Abe HD Ideas

[Bullet Magnet]

See, I thought of that. Then I wondered whether yeast exist on Oddworld. I take it no one asked Lorne?

Why am I the only one who ever thinks of these things?

[Sekto Springs]

Because you're a huge dork.

[Bullet Magnet]

Yes, but how does that distinguish me from the rest of you?

[Sekto Springs]

No, you're the brainy kind of dork.

[Bullet Magnet]

As opposed to the other meaning of "dork," which is penis.

[Sekto Springs]

Yeah okay, brainiac.

[Havoc]

Brew 'n' Yeasty

Screw a Beasty

[Scrabaniac]

Fork and Feasty

[MeechMunchie]

Most and Leasty

[marlz]

*snaps fingers*
I've got it!
As Phleg would say, it's New an' Improved!

"Don't think... Drink!"


But yes, back on NnT... erm... darn, anything else I can mention feels way too ahead in the game... though, shutting down the factory has the potential to look incredibly awesome with the new camera approach. And with a clear indication of the plant's workings in the background now, it could transition right into them, then right back to Abe but with everything deathly still, the thought just gets me grinning.

That and I'm greatly looking forward to seeing Elum again. Abe's trusty steed shall look magnificent indeed.

[Crashpunk]

That and I'm greatly looking forward to seeing Elum again. Abe's trusty steed shall look magnificent indeed.

Indeed. I can imagine with the new camera you could speed ahead much quicker and making any obstacles easier to jump over because you can see it coming.

[Nate]

Going back to the name thing: Why does AE need to have a seperate subtitle? It already has a different name. "New 'n' Tasty" can be the generic title for all the remakes.

[Asmoden]

Going back to the name thing: Why does AE need to have a seperate subtitle? It already has a different name. "New 'n' Tasty" can be the generic title for all the remakes.

"New 'n' Tasty" refers to mudokon pops, even though in AE you can see a poster promoting it i don't think it will fit so well.
Personally i prefer something similar but not the same thing "Extra bone".

[Nate]

"New 'n' Tasty" refers to mudokon pops, even though in AE you can see a poster promoting it i don't think it will fit so well.
Personally i prefer something similar but not the same thing "Extra bone".

So what? Only hardcore fans would remember that sort of detail. The general gaming public would accept it as an in-game reference that specifies in the title that it's an updated version.

A single subtitle would be much clearer and less confusing than changing them for all of the games.

[Scrabaniac]

It wouldnt be renaming them all, just the first too, i still think exta bone makes no sense at all though

[pupbenny]

So what? Only hardcore fans would remember that sort of detail. The general gaming public would accept it as an in-game reference that specifies in the title that it's an updated version.

A single subtitle would be much clearer and less confusing than changing them for all of the games.

Eventually the new fans would become hard core fans though........

[Andrelvis]

EDIT: Nevermind.

[Havoc]

Eventually the new fans would become hard core fans though........

Yes but this new version is no doubt going to conflict with existing canon in some way. The slig visor canon can go straight out the window at this point.

So we'll have old hardcore fans and new hardcore fans and they will be fighting each other to the death over what canon is the right one. Calling it.

[Nate]

Eventually the new fans would become hard core fans though........

Yes, after they purchase and play the game. Titles need to be clear for people who haven't parted with their cash yet.

[Manco]

Now I’m no copywriter but I hardly think that customers are going to be so dense that they need to see the same subtitle for both remakes to understand they are remakes.

To me, New ‘n’ Tasty was a phrase that belonged exclusively to Oddysee: after its namecheck in the opening cutscene the only other times it appears in the game is in background posters. And the only time it appears at all in Exoddus is a background poster with “delayed” spraypainted across it.

I don’t think using a subtitle for Exoddus which is associated with Oddysee more than anything else is such a wise move. To say that customers might have a hard time realising the new Exoddus would be a remake if they don’t reuse the exact same subtitle is a bit ridiculous, don’t you think?

I think it would be wiser to use a phrase from Exoddus with a similar theme to it as New ‘n’ Tasty, rather than reuse the same subtitle. That’s why I suggested X-tra Bone – not only is it a sinister-saccharine marketing slogan just like NnT, it also strongly references bones, which is a major part of the Exoddus story.

It’s more creative to use different yet thematically similar subtitles for each game than it is to simply recycle. And customers—especially Oddworld fans—aren’t so stupid that they won’t recognise “Oddworld: Original Title: Brand New Subtitle” as a brand new game. Especially when you consider that the title would always be accompanied either by a gaming news article or a store page full of screenshots and videos.

[Nate]

It's a fair point to say that "New 'n' Tasty" shouldn't be used for AE because it's associated with AO, which is why I didn't suggest that phrase as the new name back when we were discussing it originally. But now that it has been chosen, it's a general enough phrase that it can be applied to any of the games.

"X-tra Bone" just sounds freaking wierd and vaguely sexual.

My ultimate point is that this isn't about creativity - this is about creating a brand. And this isn't about in-jokes that fans will understand -this is about marketing to new players or old players who don't remember the games perfectly (which would be the vast majority of people who played the originals).

