Telltale Games Calls Its New Project The Most Ambitious Thing It's Ever Done

Gaming — What typical gamers look like in 2014 Reuters/Vincent West

Since the breakout success of Telltale Games' "The Walking Dead: Season One" in 2012, the developer has released game after game based on extremely popular franchises. The year 2013 saw the release of "The Wolf Among Us" based on Bill Willingham's comic book series, "Fable." "Tales from the Borderlands," based on the 2K shooter, and "Game of Thrones" based on the HBO series, were both released in 2014. Late last year, the company dropped a bombshell when it said that it was working on a game called "Minecraft: Story Mode," based on the beloved sandbox game. Now Telltale Games has announced it's developing its first original IP, a project it describes as its most ambitious undertaking.

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Telltale Games CEO, Kevin Bruner, teased the project. "It's probably the most ambitious thing the company has ever done but we feel like we're ready for it. We're very excited to talk about it, but we can't say much more right now," he said.

Bruner mentions that the biggest change he's seen in the last five years is the fact that more and more heavyweight creators are approaching Telltale with their IPs. Bruner states that this is a real turnaround, as the company previously had to spend a lot of time and energy pitching rights holders ideas. Despite the fact that so many companies now come to Telltale with their IP in hand, Bruner says there are still a number of franchises on the company's wish list, but he declined to offer specifics.

In its coverage of the interview, Gamespot notes that "Star Wars" was a dream project for the studio. The website also highlighted the studio's interest in making a game based on the "James Bond" license, though the company doesn't appear to be working with either IP at the moment.

When asked if he was nervous about entering the world of original IP, Bruner answered in the affirmative. He stated that despite the company's great successes, he's nervous every time they launch a new project. Bruner feels nervous specifically because the games the company makes are so different and because they tend to eschew genre tropes and gamer expectations in favour of fulfilling their own creative ideas.

Telltale's recent spate of games have focused heavily on narrative choice, allowing gamers to occupy the roles of multiple characters within the game world and determine how they react in conversation. In its review of the studio's latest release, "Game of Thrones: Episode Two - The Lost Lords," GamesRadar praised the game's new characters, settings and varied gameplay, stating that the episode made the wait for the next release even harder to bear. Telltale's currently running seasons include "Game of Thrones" and "Tales from the Borderlands." The studio is also developing a third season of "The Walking Dead," alongside a first season of "Minecraft: Story Mode."

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