Telltale's Sam & Max games getting remastered

[Udvarnoky]

Details here, trailer below. Feel the hype.

 

 

[Remi]

22 seconds in, notice the new date added to the box in the background: "09-21-18." Nice little detail.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Ha. It's odd that I feel nostalgic for these games... they still feel "new"! I wonder if there's any other polish outside of the graphics and music (although I thought the music was really good originally).

 

I also wonder how the TellTale bods feel about it. Must be odd to watch someone else Remaster something you made 😕 

Edited November 9, 2020 by ThunderPeel2001

[Udvarnoky]

You mean the new Telltale? Because I don't know that anyone on payroll there did have a hand in making the Sam & Max games, while Skunkape consists of a subset of former Telltale folk who did.

[Laserschwert]

Good bye, chunky Sam... 😞

 

 

Still, I'm thrilled for this!

[ThunderPeel2001]

57 minutes ago, Udvarnoky said:

You mean the new Telltale? Because I don't know that anyone on payroll there did have a hand in making the Sam & Max games, while Skunkape consists of a subset of former Telltale folk who did.

 

Obviously I meant the original TellTale devs, wherever they are now, not whoever is left after the crazy aftermath of what ensued. I didn't realise that Skunkape was made up of several of them, though, so that's good to hear.

Edited November 9, 2020 by ThunderPeel2001

[Sopabuena]

It looks absolutely amazing, and the news two games seem to be confirmed already, since they are on Skunkape's website. 

I hope this also means more Sam & Max stuff, I would really like a reissue of Surfin' the Highway. Perhaps some physical release too, I believe this is what Josh from Limited Run was hinting at on that Mojo interview. 

Maybe @Jake has more to share!

[ThunderPeel2001]

5 hours ago, ThunderPeel2001 said:

Ha. It's odd that I feel nostalgic for these games... they still feel "new"! I wonder if there's any other polish outside of the graphics and music (although I thought the music was really good originally).

 

I also wonder how the TellTale bods feel about it. Must be odd to watch someone else Remaster something you made 😕 

 

I should have read the homepage properly.

 

Quote

Consequently, this update is more than just tweaked visuals and lighting. There are fundamentally new music cues, different camera angles, and altered timing for jokes. They recast the voice actor for Bosco, because it was a black character voiced by a white actor, a creative decision that didn't exactly sit right with the team when they decided to revisit it.

 

This is excellent because I always felt some of the timing and camera angles were a bit off.  The writing deserved better. Really looking forward to this now!

[kralex]

Oh boy oh boy oh boy! This looks great! Glad to see all the recent love Sam & Max are getting, can't keep a good dog (and rabbity thing) down!

[Scummbuddy]

Jake, I'm not asking for you to divulge business talks here but I just wanted to say that I hope you all are considering teaming up with a group like Limited Run for physical Switch releases of these remasters.

[Redbeard_1973]

Gosh. Imagine TOMI getting the same treatment! 🤤

Edited November 13, 2020 by Redbeard_1973

[Lagomorph01]

I love the way these remasters are looking!! The new lighting is so much more athmospheric and noiry.

While I'm a bit skeptical about the recasting of voices (I think it's unnecessary, it's a product of it's time), I'm mostly okay with it. The voice acting wasn't always that strong a point anyway, and I'm glad to see that they're working on the timing of jokes as well.

All in all this is a day one buy for me, on Switch to be precise!

[kralex]

9 hours ago, Lagomorph01 said:

I love the way these remasters are looking!! The new lighting is so much more athmospheric and noiry.

While I'm a bit skeptical about the recasting of voices (I think it's unnecessary, it's a product of it's time), I'm mostly okay with it. The voice acting wasn't always that strong a point anyway, and I'm glad to see that they're working on the timing of jokes as well.

All in all this is a day one buy for me, on Switch to be precise!

I think it might also be the controversy the original voice of Bosco has found himself with on his youtube channel, sounds like he's kinda made himself into PR poison.

