Lorne Lanning Interview Part 7: Abe’s Moon, re-releasing the games, and hair gel

[Wil]

On 16 April 2008, our beloved Oddworld Forums administrator Nate had the unbelievably marvellous opportunity to sit and have a chat with Lorne Lanning, followed by an interview that I’ve been publishing on OddBlog every Friday morning for a month and a half now. By an astonishing coincidence, the above date was also the day after an OWF member started a thread wanting to know why on Earth Oddworld had not yet been released on Steam. Not knowing of this thread’s existence until after conducting his interview, Nate was pretty surprised when it turned out he had received the answer to this query at this most convenient time.

Nate was able to reveal that Lorne had told him that Oddworld was indeed destined for Steam. However, because of the amount of time it took the interview to be transcribed, O.K.ed by Lorne for release, and published on OddBlog, this revealing section of the interview was not published until late August. In fact, it wasn’t published until today, the day after Abe’s Oddysee and Abe’s Exoddus were re-released on Steam. This astounds me.

Double-coincidence retelling over with, here at last is your chance to read what Lorne said about Oddworld on Steam four-and-a-half months ago, as well as much more information about those bizarre simulacra that appear on Oddworld’s moons, what we’ll see when we eventually get to the Magog Cartel’s boardrooms in the Oddworld movies, and what keeps Lorne’s hair just so damned fine.

1. Citizen Siege and Current Projects (discussion)
2. The Philosophy of the Abe Film (discussion)
3. The Plot of the Abe Film (discussion)
4. The Relationship Between Abe and Sam (discussion)
5. Glukkon History (discussion)
6. Fangus and Stranger (discussion)
7. Abe's Moon, Re-releasing the Games, Hair Gel and Other Topics
8. Miscellaneous Other Questions

[Vlam]

Honestly, it's pretty boring... We don't learn anything or something really interesting. It's not like the part with the disease thing... Maybe because it's too short for a week of waiting it.

[Incognito]

Honestly, it's pretty boring... We don't learn anything or something really interesting. It's not like the part with the disease thing... Maybe because it's too short for a week of waiting it.

lol!

I suppose it's not as interesting as all the previous installments we've had; I had a feeling after "Fangus and Stranger" that it might happen.

But the stuff about the moons is pretty interesting. Plus how can you say finding out about the re-release of Abe games is boring! Shame on you.

(However, despite my excitement I have no idea what steam is. )

[Viper45]

We’ll see how the sales go and then we’ll decide whether to finance the conversion of Munch and Stranger to Steam as well.

YES, please!! I would buy both of these games on Steam in an instant, just like I bought Abe's Oddysee and Exoddus yesterday. I really want to play these games again, but Stranger's Wrath isn't backwards compatible for the Xbox 360, and Munch's Oddysee's backwards compatibility was broken and glitched last time I tried it...

I really hope they make the ports

[Edit: The Oddysee & Exoddus pack is currently the #2 best seller on Steam, only behind Team Fortress 2. *crosses fingers*]

[toxicity]

Lorne and his hair gel... ugh...

[Nate]

I think the key point to come out of this interview is that if AO and AE sell well on Steam, they'll port MO and SW over to PC as well.

Also, I found the stuff about the moons quite interesting as well. We should look at them as being mystical but vague symbols. I somehow also feel that there's going to be a twist about the moons by the end of the series.

[Bullet Magnet]

Such as Molluck's print accompanied by a death star "lay-zurr"?

[Wil]

This ain’t Star Wars, folks.

[Jordan]

Interesting. I don't believe the bit about the asteroids creating the paw and foot prints in the moons, they look a little too perfect to have been bombarded by rocks. But I think the theory about the gods is more logical. Are we talking about Shrykull here, or some other god we haven't heard of?

Oh... My god. I can see MO and SW PC happening, I really can. I get excited just thinking about it.

Thanks for this Max and Nate!

[Fuzzle Guy]

Are we talking about Shrykull here, or some other god we haven't heard of?

I can't for the life of me remember which game it's in, but one of the characters I think says "Thank the Odd" or something... Hmmm.

[Alcar]

Such as Molluck's print accompanied by a death star "lay-zurr"?

If Molluck does turn out to be one of the five 'heroes' of the Quintology, and a moon with his print exists, doesn't that negate the Mudokons claiming they were the chosen people so very long ago?

And therefore not setting off the chain of events that led to the alchemy period?

Alcar...

[Wil]

If Molluck does turn out to be one of the five 'heroes' of the Quintology, and a moon with his print exists, doesn't that negate the Mudokons claiming they were the chosen people so very long ago?

And therefore not setting off the chain of events that led to the alchemy period?

Alcar...

If Molluck does turn out to be one of the five titular heroes of the Quintology, I will get pissed off for it being far too predictable. But Lorne says Munch’s Moon is much more recent, something that could be seen happening during the game’s timeframe. It stands to reason the remaining three special moons will be much the same, meaning any Glukkon simulacrum that ends up on a celestial body would not have been around during the Glukkons’ Alchemy Era or the Mudokons’ Advisor Era.

[Nate]

Or perhaps BM is right and each moon will be created in a different way. Abe's a long time in the past, Munch by meteor shower and Glukkon by "Lasers".

[OddYouko]

I really liked this interview!
Great job again Nate!

