-fi adventure game. That would be awesome.
Oh shit! I'm fucking HYPED.
Minecraft: Story mode - Season 2
jk. This should be interesting...
Hopefully this original content is their original IP (or at least includes it). I've been hoping for (more) original IP since Telltale Texas Hold'Em, so that is quite exciting indeed. Can't wait to see what it is.
pease not a white straight male protagonist with brown hair and stubble, please not a white straight male protagonist with brown hair and stubble...
Other than Bigby & Rodrik,I think Telltale did a good job at that.
And Gared. And Asher really, it's pretty dark blonde :P
They have, I just hope it continues..
'Super' exciting? Superhero game confirmed?
Good catch!
Wasn't Puzzle Agent original IP... God I miss that game...
I can't wait for this original IP, I'm already pumped for it.
Super original content?
Maybe Max & Sam XDDDD
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lionsgate-invests-in-leading-game-developer-telltale-games-300040182.html
The first announcement that there will be an announcement for the new IP. Telltale never changes.
please a multicolored omnisexual trigendered protagonist with rainbow hair and piercings and tattoos, please a multicolored omnisexual trigendered protagonist with rainbow hair and piercings and tattoos
Nice troll.
A super show? This sounds REALLY interesting...
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/02/24/telltale-games-ceo-kevin-bruner-super-show-interview
This got interesting quickly.
Some information about Telltale's new "Super Show"
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/02/24/telltale-games-ceo-kevin-bruner-super-show-interview
Does it mean their games will be even more movie-like and streamlined than ever before?
Hmm.
A stepping stone towards games without choice, quite frankly.
Seems that way.
How about, please just give us interesting characters? I'm sure that will be just fine enough
Wow, after reading the full interview (which explains everything) this is huge, like revolutionary, game-changer huge...
What an exciting and intriguing concept - can't wait to see it all come to fruition!
I'm interested in this Super Show concept, can't wait to see what Telltale and Lionsgate can do.
If you read the whole interview the 'Super Show' will actually be formed with two parts: a more traditional television episode, and a corresponding Telltale game episode - two for the price of one!
em...eh...
what?
Well, this is certainly interesting. I can't wait to see what comes out of this.
That quote about potentially having a series "Win a Golden Globe and a Game of the Year award at the same time" gives me the impression that this concept could be executed in some unique ways.
I'm super exited to see what comes out of this. I'm sure Telltale won't disappoint!
I just think that white straight male main characters with brown hair and stubble have been done to death such that they're automatically slightly less interesting.
I'm intrigued. Though I hope the tradional TV episode portion doesn't also follow the traditional TV series distribution model, otherwise I'll be waiting months to see the TV episodes corresponding to the game episodes.
Hey good for Telltale, here's hoping nothing but good things come from this business venture. Is it now safe to say that Telltale is no longer an indie developer hmmmm?
i'm not sure if i have got this right, but a "super show" is basically releasing two episodes of a telltale game at once, but one of them has no interactivity at all, and one has the interactivity of a normal telltale game, is that correct?
and is the non interactive part live action or is it all "animated"?
also hopefully this means more regular episodes, because if a TV show had a 4 month wait between episodes it would not do very well, especially nowadays where we get a whole season of shows like "orange is the new black" at once so we can just binge watch it all in a day or two.
Telltale better be thanking skybound, Robert Kirkman, and Walking dead for this. Without the walking dead ' s popularity this wouldn't have happened.
Telltale's really moving up in the world! I still however, have reservations in that they may go too far one way. As in, a balance definitely has to be struck between the two, maybe even more weighted towards interactivity and gameplay.
Can't wait to see this idea come to fruition though.
i would love a fables TV show, like a more gritty\dirty adult version of once upon a time, i mean i like once upon a time, but it is very tame and disneyfied
You know, that may hurt white straight males with brown hair and stubble feelings, you shouldn't discriminate against them >:(
That's same if I would say; please not gay girly talking skinny white v-neck t-shirt protagonist...
Soo, if I understand it correctly, if I play the game episode first, some of the choices will transfer into the show? Sounds pretty cool and interesting.
Oh no, not the straight white guys being upset, anyone but them.
Um, that's not the same. Because what you just gave is not a ridiculously overdone protagonist.
I could make a very long list of white straight male protagonists with dark hair and stubble. I don't think you could make a long list of playable straight girly-talking skinny white v-neck t-shirt wearing characters.
I'm really confused what this means... are they making a new IP with lionsgate?