Why
 

Why did they think it would be okay to port a 3D platformer to mobile? There are /some/ that can work with touchscreen.

I can almost promise you this is not one of them.

They just release the games on every platform possible to gain a bit a cash.

I certainly won't be buying it. The controls are shite even on a console let alone a tiny, shitty touch screen with those frigging virtual controls.

I managed to make it all the way to Buzzarton on those fiddly controls on the iPhone.

I had to get the Looten Duke dead, mind. Planted Fuzzles next to every fan, I was taking no chances.

It might just be the perfect iOS platformer, it’s so slow and ponderous you don’t need precise controls.

Opening with a fart. They really know their target audience.

From Facebook:

Gameplay:

Are you aware we're not talking about the SW port?

Yes. I was just stating how surprised I was by the adequacy of the aforementioned confusing virtual controls, so I won't be letting that get in the way of my decision to buy Munch for my phone.

ah I get you.

What about the quality of the game, will that stop you?

Mobile games are shit. Munch's Oddysee on mobile is shit squared.

They are so lazy : they didn't even change the ad from 2001 (first video) !

Well why should they, really? If we assume this is a smaller project that they’re not dedicating much time and resources on, what would be the sense in putting so much work into reshooting an entirely new trailer?

They could have at least redone a voiceover or recorded some new footage from the actual app.

Cinematic Trailer:

LULU: WHAT THE - WHA- WHAT THE HELL IS GOIN ON HERE?!

MUNCH: C'mon Abe. I need that Gabbiar, watta-ya doing?!

*Abe looks up from his iPhone*

ABE: Uh... Sorry Munch. I'm just addicted to the new Mobile Version of Munch's Oddysee, available on iTunes now!

*smiles at camera to a cheesy Kachinnggggg*

You just made my day.

I have no experience with virtual controls, but judging by my little brother's ability to play games I wouldn't have thought possible on a mobile platform, I think it's safe so say this could work, as far as controls are concerned.

I'm not entirely clear who they're trying to sell this to though. Most Oddworld fans probably already have Munch's Oddysee on PC and I doubt it's going to be vastly superior for mobile play. And I don't think the mobile gaming market is going to find Munch a smash hit. Perhaps that's a bit harsh to old Munch though.

I'm obviously not privy to JAW & OWI's Market Research, but personally I would have thought their biggest chance of recouping enough spends to produce a new Oddworld Game (asides from the HD Remakes)would have been releasing the original AO and AE on Mobile.

It's pretty perfect for a Mobile and who knows, could further rejuvenate the Oddworld Buzz.

Sprite based games are harder to port when you have to support a wide variety of screen sizes. They just wouldn't look anywhere near as good scaled.

Also, there are a few spots where you need to be dang near perfect with the timing of your button presses. I can't work out how they'd get that right for mobile.

Also, they don't have the source code for AO and AE in a buildable form. That's why they're still not available for Linux or Mac, and why achievements were not added.

If the sprites and backgrounds are just 2d images of 3d models, couldn't they simply render them for different resolutions?

Come to think of it, it should be relatively easy to create AO HD. Does anyone know why no one has released a remastered AO and AE? Doubt i'm the first to think of this but search isn't turning anything up.

EDIT

Oh wait that is probably why. I assume they've misplaced the art assets as well? When was this confirmed?

More importantly how the does this even happen. If my studio spent several thousand man hours making a game, i'd try to hang onto the source.

Only if you have the art assets that the sprites are generated from. If not, you’d either have to redo the sprites from scratch or upscale the existing ones.


If I had to guess, it would be a combination of:

• Game dev tools from 1997/1998 that are no longer compatible with modern PCs
• Game dev in the late 90s not having the sort of source control and backup tools that modern developers could rely on, or using obsolete versions that are no longer in use
• The studio closing down and as a result the original creators of all the assets not being around any more to help you find stuff
• And throw the odd simple human error on top of all that. Maybe Lorne lost a hard drive down the back of his sofa or something.

@OWI please ffs this'd be amazing

The important part of my post was 'in buildable form'. I'm working from very vague memories of things that Stewart/Wil/Lorne said, but IIRC most of the source code still exists, they just couldn't get all the software necessary to build it (as Manco suggested).

Figuring out how other people's code works is a pain. Studying your own code that is several years old is essentially the same thing. So even if they had all the sources it still would have taken considerable effort to build an operational version let alone to modify something significant. Even building it on the very same software they used back then does not guarantee that it works right away. I doubt that someone other than some enthusiast is going to waste time to 'revive' those sources.

http://i.imgur.com/gD185QQ.png

Doesn't really clarify the situation, but it's something.

Any way to have a link to that post?

No, I'd have to deal with a news feed of NYE bullshit to find it again :p

edit: Actually that was really easy.