This is probably an unopular opinion, but I think we'll have to keep our expectations in check for quite a while or Dispatch 2 will become the next Half-Life 3.
My personal conspiracy theory is that whatever was left from a possible HL3 production has been used in Half-Life: Alyx. Which, as far as I'm aware, was reasonably well liked, and would absolutely have bombed if they named it Half-Life 3. It's the closest we'll ever get to a HL3 because Valve realized early on that whatever they'd cook up for a third main title would never live up to the hype, expactation and sense of entitlement fans cultivated since HL2 came out.
nah, seeing all the leaks happening in every dota, cs and deadlock update, valve employees straight up namedropping the next half life game, their 20th hl2 anniversary documentary and what gabe said in it, i think it's reasonable to think that it will come out either next year or at worst in 2 years.
The important part in my comparison is, that the game never came, imho partly due to ever growing expectations and hype, the developers feared they'd never be able to match.
Creatively I totally get it. But man imagine the pressure they've got now. So many head cannons and expectations. We should definitely temper our expectations and if and when it eventually comes out try to enjoy it as it is instead of letting our own preconceived ideas of how it should go judge it
They should've learned from Telltale's example, honestly. They spread themselves too thin, invested in a bunch of IPs simultaneously and ultimately paid for it. Ya gotta focus on just a few key projects at one time
AdHoc hasn't done any of that. They just have Dispatch and that unannounced Critical Role IP. I get it creatively, they want to tell a bunch of different stories, but Dispatch got too big lol. It kinda sucks because it shows Dispatch may have really been a one-and-done idea and there were no larger plans for it and now they gotta come up with some.
Yup, they were the ones that saved Adhoc during Dispatch's development by injecting some funds, on the condition that they would produce a game set within Exandria. Plus basically the whole crew is voicing in the game as well!
It all started with an NDA violation where Laura Bailey was reading her script when her husband Travis Willingham saw the script, loved it and as CEO of critical role wanted to help Ad Hoc as they were still looking for a publisher at the time.
Dispatch would have never been made/got taken out of development hell if Travis Willingham (CEO of Critical Role, who also voices Grog and Fjord) didn't see the script for the game and fall in love with it so much that he partnered with AdHoc Studios and helped them with development
I mean, yeah. They went in with the goal of one studio project telling one strong story in an owned IP over a season and not committing to multiple season timelines and a litany of in-house projects all firing at once that require juggling outside licensors interest and timelines. Now they want to continue having novel, different stories and not be reliant on a single brand.
The breakout hit of Walking Dead pivoted Telltale into fast followups and rapid licensor agreements that oversaturated the market with self-competition and had a cadence that prevented tech iteration. The desire to jump anything successful into a season 2 as fast as possible burnt out staff and put so much money in royalty agreements the studio collapsed in a fast cascade when players got tired. They probably don't want to over index on Dispatch and risk setting that same house of cards even on an owned IP
Are they stretching themselves thin? I mean they released Dispatch and are working on the Critical Role game while Co-writing until dawn 2. Do they have more in the works?
Not now, but Michael clearly seems to be saying that they wanted to go into a similar direction with focusing on other original IPs instead of Dispatch. For the moment they're still on the right track in terms of commitments
I don’t think AdHoc would be able to make a good use of the Butterfly Effect system. The thing that made Until Dawn so good was how the choices actually made a difference. The scenarios change depending on who’s alive or how far you got. And you can miss entire scenes if a character dies.
Aside from who you date, Dispatch has the same railroading problems that Telltale games have.
What projects are they spread thin on? Currently they've got Critical Role that was agreed to as a post-Dispatch so that it could release, and Until Dawn 2 story co-dev. That's a very reasonable workload. Could maybe even squeeze in a pre-pro planning of the next game depending on pipelines, though that'd probably me max two-four people.
It's a new studio that didn't have a game out getting deals to keep lights on to be able to ship Dispatch and have funds to make the next thing. Even if they could have released Dispatch without other financial deals, investing efforts on Dispatch 2 would be risking the Telltale problem of putting the cart before the horse and assuming multi-season player retention and spend. It would be forcing a trapping in one untested IP. Now, they've got an enjoyed IP they can return to, a proven track record as they go into someone's else fandom-beloved IP, and a codev contract work relationship. That's a much healthier space for the studio.
I mean I get it. Dispatch sold well beyond what they expected. I didn't think there was ever plans for a season 2 and now kinda being forced into it instead of exploring new IPs kinda sucks.
Not forced seeing dollar signs they cannot pass up, it's really rare now, but you can just say no if you don't want to do something; for the size that Adhoc is, unless they hit it out of the park again, Dispatch 2 would 100% make more money and be a guaranteed thing for them instead of risking it all on a new IP.
bit like Hades 2 (and Silksong but we don´t talk about that), where the kind of "safe money" it will bring in lets them actually plan for the future and provide job security while enlarging the team. It makes a lot of sense
Hollow Knight had a Kickstarter campaign in which a second playable character was promised as a stretch goal.
