2nd Abe HD screenshot

[STM]

Well they are mudokon pops, so meat on a stick I suppose, and with the amount of mechanisation that goes into producing products at Rupture Farms, they probably could make them look like lollipops. I'm happy either way, though maybe I'm leaning slightly more towards the gory version. Just because.

[Varrok]

And for the "sense of scale":


Look! That pie is bigger than the paramite!


Wow, that's a big cookie.

How could anybody not argue that?

[JennyGenesis]

Of course the pie is bigger than the Paramite!

There will be other stuff in there I assume, like vegetables and gravy, just like most meat pies.

[Nepsotic]

If it were smaller, how do you expect the Paramite to fit inside?

[Crashpunk]

What do you think the meat saws are for?

[Nepsotic]

Grinding up the conveniently placed sligs, of course!

[Havoc]

The head on a stick graphic was meant to shock the player and make it clear what would be happening to the mudokon work force (from a story point of view). Using the lolipop graphic would be too cute for that particular cutscene I think.

[Manco]

The head on a stick graphic was meant to shock the player and make it clear what would be happening to the mudokon work force (from a story point of view). Using the lolipop graphic would be too cute for that particular cutscene I think.

I think it could easily be pulled off. The dramatic reveal, the shocking music, the diagram of Mudokon musculatory structure, Abe’s terrified reaction, and the Glukkons’ evil laughter all make it blatantly clear something fucked up is going down.

[Nepsotic]

Yes, but you wouldn't care because you'd be laughing at the ice lolly.

[Zombiecrackers]

Ahh all shiny and pretty ^_^ good times ahead

[Andrelvis]

The head on a spike is naturally not literally what the product is (they probably use other parts of Mudokons for the meat, and a head with skull wouldn't be very edible). It's just a marketing stunt, I imagine.

And, be honest, it's much, much less shocking to see just a lolipop in that intro revelation. Lolipops are silly.

Indeed, it just doesn't work as well.

[Wil]

The horrific nature of RuptureFarms advertising is the cartoon designs. The happy, pleasant creatures joyfully encouraging their own destruction and consumption. The head-on-a-stick ad doesn't fit into that very well. Why would that entice custom?

Disclaimer: We haven't done the opening movie yet, and these are just my personal thoughts based on interviews and talks by Lorne on his inspirations (and also based on my own observation of the meat industry).

[crimsonxking]

Perhaps I'm alone in this (or downright wrong), but I always thought the gory head-on-stick image used in AO was designed for that conference meeting, then when they were ready to sell them to the public it became a cuter image similar to the ones seen for their other products in AO. Like, I always took the change to be an intentional joke. That behind closed doors they made this horrific image to sell the idea to the other Glukkons, but they turned it into an innocent happier image to sell to consumers.

[Michael]

I agree that the lollipop design makes more sense from a marketing standpoint, but the head on a stick was a great shocking moment.

Perhaps there's a way to include both. When Molluck is showing the plans on the big screen, what we see are essentially designs/plans for the final product. You could show the head on a stick image, clearly labelled something like 'initial mock up', 'placeholder imagery only' or 'product test rendering'.

It would be clear that particular image is an internal concept design, intended to give the glukkons in the boardroom a better idea of the final product. Later, we could see the finished lollipop design on a poster in-game.

This would actually be rather good for player immersion I think, as the player would get the impression Molluck's evil plan is gaining ground and quickly progressing- increasing the threat and sense of urgency for Abe to rescue the other muds.

[Andrelvis]

I agree that the lollipop design makes more sense from a marketing standpoint, but the head on a stick was a great shocking moment.

Perhaps there's a way to include both. When Molluck is showing the plans on the big screen, what we see are essentially designs/plans for the final product. You could show the head on a stick image, clearly labelled something like 'initial mock up', 'placeholder imagery only' or 'product test rendering'.

It would be clear that particular image is an internal concept design, intended to give the glukkons in the boardroom a better idea of the final product. Later, we could see the finished lollipop design on a poster in-game.

This would actually be rather good for player immersion I think, as the player would get the impression Molluck's evil plan is gaining ground and quickly progressing- increasing the threat and sense of urgency for Abe to rescue the other muds.

Great idea.

[pupbenny]

talks by Lorne on his inspirations.

Btw, Wil, have you ever met Lorne? Just curious., I would've imagined alot of JAW would have perhaps?

[Wil]

I met Lorne when he visited Nottingham for the first ever GameCity back in 2006. Since then we've exchanged emails infrequently. I'll meet him for the second time when he comes over for Eurogamer Expo, then I'll be level pegging with Nate again.

[Bullet Magnet]

Indeed, and if they did, there is such a thing called convergent evolution, which means that, for instance, although sharks and dolphins have little relation, they both evolved many of the same characteristics, since they are optimal for living underwater, and thus species living under such conditions will often tend to end up with those aspects.

There is a bony nodule in the back of most bird talons which could plausibly have evolved into another talon and eventually perhaps a dexterous attachment, thus I suppose it is perfectly plausible to have a four fingered mudokon.

Actually, birds, have a five-fingered ancestor, somewhere in the earliest theropods. In bird embryology the fifth digit does not form, while the first forms but is quickly reabsorbed. Interestingly, the identities of the digits are frame-shifted: basically their index finger develops into the thumb, the middle finger develops into the index finger and the ring finger develops into the middle finger. Citation!

[Nepsotic]

There you go, look what evolution can do with science!

[Nate]

And for the "sense of scale":


Look! That pie is bigger than the paramite!


Wow, that's a big cookie.

How could anybody not argue that?

I meant scale in terms of fitting an entire Mudokon's head in a customer's mouth. Also, as Wil said, those are cartoony marketing images and the gory Mud's head doesn't match.

[MeechMunchie]

We don't know what species they're selling to. Maybe they have huge mouths.

[Varrok]

You don't have to insert full popsicle into your mouth.... You can just lick them

[Nate]

We don't know what species they're selling to. Maybe they have huge mouths.

Given that Abe talked about enjoying Scrab Cakes and Paramite pies, it's safe to assume that RuptureFarms is selling to a whole bunch of species. And Mudokon-sized mouths would be included.

You don't have to insert full popsicle into your mouth.... You can just lick them

If Mudokons were made of ice cream, yes.

[Nepsotic]

But surely Mudokons themselves wouldn't be the target audience for Mudokon pops.

[Varrok]

Who knows, they were for Soulstorm Brew

[Nepsotic]

But did the Muds in that know what exactly they were drinking?

Mudokon Pops isn't exactly a subtle name.

[Varrok]

They're dumb enough to walk into meat saws / laser fields just because Abe told them so, so maybe they wouldn't notice?

[Bullet Magnet]

Mudokon Pops are for mudokons. Made by mudokons, for mudokons. Logic, people!

[Nepsotic]

More like, made with Mudokons.

[MeechMunchie]

Girl Scout Cookies