[V_Ben]

At tonight's GameCityNights event, Stewart Gilray of Just Add Water announced (or, in Abe HD's case, confirmed) 3 Oddworld projects. Not too much is known except for the obvious, so here goes.

Abe HD
- HD
- Animated Backgrounds
- PSN and Unannounced Platforms

Munch's Odyssey HD
- HD
- PSN and Unannounced Platforms
- Oddboxx will come to PSN at the same low price apparently. Munch HD, Stranger HD, and the PS1 Odysseys.

Hand of Odd
- Tablet
- Based on the Oddworld RTS that was in the works at some point. Designed around touch interfaces.
- Freemium?
-Picture;



Extra bits

- Stranger HD will have support for Move, 3DTV and YouTube.
- Stranger's Wrath HD will have "Feature X". Who knows what that means. Maybe it means that they're throwing the kitchen sink in, feature wise. Remote play!


That's all we have. Also, Lorne Lanning totally loves JAW. Take that as you will. There'll be a full press release coming next week, when the UK gets back from celebrating the marriage of two people nobody gives a flying f*ck about.

Update - Additional Info;

Just Add Water is remaking shelved nineties game Oddworld: Hand of Odd for launch next year, Eurogamer can reveal. Hand of Odd, a Oddworld spin-off originally announced in 1998 before it was cancelled a year later, is a real-time strategy, Command & Conquer-esque game set in the Oddworld universe. It features typical Oddworld inhabitants, including Mudokons and Glukkons. JAW plans to modernise the original design, making it more "casual rather than more intense". It is working from the three-inch thick design document Oddworld Inhabitants created in the nineties. "RTS games and Command & Conquer don't particularly do well today," JAW boss Stewart Gilray told Eurogamer this evening at the GameCityNights event in Nottingham. "Why don't we look at it the other way round and say, 'What is today's equivalent?' I hate to say this, but it's the Cityvilles and the Farmvilles. We're going to try and apply a bit of that mechanic to that and see where that takes us." JAW is "way off" releasing screenshots of the game, but the Leeds-based developer knows the visual style it intends to implement: full 3D - "like your modern Command & Conquers". Platforms are undecided, but JAW is "looking at" iPad, Android tablets, Facebook, PC and Mac. A PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 release is unlikely, however. "It works well with touchscreen interfaces or mouse control direct. On consoles, however, you get analogue sticks or your Move controller. While Move is good for certain kind of gameplay and it's responsive compared to Kinect, it still isn't that intuitive. "We've not had experience with Kinect yet, but playing the games already out there for that, it does seem at the moment it's got a lot of work to do before it catches up with that more direct, action kind of game. "All the games that are out for it, you've got to do huge body movements to get involved in it, which is why it's fun. "With this, there's a bit more thought involved, rather than flinging your body around a room, which is why we thought if we did direct control through touchscreen, you can put your finger on it, or with a mouse with PC or Mac, and just drag items." JAW isn't working on the Next Generation portable, which features a touchscreen. But it plans to talk to Sony about the upcoming handheld, and will decide whether it is a viable platform for the game afterwards. JAW is currently hard at work on a raft of Oddworld games, including Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD for the PlayStation 3.

[zweifuss]

I'd love to try the Abe games in HD, bring it on!

[QuantumBro]

They better release it on Steam as free updates after how badly they screwed us over during Christmas time no way in hell am I ever buying another product from that company again.

[V_Ben]

They better release it on Steam as free updates after how badly they screwed us over during Christmas time no way in hell am I ever buying another product from that company again.

Stranger's Wrath is getting all the HD upgrades, dunno about the rest.

[highluxury]

FUCK YES!

Love me some Oddworld!! Been waiting for something 'true' since Exodus. I am most pleased :)

[miladesn]

I didn't see the thread, sorry >_<

[Poimandres]

Nice. I'd love to see that Hand of Odd document. Here's hoping they don't casualize it to the point of having no depth or challenge.

[wind_steaker]

I'm still kinda pissed at JAW after the oddbox stuff at christmas, I hope we get the HD updates on steam - I've been waiting for the Strangers Wrath one to get back into them.

[Rodney McKay]

They better release it on Steam as free updates after how badly they screwed us over during Christmas time no way in hell am I ever buying another product from that company again.

Pretty much this

Stranger's Wrath still have a weird transparancy glitch that I am hoping will be removed once the updated HD assets get released for it.