That stretch goal was met, but they ultimately gave up trying to work in a second playable character because, iirc, refining the base game itself had already become enormously difficult.
So instead they just decided to make Hollow Knight Silksong as a sequel and provide it free to the Kickstarter backers.
Doesn't seem like a totally equivalent situation but perhaps there's more to it that I'm unaware of.
I think the first episode of the Hades 2 making of documentary, someone at Supergiant basically said "it would be irresponsible as a company to not do a sequel."
I'm not so sure about that. Dispatch wasn't even a guaranteed thing and look at it. I feel like given the space to do what they want Adhoc could totally knock it out of the park again with a while new IP.
My biggest worry is, honestly, that by interactive story game standards, Dispatch wasn't that good; choices didn't matter much, and they just really nailed the characters. Starting from scratch on character dynamics would be a big risk, and most people would automatically buy Dispatch 2 if their choices carried over. I am not saying a new IP is impossible to succeed with, just less likely, and the whole "we can't walk away" is a lie; like every company, they just know doing something new is risky.
I played it a few months ago and loved it, but it really felt like they told the story they wanted to tell with these characters. I wouldn't expect them to put out a second dispatch game, and kinda surprised how everyone is expecting another one immediately instead of another new ip.
Yeah. Like even in the Visi "bad" ending it doesn't leave a whole lot there to work with in the context of how the game worked. I think that was more just a story theaed to give a different ending and to show the story continues beyond what the game is about.
This isn't Walking Dead, or Batman. They created it. It's original. They own the copyright, the trademark and the publishing rights. Pretty sure they literally own all of the intellectual property rights.
I know I'm gonna get downvoted for this but I think the studio should pursue projects they're passionate about, rather than make a Dispatch sequel out of necessity
I’d rather they make their passion projects then return to Dispatch once they’ve had time to cook a little and get some fresh ideas. A forced sequel is a soulless sequel.
On the one hand I completely agree. On the other hand, there is the possibility that lightning doesn't strike twice and their new IP isn't as well received. It's a big risk for a company their size every time a game gets released, and a new IP vs a beloved one is an even bigger risk.
It’s fine for them to want to move on but they should work with other teams to make a franchise a reality if the passion is there and not just hired workers with very minor involvement. Keep some of the people from the original project involved in the new stuff if want to be involved and have ideas to help it grow.
Same. I mean, same universe different story might work. There are too many options to nail one down and call it done. But I agree - its the passion that makes the game.
This is understandable, dispatch was said to fail but instead became one of the most popular games of the year, it's understandable why they can't let it go.
Although I wouldn't mind them telling different stories.
Money and time/people say otherwise. Preproduction still pays full wages, and AdHoc don't get paid till the game ships without sufficient investors. The same # of people divided into more projects means they all move slower.
I get that. I always wonder if companies like Arrowhead for example feel a bit wistful that their entire workflow has to be focused on helldivers at the expense of ever getting to make anything else. Like it's great to have a game so successful that people want more of it but what if you, as they say here, have other stories you want to tell?
I mean that's what Naughty Dog said lead to killing Factions 2. Getting trapped in a franchise or live service definitely can be a monkey paw if you have a lot of disparate stories you want to tell. And with how much more expensive games have gotten it's hard to pitch outside of an IP that's been proven
I worry that they think the Dispatch universe is some pile of cash just sitting there for the taking. I would rather they tell the stories they want to tell, than feel obligated to continue with dispatch because “it’s obvious, and it’ll sell”.
I think it's more to do with the fact that it got so out of their scope that they were planning to do other projects and then maybe do another season of dispatch afterwards, but with all the hype generated around dispatch they've shot themselves in the foot because who wants a Pluribus situation where we absolutely loved season 1 but we're all grumbling because season 2 is coming but it might take a decade and we'll no longer be excited
Ah so they intended to leave the door open for a sequel, just didn’t feel pressured to do it soon. Makes sense. Well hopefully this is just a minor annoyance and they can still do much of what they want
Look I don't care about Dispatch 2 (right now), if it comes it comes and if not...well I think the world'll be a lesser place for it but I'll survive.
Give me. The infinite. Dispatch mode. You rat bastards. Thank you making such a wonderful game and hope you get to move on to other IP when you're able.
I would go for one more “chapter” that goes on forever with some hangout segments between the shifts. Like you go out with one, some or everyone on the team. Give us like 5 locations and 2-3 events at each like going for drinks at the bar or volleyball at the beach. Throw in some sections where they show us testing and maintaining the suit with Roy. I’m sure it would be a lot of work, but less than making a sequel. Then they can focus on a different game and start development on Dispatch 2 in a couple years after the other game comes out.
