Jagged Alliance 3 back on track

German outfit bitComposer Games picks up rights to PC strategy series, starts "preliminary development" on third full game for release next year.

The Jagged Alliance series racks up rights-holders the way its characters rack up body counts. Originally published by Sirtech in 1995, the series has also appeared under the banners of TalonSoft, Interplay, and Strategy First.

This is what Jagged Alliance 3 concept art used to look like.

Now the franchise has added another notch to its business partner bedpost, as German developer bitComposer Games today announced that it has acquired the worldwide licensing rights to the Jagged Alliance series from Strategy First, with the exception of a project the latter company is currently developing for social networks.

The first project to come from the deal will be Jagged Alliance 3, on which bitComposer has begun "preliminary development work," with an anticipated 2011 launch date. Given its preproduction stage, the game is apparently different from the previously announced Jagged Alliance 3, which Strategy First showed off at the 2007 Electronic Entertainment Expo, with a late 2008 date expected.

While the Jagged Alliance series claims a loyal fan base, that group's patience has been tested over the years. It's been six years since Jagged Alliance 2: Wildfire debuted on the PC to warm reviews. In that time, the only Jagged Alliance project to find its way to release was a DS adaptation that suffered a tepid critical response.

42 Comments

  • Omegakill0

    Posted Jul 19, 2010 2:31 am PT

    I've always wanted JA to use the Silent Storm engine..if they kept the mechanics of JA2 and the engine of SS but added modable guns they got themselves a perfect game. LONG LIVE JAGGED ALLIANCE! LONG LIVE TURN BASED TACTICAL SHOOTERS!!

  • sanny_net

    Posted May 30, 2010 2:09 pm PT

    Please, get it done.. i am ready to play !!!!

  • GODSPEEDseven

    Posted May 16, 2010 9:29 pm PT

    Finally, it seems to be heading somewhere.. and lets hope that it is somewhere positive!

  • Greyfoo-t

    Posted May 9, 2010 9:03 am PT

    @FoeCrusher

    Man, you are my brother how could you say `sniff-sniff` Laser Squad??!!!!
    I thought I am the last of a dying breed, slowly disappearing in the mist of the mass of new century gamers...
    Back to topic, yes please, make and publish a decent turn based JA3 including the chick with them boobs and Steyr AUG above.

  • velcroboy

    Posted Mar 20, 2010 12:26 pm PT

    Oh man I can't wait. I really hope they do this game justice. I hope the characters have great personalities again and they keep up with the humor of JA2. JA2 was easily in the top 5 games I have ever played. All I can say is TONS OF GUNS. and bring back Buzz and Fox. They were hot.

  • velcroboy

    Posted Mar 20, 2010 12:26 pm PT

    Oh man I can't wait. I really hope they do this game justice. I hope the characters have great personalities again and they keep up with the humor of JA2. JA2 was easily in the top 5 games I have ever played. All I can say is TONS OF GUNS. and bring back Buzz and Fox. They were hot.

  • NightVVulf

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 3:15 pm PT

    Shout out to all you x-com players - "keep it rockin! " and check out http://www.xcomufo.com/ a great place for xcom info and history. for those of you that have never played X-Com, or want to play it again, they have most of them available on Steam for like $5 each.

  • NightVVulf

    Posted Mar 16, 2010 3:11 pm PT

    I have also given up ( mostly ) hope of JA 3 ever being released. Ever since 2007 when it was mentioned that JA 3 would be on the Silent Storm engine I set to work on tinkering with my on mods of SS to meet the JA theme. My website will be up soon, as I will be releasing the finished mods to the public.

    As for Fallout and the hatred of Fallout 3, well I agree with the fans of the original games: The legend is dead. Fallout 3 was an interesting game in its own right, It kept my attention ( barely at times ) to get me through the whole thing and some of the add ons. But it was not Fallout. The first Fallout games ( mostly the first and tactics for me ) where much more thought out, had more to them, and really delved into the idea of the post-apocalyptic-insert-something-crazy-here-epic phase that constantly entertains and delights both gamers and movie watchers alike. Themes like this have been popular and successful in all areas of entertainment, most likely because the end-user enjoys it.

    I will definitely stand with the JA fans and morn the death of this series if the new game house cant bring it up to snuff.

