Playing through Back to the Future Episode 4, I have to give Telltale Games kudos for what is actually being constructed in regards to the story.  We now have several timelines that are converging together and it was exciting to see all of it merging together into a satisfying conclusion.  Double Visions provides a solid base of glue to get people to the final turn in the story, obscure puzzles be damned.

Double Visions does set us up for the final chapter in the Back to the Future arc, but it seems more intent on showing us how the time stream can become cluttered and convoluted when several time periods and travellers start to mix together.  You start to get an understanding of the themes and ideas that were brought up in the third movie about time manipulation becoming more harm than good.  I mean you have Marty from one time, interactive with Doc Brown from an alternate future, with both heading back in time to correct deviations in history that have corrupted the main time stream.

Weaving all of that complex narrative together is a herculean task and this is where Back to the Future series is really stepping into its own and becoming a great gaming series.  Telltale has constructed a narrative that seems confusing at every turn, but keeps you hooked with all kinds of turns and playing with the concepts of time travel to keep you wondering what is right and what is wrong.  Even our alternate future Doc Brown starts to see the issues of time manipulation with the corruption of the Delorean and how it becomes more detached from time continuum.

As with the third episode, the puzzles are also well designed and seem to focus more on involving time manipulation as well, with certain puzzles requiring the use of the Delorean or other time manipulation to solve them.  I would like to take this moment to ask Telltale to stop including that one arbitrary pattern puzzle that has crept into this series.  Yes, there is another sequence that is similar to the guitar battle from Episode 3, and it is cumbersome and annoying all at the same time.  It doesn’t kill the fun, but it certainly leaves you frustrated as you try to put together the correct sequence to finish the drawn out puzzle.

Environments are revisited from the first few episodes, but thankfully, they are used in different ways, and play a stronger part to the story, so you don’t feel like you are getting a sense of déjà vu all over again.  I would like to see something completely different in the last episode, because our two time periods seem to have been used for what they can deliver in the story.

Double Visions ends on a climactic cliffhanger that sets all the chess pieces in motion for a dazzling time travelling fiesta.  It makes good use of time travelling puzzles and crafts together a great story that leaves you wanting more as the credits roll and the final teaser is revealed.  Back to the Future started off a little slow, but Double Visions has really tied it together into one great narrative.  Back to the Future Episode 4 – Double Visions gets 4.5 out of 5 Aeropausonauts.

Check out Back to the Future Episode 4 – Double Visions and other PC reviews at Test Freaks.

Coming into Episode 3 of the Back to the Future series, I was a bit apprehensive.  After the lackluster showing from Telltale Games in Episode 2, I was going to need something really outstanding to get me back on-board with this franchise.  Thankfully, Citizen Brown delivers on that promise, giving players a new version of 1986 that is downright representative of the old novel 1984.  While it still carries the laughs, it is definitely a little more serious, and leaves you on a heck of a cliffhanger.

After two jaunts through 1930’s Hill Valley, we finally get to move forward into the present day, but as these things normally work in the Back to the Future universe, it is not exactly the 1986 that we were expecting.  It seems that Hill Valley has formed into a totalitarian society, with one Emmitt Brown as its ceremonious leader.  No longer do people walk the streets freely, instead cowering in fear while the make sure that they are in proper uniform and attitude as dictated by head Citizen Brown.

As Marty, we have to find out way into the city, only to find out that our alternate Martin McFly is a big time nerd that lives by the rules and is not exactly a wiz with the guitar.  Even worse is the fact that our main girl, Jennifer is cooler here than in our 1986, yet she wants nothing to do with us.  So, we have to find a way to gain audience with Citizen Brown, get Jennifer back and of course, try to straighten out the time-space continuum.  In other words, a normal day in the life of a time travelling Delorean and its driver.

I think the selling point this time around is that we are getting something very new in the Back to the Future franchise.  We have never seen a darker side of this universe.  In the movies and the first two episodes of the game, it has always dealt with its time travelling with some humor, never getting too serious for its own good.  This time around, we have some darker themes portrayed, like mind control, manipulation, and the de-evolution of society into a directed mass, where free thought and independence are shunned for the greater good of safety.  Citizen Brown strives to tell us that while things may be controlled and free of crime, it is at the expense of any sort of free will.  It was nice to see the series take more adult concepts, rather than devolving into a generic adventure tale.

