SOBE bugged me because incorporating a real marketing concept into a world that's supposed to be believable destroys any attempt at credibility and immersion. It's different when you use parody or metaphor - at least in those cases you can illustrate a point by making a connection between the unknown (in Oddworld) and the known in real life. And if they're done well, parodies are subtle enough to work on several levels so you aren't clubbed with their meaning over and over again.
2. Lorne said he saw games as a new storytelling medium - but he hasn't actually shown us any unique GAMEPLAY storytelling method besides the old sequence+cutscene+sequence technique. If they're taking that approach, you might as well release a film (please). And there's really little connection between the uber-athlete Abe in gameplay and the cutscenes.
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