VG 24/7 - It’s not a fucking HD remake
 

Lorne Lanning says fuck and... you know... some other stuff:

http://www.vg247.com/2014/03/25/oddw...ing-hd-remake/

Yeah man fuck the system it's all their fault

It is a fucking remake, though. It's not a fucking upgrade and it's not a fucking update and it's not a fucking sequel - it's a fucking remake. They're making a new fucking game from scratch based on a fucking old game - it's a motherfucking fucking remake! Fuck!

Fuck yeah! And it's going to be fucking good!

It's not an "HD remake". "HD remake" has a specific and consistent meaning to developers, press and consumers. It means taking the original code and assets and then improving them. We like the word "remaster" because it's a nice parallel across music and film. Remastered music and films are the same as ever, but a polished, better quality (unless you don't like the polish, I guess).

New 'n' Tasty isn't that. Abe's Oddysee HD would be the same game with some tinkering under the hood to support controllers, higher-res backgrounds and sprites, higher bitrate audio, stuff like that. It wouldn't be HD, because the backgrounds were made in 640 × 480, but that's the kind of thing people would expect from an "HD remake".

Hopefully you'll agree we've been working on something a bit more impressive than that. That's why we're keen to steer clear of the "HD remake" mislabel.

In a way, I suppose he's right, it's technically not a HD remake, Munch HD and Stranger HD were the exact same games with upgraded graphics.

New N Tasty, is a little different, it's not a 2D game with flip screens is it, it's a 3D game with a scrolling camera.

But I suppose that's the deep way of looking at it, at face value, yeah it's a HD remake.

Basically it could have been called an HD remake if all those other guys (developers, press and consumers) simply called games with upgraded visuals HD remasters and not HD remakes. But now it's too late, the damage is done, they misnamed it and ruined it for everyone and you can't call it a HD remake.

So what do you call it now?

NnT is a remake in the way that the term is used in the film industry. Anyone who uses 'remake' for a graphical remastering is wrong. Thankfully, I can't think of many cases where that term has been used; mostly I've seen that sort of thing described as 'HD Update'.

Having said that, in my last post I was mostly responding to the vehemence of Lorne's claim. He wasn't clarifying a distinction or objecting to a mis-used term; he said the game was not a fucking remake, when it is. It fucking is.

Actually he said "...and it’s not a fucking HD remake." I think HD is the key term here.

New N Tasty won't be in HD! :O

I thought HD remake meant a fully fledged remake of the game suited for high definition screens/consoles. On the other hand I assumed remaster or update meant taking the original game and editing the assets so they looked better. I'm really confused by the terminology at the minute.

They should call it "True HD Remake" and get on with it.

I agree with you that the term is wrong and misleading. I disagree that the term isn't often used in the way I've described. If it wasn't, then there wouldn't really be a problem.

Even without the association "HD remake" carries with it, calling it an "HD remake" is a bit like calling it a "full-colour remake". We're making it in the 2010s, HD support is default and assumed.

Agreed. A 'HD Remake' is when they take an already existing game, like MO or SW, and spruce it up a bit with better graphics. This has been built from nothing. (Only thing that was there before was a concept and other non-physical stuff. They've pretty much built an entirely new game and without the concept, etc, it would be an entirely new game.

I agree it's the term itself which is at fault. The game IS a remake. But not in the same way most HD remakes are.

I understand Lorne's frustration, especially with all these half arsed 'HD Remakes' that have come out recently. He doesn't want to associate his game with those lot.

Ok I got your point about the "HD" part.

Can we say Reimagination or Reinterpretation then? :p

The best way to think of it is really that when LucasArts released the special edition Monkey Island games, those were HD Remakes/Remasters, the same game, updated art and smoother graphics in general with some other features without editing the core game.

This, on the other hand, is changing both the graphics, the design of the graphics themselves, as well as the new scrolling camera providing what we can assume to be a change of the gameplay itself. On top of that, it's more than a simple update of the graphics, the level backdrops have changed to accommodate the new 3D abilities (notably the lack of barrels so that you can see more of RuptureFarms' structure).

Essentially if this were a HD remake, I mean the graphics would maintain 2D like the original, but better rendered backdrops/character sprites (possibly a parallax effect for the backdrop), this is more than that; it's actual 3D.

I can understand Lorne's sentiment here. Ultimately, he's invested time money and love into this product and he wants to make a distinction that he feels this game stands above the market of 'HD remakes'. I dunno, I do feel this is also partly an unsolvable discussion about semantics.

I think it's great to see that he has such passion and drive when talking about the game, it's comforting.

