Jellyvision getting back into the games biz

by Justin McElroy { Aug 19th 2008 at 9:30AM }

We couldn't be more excited about this news, so brace yourself: Jellyvision, creators of the You Don't Know Jack series, are coming back to the games business.

As new head of Jellyvision Games Mike Bilder said in a recent release, the company's mission is now to "build huge new brands that run on every platform that makes sense -- the three consoles, PC, mobile, handheld, coin-op, Vegas. And, of course, we're going to start by truly reincarnating You Don't Know Jack."

We're giddy at the thought of games that, as company CEO Harry Gottlieb said, "combine the social dynamics created by great board games, with the thrill and story arc of great television game shows." But ... and we almost hate to say it out loud ... could this also mean that an English Seaman 2 might be just a little more plausible?

(P.S. If you want to warm up on some Jack right now, you totally can.)

Tags: jellyvision, you-dont-know-jack

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

silverwolf761 @ Aug 19th 2008 9:39AM

This is fantastic news! I really loved the YDKJ series ever since the original. The flash series was pretty good, but not QUITE up to the standalone games. I hope they keep the fake commercials that play after each game. I loved those.

Jagzi11a @ Aug 19th 2008 9:52AM

YES!!!!

Ghoti @ Aug 19th 2008 10:11AM

Yeah, sign me up for YDKJ!!!

Vault @ Aug 19th 2008 10:13AM

Yessss! More REAL YDKJ?! This is the best news I've heard all week. Seriously.

Elly @ Aug 19th 2008 10:25AM

I love YDKJ! I still have some of the old ones, I hope they work on my laptop. I should try and find them tonight.

Geoffrey Sperl @ Aug 19th 2008 10:33AM

About damn time! The Wii is the perfect platform for a YDKJ party game. Hell, pair a DS with the Wii and you can get really creative.

It took them this long to hire someone who could see this very obvious strategy for their IP?

Ghoti @ Aug 19th 2008 10:40AM

Hopefully the 360 version would include support for the Scene It controllers. That would be tons of fun!

tapoxi @ Aug 19th 2008 11:26AM

"We're setting sail on a new and far more ambitious course in the
sea of interactive games. We feel very lucky to have Mike Bilder at the
helm. And by 'helm' I actually mean 'desk.' We're not really on a ship --
just a regular company... in a building and everything."

I forgot how much I fucking love Jellyvision.

Subsannatrix @ Aug 19th 2008 11:27AM

Oh, Justin... you can't link to pictures on your hard drive.

Ocho @ Aug 19th 2008 12:21PM

Not to say I know their business better than them, but imagine YDKJ as episodic content over WiiWare, XBLA, and PSN. Then imagine all the cash.

John Z @ Aug 19th 2008 12:24PM

I like this announcement.

I really think that YDKJ can only do well as a consistently-updated online show, however; on a disc, it gets stale WAY too fast, and I really don't think standard DLC would be the way to go for the game. Doing it as a low-priced subscription service with a cheap or free PSN/XBLA/WiiWare/Steam client program would be the best way to do it, IMO.

Just as long as Question 4 is still The Question That Cares, though, I'll be happy.