New Monkey Island Rumoured, False

The British Gaming Blog dispels a rumour floating through the internets this week. The site Rumor Reporter is claiming knowledge of a new Monkey Island game in the works at LucasArts. Coincidentally, Steve Purcell (creator of the Sam and Max series) sends some concept art to the Monkey Island fansite The World of Monkey Island. As McBacon, at the BGB says, this is probably just interesting timing. "As much as we'd all love to believe a new Monkey Island is in the works (even after Escape from MI), and as great as the coincidence is, Steve doesn't even work at Lucas Arts anymore, so the dots just don't join up. Don't hold your breath for E3, but enjoy the concept art." Update: 06/13 19:12 GMT by Z : Added the crucial but missing words 'Sam and Max' to the article.

The collective groan

[DaveWick79]

Boy, I can hear the collective groan from the millions of Monkey Island fans on /.

On second thought, it's awful quiet in here...

Re:

[RingDev]

Hey, I loved MI1 and MI2!!!

-Rick

Re:

[MrNiceguy_KS]

Actually, I loved MI3. The animation was great, the voice acting was superb, and I loved the music. (I taught my daughter the "Monkey In My Pocket" song when she was about 3.) I also thought the Guybrush character in MI3 seemed much more consistent with MI1 than MI2 did - MI3 seemed to do a much better job of capturing the "pirate wannabe" persona. I realize that a lot of die-hard Monkey Island fans consider MI3 the point where the series started to decline, and they're certainly entitled to their opini

Re:

[Stanistani]

Probably a red herring. Let's see if we can pick it up.

Re:

[s4m7]

Is the groan at the uselessness of this "article?"

Let's re-summarize:

"There was a rumor that might excite you, but it's not true."

Wow, the level of content is staggering.

Re:

[DaveWick79]

As someone alluded to in another post, something said without a source is probably not true. So since the site proclaiming there to not be another version coming out, does not have a source - therefore there must be a new version coming out. Maybe it is just the off the wall, kind of using several paragraphs to proclaim that what never was, will not happen, is enough for the collective groan.

Imagine a story such as:
In breaking news, Microsoft has just released Microsoft Linux. However, this rumor is fals

What about Ron?

[cHALiTO]

I wouldn't touch a MI game with a laser pointer if Ron Gilbert isn't designing it.

Also, there's no such thing as MI3 or 4 (especially 4), I've removed them from my memory, and I'll deny them until Ron does a *real* MI3 :)

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[secolactico]

MI4 could have been good, but the models where too much like string puppets and the fourth wall breaking jokes didn't help at all. And I didn't get the aussie bashing jokes.

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[hansamurai]

Actually, Curse of Monkey Island is a really great game. The voice acting is superb and the animation is top notch. It's a wonderful game. Escape is a travesty though, which makes me almost a little happy that this rumor is false.

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[Uthic]

Bah, CMI was the best of the series for me. Was very funny, introduced Murray! Come on, have to love it for that diabolical talking skull :)

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[Espectr0]

Speak for yourself. I loved MI3, it's hilarious, good graphics. I hated MI4, not only because of the graphics but also the gameplay, since it was very difficult to control GT.

Favorite parts: the "muscle" trial against Haggis and the Banjo duel
Favorite character: Murray. Oh come on, you gotta love Murray. He reminds me of HK-47

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[ceeam]

MI3 was mediocre (but I still finished it). But MI4 was pretty ok. Or am I only one feeling that way? (Yes, it started slowly).

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[Sage Gaspar]

I loved CMI. I don't even think I finished Escape. Nothin beats the original though :P

In other news....

[aicrules]

I am reporting that humans can breathe underwater without the aid of a breathing device...oh crap I'm wrong: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drowning [wikipedia.org], FALSE!!!

Re:In other news....

[dub42]

I can hold my breath for 10 minuts.

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[pytheron]

Though you seem to have developed Broca's aphasia. Never mind, eh !

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[RonnyJ]

Moderated offtopic? One of Guybrush Threepwood's skills was being able to hold his breath for ten minutes.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Mods have never played Monkey Island

[arevos]

Guybrush frequently boasts that he can hold his breath for ten minutes. In fact it's the only piratey thing Guybrush is really good at.

What?! Sir, that is outright slander!

Sure, at the beginning of the first game Guybrush was rather lacking in piratical skills, but since then he has become a master of swordsmanship on both land and sea, has captained several ships, and has battled with countless pirates, cannibals, the undead and monkeys. If that's not solid pirate material, I don't know what is.

NOT OFFTOPIC

[spellraiser]

Nope, not offtopic, you ignoramuses [everything2.com]

Offtopic should be used sparingly ... all too often I see it used in a way that only reveals the moderator's ignorance of the topic. Rant, rave, etc. ....

Re:

[Das Modell]

Today I spent all my mod points reversing completely insane moderating decisions, in just one topic. That's actually all I ever use my points for. Somebody has to do it.

Re:

[GrumpySimon]

Spending all your modpoints reversing completely insane moderating decisions: Valid use of time.

Posting in the thread afterwards and reversing all that work: priceless.

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[Rakshasa Taisab]

Drowning is nothing compared to this...

Within the space of just that one sentence, they built my hopes, dreams and joys of youth to unimaginable heights on a beautiful stone altar, then proceeded to crush it to a bloody pulp with large stones.

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[Killjoy_NL]

Actually our lungs are very capable of getting oxygen out of the water, just getting that water out of our lungs is the big problem.

I don't remember where I learned that, but I think it's true.

hmm

[nomadic]

How appropriate, you fight like a cow.

Re:

[neoprint]

First you'd better stop waving it around like a feather duster!