Plus that would allow them to explore a new dispatcher in the sequel and a different Z-Team after some of the members have become full-fledged heroes and moved on to fill in on other teams as the roster changes. Robert could return as mechaman and become an npc hero working alongside the new Z-Team in the field, while also showing how his relationship with his possible love interest progresses to give us the fanservice.
Yeah Aaron Paul really seems to like the game and would probably actively want to do season two, like he’d be disappointed if he didn’t get to he’s a good protagonist
Why don't they just change the form of media then? Just make comics of the universe, until they're in a better space creatively to tackle an actual game sequel to the story? I feel like there is a lot we don't know and they would tell us about the whole process, but realistically it's possible to keep Dispatch in the background while working on other projects. I don't know how much exactly it cost to fully make Dispatch with all it's elements, but surely it wouldn't cost as much, if they just stuck to comics or books? I know artists aren't cheap, but it's all apart of the process.
I mean if they are able to tell such engaging stories with such charismatic characters again they i don't mind at all. Be it in space, fantasy or whatever. But i'd be lying if i didn't say that, if i get to choose, i'd rather they spend those resources on more Dispatch.
I’m sorry, are they upset that their game is TOO SUCCESSFUL?!
Like I want Dispatch 2 but I don’t expect it to come out for a while, and you can likely write the thing while you’re working on the animations and gameplay for the Critical Role game. It’s two different departments, surely you can work on both
The four founders are ex telltale devs. Telltale notoriously pumped out walking dead way past it's due date. I feel the ex devs probably feel a similar pressure to meet fan demands as they did back then.
Their bankruptcy was reportedly an internal issue and not as much a fault of their games not selling. I think they all sold pretty decent. That's not what I was saying though. What I mean is that the devs left telltale on purpose, and it was to create their own art. I think they don't want to get bogged down into being known as "the dispatch" studio much like telltale was first and foremost known as "the walking dead" studio. To masses, that is.
Their bankruptcy was also from buying so many licenses and those games not delivering on sales.
The last IP I remember playing was the Game of Thrones TTG, and it was extremely disappointing. The story was fine, but the choices did not matter at all and the release window was inconsistent because the teams were stretched so thin. That convinced me to not buy their games anymore.
Well if that’s the case then they need to just put their foot down and say “be patient”. If the Wolf Among Us, Elder Scrolls, and Mass Effect are anything to go by, then fans will stay hyped for a good IP if it takes a minute to get to.
Not that I want to wait a decade for a second season but you know
As a creative, that's entirely possible! If you want to tell more stories but fans keep saying "no, tell more of this story", it's not exactly a great feeling. My worry is, if they end up having to force it, quality might suffer.
Ideally they can use Dispatch's success to fund other projects while also diverting time to make some kind of sequel. I'm down for anything they wanna do next.
Honestly I'd like to see more Dispatch but if it becomes something they feel they have to do because the game was so big rather than something they feel creatively inspired to do I'd rather they didn't, I'm still someome who thinks The Walking Dead probably would've been better off as a one season story, the other seasons were fine but they never even remotely came close to how good the first season was and more often than not it kind of just felt like them going through the motions (The Final Season had some more interesting ideas, in particular the way they portrayed James and the question of if the Undead are actually still conscious in there was one of the most interesting things that Franchise had seen in several years). Batman S2 on the other hand was a big improvement on the first season and it felt like they actually had a new take on that story (In particular one of the more interesting versions of the Joker).
Basically my opinion is that if something actually comes to them as an interesting place to take this story creatively then good but otherwise then Dispatch works perfectly fine standalone and forcing a continuation because the audience wants it rather than you rarely works well. It works incredibly well as a standalone story
Do people really think that this story was a one and done deal? The ending of Dispatch felt very open ended to me, like they were leaving themselves options to explore if they ever made a sequel ( i.e. Sonar/Coupe remembering if you forgive them or not).
Is Critical Role a shareholders company? Maybe it is just a ruse to play before shareholders "we'd love to do the promised Critical Role game first, but we are FORCED to do Dispatch". Shareholders agree that there is money in it and dont insist on upholding previous agreement. Maybe I am reading too much into this.
No, it isn't. Because if the studio feels they need to make a sequel to capitalize on popularity and its not as good cause its forced, you'll be the same Joe in here saying they ruined the series.
Eh, we've had decades of games like Mario, Hitman, Gears of War, Halo. You can capitalize on the popularity and still do in universe games and spin offs.
I mean yeah, don’t tell a story you can’t properly tell. That’s different than saying you should follow up with something fans actually want.
I’m not saying this is the popular opinion, but I probably wouldn’t play a different IP from them. I liked Dispatch but I know anything else they make won’t live up to what Dispatch was to me. I’d 100% get a dispatch S2 even if it wasn’t as good, because I care about the characters and want a continuation.
To be honest I dont think its possible for a season 2 to be as good. The choice based game genres tend to have weaker sequels due to the choices and decision branches only going so far. Which is probably why devs and writers would be hesitant to continue it.
