Another World coming to iOS, Chahi talks publication troubles

Famed designer Eric Chahi has allowed his classic adventure Another World to be ported to iDevice, and discussed the game's publication woes.

Minimalist sci fi adventure Another World, known as Out of This World in the US, was released in 1991 on practically everything.

French developer and publisher DotEmu and BulkyPix will bring the game to iPad and iPhone this year, as the game celebrates its 20th anniversary.

During a presentation at GDC, as reported by Joystiq, Chahi said he initially had trouble selling the seminal game.

The project was shelved temporarily after the now-defunct Virgin Interactive expressed interest in it - if Chahi could work it into a point-and-click adventure.

Kotaku reports things didn't get much easier when Interplay brought the game to the US, with the publisher asking for a longer gameplay experience, and Chahi responding by increasing the difficulty. A request to change the game's music was met by guerrilla fax tactics.

Three pixels had to be removed from each alien bather for the console versions to censor the suggestion of nudity. Chahi worked up the game's boxart himself, protecting it from the terrible cover illustrations of the time, as well as laughable localisation alterations.

Chahi's latest project is the god-sim Dust (or From Dust) for Ubisoft.