Aaron Conners schreef:
Dear Friends of Tex:
Chris Jones and I have decided to quit waiting for MS to give us a chance and take the bull by the horns, as it were. Over the next several months, we are going to build a prototype for a new ONLINE Tex Murphy game. I know most of you (and we, too) would love to bring Tex to the Xbox or PC, but we can't quite cover the $8-10,000,000 it would cost to produce. Instead, we're going to try something very different. For those of you who've spent time at MSN's Zone.com or Shockwave.com, you've seen the types of online games currently available. To me and Chris, it reminds us of the pre-UKM days in the early 90s. Well, we're not ashamed to step back in time and see if we can't start over and do it right this time.
We will be contacting some other folks in the industry - especially those with big websites and an interest in an adventure game revival - and posting a press release very soon. Our goal is to determine whether or not our plan is viable. For you good people here at the unofficial TM site, we hope that you'll be supportive despite the inevitable high expectations. And we wanted to give you a peek at our plan, and then get your feedback.
First off, how will the new iteration of the game differ from the previous games? Here's a quick list:
1. Available only online.
2. Presented in 22 episodes (one full TV season); episodes will be released at the same time each week, and each one can be played in ~one hour on the Entertainment skill level (longer on the Gamer level). The episodes will combine to create a huge story arc, similar to 24.
3. The "Entertainment" skill level is designed to be very easy to play, non-lethal, fast-paced, exciting, and focused on story?more like a TV show than a computer game.
4. No Full Motion Video (FMV); instead, characters will be created using Poser, based on photos of the character actors (who will provide the voice acting).
5. Cut scenes (aka cinematics) will be limited to the opening sequence and finales (if used at all).
6. No multiple pathing of the storyline.
7. A built-in forum and online community site. Contests, updates, etc.
The new online game will be similar to previous Tex Murphy games in the following respects:
1. An incredible, new, original plot, with all the twists and turns, dead-pan humor, character interaction, and addictive story-telling Tex Murphy fans have come to expect?and more.
2. The return of the "Usual Suspects", including Louie LaMintz, Rook Garner, Mac Malden, and Chelsee Bando (all voice-acted by the original cast). Narration by the inimitable Chris Jones.
3. Game story, dialogue, and design by the original creators of Tex Murphy.
4. Interactive Conversations and Ask Abouts.
5. Rich 3D environments to explore and find clues in.
6. Two different skill levels (Entertainment & Gamer) to choose from.
7. A Scoring System (so players can gauge their progress/success).
WHAT ABOUT THE CLIFFHANGER IN OVERSEER, YOU ASK?
As much as we would like to continue the storyline into Chance, Polarity and Trance, there are several compelling reasons NOT TO DO SO. First, if we want Tex to not only survive, but flourish (to the point where we can continue making Tex games), we'll need to reach a larger audience than just Tex's die-hard supporters. In order for people to truly enjoy the stories laid out in "The Trilogy", they would have to be familiar with Killing Moon, Pandora, AND Overseer (and reading the novels wouldn't hurt!). With the old games hard to find and difficult to run on current machines, this would be a tall order. Second, this new online iteration will not be on the same level - graphically or technologically - as the previous games (well, maybe UKM). Deep in my heart, I still have hope that we'll get to break Tex back in FMV and tell the story the way it was meant to be told. If this online game succeeds, it could open the door to something bigger and better...and possibly within the next year or two.
For those curious about how the online version's gameplay would break down, here are some approximate percentages:
40% Character Interaction
40% 3D Room Exploration
15% Evidence Examination
5% Logic Puzzles
Finally, the BIG QUESTION: If you could get 1-2 hours of great story and fun gameplay EVERY WEEK for 22 weeks, HOW MUCH WOULD IT BE WORTH TO YOU? We are currently leaning toward the following payment options:
Individual Episodes: $2.99
One Month of Episodes (4): $9.99
The Full Season of Episodes (22): $29.99 - 35.99
Comments? Suggestions? Complaints?
Thanks,
Aaron Conners
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