Aliens RPG development indefinitely suspended

Sources confirm that Sega has stopped work on Obsidian's role-playing project based on the classic 1986 film.

Yesterday, Sega announced that it was pushing back Gearbox's shooter Aliens: Colonial Marines to make way for a new Aliens vs. Predator game. Today, GameSpot has learned that the Japanese publisher has indefinitely suspended work on its other Aliens-inspired project, an untitled role-playing game for consoles and the PC. The game had been actively in development at indie shop Obsidian Entertainment, whose cofounder Feargus Urquhart told GameSpot that it was "coming along nicely" at last year's D.I.C.E. Summit.

Game over?

Despite rumors of an outright cancellation, the Aliens RPG remains officially on the books--for now. When asked to confirm reports that the game had been shut down, Obsidian reps directed all inquiries to Sega, which offered a less-than-comforting comment.

"We will have more news to share about our Aliens franchise games in the near future," said the rep. "Sega does not comment on rumors or speculation about its products... Please stay tuned for future correspondence regarding our products."

If development is not resumed, it's likely that little will ever be known about Obsidian's Aliens RPG project, which was first announced with great fanfare in December 2006. Over the next two-plus years, though, the game was never shown to the press or public, unlike Aliens: Colonial Marines, which graced the cover of Game Informer last March. Inquires sent to Gearbox about that game's status had not been returned as of press time.

123 Comments

  • hoycen

    Posted Dec 6, 2009 6:14 am PT

    This is a shame... one of the most terrifying games I have played was based on the first Alien film. The feeling of isolation and fear on the Nostromo is hard to match. This was in the 80's on the ZX Spectrum...it's about time this was updated. Jooonesy?!?

  • Wolves69

    Posted Feb 28, 2009 10:21 am PT

    I like Aliens, only first-person shooter no Strategy I been played Aliens Versus Predator: Extinction have Strategy on PS2 long ago good mix group human & aliens & predator fighting like 1 queen alien with eggs & many 20 or more aliens & many human & predator . Still no more Strategy , I want Strategy on PC good for mulitplayer.

  • prolink47

    Posted Feb 19, 2009 7:02 pm PT

    Aliens and AVP don't need to be RPG's we already have star trek and stargate in the works aliens and AVP needs to be always FPS that's where they belong i am sorry that failhammer didn't work out i have to agree with thingta42 about aliens rpg

  • Bwags

    Posted Feb 18, 2009 1:49 pm PT

    LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEE.....

  • LostSoul1974

    Posted Feb 18, 2009 10:15 am PT

    Aliens RPG project, huh? Sounds like that would have been pretty cool...

  • DPhunkT

    Posted Feb 18, 2009 10:14 am PT

    What else is new? With the title "Aliens RPG (working title)" in the list and its already 2009 what else can you expect?

  • raptures330

    Posted Feb 18, 2009 8:33 am PT

    So whats Obsidian gonna be doing with all the people that were working on that project? How else does this cancellation affect Obsidian?
    *Goes off in search of info...*

  • Humorguy_basic

    Posted Feb 18, 2009 3:55 am PT

    Can't you see....?!!!! Every genre that is harder/more expensive to make than a first/third person shooter utilizing an off-the-shelf engine (Unreal, etc) is getting cancelled? JAde Empire was cheaper to make as RPG elements where dropped and replaced with a fighting game. Mass Effect was cheaper as it had RPG elements dropped and replaced with a third person tactical shooter. Fallout 3 was a lot more about shooting and less about 'roleplaying' than Oblivion, and the Fallout 3 DLC is a pure shooter. I cannot see, at this rate, that we will have anything but the shooter genre in a couple of years. With the exception of an Elder Scrolls or Fallout game every 3-4 years, it seems pretty much over for AAA hardcore RPG's like Morrowind, Gothic or the original Fallouts.

    Even the media are quit happy to call a game an 'RPG' if you can change weapons and armour, or just if there is an inventory! With this lax media view on what an RPG is is also making true RPG's an endangered genre!

    One reason for the huge growth in retro gaming, is that's the only way to play so many dead genres! Go to GOG.com (a retro PC game seller) and look at their top sellers. Generally you see genres (sci fi flight games (Freespace), deep RPG's (Fallout 1 and 2) and wacky shooters (Redneck Rampage), that you just don't see in today's market any more! I have finished Oblivion, got diverted by Fallout 3, but am now back playing Morrowind. I think many more gamers have 5+ year old games sitting on their hard drive, and this is changing the market. This cancellation is another sign of this change.