At the very least I'm glad the first two are getting HD-ified, but that means I'll be waiting even longer to play them. :/

Why didn't they just release the HD versions one at a time and do the Oddbox once they were done with them all?

[V_Ben]

Pretty much this Stranger's Wrath still have a weird transparancy glitch that I am hoping will be removed once the updated HD assets get released for it. At the very least I'm glad the first two are getting HD-ified, but that means I'll be waiting even longer to play them. :/ Why didn't they just release the HD versions one at a time and do the Oddbox once they were done with them all?

That's a driver problem, not much they can do there I think...

[Brazil]

I'll probably buy everything. Never had a chance to play more than a couple of minutes of the original PS1 game, but it always seemed interesting.

[-PXG-]

[twinturbo2]

Pretty much. I downloaded Abe's Exxodus free from PSN Plus, I regret not playing it sooner.

[izakq]

YES!!! Abe lives!!! Oddworld all over my face! This is awesome news.

[Don]

Will buy all of those. Really surprised to see Hand of Odd actually being released.

Also, if Munch and Abe's Oddysee are getting HD releases now, we have to get Abe's Exoddus at some point too, right?

Edit: Actually maybe I read it wrong. Is Abe HD a new game?

[Family Fry]

Oddboxx on PSN has been confirmed.

Stewart Gilray (CEO of Video Game Developer Just Add Water) tweeted....

"Munch's Oddysee HD for PS3 + others fall 2011 release. Oddboxx 4 PS3, and Oddworld: Hand of Odd details at a later date :)"

Also about Exodus and Oddysee trophies in Oddboxx.

"no, as they are the original PS1 versions"

Oh and Feature X in Strangers Wrath is rumoured to be Steamworks.

[RockmanWhore]

Pretty much. I downloaded Abe's Exxodus free from PSN Plus, I regret not playing it sooner.

I bought Munch Odyssey on Steam, and I'm not sure I'll ever give them any more money.

[StuBurns]

Cool to see these games getting a polish, I'm still only buying SW for PS3 when it comes out (assuming it's technically competent) but I'm glad that stuff is there if I ever fancy it.

[dallow_bg]

Will buy everything for PS3.

I've wanted an HD version forever. Hope it looks good.

[Brazil]

What was it that happened with the Steam release? Was it that game they didn't have enough keys of?

[AceBandage]

Unannounced platforms?
Hmm.

[V_Ben]

Unannounced platforms? Hmm.

I think 360 is a safe bet, if they can get around that size limit. A StreamWare version would be kinda nuts


Steamworks huh? That would be totally crazy. Sounds awesome.

[StuBurns]

Is there any word on the SW PS3 release date? Wiki says it came out last week in the US, and I feel confident that's not true.

[TTP]

I really don't get the comment about the Move not being "that intuitive" for an RTS (Hand of Odd).

A PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 release is unlikely, however. "It works well with touchscreen interfaces or mouse control direct. On consoles, however, you get analogue sticks or your Move controller. While Move is good for certain kind of gameplay and it's responsive compared to Kinect, it still isn't that intuitive.

Is there any word on the SW PS3 release date? Wiki says it came out last week in the US, and I feel confident that's not true.

"Summer"

[Withnail]

Unannounced platforms? Hmm.

NGP?

[StuBurns]

"Summer"

Nice, thanks, great avatar by the way.

[steverulez]

Noticed a couple of other things from another Eurogamer article:

"There are various things with Microsoft," he revealed. "We originally faced this 2GB limit. They said to be on XBLA you have to be smaller than 2GB. But, Games on Demand, any size you want. Not sure how that works, but that's what they've told us. So they originally knocked us back for XBLA for Stranger HD, not just in size. They actually turned the project down."

So its going to be on GoD? Will that sell well? Seems like a stupid idea they should have just done a workaround for XBLA.

If Stranger's Wrath HD does release on Xbox 360, "it'll be about a month after" the PlayStation 3 release, Gilray said.

At least that tells us they're currently developing them simultaneously I guess if its only going to be a month later? Assuming they get the go ahead.

"Ultimately we want to do on Xbox what we're doing on PS3, and that is to be self-publishing. We don't want to have to go via another party, be it Microsoft Game Studios or another publisher. Right now, the way Microsoft works is you can't publish on Xbox 360 digitally unless you've published three disc products before – unless you're via MGS, like Trials HD did."