[Manco]

It's a fair point to say that "New 'n' Tasty" shouldn't be used for AE because it's associated with AO, which is why I didn't suggest that phrase as the new name back when we were discussing it originally. But now that it has been chosen, it's a general enough phrase that it can be applied to any of the games.

"X-tra Bone" just sounds freaking wierd and vaguely sexual.

My ultimate point is that this isn't about creativity - this is about creating a brand. And this isn't about in-jokes that fans will understand -this is about marketing to new players or old players who don't remember the games perfectly (which would be the vast majority of people who played the originals).

By that logic New ‘n’ Tasty is a horrible subtitle for Abe HD, because are casual fans and newcomers going to recognise the reference? Somebody going into AO fresh aren’t necessarily going to understand that the game is based around a meat processing plant so why the hell is the game described as tasty?

The Oddworld brand has always been about weird (and vaguely rude) stuff anyway, how is X-tra Bone somehow the exception to that? It’s similar to New ‘n’ Tasty in that it implies something has been added to the game (New <-> X-tra) and calls back to a Glukkon marketing slogan from the original game.

[Nate]

Are you actually reading my posts? I said in my last very last post that I didn't think "New 'n' Tasty" was a perfect name, because it's an in-game reference to something that non-fans won't get. However, it does contain the word 'New', so it's clear enough.

But all that is besides the point - my criticism of 'Xtra Bone' as being obtuse was a secondary point, which is why I only included one short sentence about it.

This is about BRANDING. This is about MARKETING. The remakes should all have the same subtitle because it collects them together and makes it clear that they are part of a set. Exactly what that title is is irrelevant - it could be known as "Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee: Zorgleflat" for all that it matters, as long as the AE remake is titled "Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee: Zorgleflat".

[LIJI]

You're assuming non-fans are aware of the fact that NnT and the AE remake are remakes. The NnT reference is quickly explained as soon as they start playing, and the same is true for Xtra Bone (Assuming the opening sequences would be close enough to those of the original AO and AE), you don't have to be an hardcore fan or even aware of the original titles to get the reference. I fail to see see how will Xtra Bone as a subtitle detract new players from the game.

[Fred The Fuzzle]

As long as the AE remake is titled "Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee: Zorgleflat".

I agree, if other Oddworld titles are made from the ground up they should all have a universal subtitle it seems fitting and professional. I also detest in-game references, Marketing is designed to attract new customers.

[Manco]

A branding project doesn’t require that all things come under the same name or subtitle though. It’s an easy way to identify similar items, but it isn’t a requirement for a successful brand.

Consider this: every Oddworld game has the “Oddworld:” prefix in front of its name. Every Quintology entry has “Oddysee” in its name. And (assuming an AE remake comes to pass) every remake of an Oddworld game would already be reusing the original title with a new prefix attached.

In that case then, do people really need to have the same subtitle attached to realise that “Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee: Shiny New Subtitle” and “Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus: Shiny New Subtitle” are both remakes of classic games and are part of the same set?

[LIJI]

Take Pokémon Red/Green -> FireRed/LeafGrean and Gold/Silver -> HeartGold/SoulSilver. Other than the obvious Pokémon they don't have any common word in the title, but there's a pretty obvious pattern you can use to recognize the remakes. It should work well enough for Oddworld too.

[marlz]

Honestly, New 'n' Tasty works for me because the title exists in game. It's the main focus of the plot and what drives the adventure to start in the first place, so thinking about it it's an incredibly fitting title. Plus, again it fits for the fact that it's AO... but new; new content, new graphics, newly remade.

The reason I suggested things such as "The Bones Brew Connection" for AE is because they are relevent to the plot just as much. Sure, the line was only used in the "Abe's Exoddus Movie" of most of the cutscenes slapped together with a Fud TV report, but the title fits. And as the game progresses, the title makes sense, if not immediately because of the first two cutscenes of the game. It may not have the word NEW in it, nor the same subtitle as the first entry, but what's the point if it doesn't actually fit the game. Hence the reason that, while AE is a continuation of AO and therefore NnT could be used as a subtitle for the game's "second episode/chapter", Mudokon Pops are no longer the main focus; New 'n' Tasty as a Magog Cartel product was ceased and Brew took over as the leading product.

So in my mind, if New 'n' Tasty was to be used again as the game's subtitle, you might as well call it AO NnT Ep2... and that's a little messy for a title. But you're right, a common subtitle to show the games are linked could be nice, as while the title may be Abe's Exoddus and not Abe's Oddysee (and therefore suggest the games arelinked, which they are), an extra subtitle which is different would just cause a little confusion and, in the grand scheme of things, be even messier probably.


*sigh* Now I've no idea where I stand on the idea of a different subtitle for AE. ^^;
Maybe we SHOULD get back onto the topic of the game being worked on NOW rather than in (potentially) two years time.

[MeechMunchie]

This is about MARKETING. The remakes should all have the same subtitle because it collects them together and makes it clear that they are part of a set.

They all already have a shared subtitle.

"Oddworld:"

The originals aren't going anywhere. It can be assumed that people who enjoy the remakes will enjoy the orginals too and vice versa, so I don't see why we need to make a seperate run of titles. We'll end up with a serious case of Colon Cancer.

[Bullet Magnet]

That many have been one of my title suggestions. You'll have to ask Wil to check his spreadsheet.