The look of Hill Valley is also a nice change, taking us from the same 1930’s art deco that we had in the first two episodes and bringing us back to a 1986 that feels a lot like a prison, complete with a walled off city and stark, clean buildings with no sense of independence.  The fact that city hall has gone from being completely accessible to the public, to a closed off, giant prison looking building says it all about the world that we have entered.

Puzzles have also been kicked back up a bit, with a lot more challenge going into figuring out how to get to the next section of the game.  Puzzles had taken a step backwards in Episode 2, but in Citizen Brown, they are challenging, but never head-scratchingly difficult.  Most were spot on, although there were some timing puzzles that were a bit awkward in nature, and could have used better direction as to what needed to be done in order to complete the task at hand.  Of course, there is a built-in hint system for those that might feel stuck, and hints are revealed in three tiers so you can give yourself the amount of assistance that you need to move forward.

At the end of Citizen Brown, I felt far more satisfied than I had been with any of the other episodes.  The new setting really rejuvenates the series, and left me wanting the next episode.  It is not perfect, and it does get a bit clichéd at times, but overall, Citizen Brown really gets you set for what is coming in the next two episodes.  Back to the Future: Episode 3 – Citizen Brown gets 4 out of 5 Aeropausonauts.

Check out Back to the Future Episode 3 – Citizen Brown and other PC reviews at Test Freaks.

You would think that if you were going to give away a free game, you would look at the calendar before making that announcement.  But it seems Telltale Games is always about doing things a little differently, and that includes releasing not only a free game on April Fools, but making that free game the first game in a series that they just released in January.  Yes, starting today, you can download the first game of the new Back to the Future series from Telltale for your Mac or PC at no charge.  If you like it, you can pick the rest of the series up for $29.95 from the Telltale Games Website, Steam, Direct 2 Drive or any other digital retailer.

Who can argue with free?

Telltale Games held a little get together over the weekend for the press, announcing their upcoming slate of games, and while one had been expected, a couple of the announcements were big surprises for gamers.

First off, we had the expected announcement of The Walking Dead.  I am kind of on the outside looking in with this title, as I have never been a reader of The Walking Dead, and without The Walking Dead on Hulu, I missed out on the show.  That said, I am interested to see what kind of take Telltale can put on The Walking Dead.  Some might look at this as a weird announcement for a company that is normally known for cutesy adventure titles, but remember that Telltale has been making CSI games for years, and those tend to have some graphic imagery, as well as subject content.  The Walking Dead has always been more about the stories and character interactions of the living vs. the actual zombies, from what I understand, and Telltale is pretty good and putting together solid, narrative driven storylines.

Surprising to most, as it seemed that most had written the title off as a one shot deal, Nelson Teathers will be back in action as Telltale also announced that Puzzle Agent 2 would become a reality.  The first Puzzle Agent was a fun little puzzle game that was fun to play, and became surprisingly challenging towards the end of the game.  However, there were always questions over how well it sold, and whether it had enough brand recognition to make the cut for a sequel.  Speaking for myself, I have to admit that I was wrong, as we are getting another Puzzle Agent.

All those announcements were fine and dandy, but the biggest bombshell of the night was the announcemnt that Telltale Games had received the rights to create new entries in the King’s Quest series.  Now, most gamers that have been raised in the Xbox and PS2/PS3 generation of consoles probably have no experience with the King’s Quest series, but for old school PC gamers, it was almost like a right of passage to play those games.  The series was created by Roberta Williams (sadly, no info on whether she is involved with this project in any way), and followed the exploits of King Graham and later down the road in sequels, would feature his son, daughter and wife.  I remember the advertisement forKing’s Quest IV, which asked the question of whether games could make you cry, as the sound and story became a benchmark for that series.  Unfortunately, Sierra decided that it needed to jump on the bandwagon of 3D accelerator cards and built a very unstable, and unenjoyable sequel in King’s Quest VIII.  It basically sank the franchise, and had a part in killing the Sierra brand.  But now it is back in what I would consider capable hands, and I am highly interested to see where Telltale will take the story in this classic franchise.

