Of the perils one encounters when writing about games, the most painful is arguably following the games that almost were; games that were canceled just shy of release. Some are simply vaporware, announced one day and then were never heard from again, and others are in the spotlight for years, before being banished to a dusty hard drive in a closet somewhere. Duke Nukem Forever will stand ... well, forever as the most prominent example of the latter, but the Obsidian-developed Aliens RPG that Sega canceled could very well hold the second-place trophy.
At a press event last week, we asked Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart some followup questions about the axed title, which he'd previously asked us to do; however, it still hasn't been the required year since we first talked to him, so we're still missing the details as to why the title got the guillotine. But we did learn that the game looked and felt nearly complete before its cancellation. "Oh, if you had come in and played any of the last builds we were working on, you would have said it was a finished game," Urquhart told Joystiq. "That's how close we were. It looked and felt like it was ready to ship."
He went on to explain that you only played as the Colonial Marines in the game (not to be confused with these Colonial Marines), and that missions would have involved tasks like protecting the robot sentry guns that were featured in a deleted scene in Aliens. One of the biggest challenges, Urquhart said, was, "How do you make a 15-foot long Alien turn around at the end of a hallway?" Besides terrifying turn-based hallway combat, there also would have been multiple types of Marines, lots of gear to play with and ... wait. This is just like pouring salt in a freshly reopened wound. Thanks, Feargus!
Reader Comments (46)
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 1:13PM ZippyDSMlee said
They did that with bioshock...it didn't turn out so well.....
Reply
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 1:29PM ZippyDSMlee said
Morph156
Bioshock=unfinished,unpolished lulz fest,like FO3. WTF were they thinking...they weren't they were jacking off thinking og the money it would rake in via the consoletards instead of working on the damn product....
/game curmudgeon
Reply
Bioshock=unfinished,unpolished lulz fest,like FO3. WTF were they thinking...they weren't they were jacking off thinking og the money it would rake in via the consoletards instead of working on the damn product....
/game curmudgeon
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 1:31PM Spike Spiegel Humble Bounty Hun said
So I am a consoletard for enjoying the Bioshock series? I respect your opinion of not liking the game, but don't start throwing insults to those of us who have enjoyed the series so far.
Reply
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 1:38PM Kid Icarus said
uhh huh? Bioshock is one of the greatest games of this console generation, if not all time.
Reply
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 1:41PM (Unverified) said
Boy, you're right, Zippy! That highly acclaimed game just dripping with atmosphere and a killer story that ended up on a boatload of GOTY lists sure did suck! Damn consoletards!
Everyone has a right to their opinion, but did you let ANY synapses fire before voicing that one here?
Reply
Everyone has a right to their opinion, but did you let ANY synapses fire before voicing that one here?
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 2:37PM (Unverified) said
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought Bioshock was mediocre. Good atmosphere, but not nearly worth the hype. And before you accuse me of being anti-Bioshock from the beginning, I preordered the Limited Edition with the Big Daddy statue months before the release and picked it up at midnight for the PC. And went on to be terribly disappointed and swore never to get that hyped for a game again.
Reply
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 4:54PM ZippyDSMlee said
Yes I am saying bioshock that highly loved mediocre game is the same as hanamontana/miliy sirus and whatever pop crap that people shell out millions for.
BS lacks a death mechanic, inf respwaning with no losses in a SP game is a no no unless you are dumbing sht down for the mindless masses, gun play is lacking, weaopn mods are to limited, AI is a joke its blind and deaf works on a limited sight script, item pacing makes the game to fcking easy, FO3 is the same but its paced for a 8 hour game instead of a 50 hour one...... and the DLC it gets expanded for 30 minutes each if that (equipment/skill wise).... come on people they can do better than this mediocre slop!
Reply
BS lacks a death mechanic, inf respwaning with no losses in a SP game is a no no unless you are dumbing sht down for the mindless masses, gun play is lacking, weaopn mods are to limited, AI is a joke its blind and deaf works on a limited sight script, item pacing makes the game to fcking easy, FO3 is the same but its paced for a 8 hour game instead of a 50 hour one...... and the DLC it gets expanded for 30 minutes each if that (equipment/skill wise).... come on people they can do better than this mediocre slop!
Posted: Apr 29th 2010 10:50AM JCDoe said
Ok, Zippy, I'm dying to know. If you consider Bioshock and Fallout 3 to be "unfinished unpolished lulz fest[s]," what games /are/ good?
Not liking a game is one thing (I don't care for any of the halo games--too twitchy for me), but leveling claims that two GoTY titles are "unfinished" and "unpolished" seems beyond the realms of personal tastes.
Reply
Not liking a game is one thing (I don't care for any of the halo games--too twitchy for me), but leveling claims that two GoTY titles are "unfinished" and "unpolished" seems beyond the realms of personal tastes.
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 1:12PM Nate Addison said
What a coincidence, SEGA feels like a finished company.
Reply
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 1:30PM ZippyDSMlee said
Darn..rant mode got me.......I thought they were talking about the AVP crap fest...... sega needs to be put down and bought out by capcom.....
Reply
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 2:52PM ZippyDSMlee said
rkrocks123
Dose not make them or MW2 any more balanced and polished...... FO3 and Bioshock. SS2,Dark messiah,Dues ex,arx fatalis,ect,ect are far better than both despite thier flaws.
Bioshock has so poor item pacing death is not a concern even if their was a proper death mechanic,weapons are wonky and unbalanced, AI but for a couple if/or scripts is dumb deaf and blind. It is a joke like the transformers films, same for FO3 skills and items are horribly paced there is not enough equipment for a 50 hour game,vasts is broken and pittfull. Art direction and story do not a game make, game play and game mechanics do and both games are weak in them unless you like running around mindlessly as most consoletards seem to do.
