1. Many fans are wondering about whether there will be in-game SoBe vending machines in the final game. Is this the case, or are they in the demo version of Munch's Oddysee? And if they are included, what prompted the decision to include SoBe vending machines instead of the B-betterz vending machines we had seen previously?

Lorne: Yes, there will be a couple of Sobe vendos inside the final version of the game and there is still B-betterz. Sobe was very excited about promoting Munch's Oddysee along with the Sobe / Xbox road show. Sobe liked the message of our content and very much liked the quirky humor and irony of our universe. The vendo's appeared in the game as an exchange for the opportunity to be a part of the sneak peak Sobe / Xbox road show that gave the public an early opportunity to put Munch and the Xbox in their hands.

Whenever a co-promotional opportunity arises, Oddworld's first order of business is to see if there are any outstanding labor or environmental issues with the potential co-sponsor. Not only did Sobe come up clean in our search, but they have also demonstrated historic efforts to try to raise the nutritious quality of the average mass market soft drink.

2. There has been a lot of publicity lately about the Vykkers, with their own website and a gaming press interview. What is the Vykkers relationship with the Glukkons? Are the business partners, or competitors?

Lorne: Like most big corporations the Vykkers and the Glukkons are sometimes business partners even though they are competitors. This allows for plenty of publicity back patting while in private, back stabbing tends to be the norm. In general, the Vykkers specialize in pharmaceuticals while the Glukkons have major stakes in the processed food industry. However, these industries often cross each into each others turf, hence the intertwined relationship of the Glukkons and Vykkers.

3. You have a background in computer graphics. In what ways do you see the industry developing in the future, and how do you think the area has improved with technology such as that of the Xbox and development hardware? Also, how much has this kind of background made games like Munch's Oddysee come to life in the way it has?

Lorne: The barriers between real-time and pre-rendered will suddenly get smaller and smaller with systems like the Xbox coming into the consumer marketplace. Pre-rendered imagery still has a ways to go before it's reached it's fullest potential. The same goes for real time. However, when you look at how fast real time is catching up to pre-rendered, then you've got a very exciting future to look forward to. We've now reached a generation of real time that can exceed some of the pre-rendered footage that we're seeing as viable saturday morning programming. As we move into the future, there will be little doubt that we're going to be more interested in living in film worlds as oppossed to watching them.

4. What do you have planned in the near (or distant future) other than games? We have heard about pre-production of the Oddworld movie which is very exciting. Are you looking at any merchandising opportunities or other areas in which the Oddworld Universe can be extended? Many fans seem to be interested in much more than just the games.

Lorne: We have a lot of desire to merchandise the property, but we've been slow on the licensing front because we want to be careful and make sure we're making the right moves for the property.

Our artistic dreams definitely include motion pictures. These ideas began as motion pictures for us. When the films can be done the way we want to do them... only then we will move forward with production.

5. We have seen many different vending machines so far. Are you able to elaborate on some of the different vending machine products and how they will be used within the game as either powerups or for other features.

Lorne: Some of the vending machines help Abe and Munch to speed up (Expresso), some help Abe and Munch to jump higher (Bounce and AquaBounce), some allow Munch to use his headport as a weapon (Zap), some help Abe go invisible, and some help to replenish health.

Lorne, we thank you for taking the time to answer some questions. We are certainly looking forward to the release of Munch's Oddysee and to further explore the Oddworld Universe. Thank you once again for everything you have done, being the games you produce, or just the support you have given to our sites and all fans.

Lorne: You're very welcome. Thanks for your support guys. We really hope you enjoy the final game.