Finally, we also got some new screens for Telltale Games upcoming adventure title, Jurrassic Park.  Launching in April, Jurrassic Park is suppose to tell a story that runs alongside the original movie, focusing on the Barbisol can that was filled with dinosaur embryos.  The game does not pull punches when it comes to dinosaur mayhem, and really looks great from the screens and current trailer.

It looks to be an interesting time for Telltale Games, as they have added quite a bit to their plate.  I hope that they can still muster up the quality that is normally involved with all of their prior games, because this is a huge slate of games for the next 9-12 months, especially when you add in Back To the Future, which is currently in its second out of five episodes.  Fingers crossed those, as I am rather excited for all of these new entries.

The Back to the Future franchise is a beloved part of my teenage years.  Oh to be Marty and hitting on a young, beautiful Lea Thompson was the thing of dreams.  The problem is that the rails started to come off the train with the third installment of the movie series.  Sure, it was a fitting way to end the movie trilogy, but it just seemed like Spielberg and company did not know where to go with the final chapter.  Telltale is looking to rectify that misstep with their newest series, Back to the Future, and I have to say that the first episode, “Its About Time” is quite good.

In this first episode, we start off with a bit of nostalgic prologue, with Marty, Doc and Einstein all sitting at the Hill Valley Mall parking lot.  The lines are almost right out of the script, including some of the swearing that was in the original film.  However, things go off script, and you wake up to realize that you are back in good old 1986.  Yes, the story starts off a few months after the events that happened in Back to the Future 3.  Doc has disappeared, and why we know where he went, no one else can know about the time traveling train, so it means that his estate is set to hit the auction block.  Things start to go crazy when the supposedly destroyed Delorean shows up in the driveway with a message for Marty.  The Doc appears to be in trouble and it is up to you to save him from his latest predicament.

Yeah, the story in the first installment is not all that great, but it does the job of introducing us to our characters and our locations.  Everyone from Marty to Doc does a great job in recreating the atmosphere from the movies.  When Marty awakes from his dream, there is a Huey Lewis poster on the wall.  Or things like the gigantic speaker in Doc’s workshop that Marty almost kills himself with in the first film.  It is all here and it all comes into play at some point in the story, making this a huge pile of fan service for those that love the films.

That said you do not have to be a huge fan of the movies to enjoy the game.  As with most Telltale titles, this is a straight-forward adventure title, with all the tropes you expect like collecting items, solving puzzles and more.  Sure it is standard fare to some degree, but it is a formula that Dave Grossman and his team are good at putting together and it is the same precision that we have come to expect from them.  The puzzles are never difficult, but they always tend to be clever.  I loved the puzzle in the beginning where you had to get a document from Biff, but you had to find a way for him to sabotage himself, and the big speaker finds its way into the story.

Speaking of Biff, this is where things did not go as well as planned.  I love Christopher Lloyd and his work in this first episode is fantastic.  Sure, he has done some computer voice work in the past (his likeness and voice were digitized into Toonstruck), but he was hitting on all cylinders here.  Of course, the voice that steals the show is Andrew Chaikin.  His impersonation of Marty was spot on; it was rather scary at how similar he sounds to Michael J. Fox in the movies.  I will say that the voice started to grate on me towards the end, but so does Michael J. Fox’s voice after 90 continuous minutes.  The big letdown was Biff Tannen.  I am not sure why they avoided Tom Wilson, or if Tom just wanted to stay away from the character that defined him, but the guy doing his voice work was terrible, and really took away from his character.  Tom Wilson may not be a great actor, but he does that role so well, that it really kills his character when he shows up and the voice just does not match.

While the voice work is almost perfect, the look of Hill Valley in the present and the past is great.  They capture the look of all the characters, and mannerisms down to a tee.  It was fun to watch the bug eyes on Doc, or the pacing of Marty.  My favorite spot had to be Doc’s workshop.  The detail is amazing, right down to the mechanical dog food machine and breakfast maker.