  • wayanbros

    Posted Feb 17, 2009 10:59 pm PT

    Game over man! Game over, WE LOSE!

  • mastermune89

    Posted Feb 17, 2009 7:26 pm PT

    awww thats terrible news

  • julianwelton

    Posted Feb 17, 2009 2:50 am PT

    That sucks, I hope Aliens: Colonial Marines doesn't get canceled as well.

  • prolink47

    Posted Feb 16, 2009 6:12 pm PT

    we wouldn't know if the game that was going to be good on PS2 cause it never came out AVP2 was only fun when there was only 2 races fighting at a time even then pred wasn't really not that fun to play as

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Feb 16, 2009 11:14 am PT

    I have been waiting for a good Alien game ever since Alien Trilogy on the Playstation. I guess the wait continues *sigh*.

  • MrHatnClogs

    Posted Feb 16, 2009 6:48 am PT

    Bishop(Sega): I'm afraid I have some bad news. Hudson(Alien Fans): Well that's a switch.

  • tidyspidey

    Posted Feb 16, 2009 2:19 am PT

    Oh dear..... replacing Aliens RPG with an AvP game? I hate to use this phrase, but it's got fail written all over it..... what are you doing at the moment Sega!?

  • thingta42

    Posted Feb 15, 2009 11:06 am PT

    yeh Geryon 10/10 i dont whana see some Alien RPG Where its like.

    "Alien Hits you for 100
    "your pulse rifle shoot Grenade...YOU MISS

  • jordan_johnson

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 10:47 pm PT

    Geryon, you hit the nail on the head! I really want to see A:CM. Not some RPG AvP game.

  • Geryon

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 9:10 pm PT

    Aliens: Colonial Marines has already been under constant rumors of being cancelled (Particularly during the recent restructuring of Sega where a huge number of titles were cancelled) and being pushed back now (Again) is NOT a good sign. They had already pushed the game back from its original release date some time last year to 4th quarter 2009 and now moved to ?quarter 2010. I doubt it's because of any technical decisions (Or more polish), more likely a stupidly bad marketting choice; AvP is "fresher" and "cooler" than a stand alone Aliens story because it has 2 radical monsters in it...*sarcasm*

    I'm not interested in running around as a lame Predator killing 1000 mercs/aliens, the Predator is supposed to be about "the hunt" and the AvP games do not capture the essence of that (They can't because it would be too boring to actually stalk and eliminate a small group of personnel 1 at a time). As much fun as it was to play an Alien in AvP2, I could care less about repeating the experience again.

    I wanted a Colonial Marines story within the Aliens universe. And A:CM had all the makings of a winnder; even going as far as hiring the concept designer of Aliens (1986) to sketch levels and a story written by two of Battlestar Galactica's writers.

    Nonetheless, AvP2 was the real only AvP game with a decent SP experinece and that was made by Monolith, not Rebellion. Rebellion made the lousy 1st game (I don't care for MP, so the 1st game was utter crap for those looking in that department). AvP3 will be made by these people (Rebellion) and they have not made any decent games as far back as I can remember. So yeah, not thrilled even a little here.

    As for Sega, they are just one let down after another. The only reason I have any hope for CM is because of Gearbox. As they keep pushing CM back, the more likely I see it being eventually cancelled (Especially with its turbulent development under constant threat of cancellation).

    So I have no faith in Sega at all. If CM is ever released then I'll be glad to buy it, otherwise they can stuff AvP3.

  • so_hai

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 5:44 pm PT

    I didn't even realise that there'd be players waiting for this game anyway.

  • thingta42

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 12:14 pm PT

    Yeh ever thought the reason why they Axed the Old ACM on the ps2 was because it was crap? Again how would you know about these Techical Things on why they Stoped making it for the ps2?

    I Know your Pain i want ACM as much as you do but Flaming & Going mad isnt going to make it come out faster.

  • thingta42

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 12:11 pm PT

    Avp wasn't crap for crying out. It was one of the Best First person Shooters for its time. Although the first one wasn't Special it was still good in its own right. But the Second AvP game was pure Gold.

  • tdelorean

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 11:12 am PT

    So, we suspend work in this for more AvP crap. Awesome.

  • sprintstar2012

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 8:40 am PT

    Let valve make the game...

  • sprintstar2012

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 8:37 am PT

    FFS...I've been waiting for this since the PS2, and to hear they are delaying it is making me lose my patience...

