Telltale, well-known for his or her story-telling video games, have acquired UK sport and know-how developer Flavourworks for an undisclosed sum so as to deliver their distinctive video know-how to Telltale’s future initiatives.
Flavourworks video tech engine, TouchVideo, makes use of reside motion video, shot at cinema high quality, to create interactive, playable gaming experiences mild years past the CD-ROM-based ‘full movement video’ video games of outdated.
Telltale, after all, are well-known for his or her long-running cellular sequence comparable to The Strolling Useless, The Wolf Amongst Us and have simply launched the primary episode of a story sport based mostly on The Expanse. After reaching big success, the expanded studio bumped into issue as tastes modified and high-budget premium video games fell out of favour alongside the brand new wave of free-to-play. The studio successfully closed earlier than re-opening with new funding.
All-new video tech
Flavourworks are an organization we’ve adopted with curiosity as their distinctive video tech, whereas but to interrupt into the mainstream, at all times felt like one thing that no person else had considered. With one commercially accessible product on the market and garnering reward – spooky ghost story Erica, accessible on cellular App Shops and consoles – the staff had been engaged on a sequel, motion/theft thriller Cuttlefish and a 3 half journey entitled Hush with first episode, Crane, due for launch. It’s unsure as as to whether these unfinished merchandise will see the sunshine of day below new house owners Telltale or in the event that they had been solely ever meant as dwelling proof tech demos of what their know-how is able to.
Regardless of the backstory it seems that after garnering curiosity and funding from the likes of Hiro Capital, Flavourworks have now efficiently achieved their endgame.
In short, Flavourworks TouchVideo tech makes use of reside motion video loops to create video that you may contact and manipulate. On the floor, video games seem like you’re watching your favorite Netflix present however, with a swipe or a prod you may flip handles and push doorways open, decide up and transfer objects or fastidiously twist the mix lock of a protected… The outcomes are seamless and beautiful. That is high-grade reside motion video that reacts to your contact due to fastidiously segueing between a number of streams, cunningly operating video backwards and forwards and switching between a number of choices and various takes with out interruption. The playback and gameplay seems magical and, at occasions, ‘how did they do this?’ unattainable.
The staff seek advice from the gameplay as ‘Play Don’t Say’ – i.e. Making selections and taking part in an journey sport as you’ll any typical sport, fairly than being slowed down within the conventional ‘stop-start’ of a number of selection textual content prompts and selections in different ‘reside motion’ video games.
And it doesn’t finish there.
In an intriguing sideline, the staff had been engaged on utilizing pre-rendering PC and console high quality graphics as ammo for his or her TouchVideo engine. By doing so they might create a touchscreen sport with all of the appears to be like, body fee and velocity of a hi-spec, large display screen PC or console sport, however – with zero polygons to push round – playable on any transportable system. It’s maybe on this avenue that Telltale discovered Flavourworks tech most interesting, alongside inner take a look at initiatives comparable to their (working title) ‘FlikTok’ idea – a touchable, interactive approach to make use of their tech in new social video functions.
Massive identify backing
Gaming legend Ian Livingstone, co-founding accomplice of Hiro Capital, stated, “The Flavourworks staff, know-how, and inventive experience is an ideal match for Telltale. Following Telltale’s profitable launch of The Expanse, with its robust critiques and glorious participant suggestions, I stay up for seeing what gameplay improvements a collaboration with Flavourworks will usher in constructing best-in-class narrative video games.”
Zachary Slatter, CEO of Flavourworks, will be a part of the Telltale administration staff because the managing director for Europe. Commenting on the deal Slatter stated, “The Flavourworks staff is delighted to be a part of Telltale. We clearly acknowledged the enduring model and clearly the staff. We spent a whole lot of time actually making an attempt to innovate, notably across the know-how, getting it engaged on a number of totally different platforms and permitting us to deliver these actually graphically wealthy experiences to decrease finish units, cellular related TVs, and extra.”
