Exclusive Interview with Lorne Lanning

Havoc · #1 05-13-2005, 11:53 AM

While I was cleaning my room just an hour ago, I came accross an unopend copy of a popular Dutch gaming magazine; Power Unlimited. It was the copy of Febuary in which I not only found a membership card which I can get discounts on games for, but also an exclusive interview with Lorne Lanning about their new asset (back then not yet released): Strangers Wrath. I tried to translate it the best I could, so here we go.

PU: Stranger’s Wrath was announced as a PS2 and X-box title. Though now it has only appeared on X-box?
Lanning: Strangers Wrath started out as an X-box exclusive title. There never were any plans to take it to PS2 until we signed a contract at EA. They brought in a team of very talented PS2 developers who would toy around with the game a bit. In the end it all came down to timing though; a PS2 version simply wouldn’t be done on time.

PU: You left Microsoft. Had a fight?
Lanning: No, we left in good judgement from both sides and the feeling we both should go our own ways was working both ways. And I still stand behind my point about X-box being a superior piece of hardware, which I like to develop games for.

PU: Did you choose for Stranger on purpose since the last Oddworld game (Munch’s Oddysee) didn’t turn out to be a big commercial success?
Lanning: Munch was a very good learning school. Both creative wise as business wise. Munch sold pretty well by the way, so it was somewhat a success. And if I could speak for gaming in general; some games are downright crap but become a success because of a very slick commercial campaign. The same goes vice versa.
This time our game is balanced on all fronts, because in the end making a game no one wants to play isn’t good – for anyone. EA is known for the powerful marketing, so we are putting our hopes in that. But in the end all that matters to me is to make an entertaining game that just happens to sell relatively good. Great marketing doesn’t make me or my team proud. A good game does.

PU: What were the inspirations for Stranger? I clearly detect some Clint Eastwood.
Lanning: Clint has defiantly been of some influence. Just like the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone. But Stranger is more then a gun-slinging desperado. The inspiration for the hero came from multiple angles. He isn’t human but does have a lot of human emotions where gamers can reflect themselves in. He uses his arms and legs as a gorilla, but can run with the speed of a cheetah, so he has a lot of animal markings as well.

PU: Who came up with the idea for live ammo? I myself find this a great idea!
Lanning: Well thank you very much! The idea was crawling around with me, and the team started to work it out. A lot of our ideas are based on the nature around us. Also it’s a fairly known tactic for hunters, fishermen and Indians to use animals as bate. We wanted to have the shooting element, but at the same time wanted Stranger to hate guns. We didn’t want to make it to violent.

PU: What kind of thing is Stranger anyway? A dog? A wolf? A bear-like creature?
Lanning: Yes, yes, yes and a lot more (laughs).

PU: Is this a one-time trip, or will we see more of Stranger?
Lanning: I’m almost sure we will see plenty more of Stranger. There is more then enough content to create an own franchise but he could possibly also play a role in another game. But I don’t want to get ahead on things.

PU: Will we see Abe and Munch ever again?
Lanning: Abe and Munch have stars in their eyes! When you see them again, it will be on a much bigger screen!

PU: The past Oddworld games were know for their funny hidden messages. Does Strangers Wrath have one of those messages?
Lanning: Definitely! The message of over-consuming is strongly present in Stranger Wrath, but its more fun to discover that yourself before I start preaching about it.

Source: The Community

Kimon · #2 05-13-2005, 12:04 PM

Cool! If we can trust what he said (or still hold him to it after the "reorganization") Stranger will be back and Abe and Munch will be on the big screen. Very nice find, but I'm not sure if I can trust it or not.

Oddish · #3 05-13-2005, 12:10 PM

Good find Havoc, and work.

I don't know how old this interview is

It's seems a bit old, well it dosn't seem new news. Yeah, it seems a bit old to me.

Havoc · #4 05-13-2005, 01:02 PM

It's prolly from around January. In any case before the release of OSW. But if the interview was real (and I have no reason to think otherwise, this is a verry proffesional magazine who also hates all the other magazines who post fake info and stuff), then we now have a confirmation there will be an animation film someday.

Oddish · #5 05-13-2005, 01:05 PM

Yeah Havoc, there will be

Film or and TV. But I'm sure about Stranger 2 though

Rich · #6 05-13-2005, 01:23 PM

This interview is from January. Before Stranger's release. It's also before Lorne fired 75% of the company. Also, the so-called 'good' EA marketting sucked.

Esus · #7 05-13-2005, 01:44 PM

I think it's the closest OWI have got to saying 'The Quintology is never gonna be in games, just films'.

Havoc · #8 05-13-2005, 02:26 PM

And I think thats a verry wise choise. We have gotten a 'trailer' in the form of games. We have seen the rough doodle's of the movie's in the games. Now it's time for the real deal

.

odd chick · #9 05-13-2005, 03:10 PM

:

Cool! If we can trust what he said (or still hold him to it after the "reorganization") Stranger will be back and Abe and Munch will be on the big screen. Very nice find, but I'm not sure if I can trust it or not.

For some reason, I feel the same way. All of this sounds really awesome and amazing, but with the recent changes that OWI has went through, I'm not sure if I can trust any of this. :/

Nepharski · #10 05-13-2005, 05:08 PM

Good work Havoc!

:

PU: Will we see Abe and Munch ever again?
Lanning: Abe and Munch have stars in their eyes! When you see them again, it will be on a much bigger screen!

Pass the popcorn, Leorne.

