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Giant Bomb at PAX 09: David Grossman Interview

Ryan checks in with Telltale's design director for all things adventure gaming.

Video posted by drewbert on Sept. 8, 2009

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Quick Look Supplemental: Trials Evolution

Dig Deeper into Dave Grossman

Dave Grossman is a game developer specializing in adventure games. He worked on important games for LucasArts before joining Telltale Games to work on their Sam & Max and Strong Bad episodic series.

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buzz_killingtonon Sept. 8, 2009 at 4:41 p.m.
I hope he confirmes "Tales of Days of Tentacles" in this interview.
Winterneton Sept. 8, 2009 at 4:41 p.m.
all this videos of pax are long and neat. That's great!
canucks23on Sept. 8, 2009 at 4:43 p.m.

I just want season 3 of Sam&Max.
Banjo_aceon Sept. 8, 2009 at 4:54 p.m.
ya pax
Zripwudon Sept. 8, 2009 at 5:08 p.m.
Sorry about this lame correction, but his name is Dave. I'm really really sorry.
Crispyon Sept. 8, 2009 at 5:15 p.m.
This man. does not. break. eye-contact.
DanielJWon Sept. 8, 2009 at 5:18 p.m.
Cool interview. Mr. Grossman reminds me of an elf.
Meatsimon Sept. 8, 2009 at 5:38 p.m.
Telltale is single-handedly reviving the adventure game genre.
PlasmaBeam44on Sept. 8, 2009 at 5:51 p.m.
Season 3 of Sam and Max confirmed? WOOT!
Xiemos2on Sept. 8, 2009 at 6:04 p.m.
@Crispy said:
" This man. does not. break. eye-contact. "
It's creepy..
JJOR64on Sept. 8, 2009 at 6:19 p.m.
Great interview.  David is a goofy guy.
corgoravon Sept. 8, 2009 at 6:31 p.m.
Really nice and lengthy interview, David seems like a cool guy.
slacker4lifeon Sept. 8, 2009 at 6:41 p.m.
7:54 he breaks eye contact!
MrKloroxon Sept. 8, 2009 at 6:45 p.m.
You heard it here, developers: If you want a funny game you should HIRE COMEDIANS. I say not only for the writing but also for the voice work. Sam and Max episodes are full of awful and dull deliveries, even if the writing is pretty good.
 
Graphic adventures are they ONLY genre I can imagine an animated comedy series working in. Beavis and Butthead in Virtual Stupidity was the only one that really did it right. 
 

@Zripwud

said:

" Sorry about this lame correction, but his name is Dave. I'm really really sorry. "

It's a pet peeve of mine also. I got so annoyed when Joystiq called Leonard Boyarsky "Leo" and "Leon".
Blair is online on Sept. 8, 2009 at 6:52 p.m.
Good interview, Ryan.
 
David seems like a really nice guy.
Scooperon Sept. 8, 2009 at 6:55 p.m.
Look at the size of that man's hooter.
Zeikon Sept. 8, 2009 at 6:59 p.m.
@MrKlorox: It's completely unnecessary to hire actual comedians to do either writing or voice work. Not only is humor in games very different from from your average stand-up comedian's idea of jokes, but any decent voice actor can deliver a funny line without actually being a comedian.
Wrighton Sept. 8, 2009 at 7:25 p.m.
He probably didn't want to end up staring at ryan's manly nipple. Good interview though, and I love all these PAX vids.
MrKloroxon Sept. 8, 2009 at 7:27 p.m.
@Zeik said:
" @MrKlorox: It's completely unnecessary to hire actual comedians to do either writing or voice work. Not only is humor in games very different from from your average stand-up comedian's idea of jokes, but any decent voice actor can deliver a funny line without actually being a comedian. "
That's not really true. There are many forms of comedians than the stand-up variety. Yes the delivery method is different, but that doesn't mean developers are better at putting the funny in games than professional comedians. And it doesn't matter how good a voice actor is if he has a barren sense of humor and doesn't get the timing or inflection.
 
A main problem is that the joke writers don't tend to direct the voices, and the actors don't tend to be in the same studio as each other when recording. This has nothing to do with the actual medium and has everything to do with production choices.
zitosilvaon Sept. 8, 2009 at 7:54 p.m.
Dave Grossman is weird. He looks like a merge of two of the Marx brothers constantly doing a Monty Python sketch.

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