IGN have reported on Lorne's comments regarding the incorrect naming, and the amount of people in the comments who have said they'll buy it just because of him speaking out against EA is truly beautiful. Maybe Lorne's outlandish nature in interviews is doing some good for New N' Tasty!

A link to the article if anyone's interested: http://au.ign.com/articles/2014/03/2..._medium=social

I get the feeling that Lanning is releasing years of bottled anger. Who can blame him? I guess he is in a solid position now after teaming up with J.A.W and the success of the HD games and is at a point where his comments wont affect him. I imagine if he said that just after releasing SW for the Xbox EA would have worked their infinite powers to do something.

Like he said in his interview with Caddy. You will forgive us for delaying it but you wont forgive us for messing it up.

I think the word you're looking for is "Reboot"

It is not exactly that either. Reboots tend to have changes in the story or the setting (spiderman, tomb raider, ...). This is not the case here.

I think remake works. HD just suggests improved visuals.

An official comparison video closer to release might not be a bad idea.

Or they could just use mine :tard:

I agree with CP, it is a remake, as the game is being made, again. It is not an "HD Remake." SW was an HD remake, because it's only thing it did was get updated graphics. N'n'T is going to be HD, sure, but being HD isn't it's purpose.

It would be easier to talk about if the word "remaster" was bandied about more.

SW was not a remake, as it was not remade in any way. It was an update, or a remastering.

Just because everyone else is getting the terminology wrong doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to be correct.

You're right, but N'n'T still is a remake.

I agree that it's not a fucking HD remake. As far as I can tell, it's a totally inanimate HD remake.

I like Lorne's idea of making singleplayer a more communal experience, though. The people at Extra Credits are always going on about how part of a healthy relationship with games is being able to enjoy other people playing.

Yup, what he said.

To me NnT is a remake of AO, and no amount of Lorne's "Fuck"s can change that. ;)

But Lorne said "it's not a fucking HD remake". The distinction being that all HD means is an improvement of visuals.

It belies the amount of effort gone into rebuilding this game entirely from the ground up. It is a remake but not a HD remake which has a specific set of connotations that Lorne doesn't want in the mind of the average consumer. "HD remake" suggests a simple HD update and some may feel it's not worth their time.

"HD" is the key phrase that Lorne seems to be poo-pooing. Not "remake".

While we are on the subject of HD and visuals and wot not.

This is aimed at the PC players here, but am I alone when I say there should be an ultra graphics setting? I want to be able to see every thread, dust mote and stain on Abes loin cloth if possible.:p

The people at Extra Credits are the most smarmy, and precious little fuckers I've ever heard. I literally hate them. I watch their little show sometimes when I'm bored just to remind myself of why I hate them. I'm not saying they are necessarily wrong most of the time. Just that their approach makes me want to hit them until they bleed.

Also, it is a remake. I've never seen anyone refer to a remake as a remaster. Ever. Not once. This is a remake, fucking or not.

I say we should just all call it a 're-imagining'. :)

Or 'a potentially great game that we shouldn't be fussing over what to call it and just call it what the developers have officially called it'. :P

Clearly, I'm too much the contrarian to do anything the developers want me to do. Especially when they're wrong. Like they are right now.

I still don't get it. Nowhere in the article does Lorne scoff at the idea of New n Tasty being a remake.

He dislikes it being called a "HD remake" which has a different set of connotations.

It's a remake. It's running in HD.

Lorne and company aren't in a position to scoff at anything. They don't have a ton of good will built up around them like some other companies in the indie scene do, and part of the reason is that they come off as being really annoying, snotty people.

I think he just wants to steer people away from this idea of a HD update. (and I guess he's swearing because the interview was conducted in a much more informal setting).

I mean, in the article, the distinction is important to him because "it represents Lanning’s efforts to turn his studio Oddworld Inhabitants, which is publishing New ‘n’ Tasty, into a fully viable independent producer of games." which the idea of HD remakes seem to go against.

And despite what you or I may think it seems that, judging by the comments sections on various game news websites, Lorne's opinions has had a much more positive effect on the gaming community than a negative one. I mean, I even saw some people declaring that they would now support this game when they had no previous inkling to do so.

I mean sometimes I feel the same when Stewart has openly bashed the non-Playstation consoles on a few podcasts. Even if it was only a little bit of light bashing.

But regardless, it would seem that the more disillusioned fans are relatively few and the majority of interested potential consumers are going to buy this game because of their fond Oddworld experiences. Lorne being more open with his opinions than the average developer seems to be gaining him more respect if anything. Although, to be fair, people seem more interested in his publishing views than the semantics of the term "High definition".

Maybe Lorne should reign it in a little bit? I dunno. But he isn't wrong that New n Tasty isn't a HD remake.