PurpleTentacle

I'm going to be totally honest. I would absolutely go to something like this, especially if it were near me. However... I would feel so awkward going if there were just a handful of people there. You know what I mean? And then if the few there already knew each other, I would feel even more uncomfortable. Imagine walking into some kind of banquet room and seeing a few groups of people sitting around mostly empty tables. Am I imagining this wrong? I have never been to anything of the sort before. It reminds me of how I would check out parties in college with a friend, and we would try to peek in first to see how many people were there before deciding to go in. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but that's what comes to my mind. I almost wonder if it would be better to have such a gathering near, or as an unofficial offshoot of, a major gaming conference somewhere. It just seems like a lot to ask people to make a special trip just for a specific Sierra convention, especially when it has never been done before.

Well, that's not all they did with Larry Reloaded. There was a ton of new material written for the game. They would have preferred to do an all-new Larry game, but only had permission to do remakes. Also, I don't see a problem with looking back at games we've loved. Although the first Larry game wasn't my favorite, the LSL series is indeed a great one and deserves to get a proper, all-new adventure with adequate budget. I believe the audience is there for it. Larry Reloaded is certainly lacking in many areas, but a lot of the professional reviewers' criticisms of the game were stupid. I am also surprised and find it ironic to see (on this forum, of all places) the idea that we should "get over" remembering a time when big budget adventure game releases were more common. I think many adventure game fans simply love good adventure games, no matter what era they're from, and they want to see such games continue to be made. Classic adventure games from the 90's can and should continue to be appreciated by existing and new fans of the genre. Do we stop appreciating great books that are more than 10 years old? Of course not, and the same should be true of games. Making classic adventure games easier to play on modern systems is a worthy endeavor, since it makes it easier to introduce the games to new players. After all, in a way, a game series remains alive only insofar as new players are continuing to discover and enjoy the games. And why shouldn't masters of a craft be encouraged to give us more of their work, even after an extended absence? I love it.

I was recently looking at some cool parody adventure game-related art like this: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dcM9qUybf1E/UULwykWRGSI/AAAAAAAALJo/ma3tD95ketI/s1600/20090225-lucasarts-star-wars.jpg I think it would be cool if, in the future, there were a SpaceVenture poster contest. I have no idea what the prize could be, but it could be something as simple as being featured on the website. I know that the Two Guys have a lot more important things to think about now, but maybe something like this could be fun when the release is nearer. There are a lot of talented artists in the adventure game fan community.

Am I the only one here besides tomimt who is pumped up about this Phantasmagoria movie? I am buying copies of this thing the second it comes out. It's not every day you get a full, live-action movie based on a Sierra adventure game. It makes me really happy that this is happening. Yes, it wasn't a perfect game, and I read that the team originally had much, much bigger plans for the game's design than what was shipped, but what an honor to be remade in movie form this is. Has any game developer ever had an original adventure game title made into a movie before? I don't believe so. Developers like Telltale need to leech off of and make games out of popular movies, but Sierra can inspire movies. Most will never have anything close to the legacy and influence of Sierra. I am a Sierra partisan for life. :-) Long live Roberta!

Well, I saw Galaxy Quest in the theater when it first came out, so I can't remember much, TBH. Maybe part of it was an anti-hero using silly, non-conventional means to solve problems and survive in the face of deadly threats. And they both have "quest" in the title. That has to count for something. :-)

"Although I do have a soft spot for turning the narrator into an actual sentient being that lives in the PC's head. " Yes, I know what you mean. I'm the same way. I also like it when the narration uses humor and has some personality, but not too much. I keep going back and forth over which style I like better. I think I'd really have to agree that certain narration styles just suit certain characters and games better than others. For example, I thought the narration in Larry 7 was perfect, especially with an actor who didn't go too far with the condescending tone. I think the narrator actor in Larry Reloaded is very talented, but he went overboard with the rude, condescending demeanor. It started to wear on me rather quickly. But I also thought the "no narration" in many LucasArts games also felt almost perfect, though I will say that many times in Monkey Island I wanted Guybrush to examine various things in his surroundings, and I felt cheated when it resulted in a nothing canned response.

