Next Oddworld game news...

[Jordan]

Time to repeat what i've said countless times: DON'T get excited about anything to do with OWI until there is concrete evidence that it is happeing. And i mean CONCRETE. It's not there fault, but if I was a Mudokon, i would have to use my fingers and toes to count the amount of games they've had to cancel. And then theres MO, which DID come out in the end, butit ended up terrible in the end. It's a shame that it had to happen to OWI, since they're surely one of the greatest game related companies.

Dude. At least we're getting some news. We didn't hear from OWI in years, let us live a little. And it's not exactly their fault MO turned out like it did. Besides, it wasn't even THAT bad.

[Xavier]

Jeff Braun - the transcript

http://www.cordweekly.com/cordweekly...4&news_id=1777

what he said:

So what are you up to now?

(Jeff Braun) I like to get involved in things that are sort of innovative. I’m working with a group that created the Oddworld Games. They’ve come up with some really clever new ideas and I’ve been helping them for about a year to bring it to fruition. What it is – the animation tools are getting so good that you can actually have pretty high quality animation and developing a video game that is 1:1 on the graphics. So you’re not just playing the video game of the animation – you are actually on the set of the animation – the objects are exactly the same. I was really intrigued by this – so I don’t know when or how – we’ve been working on it for a few years.

I’ve been really intrigued with this idea of mixed media – there’s an online component and a linear TV component. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, and the tools are now getting to the point where there’re pretty damn good. My understanding is that the new Grand Theft Auto has a pretty good story. The one thing that the gaming industry has done very very poor at is storytelling. I’m intrigued by the idea of doing better at that. So that’s sort of what I’ve been toying with.

How is life since Maxis?

I’m just enjoying the fruits of my labour I guess. I have a passion for the industry, so I never quite left. I like to be involved with smart people in the industry. That’s why I’m working with these Oddworld folks. They are really smart and very creative and I can help them. I like to have that foot in my door at all times. I’ve definitely pulled back since I left electronic arts.

I remember listening to Lorne Lanning on the 1up Yours podcast and he spoke about how the small nature of Oddworld Inhabitants has really allowed them to explore and try new ideas. Sometimes it feels like that it is hard to find innovation and truly fresh ideas – is Inhabitants really pushing boundaries?

They are just really really smart – and a great history and a lot of knowledge. What I’m helping with is the business side of things - not so much on the innovation and creativity side - and how to come out stronger as opposed to weaker. There are a lot of ‘gotchas’ in the game industry, with the publisher relationships and it’s a tricky minefield, so I’ve been trying to help them.

They are one of the most creative groups, and I’ve known them for so long, so it’s really a pleasure to go in and say, “Lets see what we can do here.”

When I left EA it was because I hadn’t seen any innovation in a while. I didn’t for six years from 2000 to 2006. Once I saw the Wii I said, “here’s some new blood and new innovation.” So it’s really exciting with what I’m doing with Oddworld to see if we can somehow pull it off. It’s not easy. That’s the thing that motivates me – to be involved with something that is innovative.

[Fuzzle Guy]

He's not talking about it like it's a new game set on Oddworld But it still sounds cool. Thanks Xavier. Stop being so helpful. I can't rep you as much as I'd like!

And it's not exactly their fault MO turned out like it did. Besides, it wasn't even THAT bad.

Who's was it then?

[Munch's Master]

Well, Microsoft did put them in a contract that made them have to rush it out as a launch title product instead of giving it the time to be properly made.

[Oddsville]

Good find Xav! This sounds like they've got a project that'll come out in multiple forms, like the tv show we've heard about. Sounds like they've got something really unuiqe comming out to have Bruan so excited. Hopefully we'll here more soon!

[OddYouko]

All this info is killing me! I still can't wait to see all this stuff!
Great stuff Xavier!

[Sanssouci]

Sounds even more like he's talking about Citizen Siege now we have the proper transcript.

[MeechShrykull1029]

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...oddworld-title

It is an Oddworld game.

[Wil]

Not necessarily. Lorne does not say the game is set on Oddworld; he says it is ‘Oddworld stuff’. With a studio name like Oddworld Inhabitants, this description can apply to anything he comes up with, including Citizen Siege, which we already know is meant to have two games associated with it.

[MeechShrykull1029]

It says it's based on the Oddworld franchise.

[Wings of Fire]

There are two Citizen Siege video games planned.7 The first of these is Wage Wars,8 intended to be released before the Citizen Siege film to support a ‘synergy’ between the two that has yet to be revealed.7 Wage Wars will be an online game,8 and may be digitally distributed.6 The second game has yet to be announced.

Is what we know about the CS games, if we assume this game to be a CS game then we also assume that CS will take a lot longer to be developed than previously anticipated because as the article states:

But with a slow and measured production schedule subject to Braun's own entrepreneurial business model, it may be "years" before the game is actually shipped.

And we already know that the game and film for CS will be released around the same time because of some 'Synergy'.

Therefore if he is talking about a CS film this is actually bad news.

Alternatively if Lorne can be trusted with his '2010' prediction for CS then it either stems the possibility of the mystery game being a CS game or means Braun is far more careless with his wording than would have been imagined for a veteran of press interviews.

[Wil]

It says it's based on the Oddworld franchise.

The journalist says it’s based on Oddworld. Journalists do not dictate the truth. I believe they are being premature calling this an Oddworld game when we know Lorne is working on different IPs now.

Is what we know about the CS games, if we assume this game to be a CS game then we also assume that CS will take a lot longer to be developed than previously anticipated […] we already know that the game and film for CS will be released around the same time because of some 'Synergy'.

I don’t think Lorne is so dead​set on getting everything out in the right order that he would delay the film by years just to get the game released first.

[Nate]

EDIT: Max got in first.

It says it's based on the Oddworld franchise.

It's probably safe to assume that the reporter doesn't understand the point that Max made in his last post.