Archive:Abe, the world, everything/raw

From Oddworld Library

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By JAMES ANTHONY

When Abe, of Oddysee fame, came on the scene he was a breath of fresh air - albeit one liberally laced with flatulance.

Meeting the creators of Abe - Lorne Lanning and Sherry McKenna - is also one of those refreshing experiences that come along so rarely in the world of computer and video games.

They arrive at the interview, well-dressed and well-groomed Americans, sit down and prepare for the usual questions. From this side of the table expectations are of a couple who will push their product to death.

Boy, were we all wrong, because within two minutes poor old Abe was nearly forgotten in a delightful chat about life, religion, the environment and spirituality.

But while he took a back seat for most of the chat, the loveable Mudokon was always lurking because to Lanning and McKenna he, and the other inhabitants of Oddworld, represent all the different facets of humanity. The good, the greedy, the ignorant and the logical.

Abe is pure conscience, an unwilling hero in a cruel and brutal land.

``He's a little schmuck, says Lanning. ``He's what we think of as the 21st century hero, he goes on, explaining that the current crop of heroes were muscle-bound types on steroids. ``Abe isn't the guy you want to be, he's the guy you are.

The duo wanted to create an ordinary being that became a hero despite not wanting to and along came Abe. ``It's very important for kids to have a role model and we wanted theme to realise that you can be a hero with who you are, you don't need to be turned into one - like Spiderman.

And if any creation can show kids that even the most humble of creatures can achieve great things, it's Abe.

And what makes the Mudokon so popular? ``The farting, says Lanning, ``The farting is really enjoyed by kids. Sometimes, that's all they do. They sit down and make him fart. It's done with taste, and everyone does it, and that's part of the appeal.

``People can identify with the characters because they do the same things. They just don't talk about it. Little kids love the farts.

When planning the Oddworld project, of which there will be five instalments, the pair wanted to make sure people's morals would be opened up for inspection.

``In most games the more aggressive you are the more you are rewarded. The more enemies you take out, the more you are rewarded. If people want to go through Abe and be a prick they can ... but in the end we don't reward them. So, hopefully, they'll think `maybe there's another way'.

If it all sounds a bit religious you're right, Sherry McKenna says that while she hates organised religion, she does have very strong philosophies and beliefs.

A former advertising person, who confesses (without any pride) to having made some of the best cigarette ads around, McKenna says she didn't really think much about the environment, only people. ``McDonalds and rainforests, she says.

What? There's a link?

``Lorne got me thinking about rainforests and McDonalds. What's the link, well in order to get cheap grazing land for cows, rainforests get chopped down.

And to anyone who knows Abe's Oddysee then the thought of Rupture Farms - where they package Mudokons into breakfast food - immediately leaps to mind.

``In Oddworld we disguise the issues. Rupture Farms is for cut-price hamburgers.

Abe Part 2 - ``Abe's Exoddus is about the suborning of America's Indians and indigenous people around the world and - Lorne breaks in: ``The next one will be about animal testing, he says, adding mischievously: ``The rabbits don't give a shit about curing cancer!

The pair want people to think but won't tell them what, or how, to do so.

``Playing games you make choices, Sherry says, ``We're not going to tell you.

``Abe, for example, his mission in Oddysee is to shut down Rupture Farms. He does it, but doing that creates a whole shortage of brew. In effect he's created another disaster.

``The Glukkons now go out to dig up his ancestors to make the brew, but Abe is a hero now, and thinks himself one. When they come to him and say `look what you've done, fix it' he doesn't want to. He again becomes the reluctant hero.

The Oddysee phenomenon, which has sold about 1,000,000 games, has been such a huge success because people identify with him.

``We set out to make an unreal character, Sherry says, ``That would look like you or sound like you. Everyone needed to identify with him. (The Japanese wouldn't like it because he's not fluffy or cute - they don't like ugly things).

``We gave the game an unlikely, reluctant hero (not European, Japanese or American) but something everyone could something of ourselves in. Something everyone could identify with.

``And everyone around the world has got a boss like the Glukkons. Never a truer word said.

Once again Lorne comes up with a rather hurtful comment on the well-beloved Abe.

``Abe is pure conscience. He's an ignorant guy but gets a sight of wrong, identifies it and tries to act on it.

``There'll be other characters that are pure logic, pure greed ... this and that. You'll be able to identify a part of yourself in all characters.

Abe's Exoddus is second in the five-game series through which we will get to see all the aspects of Oddworld. We'll get to see the Glukkon side of events via a TV news show that portrays Abe to be a terrorist going around (like the greenies) blowing up labs.

The game is twice as big as the first episode, two CDs worth, with a host of new characters. (And even more potent farts)

In their drive to get the message across, Sherry McKenna and Lorne Lanning are taking us on a fantastic journey that is not only an adventure, but an awakening. I, with millions of others, am prepared to take the ride.