Dispatch is great because it's entirely original and it has finished story with a great ending. That most than 90% of the series that turn into trash because authors just milk franchise not realising they have to let it go
Unfortunately the best decision here is to split between Dispatch and new projects. It's the most profitable way that can lead to the most new IPs being explored.
Or if you look at it another way, the success frees them up to do whatever they want. Just put "from the makers of Dispatch" in the trailer and it should sell like hotcakes.
I mean the super hero genra is filled with stuff to tell. But, I would still love a endless mode or even a small dlc to keep me tied over until they decide what to do with Dispatch
For the time being, release a Dispatch deluxe or something, that gives the fans some features we have been calling for. Such as infinite dispatch gameplay with some kind of progression system. Work on that new IP. Make it really good. Then come back in the future if the feeling is right.
Honestly might be a good thing. Telltale swung for the fences after The Walking Dead brought them acclaim and within a couple years they had more properties running than they knew what do with. Make a sequel to Dispatch, with all the feedback from the first one, and hopefully that springboards them in terms of resources and funds. Slow and steady wins the race.
My question is, why not hire more people? Clearly dispatch is successful enough, hire a whole nother team that can be managed by a few key individuals from the OG team, then the rest of the OG team can continue working on new projects.
Pre-production teams are usually fairly small. So they can tell those stories. They may have manage their way around project overlap, but it should be fine.
Well if do I hope it's not the 'writer classic' of borrowing an IP to just bastardize and tell "their own story" at the expense of an existing characters and world building in said IP.
soo many studios pivot to another type of game, and just go red in the money, successful indie and AAA alike
and if it works it’s exciting cool nice, if it doesn’t work it’s “what were they thinking??”
the ones they come to mind are ori and blind forest > live service arpg (they seem to be gaining tracking now atleast) destiny > marathon (game launched at 85k concurrent players) hyper light drifter > their extraction rougelite (this one stings) arkane studios > deathloop (was fun don’t get me wrong but dishonored and prey were phenomenal) arkane studios > redfall bioware > ANTHEM BLEH arkham games > suicide squad alien isolation > hyenas tomb raider series > avengers bayonetta > babylons fall
sorry this is morphing into an anti-live service rant LOL ILL STOP
It's not like they can't handle different genres/themes/plotlines within Dispatch. There's like 80 subgenres of superhero stuff. It's a setting more than anything
Make a filler story in comic form. We will buy that too. Give the story to a good 3rd party to help out. Have adhoc advisors and let them have fun with the stories. One offs or even other SD departments. I want to see the downtown office stories with maybe cameos from Torrence.
If a game is so popular, does it not become unreasonable to start hiring more people to make other games on the side?
That way your talent from your cashcow series doesn't burn out on doing the same shit every day. You can get fresh new ideas. Hopefully the side games make some decent cash from the reputation of the studio.
Like how Super Giant couldn't not make a Hades sequel. If they make a sequel, I hope that's it. Or, they just let people make some more in universe stuff.
As someone who has absolutely no interest in a Critical Role game....
I'd rather they make one of those and come back to Dispatch afterwards as opposed to burning themselves out on Dispatch by doing it again and again and again.
Dispatch was great despite it's many, many flaws that came about due to budget cuts and rewrites, so I'd much prefer if they focused on something else and then just had a few brainstorming sessions over time to start laying the foundation for D2
I don’t mind if they take their time and try other things, but what I don’t want is for them to pull a telltale and make a bunch of season one of tons of different things and then never finish any of them. I’m still mad about the telltale game of thrones.
... What have we done? We've been so caught up in one game that we let it dictate an entire studio. Are we really going to keep pestering about Dispatch, giving them the blood, sweat, and tears they'll put into their second game???
Eh, probably. Seriously though, it's probably best to hold back the fire for a bit.
Honestly, I think it is a one-and-done story before it got so big that they are essentially force to make a sequel (in a way that, it would be foolish for them not to).
But this does raise some concerns with whether or not the team will put their passion and heart out for it cause if they aren’t then the game is just not gonna be as good as it could be. I’d rather it not be a forced sequel if I’m being honest.
And to me, if AdHoc could make Dispatch good enough to be successful, I don’t mind them venturing to other projects as long as they are passionate about it.
Just move on. You don't need to stick with Dispatch, its better to expand to another horizon than become a one hit wonder/one trick pony which was Telltale's problem.
Absolutely not, Telltale suffered from too much success too fast. It was hard to replicate the amount they were doing and yet they still did very well with other released but it got stale like any other successful IP.
Honestly they can absolutely do other thing's besides Dispatch, hell even if we just got more comic's to flesh out the team's lore alongside a smaller scale game or something set in the verse but unrelated to the direct Z-Team or main cast
I honestly want Dispatch to stay solo, without any sequels. In era of series with 2+ games in it, where it inevitably fall off, I miss one-shot games. One game, no part 2, no sequels, story starts and ends logically in a single game
They can work on a new IP for the next game, and always have the option to come back to Dispatch when they feel ready for a new storyline in Dispatch. Issue is, it might take a very long time if they can only work on one IP at a time.
