XBLAFANS
Just Add Water has revealed to VG 24/7 that they will not be publishing the XBLA version of Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath, nor will Microsoft. However, fans shouldn’t take that as a signal to dive into a well of despair. There is reason for hope, as the developer also confirmed that they are currently exploring their options with “two or three” external publishing partners. News of a concrete deal could surface as soon as early April 8.
Speaking with the site on Wednesday, studio head Stewart Gilray informed VG 24/7 that they had “basically run everything dry in terms of going some kind of first-party route with Microsoft.” Continuing, he explained how that applied to both a deal in which the console-maker would publish well as one in which they would work something out for JAW to publish on their own.
Yet they’re not about to give up on the project so easily. “We’re speaking to two or three different publishers at the moment about taking it on for us,” explained Gilray. “I think we’ll probably have some news on that by Easter, I hope.”
Though a remade version of Stranger’s Wrath launched at the end of last year on Sony’s competing PSN service, Just Add Water was unable to bring the game to XBLA. Its journey to Microsoft’s downloadable platform has been an onerous one, as the game’s size (2.1 GB) is just a smidgen over the required 2 GB file limit. However, things seem to finally be coming together, as Gilray states he has a meeting coming up in the week ahead to iron out details with a potential suitor.
Source: VG24/7