  • prolink47

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 7:57 am PT

    SOMEONE JUST MAKE A ALIEN MOD WITH L4D LOL

  • prolink47

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 7:49 am PT

    thingta42 are u joking right? we the real fans of ACM have been waiting since 2001 when it going to be on the ps2 LOL at this point i wouldn't care what was the status on ACM things can always get fixed down the road i mean look at WOW

  • daJonesy7

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 7:28 am PT

    Really disappointed to hear this.....

  • Humorguy_basic

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 5:24 am PT

    It will become a shooter, and it will not come on PC - that's the 2 major changes I believe is going on....!

  • tig1979

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 3:47 am PT

    i loved AvP2 i don't ahve much hope for the new game though if it's even loosely based on the poor AvP movies we have suffered. Colonial Marines i was really looking forward to, but the more they push games back the more i become uninterested and look at other things, by the time it comes out i probably won't care much as they have pee'd me off for so long doing put back after put back ( i hope it's a really top game and i want to buy it after waiting so long) The rpg could be awesome, they announce these games get awesome feedback then say ah fk it we will leave it on the backburner for something else which is probably going to be sht

  • stuwilldo

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 2:59 am PT

    with those things running around ?!...u can count me out ...

  • stuwilldo

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 2:58 am PT

    They mostly come out at night......mostly.....

  • IAMTHEJOKER88

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 1:30 am PT

    Shame...i got really hyped up about this game from looking at the few screens they showed. This new AVP better make up for it but i have not been impressed by them in the past.

  • thingta42

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 11:51 pm PT

    Also with ACM i think the setback is good. Ever thought of the Techical side of it? Maby they pushed it back a year or so to improve on it And add more to it and such. I would rather have a Finished Product and to wait 2 years then to have a rushed 6 month Game made by EA or somthing thats bugged ridden. Look what happened to Super smash bros that game got pushed back loads of times and so did Twilight Princess and look how great both those games turned out.

    Just have Faith in Sega. there not gonna mess this up not with two Big Budget Titles that have alot of Fanbase. Since if these games suck then its going to come back on Sega. And thats the last thing they want right now.

  • thingta42

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 11:48 pm PT

    Well least we got AVP3 and ACM Both which im going to get. So 2 out of 3 aint bad. Hope AVP3 comes to Consoles. Ohh and That Picture is classic! "Game over man! its game over!.

  • mechag2

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 11:47 pm PT

    Well, I'm indifferent about the Aliens RPG really, and I'm okay with CM getting pushed back as long as the quality is superb when it launches. They just better not can it again like when it was in development for the PS2 years ago. Otherwise, they can expect an army of pissed fans storming their offices.

    Regarding the new AVP game, all I can say is it's about damn time! AVP2 was released almost 9 years ago. I gotta say I'm really not happy about Rebellion being the one tapped to develop it, though. I have no confidence in their abilities. They can't make a quality licensed title while staying true to the material it's based on to save their life. And after playing F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, I'm positive the AVP games really should be back in the loving hands of Monolith. The first AVP game Rebellion did was utter garbage and I don't even want to talk about the AVP:R tie in.

    *takes a deep breath* Well, at least we're getting a PC version. Hopefully we'll be pleasantly surprised and they deliver the epic AVP experience we've been waiting for all these years. And that they don't butcher the Xeno's & Pred's again either.

  • Geryon

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 9:55 pm PT

    Firstly Obsidian's RPG was not a AvP RPG, it was specifically an RPG set in the Aliens universe; aliens wouldn't be the only enemies and perhaps share the role of main villains with others like corporations or even other Xenomorphs. But whatever, there wasn't any real information about the game save for the announcement and a couple of threads in the Obsidian forums to make me really miss this anyway.

    However Gearbox's Colonial Marines game that has been pushed back yet again is the one I'm angry about. The Game Informer article really showed just a hint of how great this game is going to be and another set back in the release can only push it towards inevitable cancellation just like Obsidian's RPG.

    I like the AvP games fine. AvP2 was pretty good because they actually sat down and developed a semi-decent storyline for all 3 races, even if they used that stupid cliche of the Marie PC always getting mysteriously separated from his teammates. AvP 1 however was terrible; it was a lose compilation of virtually unassociated levels that played more like FFA matches with the player simply running and gunning without doing anything else except those tiny briefings with that guy on a tv screen (And don't get me started on the Gold version that replaced the original Lieutenant with one of the worst actors in history and didn't even dress like a Colonial Marine anymore!).

