Steve Purcell On Sam & Max 2's Cancellation

An anonymous reader writes "Saw this newsbit on AdventureGamers.com - Steve Purcell, creator of Sam & Max, made the following statement in a letter to the LucasArts fansite Mixnmojo regarding LucasArts' cancellation of Sam & Max 2: 'LucasArts' sudden decision to stop production on Sam & Max is mystifying. Sam & Max was on schedule and coming together beautifully... It's a shame to think that the [dev team's] accomplishments, as well as the goodwill that has been growing in the gaming press toward this project, will all go to waste due to this shortsighted decision.' Check out the link for the full letter. There is also an interesting editorial posted on AdventureGamers.com as well." Is this cancellation a blow the commercially developed traditional graphic adventure can recover from?

Maybe On A Console?

[blueZhift]

I don't really want to start another "is PC gaming dying" thread, but I think that probably has something to do with the cancellation. Even though the game may have made a nice profit, on a gaming landscape where console games sell millions of copies, greed takes over and good titles get canned.

It would make more sense for Lucas Arts to publish Sam and Max 2 on a console and the PC. I still have very fond memories of the graphic adventure and think there's a whole generation of gamers who are missing out on this genre. Unfortunately, I doubt if any of the heavy weights really have the guts to risk bringing it to consoles. Funny thing is that adventure games might actually do pretty well in Japan on the PS 2. The so called dating sims that sell reasonably well there are not all that different, but home PCs are not as common there as in the U.S., so you really have to publish on a console.

Re:Maybe On A Console?

[MBCook]

Well, Lucas Arts put Monkey Islad 4 on the PS2, so they should be able to put Sam & Max 2 on a console. I'd buy it no matter what platform it's on. It'd be especially great if they included the origional for everyone who never got to play it.

Please, everyone. Write Lucas Arts.

Re:Sam & Max FPS

[Babbster]

Two things:

1. A Sam and Max FPS could be insanely cool and funny. Toss in some frying pans, giant mallets and fire hoses, and all of a sudden you've got first-person cartoon action.
2. LucasArts has proven MORE than capable of doing good adventure games. That's kind of the whole issue here. If it was Microsoft, EA or [insert other big company producing often lousy games here] it wouldn't be that big a deal. The cancellation of a LucasArts adventure game, however, IS a big deal to fans of the genre.

Re:Effective petitions

[cabra771]

I personally think the point and click adventure is dead.
For me, I'm finally seeing a comeback. I'm really excited for Syberia 2 to come out after playing the first one. I'm not sure what exact group I fall under for gaming, but I rarely watch tv anymore except for some news or maybe a rented movie here or there. I get most of my information and enetertainment on my PC. That being said, I really don't get into FPS anymore. I'm on the lookout for something more story/puzzle orientated. I loved Syberia, playing the newest Prince of Persia through a second time, and always seem to go back to all the old classic adventure games. Some of us don't want all fast paced action. Some of us want our damn adventure games back (feeling like an old man at 27). Now I just hope that The Adventure Company will put out a few more better games than they have been. Please, please, please!

My letter:

[dalangalma]

Sent to [e-mail]

Dear LucasArts,

While I'm sure you've received few emails regarding LucasArts' decision to cancel the much-awaited title Sam & Max 2, I wanted to make my opinion known as a representative of a whole generation of gamers who grew up with LucasArts' classic graphic adventures. Our fond memories of these games, especially the original Sam & Max, have not faded - even just a few weeks a whole group of my friends sat down for a weekend and played through six of our favorite LucasArts graphic adventures, with a packed room of people watching. When gamers around the world heard that Full Throttle 2 had been canceled, they thought "That's sad, but at least LucasArts can concentrate on Sam & Max 2." The news of two days ago was heartbreaking - everyone I knew who had played or seen the original Sam & Max had been excited about its sequel's release. The news reported today - that Steve Purcell's team was on schedule, and that Mr. Purcell thought the product they had so far was excellent, is even more confusing. Whatever market research led LucasArts to believe that the game was not worth making is wrong - the graphic adventure market is not dead, it's just been waiting for Sam & Max 2. Please reconsider the cancellation of this project, and keep in mind the generation of gamers who would be thrilled to have another Sam & Max in their hands. Thank you.

-My Name

Re:Don't blame LucasArts too much.

[Ndr_Amigo]

They tried, a while ago :)

- James 'Ender' Brown
Co-Project Leader
ScummVM (http://www.scummvm.org/)

So the answer would be....

[Miaowara_Tomokato]

There is a continuing theme in these posts whinging about good LucasArts projects being cancelled in favor of their latest Star Wars project.
Isn't the natural response, then, a Star Wars graphic adventure? This would seem to be right up their ally, and they would have a host of charaters and situations to put them in. Possibility?

On another note, they have not only done this to their "extra" licenses. The license for the Star Wars CCG (Collectible Card Game) was pulled out [decipher.com] from under them. Decipher had put out a very high quality AND profitable product; the license was given to a different company to make a game better suited to 10-12 year olds because apparently they are a larger market and could turn more profit at the expense of an intelligent and fun game.
And yes, they ARE a company and it IS their job to make money, we've all read those posts- but it is important not to piss off your current consumers in chasing after new ones.

To LucasArts: History tells us a different story.

[Two Scoops]

I just sent the following email to LucasArts.

1985:

A Japanese game company tried to debut a new product into the American market. It was well designed and a testament to the ingenuity of its creators. Yet no one would give it a chance.

The retailers said "we won't stock it, it's doomed to fail."
Fellow developers said "these games will never sell."
The focus groups said "this is shit."

Their product went on to gross billions of dollars: the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Today:

Developers tried to complete a new adventure game. Their work was on time, well done and universally appraised by fans and critics. Yet the publisher would not give it a chance.

LucasArts said "we won't publish it, it's doomed to fail."
Fellow developers said "Adventure games are dead."
The marketing department said "it's the wrong time to launch a PC graphic adventure."

Their product, Sam & Max 2, would gross millions if it had the chance, but now it may never see the light of day.

The Nintendo had potential, had quality. That's why Nintendo took a risk against far worse odds, and went on to gross 14.5 billion in 1991. Sam & Max 2 has potential, has quality. We've seen it, the critics have seen it. Squandering it threatens the future of adventure games. Impossible, you might say? Stop and think about this - what if Nintendo had listened to their market research? No Nintendo. No revitalization of the game industry, post-crash. Game companies wouldn't exist. LucasArts wouldn't exist.

Quality tells the future. It is your choice to listen.