Telltale Games, Lionsgate Team Up For TV/game Hybrid

Some are of the opinion that video games these days are starting to get closer to TV shows and films, especially with some adopting a more episodic style of release. Those boundaries will once again blur in an upcoming creative project, called a "Super Show" that will come from the brightest minds of game developer Telltale Games and TV studio Lionsgate. The two will be weaving a rather complex tale that will encompass both traditional a TV series as well as interactive media, creating a hybrid between a TV show and a game.

This isn't exactly the first time someone tried to bridge the worlds of gaming and TV. Almost 2 years ago, game developer Trion Worlds, perhaps more known for its MMORPG Rift, struck a deal with cable operator SyFy to produce Defiance, a sci-fi TV series that had a game tie-in. The link between the two, however, was not exactly deep, and neither media was able to meet the hype it initially generated.

This time might be different, partly thanks to the industry clout the two new partners have. Telltale Games has made a name for itself with its deep, touching, and memorable stories and characters in games like The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and more recently, Game of Thrones. Coincidentally, these games' chapters are released gradually by the episode, so the game developers are quite familiar with the rhythm of TV series as well. Lionsgate, on the other hand, is behind the award winning show Mad Men and now Orange is the New Black.So the two pretty much have their pedigree to stand on.

This "Super Show" will be a tad more complicated and the relationship more intricate than a simple tie-in, which might confuse all but the most enthusiastic of gamers. A single Super Show episode is actually made up of two parts: one interactive (a game) and one in the traditional scripted style of TV shows. Both will be delivered at the same time but here is the clincher: the content actually changes depending on which you watch or play first. Play the game first and the scripted half changes to reflect your actions. Watch the scripted part first and you'll find the game set to a certain path already.

The complexity of the content will definitely stretch both companies' creative muscles to the limits. Production-wise, the Super Show will stick to a traditional TV scheduling, only spaced apart further to take into account the different flows for TVs and games. Eventually, a standalone TV-only version of the series will be released which, even without the game half, should still be able to stand proud. Telltale Games CEO Kevin Bruner, who revealed the Super Show project, says that the series will be based on a completely original IP co-owned by the two. No clues yet on what it will be about.

SOURCE: Entertainment Weekly