Kotaku
Steam sure is picking up...yes. It's becoming a larger and more attractive proposition to consumers, at any rate. Latest addition to their collective is Telltale's Sam & Max Episodic series, which is available as you read this.
Each will sell for $8.95, with 10% off during the first week of sales. To further sweeten the deal, episodes 1-3 are available as a bundle for $19.95. Episodes 4-6, also available as a bundle, also available for $19.95.
You could do worse things than pick these up. You've probably already decided one way or the other already, mind, what with them already available on both GameTap AND Telltale's site (and on store shelves in August), but just in case you've been hanging out for my endorsement, go. You have it.
Anyone keen on hearing both Valve and Telltale execs get all gushy over the deal, press release is after the jump.
SAN RAFAEL, CA, June 15, 2007 - Interactive entertainment pioneers Telltale Inc. and Valve today announced that Sam & Max: Season 1, Telltale's flagship episodic series, is now available on Steam, a leading online platform for the distribution and management of PC games.
Sam & Max: Season 1 is a story-driven game series starring a dog and rabbity-thing detective duo that dishes out their own brand of justice. Over the last two decades, the self-proclaimed Freelance Police have appeared in a number of formats, including independent comics penned by Steve Purcell, an interactive PC adventure game, a Saturday morning cartoon, a web comic, and now Telltale's innovative game series. Season 1, which initially launched last fall and had monthly releases through the spring, has received high praise from press and fans for its well-written and often irreverent humor, stylistic cartoon art, and high production values.
Each Sam & Max episode sells on Steam for $8.95, with a 10% discount available the first week of release. To help customers get up to speed with the franchise, the first three episodes have been made available as a bundle for $19.95, with episodes 4 through 6 bundled for the same price point.
"Digital distribution is clearly a core component of our business and we're really impressed by Valve's approach to the market," says CEO Dan Connors. "The Steam folks have a great understanding of how robust online channels can bring new value added content, product expansions and serialized episodes to keep audiences regularly engaged."
"Sam & Max, a pioneering episodic series of PC games, and Steam, a pioneering distribution platform for PC games, are a natural match," said Jason Holtman, director of business development at Valve. "Creating a path to millions of gamers for the delivery of episodic content is just one of the new business models enabled by Steam."
Sam & Max's expansion to new channels will continue in August, when The Adventure Company and JoWooD bring Sam & Max: Season 1 to retail shelves worldwide. More information about Telltale's continuing work on Sam & Max and other episodic games can be found on the company's website (www.telltalegames.com).
For more information about Steam, visit www.steamgames.com.
