Telltale And Videlectrix Come To Blows
The Strong Bad episodic adventures come to an end later this month with the final chapter, 8-Bit Is Enough. In the meantime, there's something of a spat occurring between developer/publisher Telltale and their development partner, Videlectrix. The details are below, along with statements from both companies, and a trailer for the next episode.
The dispute has broken out over the handling of the Strong Bad games, with Videlectrix disagreeing with the direction Telltale took, using elements such as 3D, and VGA graphics. Their disappointment was expressed with the following graphic on the company's website.
They have responded by releasing their own game based on the Strong Bad license, describing it thusly.
"Got the EPISODIC GAMING blues? In this age of calculator wristwatches, who has the time for 2-4 hours of gameplay? With Videlectrix' new ROOMISODIC GAMING, we guarantee several minutes of gameplay!"
The result is a one-room point and click adventure, in which Strong Bad must complete some paperwork for a case, in order that he can leave his office.
In a press release for Episode 5, Telltale's Emily Morganti made the first public statement from the studio regarding the disagreement between the two firms.
"I'd also like to take a moment to address a serious issue that has recently come to our attention. Unhappy with our Strong Bad games, Videlectrix has taken it upon themselves to release a Strong Bad game of their own from www.videlectrix.com. "Roomisode 1: Behind the Dangerdesque" is completely unauthorized and it's unfortunate that they've resorted to this. In spite of our creative differences and some weird late night phone calls from the irate Videlectrix CEO, Telltale has successfully completed production on the Strong Bad season finale and many of us think it's the best episode of the season. We only wish Videlectrix could have been a bit more grown-up about the whole situation."
With the first series of the game complete, it is unknown whether the two companies will be able to reconcile their differences for a further season. Meanwhile, here's the trailer for the forthcoming official episode.