Telltale Receives, Hires Millions

Sam & Max Season One developer Telltale Games today announced that it has received an investment of $6 million from Granite and IDG Ventures. The company will use the cash infusion to power more episodic series, with plans to release its upcoming projects on multiple platforms. The impact of the support is already apparent, with the company reportedly now "hiring a million people," according to Telltale's Jake Rodkin. The studio is set to develop the next in its series of episodic titles based on the TV show CSI, along with a new Sam & Max project. Telltale was founded largely by former LucasArts employees in June of 2004. Based in San Rafael, California, the company's revival of the Sam & Max comedy-adventure franchise has gained industry acclaim for its smart, humorous writing and polished presentation. The new series is notable for being entirely distributed online, via co-sponsor GameTap's downloading service and Telltale's official website. The studio was in talks with Nintendo to bring Sam & Max to the Wii as early as last year, according to Gamasutra. A few months ago, Telltale CEO Dan Connors told Shacknews in an interview that Sam & Max will definitely be receiving a second season. "I don't think we'd miss out on that opportunity," he said. "We'll be able to make that happen for sure." "Digital distribution is changing entertainment, and Telltale is helping define the new landscape," said Connors today. "This funding will allow us to stay on the cutting edge of innovation by building out our team and our tools, and by taking on new licenses for the episodic treatment."