  • GODSPEEDseven

    Posted Mar 13, 2010 10:31 pm PT

    Hey common guys, while we don't need to get our hopes too high, lets not blast away a company we don't know much about.. lets just wait to see what sort of product they come out with.. then lets blast them to pieces! (at least they seem to be interested in DOING something about JA3.. for the time being)

    Hopefully JA 3 will come out someday.. but I'd rather a well made game than any game at all.

  • cutiepatooty123

    Posted Mar 12, 2010 4:48 pm PT

    I came in when Strategy First made a 6 pack game (basically, a box w/ 6 different games in it). I'm glad JAW & JA 2 was in it because when I played it, it was just fun. I liked how the player could just choose a character & not have to deal with a gun view. I don't really like those kinds of games that have a gun view...for me it would make the game too compicated.

  • sodiumpentathol

    Posted Mar 12, 2010 6:09 am PT

    To be honest, I'm not holding my breath for this one anymore.
    It would be cool if it got produced and published for a change, though. However, somehow, I'm already expecting a cancelation notice before the end of this year.
    Also, why is Fallout 3 being mentioned here.. How was that a SQUAD based game??

  • Yams1980

    Posted Mar 11, 2010 3:03 pm PT

    Hope its good somehow but the fact this no name company bought the rights to it doesn't look good. They will just use its name to make some quick sales and release a poorly made game.

    Some foreign company has a poor chance in making this any good.

  • sanny_net

    Posted Mar 10, 2010 12:44 pm PT

    yaa...

  • secnpa

    Posted Mar 10, 2010 9:19 am PT

    @AjaxLaststand The hatred towards Fallout 3 is simply due to the memory of Fallout 1 &2 being a great game(which they were 10 years ago). No one who plays Fallout 1, 2, and 3 today for the first time can honestly say that the first two are the best in the series and the modern version is a piece of garbage. The ones who do never gave the game a chance or are simply just being stubborn.

    I tried playing Fallout 2 last year after finishing F3 and let me tell you it did not live up to my memories and could not hold my attention for very long.

  • moose3469

    Posted Mar 10, 2010 8:51 am PT

    Cool story...

  • FoeCrusher

    Posted Mar 10, 2010 8:00 am PT

    Seems there isn't any shortage of people like me that loved the original turned based Jagged Alliance. No doubt since turn based is a largely dead (sadly) format they will try to make it more real time. Personally I miss squad based turn based games like the already mentioned Xcom and also Laser Squad. I loved that game.

  • Taffelost

    Posted Mar 10, 2010 7:35 am PT

    Personally I'd like more a new X-Com game, but JA just have to do I guess.

  • des_kong

    Posted Mar 10, 2010 5:24 am PT

    This is one of the best turn-base strategy game. I am still playing JA2 with mod. Hope to see Jagged Alliance 3 soon.

  • DexCasas

    Posted Mar 10, 2010 5:09 am PT

    They will probably just dumb it down so it appeals to a larger market like most games nowadays.

  • shkar

    Posted Mar 10, 2010 3:50 am PT

    nice boobs in the picture......

  • schesak

    Posted Mar 10, 2010 2:54 am PT

    I miss SirTech...they made some of my favorite games of all time, and I've been gaming since the stone age.
    Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those old-timers that gripes about the current generation of games...I love quite a few very modern games. I'm just saying SirTech made some of my top favorites of all time. Jagged Alliance among them. Most of the recent attempts at that type of game have been abyssmal, so I'll be crossing my fingers and saying a few prayers on Sundays that this comes out good.

  • James009

    Posted Mar 10, 2010 1:29 am PT

    Honestly, I'd love to see a "Fallout 3" esque Jagged Alliance game... if they could do it right (Bethesda and Todd). Unfortunately, I doubt anyone else could do it right so I'm gonna hope for a more natural adaptation of Jagged Alliance in line with the original games.