    Like I said in the original announcement for pushing back Colonial Marines to 2010:
    Let's see, we can choose between: a) A squad based shooter with 4 player Coop for SP and 4 protagonists following the events of Cameron's film and building on the intrigue of intergalactic politics of companies like Weyland Yutani and encountering Aliens in diverse worlds. Developed by the makers of the original Brothers in Arms.
    b) Another rehash of AvP by a company whose last tolerable game I can't even recall (Probably AvP1) and can't even string together a campaign of levels to form even a glimmer of narrative or characters.

    Conclusion: Real no brainer which to choose Sega!

    So, yeah thanks alot Sega: YOU SUCK!

  • TheCatastropher

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 4:56 pm PT

    Damn, I was really lookin forward 2 this game and now their just gonna drop everything and run. THAT'S EFFING RIDICULOUS!

  • Vistaer

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 4:26 pm PT

    Would have been nice to at least see how they were approaching this. Could have been very interesting.

  • prolink47

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 2:15 pm PT

    SAGA SHOULD BE PWN BY EA GAMES

  • Warlypwnage

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 2:11 pm PT

    Colonial marines and avp 3 all the way anyway

  • 0oJazZMano0

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 12:01 pm PT

    The Left 4 Dead 'style' Colonial Marines game is soo the way forward. I'm almost speechless that we're even discussing whether this is a good idea or not! As for an Alien RPG, i'm not convinced. It would definitely have to think outside of the box to make its mark on us 'older' ,(I use the term grudgingly) gamers. Release Colonial Marines!!! Obviously don't rush it out but if this game gets cancelled I'm going to be well miffed!>

  • harkusrex

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 10:22 am PT

    aliens rpg sounds daft....only if it is implemented a bit like fallout 3.couldnt be turn based as that would remove the horror aspect of the alien franchise. Still there isnt allot to go on when it comes canon wise.

  • magnificent7

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 10:19 am PT

    Noah-Phoenix: Negative much? Not all Aliens games are rubbish. Take a good look at some of the older titles and try to tell me that they are all rubbish. Colonial Marines looks very promising and hopefully will see the light of day. The fact that we hadn't seen anything about the RPG should have been a sign right there that things were not going so well. What bugs me more than anything at this point is that Colonial Marines has been pushed back for AVP3. Granted, AVP1 and 2 (the games, not the films) were good, but I would rather just fight Aliens than Predators this time.

  • Donkeljohn

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 9:44 am PT

    "Oh great. That's just great." "Why don't you just put the girl in charge?"
    No Hudson? No fun.

  • Lazyimperial

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 9:24 am PT

    I have to agree with Monco59 on this. I hate Obsidian. Kotor 2 was an inferior version of Kotor 1 with more bugs, more framerate problems, and a horrible story that eventually fell apart and had one heck of a lame ending. Meanwhile NWN2 was an inferior version of NWN1 with more bugs, more framerate problems, and a storyline that, while better than Kotor 2's storyline, also had a really lame ending. By the way, bellydancers in winter boots, giant skirts, turtleneck sweaters, vests, and big honking gloves? WTF? Do you even know what bellydancers are you puritan pricks? Let's face it: their Alien RPG would have sucked like all their other games. Personally, I'll never waste another dime on an Obsidian product for as long as they exist, and it wouldn't pain me at all if they went under. Black Isle Studios is dead, and Obsidian is a sorry substitute. Argh, my paragraph breaks. You are eating them!

  • Ryuketsu2043

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 8:59 am PT

    epic lame...i really hope colonial marines sees the light of day

  • Noah-Phoenix

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 8:37 am PT

    They know full well that most Aliens games fall flat on their faces as they're all rubbish, and in these financial hard times, its best to cut out the rubbish before it hits the shelves. Look on the bright side, at least now we only have to shell out for one bad Aliens game sometime soon instead of two!

  • jknight5422

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 8:17 am PT

    Sega should just go out of business & let someone with common sense take over..bury dumb Hedgehog forever. I was really looking forward to the Aliens RPG. Maybe some other company will grow a brain & pick this up for continuation.

  • akirakurosawa

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 8:16 am PT

    they stopped the project? i am sorry to hear about that. i am a huge fan of the alien franchise also i love the work from obsidian. they know what they do! just google for Feargus Urquhart. he was on of that guy that brought usd Fallout. com on sega, i believe there are other projects without that potential (both, financial and intellectual) that should be canceled instead.

  • gold_prevalence

    Posted Feb 13, 2009 6:59 am PT

    Reminds me of Blizzard not going to consoles with Diablo III or Starcraft ii. Thats right Sega, stay behind your hedgehog and everything will be fine...cowards.

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