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Rick has generously typed up an article on the Stranger deal with EA Games from Game Informer.
EA Meets Oddworld’s Stranger—Oddworld Signs With EA; Returns to PS2
Developer Oddworld Inhabitants has signed an agreement with Electronic Arts for the publishing of the studio’s next Oddworld game, colloquially known as The Stranger. The 2005 game will appear for both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.
The fate of Oddworld’s project has been the subject of much speculation since the Game Developers’ Conference, when rumor spread that the developer’s president, Lorne Lanning, had split from Microsoft. The two companies once had a cozy relationship. Lanning had pulled Oddworld’s support of the PlayStation 2 and handed it exclusively to Microsoft before the Xbox came out—a coup at the time for the new system which was trying to build a roster of compelling content. Unfortunately, Munch’s Oddysee on the Xbox completely failed to live up to either its hype or sales expectations. Interestingly, however, Microsoft still owns a stake in Oddworld via a deal involving Lanning’s old contract with Atari.
The Stranger is the name of this upcoming game’s mysterious, bounty‐hunting main character. The adventure takes place within the Oddworld universe, but is not tied to the story arc of the previous titles. The game will feature first‐person shooting elements, and early looks at it confirm that it retains the developter’s famous brand of humor and sensibilities.
Lanning says that the title’s new character also imbues it with a preponderance of action over traditional platforming.
New articles incorporating the two latest Oddworld screenshots include GameInfoWire and Kikizo.
Sources: Rick