Aliens: Court Marines - "I say we take Sega's money and Nuke the entire IP from orbit..."

[Patticus]

All of this is pointing toward some kind of internal, perhaps developmental cluster-fuck at Gearbox. I would certainly like to hear the full story, though I doubt it'll emerge for a while.

[Detective Shadzter]

All of this is pointing toward some kind of internal, perhaps developmental cluster-fuck at Gearbox. I would certainly like to hear the full story, though I doubt it'll emerge for a while.

Wii U version was outsourced to Demiurge.

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/06/demiurge_studios_handling_aliens_colonial_marines_wii_u

[PSI Wind]

Gee, and people wonder why I care more for Japanese game developers than Western ones. At least they don't fucking lie.

[Yong]

I'd like to hope that maybe Nintendo called Gearbox and Sega up and was all, "Are you fucking serious? Make this game what you lead us all to think it'd be like, or no dice," however given what we now know about the state of the game, cancellation seems more likely.

 

 

From GAF:

 

 

 Doubt Nintendo would deny any game to appear on their hardware (that wasn't adult rated). Look at all the Wii's shovelware. If there's any truth to the rumors it would be Sega pulling out their funding on helping Gearbox publish this trash.

[Wraith]

PSI Freeze, on 13 Feb 2013 - 19:55, said:Gee, and people wonder why I care more for Japanese game developers than Western ones. At least they don't fucking lie.


Capcom would like a word.

[Barry the Nomad]

Aliens: Colonial Marines really is a remnant of SEGA West's past - during the rocky SEGA of America/SEGA Europe days. I mean, look at early articles on the game and look at SEGA West's output at the time. Way the hell back in 2006 SEGA and Gearbox announced that a game (which ended up being this game) was in development. What else did SEGA release in 2006?

 

 

Then development continued, and meanwhile SEGA of America/SEGA Europe (mainly SoA) continued to release shit like the Marvel titles, Daisy Fuentes Pilates, Golden Compass... 

 

Eventually, SEGA wised up, reorganized into SEGA West, cut the crap and in my opinion were far smarter with their releases from 2012 onwards. But Aliens: Colonial Marines, that game born in a period when SEGA was making some pretty awful titles, was still alive and kicking and SEGA just wanted to release the damn thing and be over with it. Not to say that SEGA is to blame. Gearbox had more than enough dev time. SEGA just wanted a return on their investment from '06. 

 

I'll give SEGA West credit, they did a pretty good job marketing the title as best they could. The community team's efforts have been strong on the social networks over the past months. 

 

Really, I blame Gearbox. SEGA's purchase of the Aliens franchise electronic rights may not have paid off in the long run, but Aliens vs. Predator and Aliens Infestation were decent games that were a step up from a lot of the other externally developed content from the same era of SEGA. From SEGA's perspective, they had the rights, they had a competent developer (or so we thought) and they had the potential to make a game that could have been a step up from the past two franchise titles. Instead it appears Gearbox didn't give a shit and in turn screwed SEGA and more importantly screwed themselves by making a game that will hurt their reputation.

 

I hope SEGA does no more business with Gearbox and focuses on their internal Western teams like Creative Assembly, Relic and Sports Interactive. Those are innovative, competent developers. Gearbox... not so much, it turns out.

Edited February 14, 2013 by Barry the Nomad

[Conando]

Clearly, SEGA should have pulled a Ubisoft and delayed all versions until the Wii U release so every gamer could suffer. 

 

Anyway. Lol, Kotaku but, this is the current rumor for just what the hell happened to this game. If true, that means the game was basically scrapped and redone in just 5 months.

 

http://kotaku.com/5984068/how-aliens-colonial-marines-fell-apart

Edited February 14, 2013 by Wreck-It Ralph

[Autosaver]

 

Edited February 14, 2013 by Autosaver

[Conando]

That fake Reggie account is God's gift to man.

[Cortez]

Anyway. Lol, Kotaku but, this is the current rumor for just what the hell happened to this game. If true, that means the game was basically scrapped and redone in just 5 months.

http://kotaku.com/5984068/how-aliens-colonial-marines-fell-apart

I have no interest in this game what so ever but I'm really enjoying all the controversy around it.

That article is worded in a way that makes it sound like it wasn't Gearbox's fault.

[Detective Shadzter]

Sega UK denies that Aliens: Colonial Marines has been cancelled on Wii U
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-14-sega-uk-denies-that-aliens-colonial-marines-has-been-cancelled-on-wii-u

[Badnik Mechanic]

So I went into some shops before coming home from work... amazingly Aliens Colonial Marines is being sold in some stores for nearly £50!

 

 

That fake Reggie account is God's gift to man.

 

I for one look forward to 'fake' Iizuka's take on the news.

[Badnik Mechanic]

It's ok! Theres a Co-Op mode! And you can go on another 'bug' hunt, horrors await you! Like this! http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/596995631828160576/D132240176CA315CD587CB62FD53E74A6F3DE380
  
Also I don't know if anyone likes this guy but, Angry Jo has reviewed it.
 

 

(skip to 5:40 and just watch O'Niel's antics, the bit at 6:30 is beyond shocking!)

