The Walking Dead. For years, the title was known -- and adored -- by comic fans, and then this past October the franchise went mainstream with the AMC television show. Now, it's a phenomenon that nearly everyone knows about.
A video game was inevitable, and Telltale Games is happy to answer the call. Today, the developers behind adventure games such as Back to the Future and Sam & Max announced that it has entered into a "multi-year, multi-platform, multi-title" Walking Dead partnership with Robert Kirkman, creator of the franchise. Specific platforms for the project weren't announced, but the agreement covers PC, Mac, consoles, handhelds, mobile and social gaming media. Telltale is looking at a fourth quarter 2011 release.
We don't know about you, but those aren't enough hard details for us. That said, we grabbed Robert Kirkman and threw our burning questions at him about the game, TV show and Invincible. What did he have to say? Let's find out...
IGN: A Walking Dead game?! Does this prove conclusively that there is a God, Mr. Kirkman?
Robert Kirkman: I think the jury is still out on that one, but the trail is definitely warm.
IGN: What kind of game is this? Third-person action? Adventure? Where does this game take place in terms of the Walking Dead timeline? Will we see characters that haven't been explored on TV and/or comics? Who do we play as? Are we Rick, someone in his group or just a survivor in the Walking Dead World? Oh, snap, are we zombies?! Tell us something?!
Robert Kirkman: The game is at an early stage, and we're in the process of mapping this all out now.
IGN: What Walking Dead universe does the game fall into? Is it happening in the comic world? The TV show? A mix of both?
Robert Kirkman: Definitely within the comic book world, just like the novel series.
IGN: Telltale is known for episodic adventures; is that what's happening here?
Robert Kirkman: Yes, it's definitely episodic.
IGN: If I can bend your ear and beard about the TV show, the last two episodes of Season 1 veered drastically away from the comic book. Will Season 2 continue down this path and into original TV stories or will it be circling back around to pick up storylines from the comic?
Robert Kirkman: For the most part, it will be circling back around but, like the entirety of the first season, there will always be divergences from the comic story to keep people on their toes.
IGN: Besides Frank Darabont, it's a new group of writers for Season 2. Have you talked to Glen Mazzara about the direction they're looking to go with the series? If so, what is it?
Robert Kirkman: I've been working closely with Glen for a week now, and you're going to have to wait for any details, because I can't reveal anything right now.
IGN: Are there any characters you're hoping to see introduced soon on the show?
Robert Kirkman: Yes -- Michonne, Tyrese, Hershel... whether or not we'll get to all of them in [season 2]is up in the air. I'm looking forward to most every comic book character making it into the show, but I'm excited to see who we actually do get to.
IGN: You wrote an episode in season one, are you going to pen one in season two?
Robert Kirkman: Currently, yes.
IGN: A whole bunch of your books just popped up on Comixology -- a digital comic store -- what's your take on digital comics? Why are so many publishers afraid to embrace it and when will they?
Robert Kirkman: I think that it's pretty clear at this point that everything is moving towards digital, it's just a question of how soon everything will be there. I don't really understand why publishers are worried because it's been proven that a digital audience doesn't eat into their print audience, and I, for one, enjoy selling my comic to an entirely new audience.
IGN: Does this Walking Dead game get us any closer to an Invincible game -- or is that the true test of whether or not there's a higher power?
Robert Kirkman: Yeah, I guess that is the true test -- no comment on whether an Invincible game is close to being made or not.
