Telltale Games, an independent digital publisher and developer of episodic interactive entertainment, has announced the creation of their new Pilot Program. With this program, Telltale can bring ideas to market more quickly through game “pilots,” similar to the entertainment industry’s television pilots, according to CEO Dan Connors.
Through this program Telltale’s internal studios will explore new video game concepts, content and play patterns to complement the publisher’s current episodic projects. Successful pilots will be considered for migration to the company’s highly successful episodic gaming model.
The first title in Telltale’s Pilot Program is Puzzle Agent. The title combines accessible Professor Layton-inspired puzzling with doses of Nordic folklore, enigmatic gnomes, and dark David Lynch and Coen brothers sensibilities. Puzzle Agent releases in June on the Mac, PC iPhone/iPod touch, iPad and Nintendo Wii.
Telltale is creating Puzzle Agent in partnership with Graham Annable, the company’s first art director at the time of its founding. Players take on the role of Nelson Tethers, the lead (and only) agent in the US Department of Puzzle Investigation, sent on a rare field assignment to Scoggins, Minnesota to investigate why output at the town’s eraser factory has come to a screeching halt. The title combines brainteasers that include mazes, puzzles, logic and riddles, intertwined with a twisted mystery story.
Puzzle Agent pre-orders for the Mac and PC are now available at http://www.puzzleagent.com for $9.95. All who pre-order will receive a coupon for 50% off any products in the Telltale Games store, including merchandise like Graham Annable’s new Book of Grickle from Dark Horse Comics, the full season of Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, and more.