50p says Yahtzee reviews it next week.

[Yong]

Angry Joe had a great and honest review, as always. Among the complaints he at least tried to being to focus some of the game's few good points. Spooney's anger and breakdown also cracked me up.

 

Too bad Joe didn't dish out his Epic Fail award for this game. It really is an Epic Fail considering it was 6 years of development squandered for something that could've been made in 1-2 years.

Edited February 15, 2013 by Yong

[Detective Shadzter]

Don't know if anyone else has done it before now, but Stallion83, the guy with the highest Xbox Live Gamerscore in the world has tortured himself and got all 50 Achievements. 

Shit Sandwich man, SHIT SANDWICH! It's every bit as bad as advertised and then some.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151329745363719&set=a.10150156747383719.289529.123555848718&type=1

[Autosaver]

You know how Aliens was outsourced on the Wii U? Well...

 

However, what alot of people don't identify (again because of general
concensus) is that the Wii U version (still very much on the way), done
exclusively by Demiurge studio's, is the big version; the joint venture
was banking on.



I know what you're thinkin right? "WTF!?, how stupid, no ones adopting
the Wii U, what were they thinking?" and you'd be right if it wasn't for
the fact that SEGA's industry analysis favoured the U version, in fact
the entire joint venture did.

This is because that version ports to the new consoles by Sony & MS
(in the future) and thus has the tightest longevity of the product.
Instead of a few months in the dying period of current gen systems, they
favour a product that will last (potentally) 2-3yrs and allow for
sequals.



Moving on, alot if not all the pre-production of the title was handled
by Demiurge studio's before they went onto work exclusively on the Wii U
version from the ground up.

 

Somewhere around the time Timegate studio's finished the PS3/360
version was canned. The last trailer released by Gearbox Software was
the 'Kick-Ass Trailer' - this is actually Demiurge studio's Wii U
trailer. I believe that was shortly before the big 2hr IGN reveal,
shortly before launch - which again, was the PC version - and why I
believe SEGA canned the PS3/360 versions at this time; and the media
knew about it.



During this time SEGA must've had a change of heart, possibly due to
Wii U adoption looking less progressive (which the joint venture was
banking on); and asked Gearbox Software to resurrect those versions at
the 11th hour.

Now I know people aren't ready to write off thier current consoles just
yet, but from a buisiness perspective - not sinking money into the dying
moments of the end of a system generation is a sane call.



So you might ask, "Why then was the PC version not en par with the IGN
reveal either?" because its been dumbed down to maintain parity with the
console releases. Its actually still quite alot better, the console
releases were pretty ordinary.

In the next couple of weeks the Wii U version, the one with the greatest
longevity, will be released; I suspect in all my speculation, you will
see a magic patch that will bring the PC version up to date, if not
surpassing the IGN reveal everyone was watching.

 

Crazy theory but would be kind of weird if true.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=47791376&postcount=272

[Nepenthe]

So the "real" version people were waiting for is the WiiU version which we haven't seen yet simply because the adoption rate for the console has been low, so Sega had GB cobble together the shitty version at the last minute to simply release something, even though it's been in development for six years anyway? That scenario hurts my brain.

[Scott]

It seems like one lie after another, I don't know who to believe

[Badnik Mechanic]

So if they do happen to release a Aliens CM: The not so arse version on the Wii-U, are we then going to get the Aliens: CM "This time it's really not so arse version' on the PS4/Xbox 720?

 

Hey they've doing it with Ninja Gaiden 3... sorta.

 

Ninja Gaiden 3 original MC score = 58

 

Ninja Gaiden 3 Wii-U MC Score = 69.

 

Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor... Razor? RAZZZZZOOOOO00000)AAARRRD Score = "I don't know, is anyone stupid enough to buy this crap after 2 attempts to make a game?"

 

Aliens CM Original MC score = 45

 

Aliens Wii-U MC score = "PLEASE BUY ME! I'M NOT LIKE MY FATHER!"

 

Aliens Orbi/720 score = Derp derp derp derp derp RAZOR derp derp derp derp Why won't anybody buy me... *looks at the original score* ohhhhhh...

 

 

and why I believe SEGA canned the PS3/360 versions at this time; and the media knew about it.

 

I don't really believe this for a second. Something like this, would not have been kept a secret, somebody would have found out about this and posted it a long time ago, you can't keep a secret that big on a project which spans several studios and is being shown to the media.

 

Anyway, even if it turned out to be true, it still isn't going to change all the other stuff which makes this game bad.

 

Game spoilers ahead

 

Human enemies by the 2nd level.

The stupid twist at the end/the guy who actually didn't die in the original Aliens movie.

How terrible the boss fights are.

How terrible the final boss fight is

[Carbo]

That's only because Tecmo loves milking their popular franchises until the cow runs dry. There's not much supporting the theory that Sega would do the same beyond Sonic games or digital releases.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Oh my...

In some sections of the game, the ceiling tiles don't align correctly, meaning in some sections on the space levels... the marines are exposed to the vaccume of space.

 

STAY FROSTY MARINES!