There is a lot to love in this first installment, and while one voice kills some of the immersion, overall, Back to the Future hits all the bullet points that a fan would want in this series.  I would like to see a bit stronger story the next time around, but it sets everything in motion rather nicely.  Back to the Future: Episode One gets 4.5 out of 5 Aeropausonauts.

Check out Back to the Future Episode One and other PC  reviews at Test Freaks.

It was funny watching the lead up to the announcement on Poker Night at the Inventory.  All we had were silhouettes of characters that were familiar to us, but we could not piece how they would relate together.  Some thought it meant that Telltale was getting bought out by Valve, but that was not the case.  So we waited, and the bounty for our wait was…a poker game?  Yes, I, like most others, scratched our heads, but vowed to buy the product.  Telltale is known far and wide for creating well designed game products, but could they create a poker game that could differentiate itself from every other poker game out on the market?  The answer to that will depend on what you want from your poker game.

As stated before, Poker Night at the Inventory is a standard game of Texas Hold’em, but it takes a sharp turn by bringing the table to life with several characters across game franchises. , including the lovable Heavy from Team Fortress 2, Strong Bad from Homestar Runner, Max from the Sam and Max series and Tycho from Penny Arcade.  Now I would say from the Penny Arcade games, but the art style seems to be based more on the comic strip rather than the video game properties.

Someone get Chris Hanson on the Phone

Each of the characters in Poker Night at the Inventory are modeled using the animated style that is used in their game on choice, so the Heavy looks like the Team Fortress Heavy, while Strong Bad looks ripped straight out of the Telltale games that he starred in. The characters are captured complete with mannerisms and attitudes, but what makes these characters so fascinating in this environment is the chatter that goes on during a game.

I am not sure exactly how much dialog they had everyone record, but all the characters at the table in Poker Night at the Inventory feel like fleshed out characters.  Right after I jumped in and started playing, I felt as if I was at a table with some old friends, tipping a few long necks and shooting the breeze about with all kind of stories.  The characters seem to have volumes of recorded data, bouncing off of one another so fluidly that it feels very natural.  Sure all of this is programmed to work out, but there are so many dialogs to pull from that it was quite some time before I ever got any repeats.  No repeats or minimal repeats are an amazing accomplishment when you really do hear how much dialog is spewed out by these characters.  And this is not idle chatter either.  These are full on stories and tales that these characters are discussing, all while the cards fly around the table.

All of this is top notch and great from the design aspect, but the actual card game has to hold up if you want this game to be a success, and that is where it falls apart a bit.  See, while it is a decent poker simulation, you do have some weird items that pop up from time to time that can help you out.  There is far too many times where a character is sitting on absolute crap and he decides to go all in.  Not really strategy, but it always seemed to work out for me as I normally could get half the table to bust out inside of five minutes.  It also does not help Telltale’s case when you realize that they had already made this game a few years back, when it was called Celebrity Poker.

Poker Night at the Inventory does have some very nice unlocks, like new tables you can play at, but the bigger win is that each character has a unique prize that they will put up as collateral for a buy in.  If you can knock that person out you will get the special item, which can then be used with the Heavy in Team Fortress 2.  The unlockable tables are a nice touch, but it still leaves the game feeling a little light, even at the $5.00 price point.

The nagging issue with Poker Night at the Inventory, is that at some point, a player will go through it enough that they turn off the dialog and then they are left with an average to good poker simulation.  I don’t know about you, but I certainly do not need another poker game on the market unless it has a new angle.  Also, I asked the developers about what should be obvious, and that is about other characters joining in on the action at some point.  Disappointment set in when it was said that there were no plans “at this time”, being the key phrase, regarding new DLC characters.  Even more egregious was the complete lack of any multiplayer.  There is no way to escape the confines of the game and play with your friends.  I am at a loss for the lack of multiplayer in a game that is based around a social meet and greet.