What a joke :/ That has to be the stupidest thing ever.

[bumpkin]

So...Great news all-around, but whatever happened to Stranger's Wrath HD coming out in time for Easter?

Though I guess the PSN meltdown more or less put the kibosh on any released for a little while. :(

[TTP]

So... Whatever happened to Stranger's Wrath HD coming out in time for Easter? Though I guess the PSN meltdown more or less put the kibosh on any released for a little while. :(

I think it's unrelated to that. We haven't heard about Wrath for a long time and you can bet we would have heard about it in the last couple of months if it was going to be released this past week.

[V_Ben]

So... Whatever happened to Stranger's Wrath HD coming out in time for Easter? Though I guess the PSN meltdown more or less put the kibosh on any released for a little while. :(

I think they put extra people on the PC Oddboxx in order to fix that port. They've since hired extra coders I think. Game's now slated for "Summer". Maybe Stewart will come in here and clarify things later ;)

[TTP]

Hey V_Ben, got any hands on time with Stranger's Wrath at the event?

[V_Ben]

Hey V_Ben, got any hands on time with Stranger's Wrath at the event?

I'm at home! In Bakewell! :P

[BosSin]

Please tell me these are all coming to steam in another oddbox type thing

[Nerfgun]

"Ultimately we want to do on Xbox what we're doing on PS3, and that is to be self-publishing. We don't want to have to go via another party, be it Microsoft Game Studios or another publisher. Right now, the way Microsoft works is you can't publish on Xbox 360 digitally unless you've published three disc products before – unless you're via MGS, like Trials HD did."

Waitaminute – is this really true? What could possibly be the reasoning behind such a policy?

[StuBurns]

Waitaminute – is this really true? What could possibly be the reasoning behind such a policy?

So you don't have to be as concerned about product quality? Either you have a publisher, and it's their responsibility, or you are one.

[GavinGT]

Why all the Sony butt kissing? Do they just assume that's where their audience is still at these days?

EDIT: Oh I should read.

[V_Ben]

"I'd rather not say why. We're talking to them now and we're making progress with them on that. They've been more forthcoming recently than they were in December last year. That's perhaps because when I told Lorne at Oddworld that Microsoft said no, they went, 'They said what!?' And they called up their friends at Microsoft and said, 'What!?' Lorne is Lorne. He's a bit of a formidable force in some respects.

Lorne Lanning is the man it turns out :P

[Neuromancer]

Will gladly buy Abe's Oddyssee HD. Amazing, amazing game.

Not so sure about the others.

[I AM JOHN!]

I just want to know where the hell Citizen Siege is. :(

[canadian crowe]

What about Abe's Exodus? Are they not remastering it?

[Lijik]

Interested in Hand of Odd and Abe HD for sure.

Depending on how much is visually revamped in Munch, I might be interested in that too. The game always just looked super bland to me. If it wasn't for the characters, it might as well have been one of those fake games in a game school ad. Might have just been the opening areas though, I didn't get that far into it.

[BobTheFork]

I've already been waiting for Stranger all this time. Now I have to wait for the whole box. I never played Munch either so that's always good.

[VGChampion]

I love all things Odd. Excited to play in HD. :)

[Syril]

What was it that happened with the Steam release? Was it that game they didn't have enough keys of?

The initial release was a shitty port job, as in it ran worse than Crysis.

[icarus-daedelus]

What about Abe's Exodus? Are they not remastering it?

This is what I'm wondering about as well. I won't complain about HD Oddysee and Stranger's Wrath, they're great, but it feels weird to leave out Exoddus. It's probably my favorite in the series, too.

I certainly won't complain about a revival of the franchise, and I know they like to explore the world they've created with different gameplay styles, but in my heart of hearts what I really want is another 2D Oddworld game. One can only hope...

[bender]

I bought an Xbox for Munch. Sadly, it's not a very good game. Abe HD is exciting news though. Hopefully they give Exodus the same treatment.

[SalsaShark]

Steam now

and fuck that Tablet game :(

edit: wait what does Abe HD means ? i need Exoddus!

[wwm0nkey]

I was expect some more Strangers Wrath HD shots or a trailer.

[Inorigo]

Oddboxx should be on disc. Limited print run even. It's like five games.

[Crisis]

Wow.