Randy Pitchford: “I'll tell you this: We love Aliens. You guys know that. You guys did a cover story, you know how much we care about it. We're working our butts off on it. I think when it comes, people won't be disappointed, but right now it's really not up to us to talk about it.”

“I think Sega is really interested in everybody focusing on the AvP game they've got upcoming, so they're focusing all of their communication around that. And frankly, as an Aliens fan, I'm looking forward to that, too. We'll see when that comes,”.

 

Aliens its a dream. I cant remember how many times I watched ALIENS in college. Its action packed, its a shooter. You are a colonial marine fighting the xenos. Its classic, it’s the sequel we wished we got (it doesn't exist), but its in interactive form.

We are working on Aliens, its going very well. We had a really good publisher with Sega. We decided with Sega that we were going to pause the product. They had a couple of things going on with their company. Was beneficial for both of us, to say okay we are gonna hold this for a little bit and we were able to work on, specifically Borderlands. That actually helped this product.

 

Now that we are back on it, we are able to kinda get some fresh eyes, that maybe weren’t on the team before, to look at some of the gameplay, and things that we were doing before, some of the story elements and we’re able to kind of, ya know really look at it with a new vision. And what we're going to do with that product. Its not changing a lot, its a little bit of things improving. We have done some things to improve the engine in ways that we couldn’t do before. There’s learning's from Borderlands and some of our other products, we were able to really do something neat with the engine, so I’m excited about that, I think its going to be very specific to the look and feel of what people expect out of it.

Aliens is one of the murkier Sega topics. The company announced in 2006 that it would publish three games based on the famous chest-bursting movie monsters. Sega showed Aliens Vs. Predator at this event, demonstrating how games can play as a human marines or a Predator. Still under wraps is what playing like an Alien will be like. But this game wasn't expected to be the first Aliens game from Sega. That was going to be the Gearbox-developed Aliens: Colonial Marines shooter or the now-cancelled Obsidian-developed Aliens RPG.

 

"The Gearbox project was moving along," Hayes said, recalling when the decision was made to take Colonial Marines out of the lead position. The game wasn't as far along as Aliens Vs. Predator, which originally wasn't backed by Sega. It was being made by Rebellion for publisher Vivendi, until that support ceased following Vivendi's 2008 merger with Activision. "There was an opportunity for us to take that." Its development progress put Gearbox's game into the second slot, to be released "a good period after" AvP, according to Hayes. The RPG won't be third because "it just wasn't coming along to the plan that we thought."

 

Might the newly announced, Ridley Scott Alien prequel project be a source of Aliens inspiration for Sega? "We're quite excited about that and buzzing from the news of that," Hayes said. But of the third game, Hayes would only say, "We'd like to think we'll be doing a third project but at the moment we haven't confirmed what the third project will be."

GS: “And that was about Alien?”

RP: “Yeah, yeah. And that's crazy, right? I was sitting with Ridley Scott, and he pulls out this dusty old book that looks like it hasn't been moved for 15 years. He blows the dust of it, and he opens it, and inside are his personally hand-drawn sketches that were the original storyboards for Alien.”

 

GS: “Wow. That came out in 1979…”

RP: “Yeah! Then he goes through these things telling you what he was thinking. He tells you of the backstory behind some of these things that inspired us when we were younger. I kept thinking, "Holy crap, I can't believe I'm sitting here." It's one of those cool life moments. We were there because we wanted to do something awesome with this property he created that nobody was really doing anything with.”

"great things afoot".

 

"I know that there hasn't been much talk about what we're doing for awhile and that more details would be very juicy. Like so many people, I've been patient for years to finally be able to play this game and now that I'm actually involved in the creation of it I can tell you that it's extremely challenging to continue to be patient as it develops,"

 

"I want to tell all! But I can't. But I can say that we are working hard and that there are great things afoot and I know that when the time is right, Sega will be excited to share more details about the game. Until that time, I guess the only thing anyone can do is just keep pressuring Gearbox and Sega to spill more beans. Maybe one of us will eventually crack."

 

"I love Aliens and I love Gearbox Software's Aliens: Colonial Marines. I am extremely committed to the game and I'm very confident in Sega's commitment to the Aliens brand and to our game.”

 

"I can imagine that there are a LOT of Aliens fans out there just like me that feel we've been waiting for our true Aliens game since we first saw the film and now that we know it's in development, we want it NOW!"

Posted by ikarop: How much time will you be doing xeno-critters? Is the ACM Gbx team already focused on the game or just part? Are you just finishing the game or redoing stuff?

 

grbxdesign (Lorin Wood, senior Concept Designer on ACM): Well, first off, I am a full-time designer in-house for the company. Been here since the end of last year, though I do contract work outside of the company in my off-hours. Not sure about the official logo on my profile. I logged in via iPod last night. I'll figure it out eventually.

