A couple of new interviews

Zukan · #1 08-03-2010, 10:56 AM

Nothing about the newly announced JAW games, but interesting opinions from Lorne about the gaming industry and perhaps some insight into what their other upcoming projects might look like.

The Odd Couple - An interview from nowgamer.com dealing with Lorne and Sherry's history leading up to the creation of Oddworld and it's successes. The interview wraps up with some hints of OWI's future.

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when we look at the types of products that we would want to launch with Oddworld today, they would be of a different sort of classical format, rather than the, 'Here's the 30-hour story you're going to unfold through an action-adventure game.' It would be something that's more of a living ecosystem. And I don't mean that in terms of a natural simulation, but I mean in terms of a marketplace that would allow people to have much more custom configuration over their gaming experience."

"On the new landscape, you build a smaller product, you get it out there, you try and learn more from the audience quickly, and then you help the audience have a feedback loop with you. It's a more co-creative process with the audience."

The Making of Abe's Oddysee - Another feature from nowgamer.com taking a behind-the-scenes look of Abe's Oddysee.

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Oddworld was originally to be called SoulStorm but there were a few other games coming out with ‘Soul’ in the title and it was felt it would lead to confusion. A lot of people liked the name Lanning had devised for the company: Oddworld. Although Lanning did not like the idea of having a company named after a property brand, he went along with it. “The publisher GT Interactive acquired the publishing rights on
12 September 1996 and they loved the name ‘Oddworld’, so we felt that maybe Oddworld would cut through more as the name of the game,” he said.

Game Theory with Scott Steinberg - A new show on the changing games industry.

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"A lot of the established players (retailers, publishers) are worried. And they have good reason to be worried. People are finding experiences and products elsewhere, and different business are emerging that these large infrastructure companies aren't used to adapting to, and a lot of them won't be able to adapt to,"

"Anyone who thinks that they're deeply entrenched in an existing business model and that business model is going to sustain is fooling themselves. When we look at the top publishers, and their performance over the last couple years, I think the writing is on the wall."

Daxter King · #2 08-03-2010, 11:33 AM

I don't like the marketplace quote, as it makes me think of buying trivial items for a couple of dollars, something I dont like with the game industry currently. I also think that its strange that Lorne seems to think(just reading and guessing from the first article) that having a big game means you can't have feedback from the audience and alter the experience down the road. It just isn't true, this is probably a bad example, but the amount of changes Gears 2 has gone through from updates taken from the community completely shows big games also can have feedback and be changed.

***Wil*** · #3 08-03-2010, 01:02 PM

Thanks, Zukan. You've fast become our most reliable news hound. I enjoyed the retrospective articles on the creation of Oddworld Inhabitants and Abe's Oddysee. A lot of it, of course, is not new to me but there are some interesting fresh titbits. On the gossip side of things, this is the first time the personal relationship between Lorne and Sherry has been revealed explicitly through the press.

The Scott Steinberg thing is alright for someone who's already familiar with what Scott and the interviewers are talking about, but it was so short on examples, explanations and basic facts. Instead it was just a bunch of big name developers reiterating that there are big changes happening. Without proper information or links to it, it's only so informative. More importantly, whoever thinks that kind of editing is cool needs to be fired.

STM · #4 08-04-2010, 04:20 AM

Well done Zukan for finding this stuff.

Interesting to get some news about how Lorne feels on the industrial company gamer side of things.

As with MtM I new some of that stuff about oddworld already from the book but nice to have some new bits thrown in.

***Xavier*** · #5 08-05-2010, 12:35 AM

Thanks for those interviews Zukan!

GABBITS OWN · #6 08-05-2010, 01:05 AM

Interesting... thanks.

***Wil*** · #7 08-10-2010, 06:24 AM

Games™ has now posted the full interview with Lorne and Sherry on their website. Not previously online are sections about measuring success by profits vs by fans (including the story of Alfred Gamble), and Lorne's retrospective explanation of what happened to the Quintology.

STM · #8 08-10-2010, 06:39 AM

Ty, interesting. I new about Alf Gamble but never about his suicidal bit.

***Wil*** · #9 08-10-2010, 07:33 AM

That's the only bit about him?

Zukan · #10 08-10-2010, 10:31 AM

Thanks Max! I was contemplating buying that issue for the full interview, guess I won't have to now.

