Oddworld creator Lorne Lanning has told Eurogamer that if you want a brand new Oddworld 5, then gather up 499,999 of your friends and buy a copy of New 'n' Tasty.
Speaking to Eurogamer at GDC, Lanning discussed the Oddworld series' upcoming remake of the first game, Oddworld: Abe's Odyssey and what it would take to continue the series in respects to a new entry and a remake of Oddworld 2.
According to Lanning, New 'n' Tasty, an Abe's Odyssey remake by developer Just Add Water, would have to sell 250K copies to fund a remake of Abe's Exoddus. For the Oddworld series to finally see its originally-conceived pentalogy become complete, the game will have to sell 500k copies. New 'n' Tasty is set to release on Windows, Mac, Linux, PS3, PS4, Vita, and the Wii U.
When asked by Eurogamer why Lanning hasn't tried to crowdsource a fifth Oddworld game, which may potentially be his canceled concept “The Brutal Ballad of Fangus Klot”, Lanning said that he'd need at least 5 million dollars to develop it. “I don't think it's anything less than a $5 million title. So to Kickstart it I think would be a little deceptive and a risk. But if we sell half a million copies [of New 'n' Tasty], that's not going to be a problem."
"People keep asking me, 'Why don't you Kickstart Oddworld? You could get at least $1 or $2 million.' And I'm like 'What would I do with a couple million on Kickstarter? On a new Oddworld title?' Not much. I could redo Exoddus for a couple million. I could do that. But a new title, which means new characters doing new things and controls that are great - that's where the real time and expenses come from,” Lanning sated.
Fangus Klot is not guaranteed to be the fifth Oddworld game if sales meet those goals, but it's an idea that Lanning has developed for some time.
As for New 'n' Tasty, Eurogamer reports that Lanning is confident that the game will sell enough copies to fund a remake of Exoddus. The series' HD re-releases have sold over two million, with the series as a whole reaching seven million.
New 'n' Tasty is set to release this spring for an estimated price of $30. Lanning seems to have acknowledged that the price may seem high, but he promises that the game’s quality will be that of a “triple A” release.
Lorne Lanning and British developer Just Add Water began their Oddworld revival in 2010. Since then they have released Stranger's Wrath HD, Munch Oddysee HD, and are nearing the release of New 'n' Tasty.