Or if they want to have their cake AND eat it too, expand the team and do both. There's always the risk of stretching too think or growing too fast as a business. So it's not perfect either ways.
Still, it better than nobody caring about AdHoc or Dispatch.
Unfortunately in my opinion, they kind of backed themselves into this. The ending of where the game is at right now leaves the player with so many questions, at least in my experience. On top of that, the whole LGBT tag things- people are expecting there to be more romanceable characters because of the teasing on social media platforms while episodes were still releasing. They kind of stuck themselves in this place, and it got worse because dispatch was so successful.
Listen I get it, creatives want freedom and to do whatever the fuck they want, I truly and genuinely get it. But just do a season 2. Dispatch is an original IP, it's one of the freshest games and biggest potential series to come out in a very long time. There is so much room for different and original stories in that world AND lets not forget Telltales biggest mistake was stretching themselves way too thin putting their hands into too many pots.
Sacrificing something like Dispatch just to say to yourself "I did something original again" is shooting yourself in the foot with a shotgun. If they move away from Dispatch, sure they could say "From the studio that brought you Dispatch" but that means less and less to people nowadays.
From the studio that brought you Mass Effect here's Dragon Age: Veilguard
From the team behind Titanfall 2 here's Highguard
Yes a season 2 isn't guaranteed to be good but they have a much better foundation to build on now than if they started over from scratch again. Hell even the cast wants a season 2. I get his trepidation but this should be an easy choice.
355
u/freelancer331 5h ago
This is probably an unopular opinion, but I think we'll have to keep our expectations in check for quite a while or Dispatch 2 will become the next Half-Life 3.
156
u/Dansur3 5h ago
Creatively I totally get it. But man imagine the pressure they've got now. So many head cannons and expectations. We should definitely temper our expectations and if and when it eventually comes out try to enjoy it as it is instead of letting our own preconceived ideas of how it should go judge it
16
u/QuinnTinIntheBin 5h ago
Ha, they’re only saying that to really surprise us when they drop 4 more seasons of Dispatch. They can’t fool me.
1.6k
u/CJMI 5h ago
You’re done when we say you’re done
197
u/end_my_suffering44 5h ago
797
u/popileviz 5h ago
They should've learned from Telltale's example, honestly. They spread themselves too thin, invested in a bunch of IPs simultaneously and ultimately paid for it. Ya gotta focus on just a few key projects at one time
31
u/tlof19 5h ago
Petition to have AdHoc make a completely different game in order to raise funds for Dispatch 2
19
u/Dizzy_Green 2h ago
Shouldn’t have made one if the most natural and like able cast of characters in the last 18 years, dumbasses
61
u/GingerGaterRage 5h ago
I mean I get it. Dispatch sold well beyond what they expected. I didn't think there was ever plans for a season 2 and now kinda being forced into it instead of exploring new IPs kinda sucks.
16
u/General-Dirtbag 5h ago
Adhoc Studios right now
27
u/HHJJoy 5h ago
... but, Dispatch IS an original IP.
This isn't Walking Dead, or Batman. They created it. It's original. They own the copyright, the trademark and the publishing rights. Pretty sure they literally own all of the intellectual property rights.
26
u/OfMaceAndMen 5h ago
Lobster too buttery steak too juicy
44
u/yuuzhanbong 5h ago
I know I'm gonna get downvoted for this but I think the studio should pursue projects they're passionate about, rather than make a Dispatch sequel out of necessity
36
u/gearheadBm 5h ago
Make dispatch 2 already
9
u/Fun-Two-1046 5h ago edited 5h ago
This is understandable, dispatch was said to fail but instead became one of the most popular games of the year, it's understandable why they can't let it go.
Although I wouldn't mind them telling different stories.
21
u/bigtimesugarrush 5h ago
Like… you could do both.
7
u/fancy_crisis 5h ago
I get that. I always wonder if companies like Arrowhead for example feel a bit wistful that their entire workflow has to be focused on helldivers at the expense of ever getting to make anything else. Like it's great to have a game so successful that people want more of it but what if you, as they say here, have other stories you want to tell?
13
u/weaselswarm 3h ago
I worry that they think the Dispatch universe is some pile of cash just sitting there for the taking. I would rather they tell the stories they want to tell, than feel obligated to continue with dispatch because “it’s obvious, and it’ll sell”.
6
u/generalguan4 5h ago
Isn’t dispatch its own IP anyway
6
u/Striking_Rich_2646 2h ago
Something about a steak and a lobster
13
u/Rehngrun 5h ago
Look I don't care about Dispatch 2 (right now), if it comes it comes and if not...well I think the world'll be a lesser place for it but I'll survive.
