Telltale’s latest project coming in July
You’re making a new Monkey Island game? For real?
For real! As we revealed at E3, Telltale’s latest episodic series is Tales of Monkey Island, a five-episode saga featuring mighty pirate Guybrush Threepwood and his motley crew. Tales of Monkey Island pulls the legendary franchise thundering and plundering into the modern era with an epic storyline conceived by some of the same team that dreamed up the original games. So polish up your swashbuckles and start practicing your Aaaarrrrr!, because this brand new Monkey Island adventure sets sail July 7.
Why should we trust YOU with the Monkey Island franchise?
Allow us to introduce ourselves. We’re Telltale, a company founded five years ago by former LucasArts employees Dan Connors and Kevin Bruner. Dan and Kevin dreamed of bringing the kind of story games LucasArts made famous—you know, games like The Secret of Monkey Island—back into the limelight in a digitally-distributed, episodic format. That dream became a reality as Telltale released series after series of high quality, critically-acclaimed episodic series, including two award-winning seasons of Sam & Max… maybe you’ve heard of those guys?
Telltale’s Tales of Monkey Island team includes a lot of people who worked on the original games. For example, our design director Dave Grossman was one of the main writers/designers on The Secret of Monkey Island and its sequel. Oh, we also have Monkey Island composer Michael Land doing the music, and the excellent Dominic Armato reprises his role as the voice of Guybrush Threepwood, Mighty Pirate™. Still not convinced? Check out who else is working on the game on our Tales of Monkey Island team page, and prepare to wet yourself.
What about Ron Gilbert? Is he involved?
Ron doesn’t work at Telltale (he’s busy making his own game with Hothead), but he’s friends with a lot of Telltale folks from back in the day at LucasArts. And when he found out what we were up to with Tales of Monkey Island, he was pretty excited. In fact, early in the project he came down to our office for a few days to brainstorm ideas with our team. You can see what Ron has to say about the new series over at his Grumpy Gamer blog.
Um… does LucasArts know what you’re doing?
Of course they do! (Monkey Island is a LucasArts property, after all.) We licensed the Monkey Island rights from LucasArts, the same way we’ve licensed other franchises from their owners—like Sam & Max from Steve Purcell, Strong Bad from the Brothers Chaps, and Wallace & Gromit from Aardman—and now we’re working closely with them to bring you this new chapter in Guybrush’s adventures.
I heard something about a remake of The Secret of Monkey Island®. Is that the same as your game?
You’re thinking of The Secret of Monkey Island®: Special Edition, which is the game our friends at LucasArts will be releasing this Summer. This is the faithfully re-imagined version of the original The Secret of Monkey Island, presented in all new HD detail. You can find more details about The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition here.
What is Tales of Monkey Island about?
During a heated battle with his nemesis, the evil pirate LeChuck, Guybrush unwittingly unleashes an insidious pox that rapidly spreads across the Caribbean, turning pirates into zombie-like monsters. The Voodoo Lady sends Guybrush in search of a legendary sea sponge to stem the epidemic, but this seemingly straightforward quest has surprises around every corner. Join Guybrush for a 5-episode adventure filled with intrigue, betrayal, suspense, and a rich, gooey helping of piratey goodness. Not to mention the second biggest… oh wait, you’ve heard that one before?
Which characters are returning?
Guybrush, LeChuck, Elaine, and the Voodoo Lady, for sure. Plus there’s a whole new cast, new islands to explore, new voodoo curses to recite… okay, that’s all you’re getting out of us!
Where will I be able to find Tales of Monkey Island? And when?!
Starting on July 7, the games will be released as monthly downloads for PC, right here at www.telltalegames.com. The WiiWare versions will be released through the Wii Shop Channel on a similar schedule.
Downloads? But what if I want a disc to put on my shelf with the rest of the Monkey Island games?
You’re in luck! As we do with all of our episodic series, we’ll put Tales of Monkey Island on a disc after all five episodes have been distributed digitally. This Collector’s DVD will be available to season customers for just the cost of shipping. So you get the best of both worlds: instant access to each monthly episode as it releases AND a physical copy to hold onto for posterity.
Better yet, if you pre-order before the series premiere on July 7, your Collector’s DVD will come with a limited-edition, impossible-to-get-anywhere-else Tales of Monkey Island slipcover featuring painted artwork by Steve Purcell. You probably know him as the creator of Sam & Max, but Steve also happens to be the person who painted the box covers for the first two Monkey Island games, which means the Tales of Monkey Island Collector’s DVD will be right at home on your game shelf! See the details of this exclusive pre-order offer.
How much will I have to pay for this epic pirate saga?
On PC, the five episode bundle costs $34.95. Pre-order the series before the July 7 launch and we’ll throw in some awesome goodies, including a limited edition DVD slipcover painted by Monkey Island art legend Steve Purcell, a free Telltale game, and access to a super-secret Monkey Island area of our website. Preorder today!
The WiiWare price hasn’t been set yet, but the per-episode cost will be in line with our other WiiWare series, Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People.
Will there be a demo?
Yep, we’re planning to release a PC demo. Watch for it around the same time as the July 7 series premiere.
Do I need to play the other Monkey Island games before Tales of Monkey Island?
Not at all! Of course, the series will be full of jokes that longtime Monkey Island fans can appreciate, but if you’re a newbie, Tales of Monkey Island is a fine place to start.