Yes, excellent points. I like that Tex Murphy-style narration. On the subject of text on the screen, I also like it when the hotspot label text moves with the cursor. It saves you the extra step of having to click to examine things to simply find out what they are. You can still examine further if you want more details, but it saves time and doesn't make you need to avert your eyes to another area of the screen. The gameplay feels more seamless to me. Was playing the Kinky Island demo again (you guys should check it out, if you haven't... they seem like a really competent team), and I was reminded how much I enjoy that kind of interface. I also think the moving hotspot labels would make playing on a touch screen much easier.

What do you all think about the use of text boxes, like in SQ1VGA, VS. floating, colored text over characters, as in the first Monkey Island games. I think the floating text makes the gameplay so much better. It doesn't pull you out of the scene so much, and sometimes I think the jokes and written sound effects (eg, *snap*) work much better out of text boxes. It is more like a comic book style.

I know it's an old thread, but I think it looks dirty to wear pajamas in public. It seems like the person didn't shower or change after sleeping all night. Especially if they are still wiping gunk out of their eyes... I mean, come on now, can we please be civilized? Also, depending on where people are appearing in public, the unkempt and bedroom look not only shows a lack of self-respect and lack of appreciation for grooming/hygiene, but also shows a lack of respect for the people around the person in public and the setting in which they are appearing. I think a lot of the people wearing their pajamas in public are not just doing it because it is comfortable or because they like the look, but because they were too lazy to change after rolling out of bed, and that's why I associate it with dirtiness. Please don't say this is an "American" thing, because I think this behavior would be frowned upon in many places here. This pajama look is probably more common among certain socioeconomic segments of the population. I have worked at a public courthouse and shop at Walmart occasionally; I am familiar with the various looks of the dregs of society and know of what I speak. But it's not at all that all people with less money are more likely to dress like that... the Korean immigrants in their ethnic enclaves here often don't have a lot of money yet don't often appear in public looking like slobs, from what I've seen. I'm sorry if any of this sounds rude, and I don't care how much money someone has, but I think there is no excuse for going around looking like a dirty bum. Sure, it's not the worst thing in the world, and it doesn't mean the person is a bad person, but it's not a trend I'd like to see catch fire.

If something like this does happen, there should be a competent videographer to record highlights and interview people for posterity and so that people who couldn't attend could still share in the experience.

Galaxy Quest reminded me of Space Quest.

Yours too?? You were like one of the really helpful volunteers. You did that great LSL logo and always answered everyone's questions. Just... wow.

Roberta Williams must have a cameo. So should the original Adrienne actress. Anyway, don't Ken and Roberta live in Mexico during part of the year? That's not far from Lousiana, where they're shooting this movie. I think this movie sounds awesome. This could be the first Sierra game made into a movie, right? Very exciting! I wonder if they'll show much nudity.

Not enough "game" there. Not enough challenge. Almost felt like an animated series episode with some interactivity thrown in. Felt short, small, lacked ability to explore. Great atmosphere and engaging story, though. A few of those characters reminded me of the creepy "Paranoia Agent" (animated series) dog character Maromi that encourages the main character to avoid facing life's hardships and taking responsibility and to instead run and hide in an escapist world.

Are you the person from the Replay forum who made that incredible Lego LSL 3-D art (as well as an interesting Jasmine edit :-o )? It would be so cool if you could do similar Lego art for SQ characters. I think people here would really get a kick out of it.

This isn't really funny, but one thing I remember is my brother thinking I was playing a "naughty" game when he saw "latex babes" at the top of the screen and the scantily clad characters in SQ4. I remember feeling really embarrassed and felt like I had to hide the fact that I was playing the game after that. At the same time, it was a little thrilling feeling like I was playing an ever-so-slightly edgy title (or at least what I thought was one...hehe).

My strong recommendation is SpaceVenture: http://guysfromandromeda.com/store/ True, it isn't a Space Quest game, but it is designed by the same people and done in the same spirit. It also hasn't been completed yet, but you can preorder.

The whole first sequence in SQ3, which I think is the best game of the series, followed by SQ4.

