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Is Aliens: Colonial Marines still coming to Wii U?

After Xbox 360, PS3, and PC versions were blasted by critics, Sega, Gearbox, and Demiurge won't say if Wii U version is still on the way.

Aliens: Colonial Marines was blasted by critics at launch this week. GameSpot's review said the game is a "disappointing exercise in bland corridor shooting" and one that is "unremarkable in every conceivable way." Other critics also crushed the game, with Joystiq criticizing the game for being an "unfettered disaster" and Gamesradar saying it is "wholly uninteresting."

A checkered, strained, and protracted development, according to sources, was the reason the game came up short.

With a heightened degree of negativity surrounding Aliens: Colonial Marines, will publisher Sega decide to follow through with its plans to launch the game for the Wii U later this year?

It's tough to say, because no one involved with the project is willing to talk.

A Sega of America senior public relations manager told GameSpot, "We’re not commenting on anything regarding Aliens: Colonial Marines right now." Meanwhile, a representative for Demiurge Studios, the Cambridge, Mass., outfit in charge of development said, "Thanks for reaching out and appreciate you double checking with the Demiurge team. However, we can't comment at this time."

Though Gearbox Software is not significantly involved in development on Aliens: Colonial Marines for the Wii U, CEO Randy Pitchford said last year that he sees the game "regularly." It's likely, then, that the studio would have an idea about how the Wii U version is progressing. This remains to be seen, as a Gearbox representative had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment on whether the Wii U version is still planned for release.

Pitchford's Twitter account does not clarify the situation, either. Apart from one retweet about a patch for the console and PC versions of the game, Pitchford has not discussed the Wii U version whatsoever this week.

If retailer listings are any indication, Aliens: Colonial Marines for the Wii U is still on. GameStop, Best Buy, GameFly, and Target all have product pages for the game, though Amazon does not. A representative from the retailer was not immediately available to comment.

The official Aliens: Colonial Marines website lists the Wii U version as "TBC." It is unclear what this means, though popular possibilities include "to be considered" and "to be confirmed."

Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

284 comments
loopy_101
loopy_101

I sincerely hope that Gearbox iron out the glitches found in the other versions when they release Aliens to the unsuspecting Wii U audiences.

oversizeandy
oversizeandy

Would not advise anyone to buy rubbish shame on the hype this game got

Mugzippit
Mugzippit

If they can rework the game to solve all the criticisms then yes, otherwise....

SeannTHEsheep
SeannTHEsheep

did any one ever see what aliens originally looked and played like.  it was awsome . they never even released the same game 

SeannTHEsheep
SeannTHEsheep

i dont know about nintendo forcing people to play games on a controler screen but sony wants us to now buy the vita so we can play ps4 games without a tv.  same difference

slefo29
slefo29 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

Like anyone would be crushed if this PoS wasn't released on the Wii U. 

grove12345
grove12345 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

so developers didnt realize their game was complete crap when they decided to make it a casual FPS?


179107199999
179107199999 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

just 3 words....YOU BETTER NOT....

SythisTaru
SythisTaru like.author.displayName 1 Like

Wait, is this real? I thought this was one of Wii-U's biggest titles, and was released for it first. Are you telling me it never even came out for Wii-U? What in Gods name is Nintendo doing?

megakick
megakick

@SythisTaru Failing... Wii- U pad was the biggest mistake ever. Forcing game players to buy a fancy touch pad controller is just bad marketing. I already have a DS why would I want to buy it again so I can use it on the Wii- U?

Strider8009
Strider8009 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

Just cancelled the Wii U version and bring Borderlands 2: Complete Edition instead.

ChiefFreeman
ChiefFreeman like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

WII U owners: you don't want this piece of shit released for your console, even with the drought of Wii U games. Sega, spare them the pain and cancel it. Then, sue the crap out of Gearbox for making such a poor quality product.