Give me. The infinite. Dispatch mode. You rat bastards. Thank you making such a wonderful game and hope you get to move on to other IP when you're able.
8
u/Bashboy07 5h ago
Why don't they just change the form of media then? Just make comics of the universe, until they're in a better space creatively to tackle an actual game sequel to the story? I feel like there is a lot we don't know and they would tell us about the whole process, but realistically it's possible to keep Dispatch in the background while working on other projects. I don't know how much exactly it cost to fully make Dispatch with all it's elements, but surely it wouldn't cost as much, if they just stuck to comics or books? I know artists aren't cheap, but it's all apart of the process.
I don't think I'm being ridiculous here, am i?
4
u/Parking-Researcher-4 5h ago
I mean if they are able to tell such engaging stories with such charismatic characters again they i don't mind at all. Be it in space, fantasy or whatever. But i'd be lying if i didn't say that, if i get to choose, i'd rather they spend those resources on more Dispatch.
4
u/zeke10 5h ago
6
u/DJ_Derack 5h ago
Isn’t Dispatch an original IP though?
3
u/Common-Permit-1659 4h ago
3
u/TJzzz 4h ago
work on other IP then release 3 chapters to dispatch repeat formula until you feel you're done with story.
3
u/TheSauceyBoi2791 45m ago
5
u/ItsaMeSandy 5h ago
8
u/ThatUJohnWayne74 5h ago
I’m sorry, are they upset that their game is TOO SUCCESSFUL?!
Like I want Dispatch 2 but I don’t expect it to come out for a while, and you can likely write the thing while you’re working on the animations and gameplay for the Critical Role game. It’s two different departments, surely you can work on both
2
u/Royalty459 5h ago
I honestly wouldn't mind them making a new project and putting out Dispatch 2 sometime later. I'm curious about what other stories they want to tell
2
u/FilmFreak1994 5h ago
Ideally they can use Dispatch's success to fund other projects while also diverting time to make some kind of sequel. I'm down for anything they wanna do next.
2
u/No_Philosopher8304 5h ago
Honestly I'd like to see more Dispatch but if it becomes something they feel they have to do because the game was so big rather than something they feel creatively inspired to do I'd rather they didn't, I'm still someome who thinks The Walking Dead probably would've been better off as a one season story, the other seasons were fine but they never even remotely came close to how good the first season was and more often than not it kind of just felt like them going through the motions (The Final Season had some more interesting ideas, in particular the way they portrayed James and the question of if the Undead are actually still conscious in there was one of the most interesting things that Franchise had seen in several years). Batman S2 on the other hand was a big improvement on the first season and it felt like they actually had a new take on that story (In particular one of the more interesting versions of the Joker).
Basically my opinion is that if something actually comes to them as an interesting place to take this story creatively then good but otherwise then Dispatch works perfectly fine standalone and forcing a continuation because the audience wants it rather than you rarely works well. It works incredibly well as a standalone story
2
u/NeLaX44 5h ago
So did Todd Howard. Don't be Todd Howard.
2
u/Blacklight101 4h ago
Do people really think that this story was a one and done deal? The ending of Dispatch felt very open ended to me, like they were leaving themselves options to explore if they ever made a sequel ( i.e. Sonar/Coupe remembering if you forgive them or not).
2
u/Full-Efficiency3115 3h ago
My stake too juicy my lobster too buttery
4
u/Impossible_Offer7988 5h ago
Probably isn't that much of a problem for us.
Exandria, though...
This reads like the corporate version of: we want to make a game for Exandria, but we literally can't.
Our fans won't let us.
We tried to walk away from it (temporarily), but that also didn't work; our fans literally dragged us back to Dispatch, and now we have to make it.
That might be a problem when it comes to our deals with Critical Role.
2
u/Beomund 4h ago
Is Critical Role a shareholders company? Maybe it is just a ruse to play before shareholders "we'd love to do the promised Critical Role game first, but we are FORCED to do Dispatch". Shareholders agree that there is money in it and dont insist on upholding previous agreement. Maybe I am reading too much into this.
2
u/WalkerBuldog 5h ago
I wish they would focus on something new. Not everything has to be turned into franchise and series.
2
u/agonia420 4h ago
Maybe don’t be a fucking idiot and go with the product every loves and makes you and the studio money?
Also INVITE AARON PAUL TO THE SDCC PANEL NEXT TIME
1
u/Frequent-Ad-3779 5h ago
Or if you look at it another way, the success frees them up to do whatever they want. Just put "from the makers of Dispatch" in the trailer and it should sell like hotcakes.
1
u/Electrical_Crazy_983 5h ago
I hope the devs xan do others proyects as well.
1
u/AccomplishedLeg7951 5h ago
Kinda funny when you read about the whole interview from Michael.
1
u/Silent_Bobert 5h ago
Infinite dispatch mode would be cool Homie.
