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As in a television sitcom, the season premiere kicks off a brand new story arc, enabling new audiences to dive right in along with returning fans. "Ice Station Santa" finds jolly old Saint Nick a bit off his rocker, terrorizing the elves and sending out presents that range from disappointing to downright dangerous. The future of Christmas hangs in the balance like a hand grenade perched on the shaky bough of a Douglas fir, and it's up to Sam & Max to set things straight.

"Today's release highlights a number of firsts for episodic gaming," says Telltale's CEO Dan Connors. "Sam & Max is the first episodic series to enter a second season, and 'Ice Station Santa' is the first holiday special for a game series. The playing experience is new, too. People are finishing an episode and spending the next month speculating with other fans about what's going to happen. Telltale's not just putting out fun games. We're building a whole new kind of user experience."

"Ice Station Santa" can be played as part of a GameTap subscription exclusively today or purchased from Telltale individually or in a Season Two download bundle starting tomorrow. Full pricing information is available at www.gametap.com and  www.telltalegames.com.

"Collaborating with Telltale to launch the first successful episodic game as our premiere GameTap Original title has been a great experience," said Ricardo Sanchez, vice president of content and creative director for GameTap. "We know that both our Gold level subscribers and Sam & Max fans all over the world will enjoy this early holiday treat."

The second installment of the five-episode Sam & Max Season Two will come out in January, followed by monthly releases through April. Each game will debut on GameTap at www.gametap.com/samandmax on the second Thursday of the month, followed one day later by its worldwide release at www.telltalegames.com.