Poker Night at the Inventory is one of those games that does something so well, but lacks a core mechanic to really sell it.  I mean, at the end of the day, it is a poker game.  If you love poker, you should definitely pick this up.  You will get a functional poker game that can be a lot of fun.  But for the rest of the people out there, it seems to lack anything substantial that will keep you coming back, including the complete lack of multiplayer .  You may enjoy it in the short term, but the fun will go away after you hear all the great dialog optons.  Poker Night at the Inventory gets a 3 out of 5.

Check out Poker Night at the Inventory and other PC reviews at Test Freaks.

Ever since we first heard the news that Back to the Future was hitting on consoles this December, I’ve been all a-quiver with excitement. Something about those light, tingly chimes of the original BttF Overture just whisks me back to a childhood crush of Michael J. Fox, a near word-perfect recall of the entire first film’s script, and an unspoken, cheesy love of Huey Lewis’ Power of Love.

The long-agonised issue with film-to-game translation is that … well, for the most part, we know that they all suck. But knowing that Telltale are at the helm leaves me curiously optimistic. And now that we have a trailer, I feel that my trust was not unfounded. It looks good, people – it looks good indeed.

Hit the jump to see the new trailer …

The first episode of Back to the Future: the Game is set for release later this month and will be available on the PS3, PC, Mac and iPad.

Now make like a tree and get outta here.

Psst. The voice of Marty McFly? Nope, it’s not Michael J. Fox – honest. Kotaku report that it’s a hitherto and relatively unknown actor by the name of A.J. Locascio. Uncanny, eh?

Poker Night at the Inventory takes several likeable characters from the gaming universe an sits them in a room to play poker.  We have Max from the Sam and Max series of games, The Heavy from Team Fortress 2, Tycho from Penny Arcade Adventures and loveable loudmouth, Strong Bad from the Strong Bad games.

For those that did not pre-order the title, you can still pick it up for the low price of $4.99, and while they have not discussed it as of yet, we here at Aeropause Games are still lobbying for Roman Bellic to be the first of possible DLC characters that could be added to the game.  His banter at the table could be epic.

Poker Night is for PC and Mac computer systems and is from Telltale Games.   You can fine more about the title over at http://store.steampowered.com/app/31280/.  Also, let us know what characters you would like to see at the table via DLC at some point.

With the first of the five part Back to the Future series hitting digital download shelves next month, the good folks at Telltale Games have released a new Facebook game that ties into the main story that will play out over the first half of 2011.

In Back to the Future: Blitz Through Time, you combine chemicals in the flux capacitor to work your way to 88 mph, which then hurdles you to another place in time where you have to create new combinations.  This new entry on Facebook from Telltale Games is the beginning of a new marketing push to mix free to play social games with all of their upcoming games.  As with most Facebook titles, you can earn badges and scores that are shared with your friends adding a sense of competition as to who get the highest scores.

If you want to try the game, head over to http://apps.facebook.com/blitzthroughtime to get in on the action, and as Telltale has stated, this game will tie into the main story that happens in the main 5 part Back to the Future title that is coming to PC, Mac, PS3 and iPad next month.  Read more in the following press release after the jump.

Telltale Games Breaks into Facebook Gaming with Back to the Future: Blitz Through Time

New Free-to-Play Social Game Now Available on Facebook at http://apps.facebook.com/blitzthroughtime

SAN RAFAEL, CA. November 15, 2010 — Leading digital-first publisher Telltale Games expands into social media gaming today with Back to the Future: Blitz Through Time, a new free-to-play Facebook game. This kicks off a major new initiative for the company’s publishing strategy that will see complementary free-to-play social games launch in advance of many major Telltale game releases.

“By aligning a social gaming component with our upcoming launch of Back to the Future: The Game on various platforms, we will utilize the drawing power of social media to maximize the effectiveness of all our efforts with the franchise,” said Steve Allison, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Telltale Games. “This extension to our product launches is a decisive step in our growth strategy to establish closer connections to our consumers. Social gaming is also a great medium for breaking through competitive noise and the confusion of media fragmentation so that we can communicate directly with a focused, pre-qualified consumer.”

