Aaron Conners Letter
Beloved Tex Murphy fans:
Chris Jones and I would like to thank all of you who have taken the time to inquire about (or plead, gripe, critique, etc.) the state of the Tex Murphy series of interactive adventures. This message is to inform you (as well as we can) about what the future holds.
Those of you who keep up on industry trends know that FMV-based "interactive movies" have become the whipping boys of computer gaming. While we agree that there have been far too many mediocre products in this category, we have sincerely and perhaps arrogantly felt that Tex Murphy was an exception and maintained a high level of quality. Most reviewers seemed to agree, often beginning their assessments with comments like: "We really wanted to hate this game, but grudgingly, we have to admit it's pretty good." But though our loyal fans have stuck with us, the general software-buying public seems to have grown wary of games in our category and this has been reflected in our sales (that most necessary of all evils).
For this reason, we've decided to try something different. We are currently developing "The Black Pearl" in conjunction with Mark Hamill, based on the main character of his Dark Horse comic book. This new game will not have the conversations, traditional adventure puzzles, or noir-style storytelling of the Tex Murphy games. Instead, this will be action-oriented, featuring a new, high-speed engine, extensive locations, environmental characters and
real-time obstacles that are overcome by cunning and stealth rather than a quick trigger finger. The Black Pearl will also feature the kind of deep, rich storyline that the Tex Murphy games have been known for, though this
one is more of a political espionage thriller.
As for Tex, we sincerely hope to bring him back...maybe after we've completed our current project. We do, after all, have his next story waiting in the wings. As many of you know, the titles "Polarity" and "Trance" have
been floating around for over a year now. Rest assured, these are not fictional (well, I guess they are, when you think about it). Actually, they are two distinctly different parts of the same story and yet another
installment has been added, this one tentatively entitled "Chance" (the name of Chelsee's brother, incidentally).
Some of you may have purchased one or both of the Tex Murphy novels (available from Prima Publishing at (800) 531-2343 or (916) 632-4400...wink, wink, nudge, nudge). While "Tex Murphy: Overseer" was not composed as a
novel (it was based roughly on "Mean Streets"), these new stories will be brought to life in a trilogy of novels. With luck, the first one ("Chance") will be available sometime around the end of summer, with the others to
follow the next spring, then the next fall. When and if we begin work on a Tex Murphy sequel (the earliest we would do this would be 12-18 months from now), the novels would be the template for the new game, just as The Pandora Directive novel was for that game.
In case you haven't read the Tex Murphy novels and need a "Tex fix", "Under a Killing Moon" is the original story (before technological constraints forced us to change things around). "The Pandora Directive" was the basis
for the game, though (as usual) things got changed around in the transition. In other words, the novels are pretty enjoyable on their own, not just lame hint books disguised as novels.
OK. I hope this helps clear up the situation. Again, Chris and I are grateful for your interest and desire for more Tex. In the meantime, check the webpage for updates on the Tex Murphy novels, as well as The Black Pearl
(which will be a damn fine game in its own right).
Thanks and Happy Trails,
Aaron Conners
Chris Jones and I would like to thank all of you who have taken the time to inquire about (or plead, gripe, critique, etc.) the state of the Tex Murphy series of interactive adventures. This message is to inform you (as well as we can) about what the future holds.
Those of you who keep up on industry trends know that FMV-based "interactive movies" have become the whipping boys of computer gaming. While we agree that there have been far too many mediocre products in this category, we have sincerely and perhaps arrogantly felt that Tex Murphy was an exception and maintained a high level of quality. Most reviewers seemed to agree, often beginning their assessments with comments like: "We really wanted to hate this game, but grudgingly, we have to admit it's pretty good." But though our loyal fans have stuck with us, the general software-buying public seems to have grown wary of games in our category and this has been reflected in our sales (that most necessary of all evils).
For this reason, we've decided to try something different. We are currently developing "The Black Pearl" in conjunction with Mark Hamill, based on the main character of his Dark Horse comic book. This new game will not have the conversations, traditional adventure puzzles, or noir-style storytelling of the Tex Murphy games. Instead, this will be action-oriented, featuring a new, high-speed engine, extensive locations, environmental characters and
real-time obstacles that are overcome by cunning and stealth rather than a quick trigger finger. The Black Pearl will also feature the kind of deep, rich storyline that the Tex Murphy games have been known for, though this
one is more of a political espionage thriller.
As for Tex, we sincerely hope to bring him back...maybe after we've completed our current project. We do, after all, have his next story waiting in the wings. As many of you know, the titles "Polarity" and "Trance" have
been floating around for over a year now. Rest assured, these are not fictional (well, I guess they are, when you think about it). Actually, they are two distinctly different parts of the same story and yet another
installment has been added, this one tentatively entitled "Chance" (the name of Chelsee's brother, incidentally).
Some of you may have purchased one or both of the Tex Murphy novels (available from Prima Publishing at (800) 531-2343 or (916) 632-4400...wink, wink, nudge, nudge). While "Tex Murphy: Overseer" was not composed as a
novel (it was based roughly on "Mean Streets"), these new stories will be brought to life in a trilogy of novels. With luck, the first one ("Chance") will be available sometime around the end of summer, with the others to
follow the next spring, then the next fall. When and if we begin work on a Tex Murphy sequel (the earliest we would do this would be 12-18 months from now), the novels would be the template for the new game, just as The Pandora Directive novel was for that game.
In case you haven't read the Tex Murphy novels and need a "Tex fix", "Under a Killing Moon" is the original story (before technological constraints forced us to change things around). "The Pandora Directive" was the basis
for the game, though (as usual) things got changed around in the transition. In other words, the novels are pretty enjoyable on their own, not just lame hint books disguised as novels.
OK. I hope this helps clear up the situation. Again, Chris and I are grateful for your interest and desire for more Tex. In the meantime, check the webpage for updates on the Tex Murphy novels, as well as The Black Pearl
(which will be a damn fine game in its own right).
Thanks and Happy Trails,
Aaron Conners