Gamerzines
Just Add Water has accused Microsoft of 'cock blocking' the Xbox Live Arcade release of Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD.
Speaking on Twitter last week, the developer said "they (Microsoft) turned us down again :( time to get the big guns out!
"MS do NOT want it at all via first party. MS do not want to publish it, so third party here we come!"
Just Add Water's CEO Stewart Gilray later added "yet again they have cock blocked us".
JAW has often stated publicly that it wishes to release its HD version of Stranger's Wrath's on Xbox Live Arcade, but that a release has always been rejected by Microsoft.
It was believed that Microsoft had initially turned down Stranger's Wrath HD due to the title exceeding the file size limit placed on XBLA games.
But according to JAW, that issue is "pretty much sorted".
Now the developer claims that Microsoft has outright refused to publish the game, and dismissed it for eligibility for release via Xbox Live Games on Demand on the grounds of the original having sold fewer than 1 million copies.
JAW also stated that another reason given for its refusal was - bizarrely - because "the game needs to score a metacritic of at least 80".
The original Xbox version holds a Metacritic rating of 88, while the PSN release of Stranger's Wrath HD currently stands at 82.
"They FAIL," the developer added.
According to tweets from the company, JAW is now looking for a third-party willing to publish the title. The developer is also working on other Oddworld titles, including a new Abe project.
The original Stranger's Wrath launched as an original Xbox exclusive back in 2005. The game was originally published by EA.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD launched on PlayStation Network in December.
http://www.gamerzines.com/xbox-360/news/strangers-wrath-xbla-ms-block.html