 

Anyway, from our Game Informer article last year you may know we had Syd Mead and Craig Mullins do some broad-stroke design and visualization, which was pretty cool. Let your imagination run wild with that. Syd's focus was to design the rest of the interior of the Sulaco that wasn't seen in the film.

 

As far as our focus, we are obviously working first to get Borderlands done, so there are still a few people polishing that off, while a nice portion are focused on Aliens, myself included. Other than that, can't say much else...yet.

 

***

 

Posted by Sh0dan (Me): I know you said you would be answering more questions further on down the line, but I am dieing to know, which of the four ALIEN movies is your favourite?

 

grbxdesign: Well, coming from a film background I appreciate each Alien movie differently as well as each filmmaker who made them. I'm a huge Cameron fan, so obviously I love the second film, but Ridley Scott started this franchise and he's also a master filmmaker. I'm also an admirer of Fincher. Compound all of this with me being a very forgiving audience member and having an understanding of what it takes to make films like these, I have a different perspective than most and find it hard to favor one over the other. That is, unless it REALLY sucks. Like AVP, for example. At least I didn't pay for that one, but I did lose two hours of my life. The Vanilla Coke was good. See, I'm a glass-half-full kinda guy.

 

***

 

Posted by hells highway: So,after that there will be some new screens, info? So there is a little chance to see something for A:CM this year,yeah? And Borderlands is coming in "fall 2009" right?

 

grbxdesign: Can't say for sure. That's up to the powers-that-be.

 

Borderlands is definitely coming out before years end and after that it's up to Randy and Sega to decide when they want to announce any Aliens details. That a broad enough answer for ya?

 

***

 

Posted by Takhen: Since the beginning of the development did you do much stuff?

 

grbxdesign: Syd, Craig and some other artists were involved in the early bulk, blue-sky phase of designing this game. Gearbox needed someone with a visual style similar to Syd's at half the price. My dad is an industrial designer and I was raised on Syd's work, the project is Aliens, so it was an easy "yes" to jump on board.

My involvement, in film parlance, is more akin to a production designer. I get to dip my fingers into real conceptual design work on occasion, but for the most part, I am translating other ideas into something practical that the level designers can run with.

 

***

 

Posted by HudSon: I have a Q, how many guys are working on this title now..?

 

grbxdesign: Can't give an exact number of people working on the game right now (the details are confidential and I'm not in a position to divulge them publicly, sorry). Suffice it to say it's in full-swing. Things are being tweaked, fixed, upgraded, what-have-you as is the normal procedure of production.

 

I'll tell you that I'm designing a hallway for a certain spaceship. There, go crazy.

 

Keep up the excitement guys. It's a fun property and I hope you all are going to enjoy it!

 

***

 

Posted by Dwaine: Will there be a Nostromo class ship?

 

grbxdesign: Well, no Nostromo; this is Aliens and is set solidly in that timeframe and universe...57 years after the Nostromo blew up.

 

The details are still under wraps as far as the visual and experiential elements are concerned so I can't comment upon that at the moment.

 

***

 

Posted by Windebieste: After 8 years of modding 'AvP2', it's kinda getting old. We need a new 'ALIENS' game to frack around with. (Maybe REBELLiON's new  'AvP' will have tools released for it - it would be a pity if that game was moddable and 'A:CM' wasn't. I'd have to go and mod that game instead...) 

 

grbxdesign: As far as customization it's too early to say anything. I'm sure those conversations will happen when get further along. I'll keep you posted as that info is cool to disclose.

 

***

 

Posted by Takhen: Saying that looks like the game has a long way to be completed?

Posted by hells higway: Is the game looking better than the screenshots at this stage of developement?

 

grbxdesign: To answer both questions, we got sidetracked to help out on Borderlands. As it sits, the screenshots are still an accurate representation. At the moment.

 

***

 

Posted by Chris!(($$))!: So it is around 17 Days and we are the Rescue Team like Hicks said?

 

grbxdesign: I think Game Informer gave pretty good idea of the nature of the game. If it didn't, well, you'll just have to wait and see. :P 

 

***

 

Posted by Takhen: Are you working only on the Sulaco?

 

grbxdesign: I'm covering the whole spectrum of the game: the Sulaco, which is a major setting, to some other familiar environments. Don't ask what they because I can't say at the moment.

 

***

 

Posted by Tonks: Can you comment at all on how the xeno's are looking? movement, attacking, all out crap your pants scariness? A very general or vague summary would suffice!

 

grbxdesign: The Xenos look really good. Improving their animation.

 

***

  

Posted by JayHy17: Do you think we will see something new about Aliens: Colonial Marines before Aliens vs Predator gets released?