Created through an agreement with Universal Partnerships and Licensing, and developed with acclaimed online games developer, Mediatonic, Back to the Future: Blitz Through Time is a free-to-play race against time. Players need to match the unstable molecules inside the Time Machine’s Flux Capacitor to trigger chemical reactions that enable time travel. Fans create speeds of 88 mph and jump to a new era to unlock special point multipliers.

Back to the Future: Blitz Through Time will keep players coming back daily with an ongoing competition between Facebook friends for high scores. Badges and achievements are awarded for repeat play and for surpassing game milestones that they can share with friends. Time travelers will also be offered chances to win special prizes.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Academy Award(R)-winning cinematic franchise that generated nearly $1 billion worldwide, the Back to the Future 25th Anniversary Trilogy is now available worldwide on Blu-ray and DVD, featuring all-new restorations of the classic films. Telltale’s new Back to the Future: The Game series — featuring new adventures for Marty and Doc — is expected to burst out of the time space continuum beginning in December for PC and Mac, followed shortly by the PlayStation 3 and iPad. A special pre-order offer for Back to the Future: The Game is now available at http://www.backtothefuturegame.com.

About Telltale, Inc.

Telltale is a leading independent digital publisher of cinematic adventures playable on every major gaming platform. Telltale is the pioneer of episodic delivery of content developing games as series and successfully releasing on a schedule to create a longer consumer engagement for each release. Founded in 2004 by LucasArts veterans with decades of experience, Telltale has quickly become an industry leader, establishing the model for successful episodic game creation and digital publishing. Telltale has sold more than 5 million episodes since 2005. Telltale’s reputation for quality has been established across more than 35 published releases that have cumulatively earned an average Metacritic score above 80%. Telltale’s titles have won numerous awards including, “Adventure Game of the Year” accolades from publications such as IGN, PC Gamer, GameSpy, and Adventure Gamers, and have been recognized by mainstream outlets ranging from USA Today, to The New York Times to Variety. T elltale currently develops and publishes episodic series on the PlayStation 3 system, PC, Mac, Wii(TM), Xbox 360(TM), iPhone, iPad and Facebook.

About Back to the Future Trilogy

From the Academy Award(R)-winning filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis comes Back to the Future – the original, groundbreaking adventure that sparked one of the most successful trilogies ever! Starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, the phenomenally popular Back to the Future films literally changed the future of the adventure movie genre. Powered by innovative special effects, unforgettable songs and non-stop action, Back to the Future is an unrivaled adventure that stands the test of time. Back to the Future immerses you in all the breathtaking action, groundbreaking comedy and sheer movie-making magic of one of the most brilliantly inventive, wildly entertaining motion picture triumphs in Hollywood history!

About Universal Partnerships & Licensing

UP&L oversees Universal’s consumer product licensing, film and home entertainment promotions, and all corporate alliances for Universal’s theatrical, home entertainment, theme parks and stage productions. This dedicated division is also responsible for monetizing the studio’s vast library of films and characters through licensing, branding and marketing opportunities. UP&L is part of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.

As if playing poker with Max, Strong Bad, The Heavy and Tycho, you now have an extra reason to pre-order Telltale’s new poker game, Poker Night at the Inventory.  First off, you will get a new poker visor that The Heavy can wear while trouncing the competition in Team Fortress 2.  Also, once the game comes out, you will find that each character in the game will throw out a random item from time to time that characters in Team Fortress 2 can use.

Want to know more?  Check out the nice trailer and press release that follows after the jump.

Telltale’s Poker Night at the Inventory Raises the Stakes with Six Exclusive Team Fortress 2 Items!

Five items unlockable in game, plus all pre-order customers get the Poker Visor for the Heavy

SAN RAFAEL, CA — Nov 3 2010 — Telltale Game’s Pilot Program title, Poker Night at The Inventory, is showing new cards as it prepares for release later this month by revealing the details of exclusive Team Fortress 2 items players can win in the game. Poker Night at The Inventory brings together Team Fortress 2′s Heavy, Penny Arcade’s Tycho, Homestar Runner’s Strong Bad and Max from the Sam & Max series in a raucous smack-talking game of poker unlike any card game you’ve ever played.

