oddworld strangers wrath common sense media

#Oddworld strangers wrath common sense media series

Lanning was lucky that his studio retained ownership over the Oddworld IP for so long. 'That impact was a little more than I'd kind of hoped for - the longevity of it, and the number of people with Abe tattoos, all that is pretty phenomenal. Like, they decided not to jump off that cliff.' Now it's so much more clear, but we still get emails from people about how it really changed their lives at really critical times. 'I mean, we always designed Abe for the downtrodden, because that's who I feel most of us are. 'But that said, what I never expected - I worked for it, I designed for it, but I never actually expected it - was that 15 years later, gamers would still have this passion, and that we would still be receiving emails about it.'

The number of people with Abe tattoos, and all that is pretty phenomenal. “That impact was a little more than I’d kind of hoped for – the longevity of it. I had to convince people that it would before I got the money, and then I actually had to deliver.' 'You know, the amount of money we borrowed to make Abe's Oddysee - he had to succeed,' Lanning recalled, 'He had to sell millions of units. It's a great thing to see in an industry riddle with lay-offs and closures, so we ask him just how thankful he feels for Abe's success, and if he thought all of this would have been possible back at the launch of his studio in 1994. His energy is heart-warming after everything he's been through. We're not even underway with our interview but we can already tell that Lanning feels like a man reborn, a person thankful to have a second chance to let his creations shine. The game will launch in due course, but what comes after that is anyone's guess.Īt Eurogamer Expo, VG247 caught up with Lanning to discuss the origins of the Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, and why the current climate of indies and digital distribution is perfect for a full-on Oddworld revival.

Oddworld: New N' Tasty! is an HD remake of the first game - as in, an actual remake from top to bottom - and it's looking rather lovely indeed. But now, in collaboration with British studio Just Add Water, the franchise is back in a big way. The developer's third game, the critically-acclaimed but criminally under-marketed Stranger's Wrath would be the studio's last release before receding to the sidelines in 2005. The first title, Abe's Oddysee launched on PSone in 1997. Initially planned by co-creators Lorne Lanning and his partner Sherry McKenna as a five-game series, the Oddworld Quintology only saw the release of three core games - not counting the originally unplanned sequel Abe's Exoddus.

#Oddworld strangers wrath common sense media series

The Oddworld series goes against the grain so defiantly that it was always going to run into trouble at some point in its lifespan.

Money talks and bullshit walks, but unless you're a million dollar entity, success in this market is never guaranteed. There are many truths of the game industry that ring true no matter what year, generation or country you look at, but few resonate quite so profoundly as new IP being a huge financial risk. Lanning is now working with Just Add Water on Oddworld: New N' Tasty! Released Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee on PSone in 1997 to critical acclaim VG247's Dave Cook spoke with creator Lorne Lanning about its origins and future.įounded Oddworld Inhabitants in 1994 with Sherry McKenna. Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee is one of the most unique games of our time.