Well, what more can I say that hasn't already been said? I suppose I'll just rebutt some things in here that rubbed me the wrong way:
Um, part of that is true, that the FPS games are more popular than the 2D games from yesteryear, but I do believe that Lorne liked the FPS genre as he said he got a lot of his inspiration from Halo. It's just that back then he wasn't able to do some of the things that he could do these days and so that's why only recently he's been able to perfect the gameplay as well as the great story.
So that's it? Fangus is history? No more? What about the Stranger engine? Gone? No one cares anymore? What are they going to do now then? Sit on their fat asses and veg out? I'm getting tired of all this "good news."
Says who? The Stranger engine is scrapped, right? I mean, they could have easily used it for Fangus, but that being cancelled, I'm betting that it's totally scrapped by now, since it has no use anymore. Munch's Exoddus... Right... Like I wanted Munch's ODDYSEE, let alone a sequel to that. Why revert back to the collect-a-thon gameplay and the gummy control? God I hated that game.
He was really detailed, and I loved that more than anything else. He could have been scrawny as hell, as long as he has great attention to detail on him. I really had no beef with that, but I suppose it could have looked more unique. But, meh, it's DEAD, so you got your wish ;)

Munch's Oddysee was planned to be much more than it was. Abe was going to meet the Queen Glukkon and help her to escape. Molluck was supposed to face off in court with the queen Glukkon, Lady Margaret. Munch was even supposed to have a hulk-like alter ego named Roid (origonally, Munch was also used to test steroids) that would rise when Munch became angered. But all of these were scrapped because of time restraints and game limitations.

Munch's Exoddus provides some hope for Munch's story, though. Abe can still help out Sam (the Queen Mud), and there's still the possibility for a trial. Roid might be history, though.

Just try to remember, it's not always the gaming quality, but the quintology is there to tell a story.

I don't think Munch's Exoddus will come out anytime soon. I think Lorne wants to expand his ideas and creative genius to other I.P.'s.

I really hope that they are focusing on working with Citizen Siege. The idea of it sounds awesome, judging by the title of the game of course.

So I was correct? Oddworld Inhabitants are not dead, just downsized and moving onto other medias, as well as Fangus being shelved. Thank the lord I didn't make rash assumptions, but rather infer from all the information I had.

Still, it's a crying shame to see Oddworld make such a decision.

Alcar...

These business changes are not sudden, they've been planning them for ages. Which is why it makes no sense that they would announce Fangus and then say it has been scrapped all within a week.

Which is why I think that we are either misinterpreting the statements or it is an april fools prank. Note that none of the games news sites have reported anything about OWI canning all game production, which means they have not put out any official press release about it, which means that all we are basing this on is a couple of people's blogs. Hardly a convincing source.

Of course, I get the impression that Fangus was just a game that was intendended to put their new engine to good use, as well as making more money more their movies in a relatively cheap manner (engine is made, people familiar, less development time, etc).

If it is an April Fools joke, then they've done an excellent job. They've conned two major gaming websites, and had Oddworld employees state on their blogs that they've been fired, and Oddworld is ceasing game development. Not too mention, the news has spread to Oddworld alumni, who I would suspect would not be too happy about being conned by their friends either. I wish I could say that I believe it is a huge April Fools joke, but I really, really, really, doubt it.

As for 'a couple of peoples blogs'. Considering they actually work for the company, I'd say it is fairly accurate. I'd have though that gaming websites, being media, and in it primarily for the money, would be less trustworthy. Ignacio Castano has mentioned that what has been 'marketed' [published by the media] is actually crap.

Alcar...

Ignacio Castano has mentioned that what has been 'marketed' [published by the media] is actually crap. => meaning it was produced by the publishers and developers, which in this case would be a good thing if we could get an official call.

I believe he was referring to what Lorne mentioned on GameSpy, and what GamaSutra had published. Oddworld currently has Majesco as its publisher, and no word from it has been seen. GameSpy's article was straight from Lorne.

Alcar...

I was not trying to be misleading, it was an error on the part of the two employees that said Oddworld is dead/end of oddworld, the title used the very quote that was used. Because the two quotes contained information that was not included in the Gamespy article, and were posted a few hours afterwards, it misleaded myself and others to believe this was breaking news announcing they had given up. The information has been corrected, so things aren't so bad.

I had internet problems since a couple of day and what do I see?
Oddworld is changing radically, and there are so much infos over here about this, can someone please make a short version of the whole story please

(additionally to that I'm coping with huge personal problems, sorry about that)

The first thing we ever saw about this was the GameSpy article featuring Lorne Lanning. Basically, Lorne passed on information to them that Oddworld had decided to close its game development facility in SLO, and move to Berkeley with a smaller core team. Why? So that they could reach new medias, and be able to use a different method of development, one using outsourcing.

