If this has already been asked i am sorry

[Rincewynd]

In AO Abe had four finger but in MO (and maybe in AE) he had 3 can anyone tell me why?

[Alcar]

Courtesy of the Oddworld Encyclopaedia:

In Japan, there existed a meat packing sub-class who so frequently would lose a finger by accident that a four-fingered hand came to represent these people. The whole thing would rather be forgotten by most people. However, there is a group that tackles the use of this cultural-historical insult, and unless the creators can stump up a whole load of money, the character is seen as a terrible insult to Japan's history. The Walt Disney Corporation pays five million dollars a year to keep a four-fingered Mickey Mouse in Japan. Oddworld Inhabitants, being a much smaller company, elected not to churn up the cash and instead altered Abe's image. Characters such as Sligs, which in a black-and-white world would be classified as being 'bad' characters, have been able to keep their four-digit hands.

Of course, the whole thing is a corporate scandal, because although this group claims to be keeping the memory out of the country, they are in fact the only people keeping the dark past in everybody's minds, and what's more they're acquiring vast sums of wealth by doing so. We tend to call that extortion. What makes this case especially ironic is that Abe does work in a meat factory.

Oh yes, and the number four displayed on a moon is a sign of evil.

Note that later publications of Abe's Oddysee had three-fingered Mudokons - strangely enough, the finger that was omitted is different in Abe's Oddysee than in Abe's Exoddus.

Alcar...

[Fuzzle Guy]

Damn, Alcar beat me to it

[Rincewynd]

Oh i see thx alot. so which is correct 4 fingers or 3?

[Wil]

It'll always be three fingers from now on. I personally think 3 looks weirder. Thanks for the plug, Alcar.

[Rincewynd]

so 3 fingers are correct, but they still don't remake AO (personnally the moon with 4 fingers looks better)

[Wil]

In later copies, I believe they did alter the moon's appearance. They certainly have done in flashbacks and backstories, so I think we can assume three fingers is correct.

[Cyber-Slig]

That's just gay . My ancestors used to barbarian-like and people make games full of them . Yet do we give two shits ? Don't think so . If the Japanese don't like t then why bother with them ?

[Al the Glukkon]

The Japanese find that insulting, I guess it's like giving someone the finger.

[Rincewynd]

That's just gay . My ancestors used to barbarian-like and people make games full of them . Yet do we give two shits ? Don't think so . If the Japanese don't like t then why bother with them ?

But the games were made after the barbarians right? i dont think anybody finds those kinds of things insulting (and i dont think the japanese should bother either,but they are still alive)

[Wil]

OWI seem to intone than the vast majority of Japanese people don't care, but there is undoubtedly a fraction of their society that would find the four-fingers insulting. It's a matter of cultural tolerance to appreciate their beliefs and respect their superstitions.

Not that OWI had a choice, anyway. The whole process is overlooked by money-making organisations that exploit people's beliefs to scab large sums off of companies like OWI. Apparently, because Disney can afford to pay them a lot, it's actually alright to have a four-fingered Mickey Mouse. Nice! *sigh*

[Cyber-Slig]

Right in Halo Elites have 4 fingers . I suppose the Japanese will be offended by that too ? Or what about the simpsons ?

[Xavier]

elites are basically bad guys (like sligs) so it's "ok" if they have 4 fingers
for the simpsons I don't know, do the Japanese have the simpsons over there?

[Rincewynd]

How is it o.k for bad guys to have four fingers- they are still people.
As for the simpsons I think its might be like disney, I am not sure

[Xavier]

yeah but baddies are apparently allowed to have 4 fingers...

[Rincewynd]

Why don't they just have all characters having three fingers?

[Xavier]

because... well then it wouldn't be original anymore...
plus the four fingers hand suits the sligs well

[Wil]

Hmmm, Vykkers only have three ‘fingers’ per hand.

One reason why Sligs didn't have to change could be that they aren't the main character, so the political/parasitic organisations which deal with this kind of infringement don't worry about them. Plus, Sligs don't have the four branded on a moon, which is supposedly an exceptionally bad sign in Japan.

[Rincewynd]

Its only a bad sign, fours fingers is an insult (last time i checked insults were worse than bad signs)

[Wil]

Depends what kind of culture you come from. For a superstitious people, a sign of bad luck might be devestating, and I certainly know individuals who would prefer to suffer insults over/for being superstitious.

And remember most people in Japan probably don't really care about the four fingers deal, whereas, assuming the Japanese are a superstitious population as I described, more people would take note of the moon occurance.

Hmmmm, have we ever had an opinion from Atushi on this matter?

[Rincewynd]

sorry if this is spam but i have to say that the sligs appear right from the start of the game and I haven't seen a game yet that doesn't feature them (not different from abe or muds as they appear right through all the games I have seen so far)
With the exception of starnger (but I haven't played that yet)

[Nate]

Ummm... What's your point?

[Rincewynd]

Well isn't he a main character just like abe, I mean he is a bad guy but he is in the game all the wyou have to be a good character just to be a main one

[Nate]

But abe is one person. The sligs are a species. They're not a main character 'cos we see lots of different ones over the course of the games.

[Esus]

No the sligs are not a main character. Main characters have to be more than just their species recurring through the stories.