Telltale embraces online social multiplayer with Crowd Play mechanic

Telltale is to combine its distinctive brand of single-player narrative experiences with the crowd-pleasing elements of social multiplayer and livestreaming.

Beginning with next month’s first episode of Batman: The Telltale Series, the studio will allow players to enable a mode called ‘Crowd Play’ in its games.

The mechanic expands Telltale’s signature multiple choice decisions to an online audience, with players able to share a URL and allow up to thousands of people to join the game.

Crowd Play will offer two different modes: one allowing the audience to vote on a decision to advise the player, with the player ultimately making the final choice, and one that immediately selects the crowd favourite option with no input from the player.

Viewers will also be able to offer feedback with thumbs up and thumbs down responses, further guiding the player.

Telltale’s games have long offered a breakdown of how their player base sided with each major decision at the close of each episode, but Crowd Play marks the first time the wider audience will have a direct impact on a single player’s story.

"We wanted a better way to integrate that audience," head of creative communications Job Stauffer explained to Shacknews. "Now, from two to 2,000-plus people can help the player make decisions.

"We are now turning all of Telltale’s games into a live interactive multiplayer experience.”