Zukan · #11 08-10-2010, 03:33 PM

Episode two of Game Theory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7urDz_J-Gg

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There's so much free, "freemium" being offered to the audience. It's harming a lot of the deeper quality experiences that are finding fewer places to get an outlet, [those] that are the traditional box product model. But at the same time it's opening up a new way of thinking. But I think the most important thing that is being revealed in social-network space is that it's recruiting tens of millions of new users annually that are becoming gamers. Now they're becoming veteran gamers, and we didn't have them before because they never would've bought a Playstation or Xbox and they probably never would've signed up for Steam. Therein lies the question, how are the nets being thrown to capture?

Daxter King · #12 08-11-2010, 12:15 PM

Lorne can go fuck himself if the next Oddworld game is a Farmville spinoff.

***Wil*** · #13 08-11-2010, 01:02 PM

Yay! I've mastered SpooceShrubs!

GABBITS OWN · #14 08-11-2010, 05:04 PM

This is a joke. Lorne!

***Xavier*** · #15 08-11-2010, 11:33 PM

I think it's going to be more than a FarmVille spin off. I don't even understand how you could believe it could be something like that?

MuMI · #16 09-07-2010, 03:36 PM

The interviews don't say anything interesting!

MojoMan220 · #17 09-07-2010, 04:30 PM

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The interviews don't say anything interesting!

That's funny, I was thinking the same thing... but about you.

I denounce and reject myself.

just_an_(ODD)alisque · #18 09-07-2010, 11:33 PM

and what "interesting" thing do you expect?

MuMI · #19 09-08-2010, 07:42 AM

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That's funny, I was thinking the same thing... but about you.

Funny guy, uh?

Tell me what they say that is minimaly interesting, if you don't mind, sir!

By the way, I don't want to ofend anybody, but if somebody starts to make fun of me, don't blame me for anything!

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and what "interesting" thing do you expect?

Exactly - Nothing at all! Don't get me wrong!

MojoMan220 · #20 09-08-2010, 10:53 AM

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Funny guy, uh?!

Calling someone a funny guy, especially when you don't mean it, is very hurtful. I can only imagine that "uh?!" is some kind of grunting sound that reflects a perplexed disposition, which, granted, is highly appropriate.

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Tell me what they say that is minimaly interesting, if you don't mind, sir!

I do mind, so I will not be doing this. Can't you see my time is precious?

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By the way, I don't want to ofend anybody, but if somebody starts to make fun of me, don't blame me for anything!

So you can just remove any and all blame just like that? What if (while in the wake of being made fun of) you were to make a girl fall in love with you only to break her heart? Just awful.

On topic: Oddworld

MuMI · #21 09-08-2010, 12:35 PM

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Calling someone a funny guy, especially when you don't mean it, is very hurtful. I can only imagine that "uh?!" is some kind of grunting sound that reflects a perplexed disposition, which, granted, is highly appropriate.

I actually did mean it! I laughed when I read what you first said, but you know what you feel...

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I do mind, so I will not be doing this. Can't you see my time is precious?

I'm starting to see you don't find anything interesting in these interviews either

Oh, and everybody's time is precious! Just for you to know! Am I wrong guys?

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So you can just remove any and all blame just like that? What if (while in the wake of being made fun of) you were to make a girl fall in love with you only to break her heart? Just awful.

Are you talking about me??? Man, you are sooooo WRONG!!! You don't know me, you don't say anything about me like I don't say anything about you! Is that understood? At least I'm being polite!

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On topic: Oddworld

I don't understand! Why did you post this at the end? You didn't say a word about Oddworld (like me - because you are desrespecting me - , and I'm sorry about that, Oddworld Forums)!

Again, I'm really sorry for these off-topic posts!

MojoMan220 · #22 09-08-2010, 01:21 PM

I'm also sorry about this terrible breach of forum decorum. If it is the opinion of the council that I submit my resignation to the board, I will not seek appeal.

Paradigm · #23 09-10-2010, 05:14 AM

Edit: Never mind

Gilrod · #24 09-11-2010, 08:31 AM

Interview on Gamasutra.com coming monday

jmchandler · #25 09-11-2010, 08:51 AM

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Interview on Gamasutra.com coming monday

Cool.....Maybe we will learn some new stuff!!!!!!!!

***Xavier*** · #26 09-15-2010, 02:27 AM

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Interview on Gamasutra.com coming monday

Yep it has been posted:

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/3...o_Oddworld.php