The original Telltale Games shuttered on a sour note. Hundreds of employees were laid off with no notice. Shortly after the studio’s closure, stories of a hectic and poorly managed work environment hit the airwaves. Telltale had been in bad shape for years. Holding company LCG Entertainment’s resurrection of Telltale remains somewhat of a contentious topic. Many are skeptical; worries of history repeating itself seem prevalent. But CEO Jamie Ottilie wants to set the record straight–Telltale’s relaunch won’t follow in the previous company’s footsteps. From the outset, the team aims to establish a healthy work culture that in no way emphasizes crunch.
Ottilie explained as much and more while speaking to IGN, telling the publication that this version of Telltale is taking a different approach with regards to company culture. For one, crunch will not exist as part of the development model. “We are taking a measured and methodical approach to growth in order to ensure we can provide a stable, non-crunch work environment. We are building this into our culture from the outset,” he divulged.
Actions speak louder than words, however. Of this, Ottilie is well aware. He’s also aware of the skepticism amongst fans and critics. The CEO told IGN,
Of course, we’re frustrated by people who have suggested this is opportunistic or simply a money grab for the catalog of games without even giving us a chance. We have all jumped into this with the intention of standing the company back up and continuing the legacy of telling stories that people want to play. However, most of this was expected and, really, all we can do is put our heads down and focus on making great content worthy of the Telltale name.
Ottilie doesn’t seem too dismayed by those who have doubts. He continued: “All we can do is be forthcoming; we can’t control whether critics hear or believe us. The truth is we are a new company—with different ownership and management, and a different approach as to how we structure a studio in today’s market.”
The public won’t likely see how this is all put to practice for some time. At present, the studio’s only confirmed project is The Wolf Among Us 2, which lacks a release date and isn’t expected to arrive in 2020.
[Source: IGN]