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

i am rubber, you are glue

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[Anonymous Coward]

So you got that job as janitor, after all.

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[Eudial]

How appropriate, you fight like a cow...

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[catwh0re]

I've got a little TIP for you, get the POINT.
seriously though, I still boot into old boxes just to play these.

i keep wondering ...

[polar red]

... about the inspiration for Pirates of the Caribbean

Re:

[Allison Geode]

actually, monkey island was inspired by the pirates of the carribean ride, hence the (horrible, in my opinion) ending of monkey island 2.

mod that up

[wzzzzrd]

it's SO obvious. i mean, it's rather "stolen" than "inspired by". remember the scene where guybrush (sorry, "will turner") is trying to steal a key from le chuck (sorry again, "mr. jonez")? the voodoo lady in the swamps? all these zombie pirates living under a curse? they even got a scene where a coffin is used as a boat.

but i'm in no way angry about that. at least they did preserve (in parts) the fine pirate humor that made monkey island so great. apart from that, depp as cpt. sparrow is just fun to watc

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[untaken_name]

Yeah, I prefer my adventure games to have tons of intrusive ads in them also.

Re:

[Opportunist]

Well, ads can be done creatively and non intrusive. Though I have no idea how that could be done in Monkey Island. Maybe as a gag a coke bottle somewhere as a plot device, given the rather whacky nature of the game (I just say rubber chicken), it could actually work.

And if that's the price to pay to play an adventure again...

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[cnettel]

I'm not sure if Coke would agree with the concept of the lemonade-selling boy turning out to be a weapons merchant...

Re:

[Opportunist]

Needn't be the weapons merchant, but how about a DOTT sequel (or any other kind of time travel adventure) where the lemonade selling boy of the "past" part of the game is some student working at 7/11 in the "now" and the coke marketing person for the "future"? Don't think that could fly?

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[Evanisincontrol]

What the fuck is Monkey Island? If nobody's heard of it, nobody will miss it.

That makes sense. You haven't heard of it, [wikipedia.org] so clearly no one else has. Right?

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[Sciros]

Well to get technical, what the guy said -- IF nobody has heard of it, nobody will miss it -- does make sense :-) But the way you interpreted it, it doesn't. Most likely it was a misinterpretation :-P

Anyway at least you answered his "WTF is monkey island" question (mine too, haha).

Re:

[WidescreenFreak]

Probably still an itch in his daddy's pants. :P Any geek and gamer credentials he might have had have also been stripped forthwith. To not know about Monkey Island (or pretend not to just to be a troll) is sacrilege in the Temple of the Gaming Geek Gods.

Well, I haven't heard of the rumour

[Anonymous Coward]

So basically this entire article managed to get me excited for the less then a second it took me to read the first three words in the title and then into a painful depression. Thanks a lot Slashdot.

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

In other news...

[GXFragger]

Hello Kitty Island Adventure has been confirmed to be in the developmental stages and should pose a fun alternative to World of Warcraft, especially to anyone named Butters.

Would've been an online game. :-P

[Cutriss]

Monkey Island 3 predicted that Monkey Island 4 would be in 3D, with the option in the Options Menu of activating the "super deluxe 3D mode". Escape From Monkey Island had a similar option which enabled online play.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, that was most likely a dig at 3D graphics in general, which were cool with all the kids, but to anyone else looked like complete crap compared to MI3's hand-drawn backgrounds and animation, especially (but not only) back in those days.

All the more ironic that Escape went 3D, and looked worse for it.

tentative release date

[rubberbandball]

after doing some heavy research, i found a release date confirming the new MI will hit stores 1 week before Duke Nukem Forever.

Steve Purcell (creator of the series)

[VGPowerlord]

Ron Gilbert would be surprised to find out that Steve Purcell was the creator of the Monkey Island series.

Steve Purcell (creator of the Sam and Max series)

[WidescreenFreak]

I was thinking the same thing.

To those who are not aware, Steve Purcell created Sam and Max, which is now under control of Tell Tale games [telltalegames.com] after the contract expired with LucasArts. He did not create the Monkey island series, a series which is very missed, by the way. :(

I am Murray!!

Not going to happen unless Forced

[Black Art]

It was pretty obvious that the Monkey Island sequel would never be released. It does not take place in the Star Wars universe.

Lucas Arts only sells Star Wars games these days. That is all that their sales and marketing people know.

Sam and Max fans already know that. Time for the Monkey island fans to learn that lesson as well.

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[Eudial]

It was pretty obvious that the Monkey Island sequel would never be released. It does not take place in the Star Wars universe.

Aww, I don't know. Some changes here and there...

Mêlée Island, Monkey Island -> Planet Mêlée, Endor.
Guybrush Threepwood, Mighty Pirate -> Guylightsaber Threepwookie, Mighty Jedi.
Ghost Pirate LeChuck -> Android Sith LE3HU35

and so forth.

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[sqlrob]

Fracture isn't in the SW Universe. Neither is Indy (although that is another movie property)

GAHHH, not AGAIN! That tune!!!

[ceeam]

Poom-poorum-pum, poom-poom-poom.....

Spinoffs?

[grimdawg]

Nobody else gunning for a Murray game?

Instead of wishing for sequels...

[LarsWestergren]

How about you buy the great games made by the same people? You have the fantastic Psychonauts [psychonauts.com], a hilarious game with fantastic artwork, available cheaply everywhere in the world from Steam [steampowered.com]. You also have the new Sam and Max [telltalegames.com] series for more adventure heavy games. Haven't played any of those episodes yet, but reportedly also fantastic.

Don't sit there and complain about lack of originality in today's games market. There are PC games out there just as good as the golden classics you remember, please buy them and give the makers an incentive to continue!