I just played the free "Serena" game, which has some voice acting from Scott Murphy. Murphy is a natural! Mandel provides most of the voice acting, as most of you probably know. I don't know if I could ever get comfortable with hearing Mandel's voice in new game roles, though. His voice is just TOO familiar to me after playing all the King's Quest games (AGDI's included) and is one of those instantly-recognizable voices. He also seems to switch between "chest" and "head" voice (as in singing) and it comes across as if he is reading a story in a sing-songey way. That's just not how most people speak unscripted. I think it would be better if he tried to use less inflections (would sound more natural) and avoided using "head" voice which could reduce the nasally sound. Mandel is a great talent, but I think a slower speaking style, with more pauses and a more neutral/less eager or less energetic delivery would suit him better in acting.

Frede and Intendant, hearing that gives me hope. I am actually a huge fan of the original Larry games and a few years ago bought an mt-32 to be able to play them again and hear them as they were meant to be heard. :-) Larry's 3, 6 and 7 are my favorites. The Larry Reloaded game was a misfire IMO. It didn't have the same fun feel that I STILL get when I play the oldies. I have faith in the Two Guys team and Josh Mandel and know they love adventure games and know what the hell they're doing. If they could do a Larry 8 (or some big new Larry game), I would be in heaven. Looks like it would just come down to funding. Why not go for animation like that in Broken Sword 5 (looks more like timeless hand drawn but is really 3d and is probably cheaper to produce). I would rather a COMPLETE and polished feeling Larry game with animation like that rather than a true hand drawn cel look but so many actions left unanimated. Or hire a team with EXPERIENCE creating 2d hand drawn style animation. N-Fusion is supremely talented and, goodness only knows what they had to go through working with Mr. Trowe and they have my sympathies, but they apparently had no experience creating games using this kind of 2d-style hand drawn animation. Also, I know it's a small world and you are all probably friends and don't like to hear negative stuff about people you know, but I don't like Phoenix Online stuff (which looks dated) and their design philosophy. Their stuff is too melodramatic and isn't great for virtual exploration, and I've read their designers' comments online... and they are so politically correct. They would be totally wrong for LSL. I mention them because I have watched with alarm as they did what they did to KQ (not good), and now they're doing Gabriel Knight (!), and I don't want to see them get involved with a third classic Sierra series. Two Guys team and Chris Pope would be a good match. Anyone who has an in-game title like "Latex Babes of Estros" is right up LSL's alley. So, I hope SpaceVenture is a smash hit so we might get another major title from a team of Sierra greats and also new talent. And I do hope Al has at least some role in a new Larry game. I love his sense of humor. Mandel's writing is great, but his humor is sometimes a little esoteric and cerebral and tiring and hard to get, and I think Al's touch should be present to bring the writing back to a simpler state, even if Al just wants to work as a consultant. I love Mandel's stuff, though, and think his writing sounds better when performed by an actor with a more neutral sounding voice who isn't "trying too hard." The type of humor that the Larry games should go for should be more like Married with Children or National Lampoon's Vacation movies or some other sexy (but funny) comedy from the late 80's like Revenge of the Nerds. The humor should be clever, but also absurd and bawdy and over the top. Give the fans what they want, and know who your audience is. Do not try to please the Rock, Paper Shotgun editors and make no apologies for offending anyone. Here's the classic NO MAAM episode that epitomizes the tone: http://youtu.be/j0sXk1GhnGI Men make fun of women, women make fun of men. And it's done in an irreverent and light way. Larry 7, a game I consider better and more fun than even than even LucasArts classics, struck this tone perfectly. Larry games should not play it safe. Anyway, just wanted to get my two cents in, in case any future Larry game development team members read this forum. Larry 7 should be your standard: keep it light, go against the politically correct grain at all times, and remember that fan service should be a priority, which can include, among other things, nip slips to reward the player for game progress or for solving clever puzzles or finding easter eggs. These games should not take themselves seriously.

It really is a shame that Al's and Paul's last names look so similar. I wonder how many people saw "underage teen" and "porn sex scandal" and "Al Lowe resigns" in headlines and concluded that Lowe had done something wrong. Lowe conducted himself in such a classy way and fulfilled his agreement with Replay and didn't deserve any of this. It's sad because he and fans had been unhappy with where things stood for the series after Box Office Bust, and now things have been left in a worse state. These disastrous headlines, and an unfinished-feeling Larry Reloaded game, can't be the end.

