oddworld
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New Oddworld game in the works
Given that Munch's Odyssey was a launch title for the 360, and Stranger's Wrath was quite good, it's been surprising that the franchise has not yet seen a another entry. Until now that is, because a new Oddworld is on the way. Maxis co-founder Jeff Braun is involved with the game, and comments that the team is very talented and that he has faith in their ability to create great content. If the new one took insipration from Stranger and added more quirky humor and fun, we'll be all over this. Too bad Braun confirmed that it's still years away ....
New Oddworld game in the works, may be 'years' off
It's been more than three years since we last frolicked about in Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, but according to Maxis co-founder Jeff Braun a new game set in Lorne Lanning's Oddworld universe is currently in the works. According to Wilfrid Laurier University student newspaper The Cord Weekly, Braun confirmed his involvement with developers Oddworld Inhabitants on the project during a presentation at the school earlier this week.Few details were revealed about the upcoming game, though Braun noted that the title will feature a "revolutionary new 3-D animation system" and "cinematic quality on a '1 to 1 scale' to that of computer-generated motion pictures," adding that the same assets could be used to create both a video game and film version in parallel. This isn't the first time talk of CG features and Oddworld have been mentioned in the same breath, with Lorne Lanning himself refocusing his company in 2005 to create both games and accompanying CG movies, the first of which was announced a year later as Citizen Siege. However, as that title has yet to see the light of day, it doesn't exactly surprise us that Braun admits that the next Oddworld release could be "years" away from seeing retail shelves, and may even be released in an episodic format when it's all said and done.
Super Odd Chrono Snatcher: Your choices for DS remakes
DS Fanboy readers have excellent taste, and we all know it. After all, you own the greatest handheld in the world, and hey, you're here. But if that's not enough to convince you, then the winners of the recent most-desired remakes poll should do the trick nicely. DS Fanboy readers chose four very different titles as candidates for the rampant remake craze, and each game has the potential to be a fantastic DS game in its own right. Let's just hope the right people are paying attention.Out of a field of seventeen titles, all chosen by the readers, Chrono Trigger, Snatcher, Super Smash Bros. and Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee were selected as the best choices for future DS titles. Now we're here to tell you why.
Poll results: Remakes of choice
Our celebration of the age of remakes continues as we reveal your choices for games that need to be given the DS treatment. The full poll results are located after the jump, but we probably don't need to tell you that we chose correctly when putting together the boxart mockups above. Chrono Trigger blew everything else out of the water among the mainstream titles, with Super Smash Bros. picking up a distant second. Among our lesser-known titles, things were a lot closer. Snatcher won -- which means all is right with the world -- but the battle for second was decided by a mere four votes. We're always happy to be reminded of just how diverse taste are among our readers!Check back later in the week for a wealth of coverage on remakes, including the profile of the four winning games and what we would like to see in a DS remake.
DS Fanboy poll: Remakes of choice
Earlier this week, we asked you, our dear readers, to discuss games you'd like to see given a spit and a polish for the DS in this age of remakes, and as usual, you came through in a big way. In fact, you gave us so many fantastic suggestions that we've decided to split our selected list into two polls instead of just doing one. We can't include everything suggested, obviously, but we've prepared a selection of bigger releases and more obscure titles, and we're going to let you vote every day, just in case you want to throw your support behind more than one game. Once you've voted, we will profile the top two results from each poll and examine exactly why they would be well-suited to our favorite handheld. So try to vote for the titles you think are the most suitable, those that would most benefit from the kind of treatment we're seeing with the Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy titles ... and hey, vote for the games you'd just like to see in portable form as well.And if you just can't decide ... well, that's why we're letting you vote more than once! You can vote your heart and your brain, and the cream will rise to the top.
Our most wanted PSone games
We have faith that one day, the PlayStation Store will be accessible via PSP without the need for a PS3, and will flourish into a glorious realm of classic games, one that will be untouched by the competition. Of course, homebrew users will rip their own games ... but for the rest of us, this is my personal wishlist of PSone games that I'd like to see available for download.
Citizen Siege: Oddworld studio's new game & CG film project
Lorne Lanning has confirmed that work has begun on Citizen Siege, the new project from his Oddworld Inhabitants studio. "Citizen Siege was conceived as a game and film from the very beginning," Lanning told GamesIndustry.biz, revealing that John H. Williams will produce the CG animated feature, and Lanning himself will direct. The game concept is currently being shopped around to publishers.Lanning is interested in merging the game and film mediums, hoping that Citizen Siege will become a reference point for future ventures. The idea is that both parts are created simultaneously, influencing each other's courses; rather than one providing the basis for the other. While doing so, it will be important for Lanning and has team to create the right distance between the game and movie. If the finished products demand consumers invest in both, Citizen Siege will have lost a huge chunk of its potential demographic; the group that exclusively watches films -- and does not play games.
