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'Oddworld: Soulstorm' will really, finally hit PS4, PS5 and PC on April 6th
After four years of delays, Abe finally has a homecoming date.
'Oddworld: Soulstorm' trailer takes us right back to Abe's world
Oddworld: Soulstorm, the upcoming remake of 1998's Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus on the PlayStation 1, is taking shape -- and going by the latest trailer, it looks like it's been worth the wait.
'Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty' debuts on smartphones
If you're looking for a premium mobile game without in-app purchases, there's good news: Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty has arrived on iOS, Android and NVIDIA Shield. The 2014 console game, based on Lorne Lanning's Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee has been re-purposed for mobile with new controls for a small touchscreen, letting you swipe on the side of the screen to perform actions like "use," and "sneak." It also has full external controller support, and you can resize or move buttons. And did I mention there's no in-app purchases?
Recommended Reading: The genetics of better beer
You Want Better Beer? Good. Here's a Better Barley Genome Adam Rogers, Wired The beer industry certainly isn't hurting for money these days, but a group of scientists are trying to figure out how to make the beverage even better. They're doing so by breaking down the genome of barley, a key ingredient in the brewing process that that turns starch into sugar for yeast to transform into alcohol during fermentation. Wired has the story of how the geneticists could be on the way to improving suds for all of us to enjoy.
'Oddworld' creator on how customer feedback changed gaming
When Lorne Lanning released Abe's Oddysee, the 1997 hit PlayStation and PC platformer, "most people didn't know what 'www' meant." Nineteen years later, the world has changed, and the video-game industry with it. Abe's Oddysee was the first title set in Oddworld, a fictional universe Lanning has devoted his career to. He followed it up the next year with a sequel, Abe's Exodus, and released Munch's Oddysee in 2001 and Stranger's Wrath in 2005. During this time, the internet developed significantly, but developers had yet to learn how to use it to their advantage. Lanning and I sat on the floor of a busy conference center, surrounded by developers, fans, other journalists and "terrible, terrible live music." We were supposed to meet to chat about Soulstorm, a follow-up to 2014's Abe's Oddysee remake New 'n' Tasty. Sadly, we're stuck talking around that piece of news, as just a week before our meeting the decision was made to delay the formal unveiling of the game. Luckily, Lanning is nothing if not loquacious, and we talk about the changing state of the industry over the past two decades.
'Oddworld' goes dark with sequel 'Soulstorm'
The Oddworld games have always had something to say about the world we live in, but despite tackling themes like environmental destruction at the hands of ruthless corporations, the games themselves were pretty bright and colorful. Oddworld: Soulstorm could change that. Soulstorm picks up immediately following the events of last year's New and Tasty remaster of the first game and sees returning protagonist Abe leading some 300 liberated Mudokon brethren through the desert.
Oddworld pre-order bonuses prove fezzes are cool
While Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is a remake of the 1997 PSone game Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, that doesn't mean it can't feature some new, never-before-seen bonuses. Developer Just Add Water has announced that customers in the US and Canada who pre-order New 'n' Tasty will receive an alternate costume for bug-eyed hero Abe, as well as a new mission centered on the fez-wearing monster-man, Alf. Customers in the UK, Europe, Middle East, Russia, Africa, India, Australia and New Zealand will also have access to the bonuses, though their route is a little more ... odd, you could say. Instead of pre-ordering to secure the Alf's Escape mission and Scrub Abe costume, players living in the aforementioned regions will need to manually download the content. Once the game comes out, they'll have two weeks to download the items at no additional cost from PSN, so long as they also have an active PlayStation Plus subscription. Just Add Water did not mention when or if the DLC will be available to customers who choose to neither pre-order nor download within the above guidelines. New 'n' Tasty will release on July 22 in North America, July 23 in the SCEE regions, and will support Cross-Buy for PS4, PS3 and Vita versions. [Image: Just Add Water]
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath PS4 version a possibility, according to creator
Abe's Oddysee may not be the only game in Lorne Lanning's Oddworld series to be getting a makeover - Lanning told Eurogamer at this year's Game Developers Conference that he'd like to bring the 2005 Xbox title Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath to the PlayStation 4. Stranger's Wrath HD already exists on the PlayStation 3 and Vita, but Lanning said this version would be "a new SKU with some new dynamics." Of course, wanting something doesn't necessarily make it so. "We're still going over budgets and schedules and stuff like that," Lanning cautioned. This makes sense, considering Lanning also stated that the upcoming Oddworld: New 'N' Tasty would need to sell at least a quarter of a million units to fund more HD translations of the franchise. [Image: EA]
Oddworld New 'N' Tasty gameplay video shows Abe's return Oddysee
Oddworld: Abe's Oddyssey for the original PlayStation is getting a fresh coat of paint - and new window curtains, and fresh carpet, and a redone kitchen, and okay we're gonna stop here. Point is, it's getting a serious overhaul with the upcoming Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty from Just Add Water. And now, thanks to the recently-released gameplay trailer, we can all see what this atypical adventure looks like in motion. Spinning sawblades and electric shocks may not be the biggest obstacles in Abe's path, mind you. Oddworld series creator Lorne Lanning told Eurogamer that the game will need to sell a quarter of a million copies to fund an HD remake of Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus, and half a million to revive The Brutal Ballad of Fangus Klot. No pressure, buddy. [Image: Just Add Water]
