Telltale Games' The Walking Dead Releases to Critical Acclaim

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Telltale Games and Robert Kirkman, the Eisner Award-winning creator and writer of The Walking Dead for Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics, announced today that the first episode of the game series based on the critically acclaimed comic book series, The Walking Dead, is now available for download.  Players can purchase the PC and Mac versions from the Telltale Games Online Store, as well as Steam and other digital distribution services.  The first episode is also available for download now on PlayStation®Network for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and will be available Friday, April 27th on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Early critical response to Telltale's first episode of the series has been intensely positive from gaming critics across the web.  In their review, IGN.com awarded the episode an Editors' Choice award, saying, "'A New Day' is one of Telltale's finest games," also stating, "…This is a deeply personal and emotional experience, and that's why it feels so right as a part of this franchise."  The review praised, "…The Walking Dead Episode one has just about everything fans could want."

Other critics lauded the game, with Official Xbox Magazine awarding the game an Editors' Choice with a score of 9 out of 10, saying the episode was, "Slam-bang entertainment," adding that, "Everything just feels right" with its "Striking art style and cinematic presentation."  Website Shacknews said, "The Walking Dead is more than just a great adaptation of a beloved property—it is easily one of Telltale's best games."

Gaming site Polygon gave the game an impressive 9 out of 10, stating, "With choices that matter and intensity to spare, Telltale Games delivers one of its best efforts to date."  Their accolades continued with, "…the first episode of The Walking Dead held me in as I was thrown from one story-twisting, heart-stopping conflict to another, disaster threatening if I looked away from the screen even for a moment."  The reviewer also said that the episode was, "…one of the most intense gaming experiences in my recent memory," and that, "So many games have teased a truly "interactive" narrative, but I can think of none that have delivered this well."

The Walking Dead: Episode One – A New Day is set in the world of Robert Kirkman's award-winning comic book series.  Lee Everett, a man convicted of a crime of passion, has been given the chance for redemption in a world devastated by the undead.  Players will experience life changing events, meet new characters and familiar ones from the original comic, and also visit locations that foreshadow the story of Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes.  The Walking Dead offers a tailored game experience – player actions, choices and decisions affect how the story plays out across the entire series.

Episode One – A New Day is the first of five monthly episodes of The Walking Dead games series and will be available for 400 Microsoft®Points on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360® on April 27th; it is available now for $4.99 per episode on PlayStation®Network, and is available as the first part of a five episode season pass for $24.99 on PC and Mac from the Telltale Online Store and other digital outlets.

The Walking Dead: Episode One – A New Day is rated 'M' (Mature) for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Strong Language by the ESRB.

For more information on the game, visit the official website, Facebook and follow us on Twitter.  For more information on The Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman and all of his titles, visit www.skybound.com.

About Robert Kirkman
Robert Kirkman's success and passionate advocacy for creator-owned comics led him to become the first person invited to become a partner at Image Comics since the company's inception twenty years ago and he formed his own imprint there, Skybound, in 2010.  Kirkman is the creator/writer of the Eisner Award-winning The Walking Dead, long-running Invincible, all-ages Super Dinosaur, The Astounding Wolf-Man, and new title Thief of Thieves, among many others. Kirkman has earned the respect of the comic, writing and television communities and topped the New York Times bestseller list for graphic novels in 2011 and in April 2012, he took the top five spots on both the hardcover and paperback lists. He's the creator/executive producer and writer of the hit television show, AMC's The Walking Dead, the highest-rated basic cable drama of all time in the U.S, also an international success in 120 countries and 250 million households.  AMC just picked up Thief of Thieves as a series with Kirkman serving as creator/executive producer and writer.  www.Skybound.com is your destination for all news and merchandise for Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead and all Skybound titles

About Image
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

About Telltale, Inc.
Telltale is a leading independent developer and publisher of games for every major gaming platform and is the pioneer of the episodic delivery of digital gaming content. By developing games as series and successfully releasing on a schedule, they create longer consumer engagement than traditional games for each release. Founded in 2004 by games industry veterans with decades of experience, Telltale has quickly become an industry leader, establishing the model for successful episodic game creation and digital publishing. Telltale has sold more than 5 million episodes since 2005. Telltale's reputation for quality has been established across more than 25 published releases, winning numerous awards including, "Adventure Game of the Year" accolades from publications such as IGN, PC Gamer, GameSpy, and Adventure Gamers. Telltale has also been recognized by mainstream outlets ranging from USA Today, to The New York Times and Variety. Telltale currently develops and publishes episodic series on Xbox 360®, Apple® iOS devices, PlayStation®3, PC, Mac, and Wii™. www.telltalegames.com

© 2012 Telltale, Inc. THE WALKING DEAD is © 2012 Robert Kirkman, LLC. Based on the Comic Book by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard. Telltale and the Telltale Games logo are trademarks of Telltale, Inc. All rights reserved.

All product titles, publisher names, trademarks, artwork and associated imagery are trademarks, registered trademarks and/or copyright material of the respective owners. All rights reserved.

"PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox LIVE are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Press Release © 2012 Telltale, Inc.

Contact:
Job J Stauffer
Telltale, Inc.
415-258-1641 ext 152
[email protected]

Telltale Games
101 Glacier Point, Suite B
San Rafael, CA USA

SOURCE Telltale Games