[Bullet Magnet]

Actually it was a sly reference to Dr Evil and his many plots and speech mannerisms, but no one picked up on it. I should probably only allude to films made this decade.

[DarkHoodness]

Awesome interview.

We’ll see how the sales go and then we’ll decide whether to finance the conversion of Munch and Stranger to Steam as well.

I found it a big shame that since the X-Box is now obsolete, nobody would be able to play Stranger anymore - Especially considering that it isn't compatible with the 360. I really hope OWI convert MO and SW - It'd secure the future of both games, and Stranger would look so much more awesome on the PC.

We are huge believers of digital distribution; that it’s the answer. So we’re huge supporters, philosophically, of Steam and everything Valve is doing. If Oddworld has a company that it’s really admired, it’s Valve. They have very different types of content. I think Gabe Newell is one of the smartest people in the industry, hands down.

You know, one of my dreams is that Lorne and Gabe sit down together and make a game together or something in a compilation project between OWI and Valve, considering how both parties have original ideas. It's unlikely to happen, but it is really awesome to hear Lorne acknowledging Valve.

[Viper45]

Update on the sales on Steam:

The Oddysee and Exoddus pack has now surpassed Team Fortress 2 and is currently the #1 best seller on Steam! (for those that want to see, go to http://www.steampowered.com and find the "top sellers" tab a little ways down the page)

Those Munch's Oddysee and Stranger's Wrath ports are sure looking good right about now... I really hope it happens.

[crazysteef]

Yeah. Stranger's Wrath on the PC would be a dream come true...

[Nate]

Actually it was a sly reference to Dr Evil and his many plots and speech mannerisms, but no one picked up on it. I should probably only allude to films made this decade.

Uhhhh... that was rather obvious. Even though I knew you were kidding, I thought it was a bloody good idea.

I mean, if I thought you were serious, why would I have put "Quotation Marks" around the word "Laser"?

[Bullet Magnet]

I must have still been in withering and derisive mode from visiting another website. When I explained it, I mean.

[Nate]

Ooooh! You should visit that website more often. I want to see more withering and derisiveness from BM.

[Bullet Magnet]

I try not to. You don't win arguments by building up your opponent's shield against reason.

[Nate]

This isn't about winning arguments. This is about being petty and entertaining.

[Bullet Magnet]

Well shit, if all you want is that.

[Xavier]

Update on the sales on Steam:

The Oddysee and Exoddus pack has now surpassed Team Fortress 2 and is currently the #1 best seller on Steam! (for those that want to see, go to http://www.steampowered.com and find the "top sellers" tab a little ways down the page)

Those Munch's Oddysee and Stranger's Wrath ports are sure looking good right about now... I really hope it happens.

perhaps it's because I'm three days late but now the Oddworld pack has felt to the third place, under Portal and TF2... but this is still pretty good. I really hope to see Stranger and Munch on the PC.

[Wil]

Portal will have jumped up because it was 50% off over the weekend. Doesn’t mean Oddworld’s sales were down.

[Viper45]

perhaps it's because I'm three days late but now the Oddworld pack has felt to the third place, under Portal and TF2... but this is still pretty good. I really hope to see Stranger and Munch on the PC.

Yeah, I think the best sellers list updates once for each day. Though, I haven't seen it at 3rd place. The first night it was released, it landed at 2nd place (which I think is pretty impressive, since it was released pretty late in the day). The next day it jumped up to first, then the next day and today it has remained in 4th place.

Like Max the Mug said, Portal is on sale for 50% off, and not only that but they're offering Far Cry for free when you pre order Far Cry 2 (which I'm seeing as #2 right now).

So Oddworld has some pretty tough competition right now. Considering it's a re-release of a 10 year old game, and the competition from more recent titles (Portal, Far Cry 2 and Team Fortress 2)... I think it's doing really well. It's been on top of titles like The Orange Box, Call of Duty 4, Counter Strike: Source, etc for days now.

We don't know anything about the actual sales numbers, of course... but I just hope it's enough to justify porting the rest of the series.

[Bullet Magnet]

I have spread the news in various places, to a well expected chorus of praises. The fans really are everywhere. Almost everyone I knew at school had fondly remembered the games (and I expect regarded my continued affection as "quaint," probably paled against my other peculiarities).

An opportunity to play a game like this that they have been physically unable to after so long is probably accepted frequently and readily. We're well into our second generation of gamers, so the nostalgia market has arrived.

[Bester]

I think the key point to come out of this interview is that if AO and AE sell well on Steam, they'll port MO and SW over to PC as well.

I really hope they do, I have never completed Munch's Oddysee and never even played Stranger's Wrath but annoyingly always wanted to ever since the trailers came out!

I even bought a brand new sealed Munch's Oddysee and Stranger's Wrath on eBay and then an XBox360 to play them but it would not play SW so I sold the piece of junk.

If they do sell well what would be the time span for these ports to be made, does anyone know how long this process takes?

[SNegrea]

I've seen on the Abe's Exoddus description on Steam something really... odd:

"Then Abe joined his brew-addled pals at Alf's Rehab & Tea to take the cure - the journey of a lifetime starts with one step. Or is it twelve?"

Is that hinting at the posibility of being twelve Oddworld games in the end, or is this just a weird presumption?

Either way, I would want to get these re-releases. Are these 32bit? Personally I think it looks more detailed and more clear.