'Two different possibilities' for brand new Oddworld content, says Lanning
Oddworld Inhabitants' return to the gaming scene has been limited so far to remastering and porting old content to new systems, content like Munch's Oddyssee and Stranger's Wrath. Although, as the name suggests, the upcoming New 'n' Tasty is more than a HD remake of Abe's Oddysee, featuring 3D visuals to provide 2.5D platformer gameplay. With all that in mind, I asked Oddworld co-founder and president Lorne Lanning about when totally brand new content will feature in the series' future. "[There are] two different possibilities," Lanning told me. "I don't want to say what they are, because we've talked way too many times and not actually delivered a title. Now, we've talked about Hand of Odd in the past, we've talked about Brutal Ballad of Fangus Klot; we started production then we stopped it. Those were the two that got out there and people didn't really see anything new." Lanning, who also told me about his hopes for co-creating Oddworld content with fans, said he's considering crowdfunding options like Kickstarter, but he'd prefer not to have to do that. He noted crowdfunding allows developers to engage with their communities early and involve them in the development process. Oddworld Inhabitants asked fans to come up with a name for the now-christened New 'n' Tasty, a step Lanning says has provided names that could be used for future Oddworld games.
Oddworld co-founder Lanning wants to give players 'clay,' get back 'sculptures'
During last week's DICE conference in London, Oddworld co-founder and president Lorne Lanning touched on the idea on having players co-create content. In his talk, he gave the example of polling players for the name of 'Abe's Oddysee HD' - now Oddworld New 'n' Tasty. The quality of the responses he received inspired him to ask fans to provide art and even credits music for the game. Speaking to Lanning after, I learned how his hopes for involving the Oddworld audience in content creation extend far beyond polls and art. While he was quick to note how far away any of this was from being decided or announced, he told me how he admired what games like Minecraft are doing. That's not to say Lanning is formulating plans for Oddworld-craft, but the veteran designer is certainly interested in how to adapt the Oddworld property to make the audience more involved. "First I'm speaking pie in the sky, but I love the model of being able to provide clay to an audience, and they provide back sculptures," Lanning told me. "That would be a great thing. I think that's what Minecraft did and in that way they did it more probably uniquely than most." "When you put the power of creativity in someone's hands, just like great designers we all like working within limited constraints," he added. "The wider the page, the more open the possibilities, the harder for the writer to write, the same with designers. That being said, I think the future is all about that, is all about people having a co-creative participation. The question is, with what you're doing, how adaptable is your property to be able to facilitate that to the audience. We're exploring that in different ways, and right now I think we have more questions than we do answers."
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee HD becomes PlayStation Plus freebie
The high-definition remake of Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, developed by the restoration experts at Just Add Water, is joining the free game library offered to PlayStation Plus subscribers. Munch's Oddysee, which also features gangly escapee Abe as a playable protagonist, is considered the second chapter in the ever-lingering "Oddworld Quintology." The 3D action/puzzle game nearly started on the PlayStation 2, but it debuted as an exclusive Xbox 1 (not "One") launch game in 2001 and later made its way to PC. Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee HD should be available for free after Tuesday's PlayStation Store update. The recent Star Trek game will be on sale right alongside it, which makes sense because ... A) it also endorses cooperation between species B) it also has two handsome protagonists C) it's also about an odyssey, but spelled correctly
Transistor coming to the PS4, Sony doubles down on indie games
Amir Rao and Gavin Simon from Supergiant Games hopped on stage with Sony to announce that Transistor, the company's next title will be making its console debut on the PlayStation 4. The creators of Bastion will be making Sony's console their home early next year and it's bound to be one of the highlights of this year's E3. But, if you think the embrace of indie developers ends with the cyber-punk follow up to the surprisingly successful and original Bastion, you're wrong. Klei Games is bringing its hit Don't Starve to the PS4 and Octodad: Dadliest Catch from Young Horses is also on tap. Ragtag Studios, Red Barrels and 17-Bit Games are also bringing titles to the PlayStation before other consoles. There's even going to be a remake of Oddworld, called Oddworld: New 'n Tasty. Huzzah! And don't miss the trailer for Transistor after the break. Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD getting leaderboards, tweaked controls on PS Vita
An update for the PS Vita version of Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD is riding into town holding a burlap sack full of leaderboards. They'll track time in spent in the game overall and for each individual bounty.Developer Just Add Water is working on the patch now, Expansive DLC reports, though there is currently no timetable for release, and the new build has yet to be submitted for certification.The patch will also address a pair of problems that players have complained about: a flickering sky glitch and a lack of alternate controls. After the patch is issued, Stranger's Wrath HD will include an option to disable the PS Vita's rear touch-pad controls. When asked for comment, the rear touch-pad on our PS Vita replied, "Awwww man, really?"