***Xavier*** · #11 05-14-2005, 03:12 AM

Good interview, but I guess some parts in there have changed with the way the company is going now...

better late then never

Havoc · #12 05-14-2005, 09:01 AM

I havn't been paying much attention to OWI lately. Would someone please fill me in on what has been happening?

***Xavier*** · #13 05-14-2005, 09:26 AM

take a looksy here:
http://www.gamespy.com/articles/599/599811p1.html

Havoc · #14 05-14-2005, 09:40 AM

Alrighty. I'm updated

. Looks to me like a reasonable plan. Lorne has always been daring in using new idea's. The entire Oddworld concept to start with was a great chalange which was not sure to work. But it did. I have confidence in Lorne that what he's doing is right.

Oddish · #15 05-14-2005, 10:50 AM

:

I think it's the closest OWI have got to saying 'The Quintology is never gonna be in games, just films'.

They havn't quit from games.

Esus · #16 05-14-2005, 11:25 AM

Yeah I know. The interview implied that the Quintology werent going to be games, though.

Havoc · #17 05-14-2005, 02:35 PM

Maybe not from Abe and Munch anymore. But I'd rather see them on the big screen anyway. I hope they carry on Strangers story. It's much more fitting for games. Abe and Munch deserve to be in the theaters

. Not some dusty old game (no offence to Oddworld offcourse, I loved the games so far)

.

***Nate*** · #18 05-14-2005, 10:08 PM

:

Yeah I know. The interview implied that the Quintology werent going to be games, though.

I don't think so. It just implied that the movies (at least Abe & Munch's) would come out before any further quintology games.

:

EA is known for the powerful marketing, so we are putting our hopes in that.

Heh.

***Xavier*** · #19 05-15-2005, 01:37 AM

:

EA is known for the powerful marketing, so we are putting our hopes in that.

this line just make me very sad right now...

*yells at EA even more

Havoc · #20 05-15-2005, 02:15 AM

Yea... that was maybe one of the mistakes they DID make... going into contract with EA is a BAD idea...

***Xavier*** · #21 05-15-2005, 06:21 AM

hmm, it wasn't realy a bad idea, EA could have promoted the game very good... but they didn't succeed to put it on PS2 aswell, that's why there was no advertising

***Nate*** · #22 05-15-2005, 04:50 PM

That's like saying "It wasn't really a bad idea to sell my soul to Satan, he could have helped me a lot before sucking my soul down to the depths of hell to writhe in eternal torment".

Havoc · #23 05-19-2005, 12:49 PM

I have seen a lot of Game company's come and go into EA's hands, and all of them died a terrible death. If Oddworld will at any point cease to exists, I'm almost certain we can pin the blame on EA. It's a discussion we have had a lot in the history of gaming. EA is the satan of the gaming industrie.

***Nate*** · #24 05-21-2005, 09:56 PM

On the plus side, at least OWI didn't actually sell themselves to EA (though I'm sure EA would have wanted that) so EA can't close them down like they have so many others.

***Xavier*** · #25 05-22-2005, 01:09 AM

you are all talking of other studios that have been closed by EA...
can we have some names?

Gretin · #26 05-22-2005, 02:11 AM

Just doing this from memory, but Westwood Studios, the creators of the Command & Conquer series, merged with EA. (In other words, EA shut them down and took control of the C&C titles.

:

On the plus side, at least OWI didn't actually sell themselves to EA

Agreed! I would hate for Oddworld to become like the example I just stated before, the C&C games just haven't been the same since EA took over.

***Nate*** · #27 05-22-2005, 08:37 PM

:

EA is sometimes criticized as "the Microsoft of the games industry", specifically that they buy smaller development studios primarily for their intellectual property assets, and then make the developers produce run-of-the-mill games on these same franchises. For example, Origin produced Ultima VIII: Pagan and Ultima IX: Ascension under EA's ownership, and these two are considered among the worst of the series, obviously aimed at lowest common denominator audience (Richard Garriott, the originator of the Ultima series, wasn't fond of EA at all, and previous Ultima games contained some subtle attacks on EA). In general, late productions have generally been not known for their originality. EA is also criticized for shutting down studios that it acquires. Studios such as Origin, Westwood Studios and Bullfrog, had previously produced games attracting a significant fanbase.

taken from link

Dancing Steef · #28 05-30-2005, 12:41 AM

:

Yeah Havoc, there will be

Film or and TV. But I'm sure about Stranger 2 though

I agree with Oddish...I read once on a site, ( I can't remember it's name, but anyway) about Lorne and his movieproduction and he said that he'll be doing a movie without Oddworld...i think it's sad but i'm looking forward to the movie though

even if it's not goin ta be non-oddworld. but as Oddish metioned, hoping on a new game with Stranger...yeah i'm sure bout that to

Dark Elite_H2 · #29 05-30-2005, 08:15 AM

I just read on the main page of the site, sayin' Lorne isn't going to stop OWI. (Yes, I just figured 'dis out

) But what makes me excited, is 'dat he ain't goin' to stop the games from OWI, and goin' to feature Stranger (yes, he's my favorite character outta Oddworld games) Munch, and Abe in other games, which is really cool, but on a bigger screen. (I just figured 'dis out, so please, don't make fun of me.... >.<)

Also, Lorne IS planning on makin' a Oddworld movie, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath. (If you saw on the main site, the link "Making of the OSW movie") and also read it on another link of the main page. I think he already confirmed it. (Think, I said THINK.)

***Xavier*** · #30 05-30-2005, 08:36 AM

sorry but where exactly is he saying something about a stranger movie?