Joystiq's 2005 game guide
2005 was what many would call the final push of the current console generation. Regardless of where the year ranks on your list of gaming annuals, many great titles hit store shelves, home consoles, portables, and PC's alike in 2005. Without further adu, let us introduce Joystiq's 2005 game guide as selected by our team of bloggers. Be sure to also check out our top hidden gems of this generation along with the greatest hits roundup for gamers on a budget. It's good to be a gamer.
Got any questions you'd want to ask Lorne Lanning?
Oddworld creator Lorne Lanning will be speaking at the meeting for the Chicago chapter of the IGDA (that is, the International Game Developers Association) on the evening of Tuesday, August 23rd (tomorrow night). He will be giving a multimedia presentation called "In a Wal-Mart world, Creative is a dirty word" concerning "the creative process, sources of inspiration, how Yoda saved his life, why the label of 'Creative' has become a liability, how game engines will change film making forever, ...why owning your own brand can be a handicap in today's marketplace, and how digital distribution is the great hope for creatives as we continue heading deeper into a brave new world of media." I will also be there, blogging the event. (If you were hoping to go, you may be sorry to learn that reservations were made for attendants well in advance. Sorry!) What this post is for, however, is to make a small request for question suggestions. I could read as many past interviews as I want, but that wouldn't give me as much insight into the machinima and digital distribution issues that I'd surely get from our dear Joystiq readers. If possible, I hope to ask Lorne a few questions (during the likely Question & Answer session if necessary), but nothing's set in stone. (The current Oddworld web site is a bit bereft of proper contact information right now, so if anyone can get me in touch with Mr. Lanning directly, I'd certainly appreciate it.) At any rate, a concise report should be up by Wednesday morning, with or without interview. Wish me luck! Update: Moving the report back to Wednesday evening or Thursday morning. Hopefully I'll have a good picture for you then! And, yes, I did get to ask Lorne a few of your questions. Should be fun.
Oddworld no more
Steve walks warily down the street, with his brim pulled way down low... Yep, another developer is no more. Though this time it's their own decision. In short, Lorne Lanning has seen where games are headed, said "No thanks!", and left for other pastures. Hollywood Reporter (?!) has a good interview with Lanning about his decision. Buh-bye, Oddworld. At least in games.
Oddworld keeps getting odder
Oddworld started off as a light-hearted world. Sure, it had a dark side of farts and spitting green slime, but for the most part it was a hopeful place. But that environment shifted to the dark side with the surprisingly good Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath (average of 88% on GameRankings). It was a first person shooter that sprinted away from the platformer-feel of the original. Now comes word from IGN that the next installment will go even darker. You'll play a shepherd named Fangus who is slowly being driven mad by rabies. You have to save your herd from invading aliens while you still have your head on straight. It may be a departure for fans of the series, but if you consider the developer's track record there's probably no need to worry. [thanks Fady]
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath Reviews
The reviews are still pouring in, and while not as strong (on average) as yesterday, the numbers are sill impressive: Team Xbox - '91' IGN - '88' GameSpot - '85' 1Up - '80'
Stranger's Wrath is all good, for now
Due in stores tomorrow, the latest Oddworld adventure has garnered some early "universal acclaim" as evidenced by its '91' average over on Metacritic. So far, only 2 of the 7 reviews posted are accessible in full, with TotalGames.net going all out with a '95', while GameSpy chose a slightly more reserved score of '90'. It looks like the risk of converting the Oddworld standard from puzzle to action has paid off for Oddworld Inhabitants (developer), and gasp, EA! We'll keep you posted as more reviews roll in...
The week in zeros and ones
VE3D does their weekly round-up of digital media. The list includes DVDs, games, movies and the latest in pornographic paraphernalia. And sometimes you'll even get a pornographic DVD game in the same item. Take Playboy: The Mansion, for instance. It's finally hitting the shelves for PC, Playstation 2 and Xbox. How many 6.9/10 ratings do you figure it'll get from the mainstream gaming press? Unless it's good, of course, which is entirely possible. Also of some note is Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow DVD.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath preview shows there are changes coming
If you're a fan of the Oddworld series, you may want to prepare for some changes in the next OW game. It looks like the puzzle-solving and happy jumping is turning into some hardcore action, of the videogame variety. The game, due out this month on Xbox, will allow you to explore the rich world you've grown to love, but this time you can do it from a third or first-person perspective. The same crazy touches are present, thankfully; fuzzy critters for ammunition, and health power-ups from, well, unlikely places.