 

ennui (Allison B, Community Manager): It's not known to me right now either when we'll start talking again. As soon as we have anything, we'll let you know.

 

***

"Pure ALIENS brand." WOOT!

And how cool does Borderlands look?  Way cool IMO.

Quote: The game’s story is being written by Battlestar Galactica’s writers Bradley Thompson and David Weddle and is set after the events of the Aliens and Alien 3 movies. The game not only features the adrift Sulaco, but also the Fiorina ‘Fury’ 161 prison facility and the derelict alien spacecraft from the original movie as backdrops to the action. One aspect of the story that ties neatly into the Aliens universe is the use of the Weyland Yutani Corporation as an over-arching evil, a puppet-master pulling the strings behind the action. Though your immediate survival against the Sulaco’s alien infestation is your primary concern, the game will build in a conspiracy story behind the gunplay. And who knows, maybe an unexpected betrayal.

 

Each mission will put you in the space armor of a different marine in the six-man squad. You’ll use commands familiar to Brothers in Arms players to guide your troop through the maze of acid-blasted corridors, trying to stay ahead of the critters. By focusing on one squad member at a time, Gearbox has been able to create an episodic feel to the action. Back stories, plot details and characters gently expand and you’ll get a deeper perspective on the action. It also means that the game will have a very immediate feel – you can dip in for an hour at a time to play out one episode of the full story arc.

 

Before you reach for the keyboard and start hurling abuse at Gearbox, this is no casual blaster. There will be more than six episodes to wade through, including some revelations that could affect the Aliens canon. The game builds slowly, emulating the slow burn pace of the movies. Your first foray onto the abandoned USS Sulaco is a tense affair with few aliens to be seen and only the ominous pinging from your handheld motion detector for company.

 

Quote: Like this month's exceptional Left 4 Dead, Colonial Marines is a four-player co-op game centred around survival: you're constantly under attack and the environments you move through are frequently hiding your enemy. However, whereas Left 4 Dead pitches you into the middle of a nameless American city awash in zombies, Colonial Marines goes for fan-pleasing recreations of the movie quadrilogy's best locations: LV-426, the planet where the Nostromo first discovers the derelict alien ship in the original film; the Sulaco, where Ripley joins up with the marines in Aliens; and Fiorina 'Fury' 161, the prison facility from Alien 3.

Quote: "4. Marine Tough

 

The marines that you'll be using throughout the game aren't just random, cookie cutter soldiers. They all have their own unique skills and personalities and react to different situations just like a real soldier would. Out of the 12 you can comprise your team of four; some are more likely to panic than other but may wield more powerful guns."

"Our game's about becoming a Colonial Marine, and looking at it from the Colonial Marines' perspective."

“there's a lot of speculation as to the release date, but until you see Sega and us OFFICIALLY announce a date, on our sites and through the news outlets, don't believe it.”

“They pretty much just make up a date so they have something to put on the website to get people to pre-order the game.”

“The game isn't intentionally related to the previous game, but the title was absolutely perfect. It's not an association we're upset to have, as we all wish that game had been able to be finished because it showed promise. But yeah, any similarities are coincidences or just because they are good ideas for an Aliens game.”

“This game is 100% Aliens and Colonial Marine goodness.”

“Our game is set after the events of [the movie] Alien 3, which takes place very shortly after the end of Aliens. Our goal is to make a game that answers some of the questions from those two movies, and picks up the story basically right after the squad of marines was wiped out on LV-426 [the moon where humans first encountered the Aliens].”

"The opening of the game, taking place around the time of Alien 3 in the series timeline, will see you lead a squad of US Colonial Marines onto the USS Sulaco, to investigate the fate of the crew who all seem to have disappeared, leaving their cryo-chambers empty and the ship floating in space."

“You know, it's always hard to keep everyone happy. At Gearbox, we have some of the greatest Alien fans right here. As long as we treat the brand sincerely and respectfully, that will reflect in the end result. I think when the players see the story and the game as a whole they will appreciate our efforts, so I'm not really worried. For example, I own several props from the movie, storyboards and probably every single Alien novel and 'making of book ever published. I really think all those hardcore Alien fans out there can rest easy: we are not going to disappoint you: a really awesome Alien game is what you'll get.”

“Not that closely! I mean, we are in contact with Fox, and they've provided a lot of material. We work closely with some of the special effects people at Amalgamated Dynamics, who did the special effects for Alien3, Alien: Resurrection and Alien vs Predator. We went and talked to them to get a better understanding of how the aliens work, and how they would design the aliens for a game. The writers' contributions were also essential in helping us create an experience that is as close to Hollywood as it gets. James Cameron hasn't been round for a chat yet, but hey, we'll keep knocking at his door. You never know...”

Thanks to Takhen for the footage.