Just Add Water Announces Oddworld Strategy Spinoff 'Hand Of Odd'Just Add Water Announces Oddworld Strategy Spinoff 'Hand Of Odd'

UK developer Just Add Water has announced it's reviving Hand Of Odd, a long-shelved strategy spinoff for the series that is being targeted for tablets, social networks and PC and Mac releases. Speaking at the GameCityNights event in Nottingham, England, as reported by Eurogamer, JAW director Stewart Gilray said the title, first announced and cancelled in 1998, is being refocused for today's more casual audience. "RTS games and Command & Conquer don't particularly do well today," he said. "Why don't we look at it the other way round and say, 'What is today's equivalent?' I hate to say this, but it's the CityVilles and the FarmVilles. We're going to try and apply a bit of that mechanic and see where that takes us." Gilray said the title, which is still a long way from release and is being worked on, will likely avoid a console release in favor of the preferable touch screen and mouse controls offered by other platforms. The Just Add Water chief also confirmed that a previously announced PS3 remake of Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath was now targeted for a summer release. The company is also holding out hope for an Xbox 360 release of the game, as well as an HD remake of original Xbox launch title Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, which is also currently planned for a PlayStation Network release. The Xbox 360 version of Stranger's Wrath had been held up by Xbox Live Arcade 2GB size limit for downloadable titles, but Gilray now says the two parties are "making progress" on the issue with the help of pressure from Oddworld Inhabitants founder Lorne Lanning. Just Add Water has been working with Oddworld Inhabitants on the cult classic license since last July, releasing HD remakes of four series titles as part of an Oddboxx PC download package.