PSA: Stranger's Wrath HD now available on Vita
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, you'll remember, is one of the weirdest of a series of weird games: It's a first-person shooter, essentially, based in Oddworld. The new PS Vita version of the game is now available for download through PSN, for $15. An HD version of the quirky shooter (which originally came out on the Xbox and later PC) was made for the PS3 last year.The Vita version of Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath features the enhanced graphics of the Just Add Water remake, and makes use of the Vita's front and back touchscreens for "extra controls."If you haven't had a chance to play one of Oddworld's best, it's time to log into PSN and check it out.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD now on PC via Steam, discounted along with Oddboxx collection
The HD remake of Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is now available on Steam, replacing the decidedly un-HD version that has existed on Valve's service since 2010. Normally available for $9.99, the game has been discounted by 30 percent for the next 30 hours or so. Owners of the original standard-definition version will be able to download the new hotness for free "soon," so says Oddworth Inhabitants. In addition to the obvious boon of higher-resolution textures and character models built from more polygons, the HD release also includes 12 new Steamworks achievements that weren't in the original port, as well as new unlockable concept art and movie extras, additional difficulty levels, more Easter eggs and improved PC controls.Coincidentally, the Oddboxx collection has also been marked down by 30 percent for the next 30 hours, meaning that you can snag Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, Oddworld: Abe's Exodus, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD for $10.49.
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee being rebuilt from scratch, HD remake coming next summer [update]
An HD remake of Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee has been in development at Just Add Water since last year. Now Oddworld Inhabitants' Facebook page has offered an update: it's not just a remake. ... Well, okay, it's still technically a remake, but with enough effort behind it to also qualify as a "reboot." Are you still with us?Rather than updating the original Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee 2D artwork, Just Add Water will be using the original PSOne game "as a blueprint" for an HD remake built from scratch. We'll get our first taste of the game later this year, ahead of its planned launch in the summer of 2013.Update: It looks like studio coordinator Wil Bunce is doubtful the remake will launch Summer 2013. In a forum post, he says that there's "not one person on the development team who thinks that's going to happen."
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee HD coming Q2, see Munch's new model
Just Add Water, the developer responsible for bringing Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath back to life in high definition, will be releasing its HD remake of Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee by the end of Q2, according to the dev's Twitter account. As our more crotchety readers will surely remember, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee was a launch title for the original Xbox, as well as the second chapter in the tragically unfinished Oddworld pentalogy. At the moment, all we have is the announcement, a logo and a small image of Munch's updated character model (which you can see after the break), but rest assured that we'll be on this like Sligs on a Mudokon.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD reaches PSN by year's end
If you weren't overwhelmed by the glut of new games in 2011, there were plenty of polished oldies to keep you occupied -- and we'll have to make room for one more of those before 2012 sets up shop. Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD is coming to the European PSN on December 21, and to the US store on December 27. Headed by Gravity Crash developer Just Add Water, the Stranger's Wrath overhaul contains -- among other things -- upgraded character models, enriched environments, bug fixes, difficulty modifiers and even minor corrections to visual continuity. (Example: "Sekto's Office has been changed to more closely resemble that seen in the FMV.") You'll get all that for $14.99 (or £9.99), alongside the stuff we loved back in 2005: unusual weaponry, off-beat characters and, err, not-so-subtle commentary on the ecological devastation wrought by rampant consumerism and corporate expansion. It's Oddworld. Just Add Water also announced via Twitter that the HD updates would come to the PC version of Stranger's Wrath within two to three months. The PlayStation 3 game will also get an update within a "couple months," adding the Move and 3D support that was planned but not implemented in time.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD Trophies rounded up
While playing Oddworld's weirdo western is reward enough, Stranger's Wrath HD wouldn't be considered a complete update without in-game gongs. Developer Just Add Water has posted a list of the game's Trophies and, as a pleasant bonus, a reminder that you get to foil the schemes of one "Fatty McBoomBoom." According to an Oddworld representative posting in the comments, these Trophies should also become available on the Steam version of Stranger's Wrath, and any subsequent platform that supports achievements. Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD is complete, according to the developers, and now awaits a final release date on PS3 and Vita. Talks with Microsoft regarding an Xbox 360 version are still ongoing.
