After more than a year of rumors, speculation, and denials, Telltale Studios admits that they're bringing the first season of their Sam & Max episodic adventure game series to the Wii.
It has long been rumored, but now it's official. Telltale Studios has finally admitted that, yes, Sam & Max is coming to the Wii. The current incarnation of the humor-based adventure game franchise is episodic, meaning that it is delivered in independent episodes of story and gameplay, much like a TV series. Thus, Sam & Max will come to the Wii on disc in the form of a compilation of six episodes from season one: "Culture Shock", "Situation: Comedy", "The Mole, the Mob, and the Meatball", "Abe Lincoln Must Die", "Reality 2.0", and "Bright Side of the Moon". It is expected for a release in America and Europe this fall.
Sam & Max has a history of rumors, confirmations, and denials. In February 2007, Telltale Studios ran a job listing that referred to adapting existing PC assets. A month later, they revealed that they were indeed planning Wii titles, but never claimed they were specifically working on porting their Sam & Max franchise. Then in January this year, the European publisher for Sam & Max mentioned the series in one of their press releases, but even then Telltale Games declined to confirm anything.
Later, when Nintendo mentioned the company with regards to WiiWare Telltale claimed to be working on a completely different property. This last item may still be true since the Wii compilation of Sam & Max episodes will be a retail release, with no hint as to whether any future content will be downloadable through WiiWare.
Additionally, Telltale representatives mentioned a fan e-mail campaign to bring the franchise to the Wii that started even before Sam & Max was made available on PC. This constant interest in a Wii version of their hit series (currently in its second season) helped spark publisher and developer interest in bringing Sam & Max to the Wii.
Sam & Max Coming to Wii!
Complete first season of episodic games to hit retail stores this fall
SAN RAFAEL, CA, April 4, 2008 – As part of a continuing effort to extend episodic gaming to new audiences and platforms, Telltale is officially announcing that Sam & Max Season One will be coming to Wii™. This collection of the first six Sam & Max episodes will introduce a brand new audience to the popular and critically-acclaimed game series. Sam & Max for Wii is expected to ship to retail stores worldwide this fall, thanks to a partnership between Telltale and JoWooD/DreamCatcher.
Sam & Max's journey to the Wii console has been fueled by fan excitement. Just before the episodic series' PC debut, fans launched an email campaign clamoring for a Wii version of the series. Continuous rumors and rampant speculation online led to developer and publisher enthusiasm for the title. With Telltale now focusing on console development in addition to PC, the company can finally bring Sam & Max to Wii in response to this overwhelming demand.
The Sam & Max episodes let players guide the Freelance Police through a series of bizarre—and often sidesplitting—mysteries. Sam & Max Season One has already experienced enormous success, both as an episodic series available for download through Telltale's website and other services, and at retail. Honors include Adventure Game of the Year from GameSpy and IGN, and inclusion on Games for Windows' list of Top 10 Games in 2007.
The Wii console is a perfect fit for the Sam & Max games. The series' story-driven gameplay and episodic structure has often been favorably compared to TV sitcoms. The new Wii version will present Sam & Max in a format that can be enjoyed from the comfort of the living room, either alone or with a group of friends—a setting perfectly suited for this kind of experience. The game's easy-to-use interface is ideal for a broad consumer audience.
Sam & Max first hit the indie comic scene in 1987, courtesy of franchise creator Steve Purcell. In the twenty years since, they have appeared in an animated TV series, an Eisner-winning webcomic, and numerous video games. The success of the Sam & Max episodic series has fueled a renaissance for the franchise. Telltale recently released a special 20th Anniversary Edition of the complete Sam & Max comic collection, Surfin' the Highway, after nearly a decade out of print, and a DVD box set of the 1997 animated series has just been published by Shout Factory. Both are available in Telltale's online store (www.telltalegames.com/store), along with other Sam & Max merchandise.
Sam & Max Season One for Wii will be published by Dreamcatcher/The Adventure Company in North America, and by JoWooD in Europe. In addition to English language, the game will be fully localized in French and German, and subtitled in Italian and Spanish. All versions are expected to ship during the fall 2008 season.
