Aliens: Colonial Marines Gets a New Trailer and Another Delay

[Andy Chalk]

Aliens: Colonial Marines Gets a New Trailer and Another Delay

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Sega and Gearbox have released a hot new cinematic trailer for Aliens: Colonial Marines to celebrate yet another delay in the game's release.

Consider this your daily dose of "good news, bad news." First, the good news: the latest promo trailer for Aliens: Colonial Marines [http://www.amazon.com/Aliens-Colonial-Marines-Xbox-360/dp/B005THAX5Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327689350&sr=8-1] doesn't really say anything about the game, but it's gorgeous and seriously atmospheric. Even after all these years, the sound of that motion detector over the dead silence of imminent, hellish catastrophe can still give me goosebumps.

But now, the bad news: Colonial Marines is delayed again. I can't honestly say how many times it's been postponed but in still didn't know [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/81649-Sega-Reveals-Aliens-Colonial-Marines-Details] when the game would come out and also made the hilariously awesome claim that it hadn't actually been delayed at all, Sega had just announced it too soon. Brilliant!

A few months later Sega announced a release "window" of Game Informer [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110550-Sega-Clears-Aliens-Colonial-Marines-For-2012]. "While setting clear goals, deadlines and predictions is helpful, they are often subjective. We don't want to sacrifice the creative process just for the sake of following a blue print. We prefer to have the creative discovery shape that blue print because our goal is to make a great game, and we are prioritizing this goal over the previously targeted date."

We'll see you in the fall of 2012, in other words - although at this point, I wouldn't hold my breath.


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[RA92]

Delays scare me. The greater the length of a development project, the higher the costs are going to be, making it slightly more tough to turn over a profit. And this was supposed to be released in 2008...

Take your time to refine your game and give us a fine product, Gearbox, but be careful.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

The main thing that they have to get right with Colonial Marines is the animation. If the Aliens don't move right, it isn't going to appease me. Now, if they moved like they did in that trailer, I would love it.

But if they are just the jerky animations they had in AVP 2010, I'll be disappointed.

 

[fix-the-spade]

I get the feeling this is Randy Pitch's pet project.

Gearbox haven't ever had a game that they made with a blank timescale. They've always been the one publishers go to get a troubled project out and on budget. Maybe Sega have just given them a chunk of money and said "this is how much we're investing, take all the time you need but make it good,"
With the huge delays this has had, I can't see Sega of all companies continually writing new cheques.

Anyway, the last Aliens game that truly scared me was Resurrection on the PS1 (that game is as good as the film is bad, seriously). If this can capture the utter gut ripping tension of being in total darkness, having five rounds left in your shotgun and nothing on the motion tracker.

Bleep.
Bleep.
BLEEP.

You can't see it, it's there, you're going to have to shoot to see it but if you miss there might not be a second shot... I'm a go lie down.

Delays scare me. The greater the length of a development project, the higher the costs are going to be, making it slightly more tough to turn over a profit. And this was supposed to be released in 2008...

Take your time to refine your game and give us a fine product, Gearbox, but be careful.

Gearbox turned a profit on Duke Nukem Forever. I'm pretty sure they could turn a profit on Bernie Madoff investments if they tried...

 

[RJ 17]

To-date I still say the best Aliens game was actually AvP 2 for the PC. The marine campaign in that game was absolutely terrifying if you played it in the dark. You're so incredibly alone in a place you KNOW is crawling with aliens and, of course, that iconic. "bleep....Bleep....BLEEP!" of your tracker going off only to find out that it's a crane hook swingin idly in the air above you....then HOLY CRAP THERE'S A SWARM OF ALIENS COMING UP BEHIND YOU!

Personally, though, I've always been more of a Predator fan than an Aliens fan. Don't get me wrong, I love Aliens (I still say that while the 2nd movie is the best in my opinion, the first movie is one of the scariest movies I've ever seen) and have been dreaming of this game for years now, and as such I'm quite saddened to hear that it's been delayed.....again.....

My guess is that they'll say that it'll come out 12/22/12 hoping that all the End of the World predictions are correct so they don't have to worry about the game ever coming out.

Edit: That trailer was one of the best cinematic-based (as opposed to gameplay-based) trailers I've seen in a long time.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Gearbox?
Delaying a much longed for FPS?
But releasing cool videos?

