A very interesting new entry in Jane Jensen's blog for Gray Matter, explaining Characters, game design and background of this long awaited game. It looks every day more promising, high standard (Jane Jensen will never disappoint us!) and I can't wait to play it.
You can read the blog HERE , where you will find an awesome artwork of Sam,the leading female character.

Thanks Carla!

Ana

Great!

OK, I'm old school, I admit it, but why are they working so hard on making this so complicated? Frankly, I'm more interested in a *game* not a *work of art* so all this tweaking and fussing around with elaborate characters and backgrounds doesn't really impress me, on the contrary, it depresses me. Besides which I didn't like GK3, but the first 2 are still among my favorite games when I walk down memory lane.

The more I see and hear about this game the more I am wondering if this is Jane's last hurrah. It sure looks like the time and effort put into this game may be what we have been looking for in an adventure game since The Longest Journey, Syberia, Gabriel Knight and Tex Murphy. Take your time and keep up the good work Jane and Wizard Box I will love to finally play your work of art.

At the end of the article it says "And to show you that we are pleased to be your hosts, here is a bunch of work in progress pictures. Enjoy…" but I couldn't find them. Anybody else find them?

Greyfuss,they are on the left hand side scrolling down. Click on to enlarge. pictures

Ana

Like you GreyFuss, I am watching for the release of this game! And no I could not find the pictures she referred to.

Sheriff

I must have some settings that are preventing the links from showing. I assume the filmstrip you linked to was part of section 2 of the Blog about Backgrounds as it followed what was said and there must be a bunch more after the article. Have nothing on the right or left side just black. Not a problem as It is the finished product that I am more interested in. It looks as if Jane knows she has a reputation and by golly she wants to live up to it. Mrs Jensen's attention to detail for this game and her hiring of Wizardbox to work for her like employees has got this Grue in a feeding frenzy to view what the final product will look and play like.

Even if you click on my link?

Let me see what i can do.... watch this space.

I have a couple screenshots here: Gray Matter 1 and Gray Matter 2

I lost the other screenshots I took and I can't play with them anymore from work, sorry. It's one giant jpg with 7 pictures of all the same scene through the process of how it's developed.

Ana

oh- I can see those pictures- but I thought that was just showing the process of The Backgrounds.. I reread it and she does say...here is a bunch of work in progress pictures

Ana

Yep, those are the scenes I saw with all the tweaking going on, but so much work for so little to show for it, why? I fail to see the need for it as it certainly won't improve the story, so my thinking is that the story is weak maybe. Anyway, weak on the fun part of the game if everyone is so impressed by the graphics they aren't looking at anything else.
Syberia was a super great game, but Paradise and Sinking Island were boring and I never even bothered to finish them, same with GK3. I reckon the new direction is a matter of taste (age?) and I will leave it in good hands, so enjoy, while I entertain myself with Peter's Jigsaws! Peace.

Thanks, Carla! This is definitely one of my most anticipated games!

Sierramindy, I find it very unlikely that the story will be weak. After all, Jane Jensen is writing it. But then, I loved Gabriel Knight 3, so different strokes, I suppose.

Silly me

I must say that I assumed that a bunch meant more that 2 and when ending the blog with "here is a bunch of work in progress pictures. Enjoy…" I again assumed that they would be here, at the end...sometimes I just read more into things than I should. Sheriff, I think a night in your uncomfortable Jail should straighten me out.

You can just go to the naughty corner and chill out in the hammock. I'll leave the light on for you. Tidy up before you leave and replace any Diet Coke you may drink.

Looking good Really looking forward to this one, have been since day one.

I wish the subject of 'Gray Matter' would just go away until the game's finished & ready for release! I'm personally
fed up with the constant references to it with little indication of how it's progressing & whether it's actually ever going to be finished & released!

EDIT That came across badly. Sorry Carla, I do appreciate the time & trouble you take to keep us updated & I'm anticipating the game as much as many others. It just seems that we are being kept hanging on year after year.....

Chrissie... I know what you mean.
I too am kinda fed up with every tiny bit of update about the new looks of Sam... I even wish they wouldn't post this information, it's just a little too spoilery (on the other hand I can't hold myself...).
Yes, the game should definitely be out already.... Who knows if it'll be released in 2009....
I find it hard to believe it's official date was actualy back in 2007... and that's after it's been delayed for year...
Crazy! If it's not gonna be one of my favorite games ever I'll haunt Jane

No probs Chrissie, I know what you mean!
Part of me would like to have Grey Matter now, but I have seen quite a lot of games recently that left that feeling of "ended with rush just for commercial purposes" that every day I'm more confident that Gray Matter won't be one of them, or at least this is my hope!

Hmm, there is such a thing as "writer's block" that could prevent a game designer from coming up with a great ending for the game. So the choice is to either go with the unsatisfying ending or scrap the game altogether. I don't care all that much how a game ends if getting to the ending was interesting enough to make it enjoyable playing. It's the journey that counts, not the ending, which is always the same: no more game to play!

Although I've waited a long time for this game - my expectations hasn't grown with it

Back in the days, when I was younger, I was often more hyped about a new game. But no more.

I think as I grow older, I always approach a new game with low or no expectations. So I can safely say, that I'm always never disappointed by a game.

Well, there is no law that says people or games need to live up to any expectations, therefore I do not have any, but I can always hope. And dream!

Well... the game can be preordered on Amazon.de, the German division of Amazon; the release date given on Amazon is October 30th, 2009 This refers to the German version of the game; I don't know about the English version.

I have what is probably a naive question: why is the game being made in German first? Is Jane Jensen living in Germany or is the German market for adventure games larger than the English speaking market? What's the scoop on her choice of venue? I dimly recall that a different company was involved early on.

8dognight -- A German publisher, DPT/ANACONDA is willing to produce the game. They're working similarly with games like So Blonde and Mata Hari, where they choose game designers from the US and the UK, match them up with developers and then publish the final version, first in German and later in other languages.