Basically, Oddworld Inhabitants will continue to develop things. From the information I've received, and from the prior knowledge of such things, I inferred that Fangus had been shelved (just like HOO, SS, etc). Nothing official has come out yet, but I doubt we'll get a statement direct from OWI. Perhaps a gaming website, which isn't direct, nor can we completely rely on the moronic journalists to not scew the information.

Alcar...

thank you Alcar...

well this is a big news to me
I still can't decide if it's a good news, or a bad news...
I guess we'll have to wait and see, like we always do

I understand, MojoMan, but as we learnt more about the exact circumstances, it became highly inaccurate. Oddworld is far from dead, and we don't want to mislead people when they first visit GD.

I'm judging that workers' blogs are a fairly accurate way of getting elementary facts, but there's so much subjective interpretation in reading them that it's a bit irresponcible of a large media to compose an entire news article on that information alone. They come up with conclusions that are far cries from the facts presented.

More Oddworld in less time doesn't mean its going to be quality Oddworld! Man i soo depressed Oddworld was the reason i got into animation, now they are outsourcing work, I loved this company becasue they had the balls to create all their work inhouse and keep up the quality!

I just don't know, guess time will tell how things turn out.

the qualtity is what I'm the most worried about...
and the contunuity, how are they going to keep their whole world coherent by splitting it all the time?

Hire me as continuity manager!!! :p

I still have hope for Fangus. I mean, I think it'd look bad on a company if they announced something and then quickly took it back.
"Oh...nevermind. We forgot that we don't want to make this game. Our bad."

I would assume OWI knew they were making this step in a new direction for a while...it didn't just pop out of thin air. So, thinking that way...if the descision OWI made wasn't sudden, then it wouldn't compromise Fangus production. They already had this planned.

-oddguy

they can still say it was an april fool joke, even if the project was real...
so many things are happening at OWI we don't know about

I hope Fangus will come out
even if I realy begin to doubt so

Well, even if Fangus doesn't come out, I know OWI will be releasing some sweet stuff. I'll be happy with whatever they produce...especially in this new media.

-oddguy

Although technically they won't be producing it. Just to make that clear.

We also have to remember that both Fangus and the downsizing of Oddworld were not thought of on a whim within the week. They must have planned for this downsizing whilst doing Fangus, and especially whilst releasing information to that gaming magazine.

Well...Lornes final words in the article were comforting. I'm not sure what to make of this. They're concentrating on the story and characters. Lorne won't be able to keep a close eye on the techy people and poke them when they're going off track or when they aren't achieving the desired outcome. How will they get concepts across unaltered? People will want their stamp on things, a little tweek here and there. Lorne seems pretty enthusiastic but...the way I see it, despite the smaller cost to OWI, it also means less creative control.

heheh, I fully agree with dipstik on Fangus, I mean, I think I made it clear on the thread where the first appereance was announced, it was way too much like stranger, almost like a cheap shot off. And I dont see why you're all so up in arms about Fangus, after the whole fairytale deal and the "Hand of ODD" ordeal, I'd think you people would be used to things like this coming from OWI :p...though I guess the fans that are up in arms are the new ones, and not the people were around for Hand of ODD c.c.....goes to show the ugly side of the forum.

The way I learnt about this was far scarier, the flaming banner thingy for the april fools, and then not being sure what part exactly was april fools(closing of OWI or OWF), but I still took my time to look up all the info and read all the bits, until I finally came to the article.

I just hope this does not make OWI feel corporate, that it can keep it's unique feel up to the tech aspects...because, I think of all the non OW games out there, and I feel they all look the same, and knowing that the Simpsons does this outsourcing deal is not reasuring at all, I've absolutely despised the look of the Simpsons for a while now, I'd by far rather see the rough expressive drawings of the first season than this weenie production line impersonal shit that's coming out.

Still, I trust Lorne to pull the cable once again if things get as bad as the simpsons.

I am personally not going to give up on the april fool's joke untill I hear something official.

The GameSpy article was official.

I wouldnt mind an oddworld movie being made.

so this means there not going to make a new oddworld game

they are not going to do it themselves...
some other companies still may

Well dont have a funeral yet. Fangus is still possible

Correct me if I'm wrong, but OWI's new plan of outsourcing certain aspects of game production doesn't mean OWI themselves wouldn't have any hand in making the games. This isn't like Oddworld on Gameboy. The article clearly stated that a small team at OWI would be involved in the characters, story, and design of the game, while the outsourcing would be for the technical parts. Programming etc...

-oddguy

some people of OWI were involved in the creation of MO on GBA...
but it would be the same with a bigger presence of the inhabitants regarding the story and artistic feel.