Spoiler: I can see no reason how this could go wrong.

 

[Paragon Fury]

So, how's Aliens: Colonial Marines Forever looking there Gearbox?

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

I refuse to get hyped for a new Aliens game, mainly because the last time I did I ended up preordering this:

Spoiler: *shudder*

Also,

Gearbox?
Delaying a much longed for FPS?
But releasing cool videos?

Spoiler: I can see no reason how this could go wrong.

Too cruel, man.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

I know its Marines vs Aliens, but it just won't feel right if there isn't a Predator in there. Even if its just a cameo or something.

 

[Nouw]

While I am a bit disappointed that the release was delayed again, I can assume that the people over at Gearbox are listening to us over at the respective forum. Get it right Gearbox, including acid-blood damage!

Trailer-wise, it was pretty good but I couldn't feel immersed much because I already know the song very well. I was disappointed that they didn't make use of the creepy two-notes. On the plus-side, the Queen looked very authentic.

I know its Marines vs Aliens, but it just won't feel right if there isn't a Predator in there. Even if its just a cameo or something.

Some would beg to differ since it's an Aliens game. A game set in the Aliens universe, not the cross-over one. Personally I don't want Predators whatsoever. Aliens deserves a sequel without a Predator.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Some would beg to differ since it's an Aliens game. A game set in the Aliens universe, not the cross-over one. Personally I don't want Predators whatsoever. Aliens deserves a sequel without a Predator.

The background fluff says the Predators built/engineered the Aliens to be a prey species for their hunts.

 

[Nouw]

Some would beg to differ since it's an Aliens game. A game set in the Aliens universe, not the cross-over one. Personally I don't want Predators whatsoever. Aliens deserves a sequel without a Predator.

The background fluff says the Predators built/engineered the Aliens to be a prey species for their hunts.

You must be mistaken, it was actually the Space Jockies. That is true however in the cross-over universe. There are two different universes.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

You must be mistaken, it was actually the Space Jockies. That is true however in the cross-over universe. There are two different universes.

I thought all the games took place in the crossover, they have pumped out 3 AvP games so I just figured that this was set in the same.

 

[Beautiful End]

Remember Duke Nukem forever?

Remember those legendary delays?

Remember how the game turned out?

Don't do that. Just don't. That is all.

 

[fix-the-spade]

Gearbox?
Delaying a much longed for FPS?
But releasing cool videos?

Now now, Gearbox are the only developers for this one.

For that one they got handed a box of bits and orders to make it work raaapid loike... and it still turned a profit.

 

[fix-the-spade]

I thought all the games took place in the crossover, they have pumped out 3 AvP games so I just figured that this was set in the same.

The AVP license is separate to the Alien license, just ot make life simple. The AVP games are (mostly) from Rebellion up in Scotland, while Alien proper gamescome from all over.

 

[Super Six One]

The ad reminded me of Moon(well the tune did) so that is good. But anyone else think it had a Dead Island Advert feel to it? Looks amazing, gets you really hyped and will come to a massive letdown.

 

[Vern]

God I love it when gamers get all flustered about a game not coming out when they think it should. Rather have a polished product, then a little kid mentality of "I want it now."

Generally I agree, but there is a line. Look at Duke Nukem Forever for the best example. If it would've been released on time, some two or three years after it was announced it had a decent chance of being great, or at least giving 3D Realms the opportunity to create another Duke game. The things they were doing with interactivity was something that really hadn't been seen at that point. But new technology was released, they changed engines, and had to redo quite a bit of the programming, and by the time they were done redoing the programming, a new graphics engine was released so they had to redo the programming and levels. I'm not saying this is what's happening here, but spending too long on a game can lead down a large circular drain. That's why I don't see great hopes for this game; it's almost four years after it was supposed to be released and it's being delayed again. It's called development hell. The end result is either the game gets cancelled, or they run out of money to spend on the project and release it with features half-implemented and it gets panned as half-assed, even though it five years of work.

I'd love to see another Aliens game. The original AvP game had some of the most tense moments I've ever experienced during the marines campaign, and there's like crawling on walls and ceilings and hiding in the dark to kill people during the alien campaign. Great game. I just worry about delays like this, especially a three year delay. It means something's not coming together, and going by past scenarios like this it'll either get canned, or come out half-finished.