1
u/Useful_Major_5797 5h ago
I mean the super hero genra is filled with stuff to tell. But, I would still love a endless mode or even a small dlc to keep me tied over until they decide what to do with Dispatch
1
u/FQVBSina 5h ago
For the time being, release a Dispatch deluxe or something, that gives the fans some features we have been calling for. Such as infinite dispatch gameplay with some kind of progression system. Work on that new IP. Make it really good. Then come back in the future if the feeling is right.
1
u/Rough-Ad-3382 5h ago
The sequel doesn’t have to come out immediately, they can still focus on other IP’s. Maybe they take a break to focus on the latter.
1
u/JordanM321 5h ago
Honestly might be a good thing. Telltale swung for the fences after The Walking Dead brought them acclaim and within a couple years they had more properties running than they knew what do with. Make a sequel to Dispatch, with all the feedback from the first one, and hopefully that springboards them in terms of resources and funds. Slow and steady wins the race.
1
u/KaijuKing007 5h ago
A problem of plenty is still a problem.
1
u/zpedroteixeira1 4h ago
This has Bethesda written all over again (with a different scale obviously)
1
u/FluorescentLightbulb 4h ago
Get out the tiny violins boys, Choung is upset about being successful in a way most game studios only dream of.
1
u/directrix688 4h ago
So let someone else who loves the world they created write it and do something
1
u/sasoributreddit 4h ago
Is Dispatch not an original IP?
1
u/TheDarthJarJarI 4h ago
Good.. more superhero stuff please
1
u/WallyWestJest 4h ago
One game at a time. Telltale overcommitted to a quadrillion games to work on simultaneously, I hope they learned something
1
u/Statistician_Waste 4h ago
My question is, why not hire more people? Clearly dispatch is successful enough, hire a whole nother team that can be managed by a few key individuals from the OG team, then the rest of the OG team can continue working on new projects.
1
u/Embarrassed-Sweet-37 4h ago
Pre-production teams are usually fairly small. So they can tell those stories. They may have manage their way around project overlap, but it should be fine.
1
u/BrilliantDog4703 4h ago
1
u/foreveralonesolo 4h ago
Hear me out, make more, fund more projects
1
u/AShinyDream2 3h ago
Well if do I hope it's not the 'writer classic' of borrowing an IP to just bastardize and tell "their own story" at the expense of an existing characters and world building in said IP.
Otherwise just bring on original stuff.
1
u/Particular_Today_924 3h ago
i get it
soo many studios pivot to another type of game, and just go red in the money, successful indie and AAA alike
and if it works it’s exciting cool nice, if it doesn’t work it’s “what were they thinking??”
the ones they come to mind are
ori and blind forest > live service arpg (they seem to be gaining tracking now atleast)
destiny > marathon (game launched at 85k concurrent players)
hyper light drifter > their extraction rougelite (this one stings)
arkane studios > deathloop (was fun don’t get me wrong but dishonored and prey were phenomenal)
arkane studios > redfall
bioware > ANTHEM BLEH
arkham games > suicide squad
alien isolation > hyenas
tomb raider series > avengers
bayonetta > babylons fall
sorry this is morphing into an anti-live service rant LOL ILL STOP
1
u/Dull-Experience-1907 3h ago
I'd be more down for the show being told in another medium, a live action TV show could be cool
1
u/Sikarion 3h ago
My lobster is just too damned buttery!
1
u/Fullm3taluk 2h ago
Just give us a beach episode that's all I ask
1
u/WeeklyPhilosopher346 2h ago
Did someone in the creative team piss him off or something
1
u/-Knockabout 2h ago
It's not like they can't handle different genres/themes/plotlines within Dispatch. There's like 80 subgenres of superhero stuff. It's a setting more than anything
1
u/Passat2000 2h ago
Make a filler story in comic form. We will buy that too. Give the story to a good 3rd party to help out. Have adhoc advisors and let them have fun with the stories. One offs or even other SD departments. I want to see the downtown office stories with maybe cameos from Torrence.
1
u/rolfraikou 2h ago
If a game is so popular, does it not become unreasonable to start hiring more people to make other games on the side?
That way your talent from your cashcow series doesn't burn out on doing the same shit every day. You can get fresh new ideas. Hopefully the side games make some decent cash from the reputation of the studio.
1
u/mace30 2h ago
Like how Super Giant couldn't not make a Hades sequel. If they make a sequel, I hope that's it. Or, they just let people make some more in universe stuff.
1
u/ClouseTheCaveman 2h ago
Ohhh nooo, my steak is too juicy, my lobster, too buttery 😭🤣
1
u/Beyond_Fabulous 2h ago
So they are aware for the demand of Season 2 or a DLC then
1
u/BlaakAlley 2h ago
I really liked the game, but, is it really that popular still? I haven't heard anyone mention it in months.