My backed projects that have been released: Broken Sword: Beautiful backgrounds, well-designed interface makes it a pleasure to play on iPad. However, there isn't much in the environment to interact with, the subpar writing is often ridiculous or dull/cliched (with many punctuation mistakes in the American English text) but sometimes funny. Act 1 (all that has been released) is a bit slow, and I wish they would have released the complete game at once. Still, these are minor complaints and I believe the team got most things right. Overall impression: Rather positive. I enjoyed it and thought the team delivered on their promise. I would back again. Larry Reloaded: Interface makes it an absolute chore to play on iPad. I wanted to stop playing after two minutes. Needed labeled hotspots on screen. Also hated the annoying narrator actor. Wish he would have used a more neutral voice. The game also feels unfinished, with too many actions narrated but not animated. The animation looks cheap. On the plus side? The backgrounds look great, though lacking in a distinctive style, and the writing is great, though more enjoyable when the voices (especially narrator) are turned off. Overall impression: fairly negative. I loved the original Larry games, and I had very high expectations for this one, but I didn't enjoy playing this on the iPad, which is what I use. I have played and enjoyed several adventure games on my tablet, and this game had the worst interface for it so far. Anyway, I wish I had backed Broken Age, but I missed that at the time. Will have to wait for the iOS version. Also eagerly anticipating Mage's Initiation, another one that I backed.

So, if Activision has "their own plans" for the various old series, why did they allow Jane Jensen and Phoenix Online (I believe) to develop a new remake? How did that come about? I'm surprised (and disappointed) that Phoenix Online (officially under the Pinkerton name?) is involved, since their work has been very amateurish and subpar. Why on earth go with that POS team? Is it because POS are willing to work for a lot less than seasoned pros such those at in-house Activision developers? I think people are going to be very disappointed when they see the animation in the new GK game. Why revoke the KQ license from Telltale (top developer) and grant license to Pinkerton/POS (bottom of the barrel developer)? Is it because Telltale wasn't going to do anything with KQ? Why not develop a new GK game in-house using a team capable of delivering a polished, high quality product? If Jane Jensen insisted on her friends at POS being chosen, then I am very disappointed in her.

I would like to see this.

I'm really hoping we'll see a new Larry game from a new company and with Al and Josh. I also feel bad for the Fester Mudd guys for having to be stuck with Paul right now. Episode 1 was quite charming and fun! Also want to mention that I think describing Paul's actions as "bullying" is a bit off, as it suggests Paul picked on weaker, helpless, innocent people in order to intimidate and feel dominant. To me, Paul's behavior (in comments, banning people and even reportedly showing porn to some guy's girlfriend to, perhaps, get back at him, though I don't know what really happened) showed him to be an immature, vindictive, vicious jackass who tries to think of the most cutting personal insult to hurl in order to get back at someone who crosses him or criticizes him. Apparently Paul doesn't hesitate to "go there" or to take disagreements to the no-chance-for-resolution level. There's a lot of rude jackassery in online communication, so it shouldn't really be news worthy, though Paul really takes it to unnecessary personal extremes. The Replay work environment among employees must have been terrible, since I can imagine that, with Paul as CEO, it would likely have been easy for disagreements to quickly become personal and for some decisions to be made for petty, personal, spiteful reasons. Looking on from the outside, he always seemed like the furthest thing from a professional and came off like a whiny baby in his Kickstarter updates. Many companies have inter-company squabbles and disagreements with contractors and competitors, but most CEO's have the good sense to maintain a level of professionalism in public discourse for the good of the company. Paul has shown that he is not fit to play a highly visible role in a company and is probably not even fit to manage a company like Replay. By himself he has created so many unnecessary PR disasters and has burned so many bridges that it almost seems like he almost couldn't have caused more damage to himself and his company even if he had been trying to. The worst of all to me were "the" allegations (not going any more into that). This man needs to be kept the hell away from Leisure Suit Larry, a series I love so much. Does anyone here know if Al would consider working with a new team on a new Larry game, if Codemasters could arrange it? Wouldn't it be great if Codemasters could fund the game for a couple million? Anyone know how well Reloaded has sold?