I don't know about you guys, but I was pretty shocked to hear about the plans for AVS 4 (
http://www.incgamers.com/Games/2334/interviews/167/Bill-Tiller-On-A-Vampyre-Story), let alone AVS 3. After the sudden abrupt ending in AVS, I was thinking, okay, well I can shell out another $30 for AVS2 I suppose. But now that I know there's not just one but two more inconclusive endings ahead, my interest level in the story has diminished. I'll probably wait to hear the verdicts on AVS2 before I invest myself further into the series.
I agree that assuming that we would even reach a fourth was a mistake on Tiller's part. (It'd help if AVS2 was released this year, too.)
I feel the same as tk102. Everything would be fine if each game would include satisfying smaller quests for Mona in their entirety besides just fragments of the overarching "get to Paris and start singing there" quest. AVS 1 had like zero finality.
As much as I like it, I'm inclined to agree. Releasing an incomplete game that doesn't work as a complete story is a practice I don't accept. Separate stories with an underlying arcing narrative would be much better.
My problem is not the cliffhanger endings, or with any doubt about the quality of the games, but rather with the premature assumption - at the player's expense - that a fourth game will even be published. I mean, the Monkey Island series, the most renowned adventure game franchise of all time, had four installments, and that was over the course of ten years with all the trials and tribulations that comes with that sort of thing.
My problem is that each game is being made and released like a traditional game, but the overall series is being mapped out like an episodic one. With Sam & Max and Strong Bad Telltale presumably has its **** set up in such a way that will ensure a season will get made - and the episodes are pretty self-contained anyway. AVS is essentially being made one relatively full sized game at a time, but unlike Valve, Autumn Moon is, you know, a startup graphic adventure game developer. If something should go wrong, why should the fans have to suffer by being left with an incomplete story, or at least a story that won't be completed in the way originally intended (an episodic game, a series of novels)?
As I've said elsewhere, if Crimson Cow really did sign Autumn Moon for a series of games, then, awesome, and I'll gladly shut the hell up. Whatever direction Autumn Moon takes, I'll be there. I'm just following the classic Mojo tradition of expressing concerns in an overly paranoid way.
Considering what happened to the Bone series, the route Tiller chose is VERY dangerous. Moreover, Crimson Cow has yet to confirm AVS2 (which is a given fact, BTW... I think). I really cannot picture a little publisher setting up a long production process for four games, before even knowing how many units the first installment sold.
I think this is just Tiller's stream of consciousness. ;)
Considering what happened to the Bone series, the route Tiller chose is VERY dangerous. Moreover, Crimson Cow has yet to confirm AVS2 (which is a given fact, BTW... I think). I really cannot picture a little publisher setting up a long production process for four games, before even knowing how many units the first installment sold.
I think this is just Tiller's stream of consciousness. ;)
AVS2 certainly sounds like it's been funded. And I mean, who knows. Within the context of Crimson Cow being a German adventure publisher, AVS may be a gold mine for them, or at least a really high profile game. I have no idea what "This game was made by old LucasArts people!" is worth in Germany, where so-so adventure games tend to find financial success. Possibly a lot.
An episodic prequel, to be precise.
Most interesting part of the announcement:
For all inquires about A Vampyre Story 2: A Bat’s Tale, please Contact Crimson Cow.
The cited reason for AVS2's delay in the first place was Crimson Cow having financial troubles and being unable to publish it - this would also explain why the game was announced in 2009 as looking for a publisher. So why is Autumn Moon saying, "Go bother Crimson Cow about AVS2?" Are they back on board? Does AME need to wrest the publishing rights from them to secure a new partner?