[Carbo]

http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/18ndgq/i_was_a_tester_on_aliens_colonial_marines_ama/

Gearbox didnt care about the game, they spent the money from acm on the borderlands games. Look at the release dates of borderlands and when aliens was anounced, they had the other companies like timegate do the work. When they got the game back timegate had done a terrible job. When it came into sega it was shit basicaly. Gearbox only cared about fixing 'progression blockers' (things that stop a player from getting through a level) or crashes.

Oh wow. Yes okay. I was hoping someone would ask this. I have played the WiiU version. The one that is supposedly the best of all of them? It is not. It is the worst. It is a bit of a joke. The WiiU is basically the same game as the console version but with framerate issues, worse texture loading, and horrendously misguided minigames thrown in. You get a 'scanner' to scan enemies and get bonus points that aid your harming them. When you cut open doors (which happens a lot in the game) you have a game where you have to keep the heat 'optimal'. They just add frustration, and take away even more from the fun. We don't know if it will come out, Sega are conisdering canceling it, but right now its still going.

"How much money did Sega waste on this games development?

And when did Sega realise there was a point of no return and the game wasn't going to get any better? I would have thought, they'd have realised this sooner given it's announcement in 2008.

PS: Will sega sue gearbox?"

Many tens of millions. Including marketing. Think over forty, nearer sixty. Sega only got it for test mid last year. The seniors really fucked it up, they saw gearbx as being an amzing company and thought they had borderlans with aliens. They didnt think to check on it.

Yes, there will be legal ramiffications.

Make of it what you will. Not sure how much stake I'd put into a guy who claims to be merely a tester but if true, Sega are moronic pussies who still haven't learned a damn thing after Alpha Protocol and Gearbox are huge cunts.

[Badnik Mechanic]

*looks up* Dammit.

Meh spoilered it all so the topic isn't stupidly long.

Ok so theres a bit of a storm brewing on reddit/Gaf right now.

 

Take a look at this post on reddit entitled I was a tester on Aliens: Colonial Marines AMA Nothing there right? Well... some people were able to copy/paste what was said... including this rather glorious tid bit.

 

Gearbox didnt care about the game, they spent the money from acm on the borderlands games. Look at the release dates of

borderlands and when aliens was anounced, they had the other companies like timegate do the work. When they got the game back timegate had done a terrible job. When it came into sega it was shit basicaly. Gearbox only cared about fixing 'progression blockers' (things that stop a player from getting through a level) or crashes.

 

Then after a lot of people began questioning him on things... he posted this...

 

Oh wow. Yes okay. I was hoping someone would ask this. I have played the WiiU version. The one that is supposedly the best of all of them? It is not. It is the worst. It is a bit of a joke. The WiiU is asically the same game as the console version but with framerate issues, worse texture loading, and horrendously misguided minigames thrown in. You get a 'scanner' to scan enemies and get bonus points that aid your harming them. When you cut open doors (which happens a lot in the game) you have a game where you have to keep the heat 'optimal'. They just add frustration, and take away even more from the fun. We don't know if it will come out, Sega are conisdering canceling it, but right now its still going.

 

So anyway, he was getting downvoted a lot on reddit because he seemed to just be trolling... then this happened...

 

 

A modderator on Redit varified that he was a genuine poster. He was/is a dev/tester for Sega and has played ACM. Whats being said is likely to be fact...

 

But then things start to kick off. The guy starts posting details on Orbi and Druga(how do you spell the new Xbox codename?) and gets more attention... suddenly... all his posts are deleted accross the site.

 

Considering he was varified as being genuine, either someone at Sony/Microsoft or even Sega/gearbox found out and got them removed. Or he freaked out and paniced as other users started to point out that he's breaking his NDA and could be sued since he'd aparently given away information as to how they could trace the posts back to him.

 

To summersie what was said

 

- Gearbox didn't care but did most of the game themselves

 

-Sega has received the game for the first time in the middle of 2012

 

-Gearbox used Sega's money to fund Borderlands

 

-WiiU version is even worse and have atrocius minigames like marking aliens on the scanner to deal more damage and managing heat when you open the doors. Sega thinks about cancelling it but for now development goes on.

-The game had much more sequences and cutscenes which were dropped later. You could actually explore Sulaco in the opening section.

-the game had squad management. One of the squads would turn on you later in the game

 

-Sega believed that they were getting Borderlands in Alien universe. There is apotential of the lawsuit.

 

-the original plot still sucked but was much better

 

-the new Alien game from Creative Assemble looks very good, slow-paced and has awesome graphics.

Theres a second Aliens game being made? And it's slow paced and awesome. But the big points, it sounds like Sega might take action against Gearbox, and fuck yeah I hope they sew the pants off them! Sounds like Gearbox is one corrupt organisation.

[SenEDDtor Missile]

 I hope they sew the pants off them! Sounds like Gearbox is one corrupt organisation.

 

I think Gearbox already outsourced their pants to Stellar Stone(Big Rigs), so no sewing for SEGA .

[Autosaver]

I think Gearbox had a relationship with SEGA before. They made the Samba De Amigo game for the Wii iirc.

 

I wonder why they went full crap with Aliens. :/