    Here's to the best

  • Ladiesman17

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 11:38 pm PT

    @ AjaxsLastStand

    Fallout 3 may be great in the eyes of gamers these days, but for those who understand & playing the original version. be sure that Fallout 1 & 2 a lot more crazy, unique, funny & twisted!! originally Fallout franchise has its own style, but Fallout 3 was very bland, copy-cat each genre (Hybrid genre) & half-baked. It's not just my opinion, but "a lot" old-school users! saying exactly like that

  • AjaxsLastStand

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 9:57 pm PT

    I don't get the hatred of Fallout 3. I enjoyed the game heavily, and this is coming from my teen years playing the first two Fallouts. As for Jagged Alliance 3, let's just hope for the best. Cautious optimism is the best approach.

  • Open_Sights

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 9:49 pm PT

    I hope that this time JA3 will really see the light of day.And if it's a unfaithful sequel (like a certain recent game from another classic old school series), it's better to not develop anything at all.

  • TheProfileth

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 9:24 pm PT

    I hope the developers don't go "Hey you know what would be a good idea, lets turn this into a first person shooter based on the engine of some generic rpg" "Yea that would be a great idea" And then have it sell millions because new gamers are just as retarded as the ones who decided to buy Fallout 3.
    Viva La Van Buren Project!

  • wahyudil

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 9:03 pm PT

    I still want to play x-com ... I miss JA days ... but not X-com's

  • asjws14

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 8:45 pm PT

    I'm also a huge Jagged Alliance fan, but I fear this will be another let down. Either a let down in the fact that it will disolve before it is finished, or it will be a half cooked knock off.

    But here's to optimism! I will watch this project with great interest.

  • MindlessTeef

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 8:41 pm PT

    Jagged Alliance still remains my all-time favorite franchise, I was playing JA2 again recently... timeless and near-perfect game, as was Sir-Tech's Wizardry series. I was playing Wizardry 8 again recently as well. JA is a classic along with awesome games like the X-COM series. I wasn't liking where F3 Games was going with the game... linear set amount of missions with no depth... hope bitComposer does a better job... they were smart enough to publish the AWESOME Call of Pripyat at least. Using Silent Storm's Engine was a good move I supose, they should just get Nival to make JA3 I think.

  • yzeng

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 7:21 pm PT

    love the news, I am still playing JA2, with the lates MODs. Thanks to a Chinese guy, who made the mod that bascially included almost All the guns in modern world.

  • suicidepickles

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 5:48 pm PT

    i'm with pod... still waiting for a trully x-com...

  • James009

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 5:27 pm PT

    I'm concerned because I've never heard of bitComposer. I hope they don't ruin it.

    You know what? Just give Jagged Alliance 3 to Todd Howard or something. He'd make the world turn with the franchise!

  • artiom24

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 4:58 pm PT

    Incredible, absolutely incredible!!! I'm sincerely hoping they succeed with this project. JA2 was one of the best games ever made.

  • iceeman

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 4:16 pm PT

    all u developers listen up, this (jagged alliance) is the way games are supposed to be made.

  • johnpiszton

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 4:11 pm PT

    Great. JA2 was a helluva game.

  • kozzy1234

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 4:09 pm PT

    cant wait for this.

  • joecartoonnm8

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 3:57 pm PT

    If JA2 released with a MP I'd still be playing. The previews from the Strategy First didn't look good, and I'm glad it was canceled so it didn't tarnish the series. Hell, all they need to do is update the JA2 gfx, add MP (vs and co-op) and I'd pay for it. Just don't change what made the first JA games great or do something stupid like try to make it anything other than turn-based.

  • isnot-important

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 3:52 pm PT

    Best news i've heard all month!

  • d-rtyboy

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 3:44 pm PT

    Yea... but does it have a post-apocalyptic-nuclear-war-radio-active-mutant-survival theme to it?

  • PodXCOM

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 3:41 pm PT

    WHAT ABOUT X-COM!!!

  • Shardz7

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 3:37 pm PT

    Now THIS is news! I was just reading on Wiki the other as to what had happened to this project and it looked grim indeed. This was one of the best turn based strategy games ever and even Jagged Alliance 2 with the massive user mod is still playable to this day. Now we just see if they screw this up really bad or not. Let's hope it doesn't include this nasty DRM crap that is arising in newer game or tie you to Steam and then I'll be glad to give it a shot. PLEASE DON'T SCREW UP THIS GAME!!

  • sunio

    Posted Mar 9, 2010 3:09 pm PT

    sweet, loved jagged alliance 2 back in the days

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