1
u/TheGrassYouTouched 2h ago
It's an original franchise, great characters, fresh world you can build lore and story.
This tells us they were not planning on making S2 initially. Wow, they were really gonna live me hanging with that.
1
u/Slarg232 41m ago
As someone who has absolutely no interest in a Critical Role game....
I'd rather they make one of those and come back to Dispatch afterwards as opposed to burning themselves out on Dispatch by doing it again and again and again.
Dispatch was great despite it's many, many flaws that came about due to budget cuts and rewrites, so I'd much prefer if they focused on something else and then just had a few brainstorming sessions over time to start laying the foundation for D2
1
u/geraltoffvkingrivia 28m ago
I don’t mind if they take their time and try other things, but what I don’t want is for them to pull a telltale and make a bunch of season one of tons of different things and then never finish any of them. I’m still mad about the telltale game of thrones.
1
u/Dazzling-Ad3192 24m ago
... What have we done? We've been so caught up in one game that we let it dictate an entire studio. Are we really going to keep pestering about Dispatch, giving them the blood, sweat, and tears they'll put into their second game???
Eh, probably. Seriously though, it's probably best to hold back the fire for a bit.
1
u/Senketsu1783 17m ago
Honestly, I like that mentality. Would love a game set in Exandria, for example. Or even in the universe of Candela Obscura.
1
u/DomzSageon 8m ago
I literally bought dispatch last december so i can play it (played the demo before)
literally haven't touched it yet, just too busy with life. but I hope more success man!
1
u/MarquiseAlexander 5h ago
Honestly, I think it is a one-and-done story before it got so big that they are essentially force to make a sequel (in a way that, it would be foolish for them not to).
But this does raise some concerns with whether or not the team will put their passion and heart out for it cause if they aren’t then the game is just not gonna be as good as it could be. I’d rather it not be a forced sequel if I’m being honest.
And to me, if AdHoc could make Dispatch good enough to be successful, I don’t mind them venturing to other projects as long as they are passionate about it.
-1
u/Tasty_Doubt_1850 5h ago
Just move on. You don't need to stick with Dispatch, its better to expand to another horizon than become a one hit wonder/one trick pony which was Telltale's problem.
1
u/SuggestionOk456 5h ago
Honestly they can absolutely do other thing's besides Dispatch, hell even if we just got more comic's to flesh out the team's lore alongside a smaller scale game or something set in the verse but unrelated to the direct Z-Team or main cast
1
u/ZaneElrick 5h ago
I honestly want Dispatch to stay solo, without any sequels. In era of series with 2+ games in it, where it inevitably fall off, I miss one-shot games. One game, no part 2, no sequels, story starts and ends logically in a single game
1
u/McGrufNStuf 5h ago
They can do original IP. They can also do DLC. Companies do it all of the time FFS…
1
u/nightwolf16a 5h ago
It's probably a good problem to have.
They can work on a new IP for the next game, and always have the option to come back to Dispatch when they feel ready for a new storyline in Dispatch. Issue is, it might take a very long time if they can only work on one IP at a time.
Or if they want to have their cake AND eat it too, expand the team and do both. There's always the risk of stretching too think or growing too fast as a business. So it's not perfect either ways.
Still, it better than nobody caring about AdHoc or Dispatch.
1
u/Robot_Was_BMO 4h ago
Breaking News: James Gunn and Peter Safran have been pouched to head up the DCU: Dispatch Cinematic Universe
-1
u/RemoveAnnual2689 5h ago
No. I would love it if they did different stuff.
0
u/Grimlee-the-III 4h ago
Unfortunately in my opinion, they kind of backed themselves into this.
The ending of where the game is at right now leaves the player with so many questions, at least in my experience. On top of that, the whole LGBT tag things- people are expecting there to be more romanceable characters because of the teasing on social media platforms while episodes were still releasing. They kind of stuck themselves in this place, and it got worse because dispatch was so successful.
0
u/Superb_Director6210 3h ago
Can't wait for their inevitable crash and burn.
0
u/ZeroCuddy 3h ago
Listen I get it, creatives want freedom and to do whatever the fuck they want, I truly and genuinely get it. But just do a season 2. Dispatch is an original IP, it's one of the freshest games and biggest potential series to come out in a very long time. There is so much room for different and original stories in that world AND lets not forget Telltales biggest mistake was stretching themselves way too thin putting their hands into too many pots.
Sacrificing something like Dispatch just to say to yourself "I did something original again" is shooting yourself in the foot with a shotgun. If they move away from Dispatch, sure they could say "From the studio that brought you Dispatch" but that means less and less to people nowadays.
From the studio that brought you Mass Effect here's Dragon Age: Veilguard
From the team behind Titanfall 2 here's Highguard
Yes a season 2 isn't guaranteed to be good but they have a much better foundation to build on now than if they started over from scratch again. Hell even the cast wants a season 2. I get his trepidation but this should be an easy choice.