JustPlainLucas
JustPlainLucas like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

They might as well just release it.  I'd buy it for 20 bucks easily.  The whole "FPS MUST BE INNOVATIVE!" thing is negated if you can just find that sweet spot where the price point equates value.  For me, that would be 20.  For a lot of others, it sounds like they're big enough fans of the Aliens franchise that might be buy it for 30 or 40.  Considering Sega's showing a history of releasing games at around 30 or 40 (Anarchy Reigns, Sonic Racing Transformed), maybe they should just bring out ACM on the Wii U for 40 and just cut their losses.  Makes more sense than canceling a game that's almost finished.  Can't stand when developers do that.

mariokart64fan
mariokart64fan

a 360=complete circle and , ya i actually beleive wiiu will get some sort of enhancment 

metalgrinch
metalgrinch like.author.displayName 1 Like

I say bring it over to the WiiU, fix as much of the crap as possible, and then give it a sub name that differentiates it from the PS3/Xbox bomb. Something cute like "Game Over, Man Edition." Put in some good extras and they'll be set. If it's good enough it could be a system seller for Nintendo action FPS fans

steve4123456789
steve4123456789

You can dress up, and put nice makeup on a pig but it's still a pig.

Vambran
Vambran

@steve4123456789  

After what sega went through to get Gearbox to finish this game , i doubt they will give them a nickle more to port this game to Wii-U. 

fluffy_puppy666
fluffy_puppy666 like.author.displayName 1 Like

Everytime i see the SEGA logo on a game cover i turn 360 degrees and walk away. 

silverwings21
silverwings21 like.author.displayName 1 Like

@fluffy_puppy666

A 180 you stupid spaghetti slurping cretin, if I did a 360 i'd go completely around and end up back where i started.

ROCKINGFOOL
ROCKINGFOOL like.author.displayName 1 Like

man i dont expect it to pass 100k on wiiu , especially the bait and switch he did with the game engine , the beta engine which he showed back in October was jaw dropping gorgeous but the actual game was change completly when they launch it .

we forgave you the first time , but the second time i am gona show you the middle finger.

silvergol
silvergol


@ROCKINGFOOL Why this game will be released not even delayed.

ROCKINGFOOL
ROCKINGFOOL

@silvergol @ROCKINGFOOL its not about releasing the game , its about how bad the game is .

DaneGamer
DaneGamer like.author.displayName 1 Like

@silvergol @ROCKINGFOOL yes it is. The game has gone to TBA, 'to be announced', rumors say it's on hold indefinitely. You're clearly not very good at english, but to put it short: ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES HAS A GOOD CHANCE OF NOT RELEASING.

silverwings21
silverwings21

Hopefully it does come out, but fixes all the problems. Sort of like what the PS3 version did to Alone In The Dark.

hehe101
hehe101 like.author.displayName 1 Like

Don't think anyone actually cares, unless it's a brand new game.

IllegallyAwesum
IllegallyAwesum

I would die laughing if the WiiU version was delayed for AI and graphical improvements and the end product was somehow vastly better because of parallel development.

Elem187
Elem187

@IllegallyAwesum The funny part is you might be right....

Usually a game is completely finished on another system before porting can even begin... I never heard of a port happening piece meal. So it sounds like the two versions were being developed at the same time by two different studios.. Timegate did 50% of the PS360/PC version and Demiurge is handling the Wii U version.

But knowing Nintendo's luck, the Demiurge version will be shiite too....

But if this was the case, then why didn't gear box just take the demiurge version and port it over to ps360/pc and release that ? lol

jmc88888
jmc88888 like.author.displayName 1 Like

@Elem187 @IllegallyAwesum  

It's a good question.  Perhaps they could do that for the PC version since the Wii U version can obviously be ported to PC hardware.

For 360/PS3 it would be difficult since the specs are much crappier.  The Wii U version might be using some of that new tech that makes it better than the current gen consoles whereas they couldn't get away with that on the older consoles with older GPU's and 1/2 to 1/4 the ram of the Wii U.

The other thing is that Sega was pushing them hard to release it to the point that another delay could have started a lawsuit against Gearbox from Sega for all the delays. 

So they pushed it out.  It might even be internally now that that's out they fulfilled their 'obligations' to Sega and the new Wii U version (not under the same constraints since the Wii U didn't exist when the contract was originally signed) with a different team making it and being backed by Gearbox can make it more how it's supposed to be without interference from Sega and win a Pyrrhic victory showing they made a good Aliens game, well one version of it.  


Or the game will suck.

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