Read on »]]> The brand new and official trailer for the upcoming season three of the Sam & Max series, the Devil’s Playhouse, has landed on G4tv‘s website. Read on to watch it in full.

What’ve we learnt? The season will premier on April, with five episodes in total. Although the trailer only bears the Playstation branding, it can be safe to assume that will be seeing this on PC too. The official website is linked at the end of the trailer, offering you to pre-order, but at time of writing the site hasn’t gone live.  As expected, there’s also an improved visual engine – lighting and shadows shadows, character models and textures all seem to be much nicer.

Then there’s the return of old faces like Harry Moleman, Flint Paper and Stinky along with new characters, some that we’ve seen in the concept art. Plus there’s shots of the street, not looking its usual self. And is that the soul train station…? Carry on reading for a step-by-step description of the trailer.

Update: It seems the trailer has been pulled from G4tv. At the request of Telltale, we wont be reposting the trailer. It should be up properly in a couple of days at the most.
Update 2: The trailer, along with screenshots and details, is now live on the official site.

Trailer Description

0:06: The normal Telltale logo appears and transforms into a retro style.
0:19: The man seen in this concept image walks towards the screen. In the background are stars and five pictures – each with different pieces of concept art drawn on. There’s also a sidetable with an orange viewing contraption on. The man speaks of an “ancient, terrible power waiting”.
0:29: A picture frame slides into shot with Max’s face, then cutting to him strolling down an alleyway – the floor is cracked and there is graffiti on the walls.
0:35: Max can be seen picking up the viewing contraption that we saw earlier.
0:37: Max is rising up into the air. Behind him is Bosco’s and Stinky’s, both bordered up and looking downtrodden.
0:39: Max appears to be being electrocuted.
0:41: It then cuts to another picture frame, with a purple backdrop and Max in the middle with light purple lines radiating down him.
0:42: We’re then back with the man in space again. He says “welcome, my friends, to the playhouse of the bizarre”. It is noteworthy that the viewing contraption that was once on the table has changed into some sort of odd-looking doll.
0:47: Another picture takes us to an aquatic themed diner. There’s a fish plaque, tank, jukebox, nets and more in the background. The camera pans down to Sam sitting down, talking about having to bring Max up to speed every once in a while.
0:51: Max screams, “Ah! Giant talking dog!”.
0:54: An ape is controlling some sort of futuristic machine, walking into a city skyscraper landscape, firing and saying “tremble earthlings”. Stinky can briefly be seen sitting in the background.
0:58: Sam and Max are seen holding their hands up in fear. They are in the soul train station beneath their street.
0:59: The camera swings round to some sort of giant insect wearing a white coat – possibly police clothing (and hat?).
1:00: Again in some sort of futuristic ship or building. Some creature in a liquid container tells Max that he must remember he’s been blessed with a gift. We see Max holding an oddly shaped red object.
1:03: The purple lines radiate down Max (as seen earlier), and Sam & Max then teleport into the train station (also seen earlier). Perhaps this is how they will get from place to place?
1:08: Outside a shop called “Bob’s Toys!s” [sic]. A coloured dial appears at the bottom of the screen, taking us to a first-person view of the shop. Over the red square there is this telephone, and over the blue square appears to be the viewing contraption. The red square is selected and the edges of the screen turn that colour.
1:10: Cut to Harry Moleman wearing a waistcoat, saying “there’s no such thing” as psychic powers.
1:11: Sam is lowering down on some sort of elevator. To the left is a big screen displaying a location appearing later in the trailer (1:30).
1:12: The DeSoto speeds round a corner and swings into some cones.
1:14: Sam says “hey now!” as a white beam glows around Max. They appear to be in some sort of metallic space room. A camera lowers down with a red ‘eye’. It says, “Error. Cannot remove inventory. Where do you keep your personal items?”. “That’s none of your damn business, computer” responds Max.
1:21: Sam jumps for his gun, and aims it. We then see a very odd looking man – possibly with a fez on his head, he has little hair and a very stretched and baggy face. He’s wearing a green jacket and a tie.
1:24: An ape/monkey punches Sam, sending him flying. The creature then picks up Max and shakes him.
1:26: Max tries to bite through some jail/grate bars.
1:27: Sam & Max stroll down a corridor with deep red wallpaper. Sam walks past a painting depicting them as a real looking dog and rabbit.
1:29: We see Flint Paper talking (but cannot hear him) in the aquatic diner we saw earlier.
1:30: Sam is tightly walking across a pole with a banner hanging below it, attached to the top side of a building. The camera pans and we see there is a street below him.
1:31: An explosion on the street, with Sam & Max ducking to avoid the rubble.
1:32: A top down view of the pair running on a street.
1:34: The camera zooms from the bonnet of the DeSoto speeding down the street.
1:37: We return to space. The man tells us “to use Sam & Max’s strange psychic gifts to battle a host of villains bent on destroying the entire universe”. Again, the item on the table has changed – this time to a triangle-shaped red object. Perhaps a spinning top.
1:41: We see a silhouetted shot of the villains. It’s hard to make out, but among many there may be the ape at the front, and the ‘police’ insect to his left.
1:44: The camera zooms in to a box in the middle of rubble.
1:47: Again, we return to the man in space. He now has the phone on his table. The camera pans up to show us five tablets, numbered and the dates April, May, June, July and “Finale” beneath.
1:57: The man in space again. A playing card is on the table. He tells us that “the show’s about to begin in The Devil’s Playhouse”.
2:00: Devil’s Playhouse logo appears, and then the text “Series Premiere April 2010″.
2:07: Sam says, “Max, be a little more sensitive. He doesn’t have hands”.
2:10: We see the creature in the liquid again. “So what’s he going to do, punch me? No hands!”, says Max, waving his hands.
2:13: A sign telling us to pre-order now, with a link to the official site and Playstation logos.