 

Quote

From 2015 to 2016, Camen posted to the “Camen TV” YouTube channel, where the actor would post videos openly mocking transgender people, wearing black-face and other controversial content. In one video he plays “Krey Master J” an over-exaggerated black stereotype that wears a black face mask and openly says the n-word (though it is bleeped out).

In another, Camen wears a purple wig and calls himself “Susan”, a “transgender against trans fats.” The four-minute video uses the term “transvestite” and lacks any form of nuance whatsoever. Another video has Camen dressed up as “Rabbi Goldstein” who can’t seem to understand Black Lives Matter but spits when asked if “goyim” (non-jews) matter. One more has Camen as “Tommy from Thailand” where he says “black man try to fuck with me” and “try to jew me down on stuff.” The 27 videos are full of stale humor, offensive jokes and a poor grasp on modern internet culture.

The videos were later taken down by Camen in 2019. In a statement to Eurogamer, Camen explained his “edgy” comedy - labelled as racist and transphobic - was “parody”, but still pulled the videos as it “was the right thing to do”. Here’s his statement in full:

“I’m sorry and I truly apologize to anyone who was offended. Look, I have been a professional standup comedian, actor and voice actor my entire adult life. I do voices and impressions for a living. I am also Jewish and I grew up in Detroit in primarily black neighborhoods. The voices and characters I do reflect my life experiences and admiration for the people I grew up with. The videos I did were comedy parodies with characters speaking in their vernacular.

Some of my comedy is edgy, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion as to what they think is funny, but please do not refer to me being racist or otherwise. I do not come from a place of hate in any of my work. I removed the videos because I thought it was the right thing to do.

BTW, please note that I never posted a video with myself in blackface. I was wearing a multicolored ski mask and doing a music review of an artist’s new album as a character”.

 

[ATMachine]

Wow. Yike.

Edited November 16, 2020 by ATMachine

[Lagomorph01]

Woof. That's not a good position to take in this day and age.

[cinnamon]

Only thing that should matter is if he did a good job with the voice acting or not. 

 

All the rest of it is, I agree, because of this day and age.

 

I really don't think this should be a thing, but here we are, and the decision is already made by the devs of the remaster. 

[Jenni]

On 11/15/2020 at 11:19 AM, Lagomorph01 said:

While I'm a bit skeptical about the recasting of voices (I think it's unnecessary, it's a product of it's time), I'm mostly okay with it.

To be fair, this isn't a case of it being just a product of its time, as it's not being released as it was in 2006. It's a new release brought up to modern standards, so anything that doesn't fit modern sensibilities is fair game to criticize.

 

For example, Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards got (and still does get) a pass for the depiction of the Indian-American clerk selling "lubbers" because it was created in 1987 (and even the first (SCI) remake was released in 1991) so it was a product of it's time. However, when Leisure Suit Larry Reloaded was released in 2013 it was open to fresh criticism about that character, since it was an updated product released to a modern audience.

 

It's the same reason why the Yakuza 3 remaster removed a side quest making fun of a transgender woman. Updated releases need to keep modern sensibilities in mind in a way that straight-up re-releases don't. 

Edited November 17, 2020 by Jenni

[cinnamon]

Quote

They recast the voice actor for Bosco, because it was a black character voiced by a white actor, a creative decision that didn't exactly sit right with the team when they decided to revisit it

Well, in this particular case, the reasoning behind recasting the character was that the voice actor was white (portraying Bosco, a black character) and that did not "sit right".

 

It was not an offensive quote, or an offensive portrayal. Just... that.

 

It's basically because this is  apparently a thing that's been happening in the last year or few and mostly in the US.

 

Looking at it from a country outside the US), this looks weird. It's pretty much specific to this current period and specific politics (and therefore marketing) in the U.S.

 

P.S. The Larry game(s) always had intentionally garbage humour and I think one can find many insensitive quotes and situations. even for their time, if *for some reason* they are looking for them. 

[Lagomorph01]

10 hours ago, Jenni said:

To be fair, this isn't a case of it being just a product of its time, as it's not being released as it was in 2006. It's a new release brought up to modern standards, so anything that doesn't fit modern sensibilities is fair game to criticize.