Poker Night at the Inventory includes special rounds periodically where characters will buy in with un-lockable Team Fortress 2 items. If the player wins the round, the item becomes theirs to use in TF2.

Featured items:

* “The Iron Curtain” weapon, for use by the Heavy in TF2

* Max’s Lugermorph handgun for use by the Scout and the Engineer in TF2; and Max’s Freelance Police badge wearable by any player in TF2

* Wrist watch from Penny Arcade’s Tycho for the Spy in TF2

* Styling “Dangeresque” sunglasses anted in by Strong Bad, wearable by Demoman in TF2

As an added bonus, all fans who pre-order Poker Night at The Inventory from Telltale Games or through Steam will receive a poker visor for the Heavy.

Poker Night at The Inventory will be available for PC and Mac in November for $4.95 and is now available for pre-order at Steam and www.telltalegames.com/pokernight.

About Telltale, Inc.

Telltale is a leading independent digital publisher of cinematic adventures playable on every major gaming platform. Telltale is also the pioneer of episodic delivery of content developing games as series and successfully releasing on a schedule to create a longer consumer engagement for each release. Founded in 2004 by LucasArts veterans with decades of experience, Telltale has quickly become an industry leader, establishing the model for successful episodic game creation and digital publishing. Telltale has sold more than 5 million episodes since 2005. Telltale’s reputation for quality has been established across more than 25 published releases that have cumulatively earned an average Metacritic score above 80%. Telltale’s titles have won numerous awards including, “Adventure Game of the Year” accolades from publications such as IGN, PC Gamer, GameSpy, and Adventure Gamers, and have been recognized by mainstream outlets ranging from USA Today, to The New York Times to Vari ety. Telltale currently develops and publishes episodic series on PlayStation (R)3, PC, Mac, Wii TM, Xbox 360 TM and iPad.

About Penny Arcade

Equal parts online comic and commentary, Penny Arcade (www.penny-arcade.com) keeps its finger on the pulse of the gaming industry, prompting conversation and controversy alike from community members to industry experts. What started as a hobby in 1998 for Jerry “Tycho” Holkins and Mike “Gabe” Krahulik has grown into an online phenomenon serving over 70 million page views a month to millions of readers worldwide. In addition to the comic strip and PAX (www.paxsite.com), Penny Arcade has expanded its reach to include a growing line of merchandise, a video game and management of Child’s Play (www.childsplaycharity.org), a gamer-driven charity for children that spans the globe.

About Homestar Runner

Homestar Runner was conceived in 1996 by Mike Chapman and friend Craig Zobel as an idea for a weird kids’ book they would only make a few photocopies of for friends. In 2000, Mike and brother Matt dusted off the idea and launched HomestarRunner.com, featuring the Flash-animated exploits of the characters. Since 2002, they have updated with new cartoons almost every week including the popular feature ‘Strong Bad Email’ in which fans get their emails answered by the cartoon’s charming antagonist, Strong Bad. Mike and Matt write and animate the cartoons with Matt and Missy Palmer providing voices for the characters. The site has been featured and mentioned in the New York Times, Wired Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Time, The Wall Street Journal, and, most importantly, two songs from the site were featured in the Guitar Hero series.

About Sam & Max

Sam & Max is based on the indie comics by Steve Purcell. Sam is a six-foot dog in a baggy suit sporting a trombone-sized .44 hand-cannon. Max is three feet of pure unleashed id with a saw blade grin and the impulsive nature of the average piranha. Together they patrol the sticky streets of a fantastical New York City, righting wrongs, pummeling perps, and ridding the urban landscape of the shifty legions of “self-propelled gutter trash” that litter their streets. Sam & Max is Telltale’s longest running episodic game series to date.

About Mann Co.

Mann Co. is a global weapons manufacturer that makes square, unsafe products for men and gets in fights. Founded in Australia and based in America, Mann Co. CEO Saxton Hale prides himself on his hands-on customer relations: “If you have a problem with any Mann Co. product, you can take it up with me!”