 

For example, Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards got (and still does get) a pass for the depiction of the Indian-American clerk selling "lubbers" because it was created in 1987 (and even the first (SCI) remake was released in 1991) so it was a product of it's time. However, when Leisure Suit Larry Reloaded was released in 2013 it was open to fresh criticism about that character, since it was an updated product released to a modern audience.

 

It's the same reason why the Yakuza 3 remaster removed a side quest making fun of a transgender woman. Updated releases need to keep modern sensibilities in mind in a way that straight-up re-releases don't. 

 

I see what you're saying Jenni, but I don't 100% agree with your argument. The 2013 Larry game was a remake, (even though it didn't do a good job at reimagining a 25 year old game). This is a remaster, which is basically polishing the game for new hardware. Recasting voice actors goes a long way to completely changing things that people loved about the game in the first place. Of course the extend of that is subjective. I for one am also happy that they changed the intro tune, which to me didn't really click from the get go.

All in all, I don't really mind this time around, because as I said, the voice acting wasn't really the strong suit of the game, and I'm glad they're tweaking it, but it's a dangerous slide to be on.

 

Maybe I don't fully understand, because I'm also not from the U.S., and don't really understand their politics, but I'm sad that in some cases, they influence good products from the past. (Which stretches further than Sam and Max alone.)

 

All in all though, I'm really excited about the remaster, and I think it looks great! Wish it was December already!

[Marius]

1 hour ago, Lagomorph01 said:

All in all, I don't really mind this time around, because as I said, the voice acting wasn't really the strong suit of the game, and I'm glad they're tweaking it, but it's a dangerous slide to be on.

It’s simply respectful to adjust to modern sensibilities. I don’t see what the dangerous slide here is. Do you mean that changes like these could “anger fans”? Well it might, but I think it’s far more important to create art that is more welcoming and respectful to races and cultures who are fed up with, for example, whitewashing.

 

 

1 hour ago, Lagomorph01 said:

Maybe I don't fully understand, because I'm also not from the U.S., and don't really understand their politics, but I'm sad that in some cases, they influence good products from the past. (Which stretches further than Sam and Max alone.)

I know what you mean, but keep in mind that "not influencing products from the past" is also political. Everything is political.

[ThunderPeel2001]

In my opinion it was a silly thing to hire a white voice actor to do an “impression” of a black man. Even back then. I’m glad they’re changing it. And it’s not like Bosco’s performance was a masterpiece that will be lost to the ages. I have no doubt the new actor will be able to do those lines equal, if not better, justice. 
 

I was more upset when they recast Bone. I enjoyed the original voice actress and thought the new “young” voice wasn’t very good. 

[cinnamon]

22 hours ago, Marius said:

It’s simply respectful to adjust to modern sensibilities. I don’t see what the dangerous slide here is.

The modern sensibilities change as time passes and politics shift. The dangerous slide is to try and respect the most loud complaints. It's hiring and firing/dismissing based on skin color, it's "respecting" that an actor cannot voice a black character because he/she are not black themselves, it's "respecting' that an actor cannot portray a paraplegic because he is not paraplegic himself. This goes on of course, it's not just two or three examples, and all just in the past year. 

 

It's a slide towards a really bad place. 

 

 

[Jake]

What place is that?

[cinnamon]

I thought I just described it above. Isn't it obvious? To me it looks like a step backwards (hiring based on skin color and removing content out of fear of what people will complaint *loudly* about) and a slide into a pit of creating resentment everywhere -- eg. dismissing (or worse firing) talent or existing work for the sake of "current politics", being called a racist, bigot, (or at the very least "hater" if you disagree with this trend (in many places, it's not my experience here nor on most non-US forums), and essentially having the terms "racist' etc meaning degraded. 

It's probably more bad stuff. Hence, a bad place.

 

 

[Laserschwert]

Why exactly are you assuming that the devs did it to please someone other than themselves? If it's THEIR wish to make this change, because it reflects THEIR political views, what bad place is that exactly?