Rant extension
Halo ep 3 is also a joke they should have made the tiny SP part free DLC and sold the MP as a stand alone..... Grears of war 1-2 is to short and wonky,Turok was a joke, Dantes inferno and GOW 3 are bland story wise but at least GOW has more moves and crap to work on DI is unbalanced in that regard..... FF12 and FF13 are a joke one has a broken skill system and lacking equipment system the other is a trainwreck thats contained within a single corridor....good god SE FF12 was at the very least half right with the environments...... oh and Dragon age is half a game with enchantments unfinished and the skill/class systems messed the fck up but it like most bioware games makes a nice movie...if you didn't have to play it.....ME2 is the new standard for RPGs....oh fcking hell give me a break its like saying pop music is the standard for country music...oh wait......
*sigh*
People....please......want more for your entertainment for less money......its the only way to keep shit from becoming worse......
For the record I put 40 hours into DA,50 into FO3,15 into bishock,15 into FF12,10 into FF13, and more than 5 on the rest.
I'll end my rant with video games are about game play not shiny, not art direction, not stories even without a solid core mechanic its nothing more than a bad film you have to exercise through on a treadmill to get to the next achievement.......
PS:Batman:AA was awesome a bit lacking lacking in content/abilities but what was there was gold for anyone who enjoyed the 90s series.
PSSS:What Dark Messiah lacked in story,character made up for in level layout and a flawed but awesome FP melee system and AI, it eats BSs generic see it kill it before it dies AI for dinner...god the last AI I saw in a new game that was so bad was Jericho....the fck even Infernal the cheap ass so bad its so good 3rdP shooter had better AI than BS........
Oh damn I am still ranting.....where are my happy PILLLLLZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
=>>=
Reply
Dose not make them or MW2 any more balanced and polished...... FO3 and Bioshock. SS2,Dark messiah,Dues ex,arx fatalis,ect,ect are far better than both despite thier flaws.
Bioshock has so poor item pacing death is not a concern even if their was a proper death mechanic,weapons are wonky and unbalanced, AI but for a couple if/or scripts is dumb deaf and blind. It is a joke like the transformers films, same for FO3 skills and items are horribly paced there is not enough equipment for a 50 hour game,vasts is broken and pittfull. Art direction and story do not a game make, game play and game mechanics do and both games are weak in them unless you like running around mindlessly as most consoletards seem to do.
Rant extension
Halo ep 3 is also a joke they should have made the tiny SP part free DLC and sold the MP as a stand alone..... Grears of war 1-2 is to short and wonky,Turok was a joke, Dantes inferno and GOW 3 are bland story wise but at least GOW has more moves and crap to work on DI is unbalanced in that regard..... FF12 and FF13 are a joke one has a broken skill system and lacking equipment system the other is a trainwreck thats contained within a single corridor....good god SE FF12 was at the very least half right with the environments...... oh and Dragon age is half a game with enchantments unfinished and the skill/class systems messed the fck up but it like most bioware games makes a nice movie...if you didn't have to play it.....ME2 is the new standard for RPGs....oh fcking hell give me a break its like saying pop music is the standard for country music...oh wait......
*sigh*
People....please......want more for your entertainment for less money......its the only way to keep shit from becoming worse......
For the record I put 40 hours into DA,50 into FO3,15 into bishock,15 into FF12,10 into FF13, and more than 5 on the rest.
I'll end my rant with video games are about game play not shiny, not art direction, not stories even without a solid core mechanic its nothing more than a bad film you have to exercise through on a treadmill to get to the next achievement.......
PS:Batman:AA was awesome a bit lacking lacking in content/abilities but what was there was gold for anyone who enjoyed the 90s series.
PSSS:What Dark Messiah lacked in story,character made up for in level layout and a flawed but awesome FP melee system and AI, it eats BSs generic see it kill it before it dies AI for dinner...god the last AI I saw in a new game that was so bad was Jericho....the fck even Infernal the cheap ass so bad its so good 3rdP shooter had better AI than BS........
Oh damn I am still ranting.....where are my happy PILLLLLZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
=>>=
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 4:28PM (Unverified) said
Zippy, if you had said free targeting in FO3 was broken, I'd have agreed with you, but VATS worked perfectly. You may not have liked it as your only really viable combat option, but to say it was broken is just false - it worked as it was intended to. And seriously, why do you even bother gaming? I'm honestly not trying to be a dick, but it seems that your standards are impossibly high. I'm not saying that games don't have flaws - most of them do, to some degree - but you appear to be picky to such a high level that one must assume you find very little fun to be had in gaming.
And, for the record, for some folks (myself included) story is pretty much the most important aspect of a game, and it is definitely enough to make up for the admittedly rather pedestrian shooter mechanics and AI on display in Bioshock. I also agree with you that Batman:AA was great, but to consider it so vastly superior to FO3 or BS or DA or ME2 just seems completely arbitrary (to me).
Reply
And, for the record, for some folks (myself included) story is pretty much the most important aspect of a game, and it is definitely enough to make up for the admittedly rather pedestrian shooter mechanics and AI on display in Bioshock. I also agree with you that Batman:AA was great, but to consider it so vastly superior to FO3 or BS or DA or ME2 just seems completely arbitrary (to me).
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 4:45PM ZippyDSMlee said
Zampano
Free targeting could have been better polished (like guns weaker with 3 or 4 more levels to get and not just rusty and super levels to get,workbench culd have been to guns and equipment what enchantment was to morrowind but a bit less all encumbersome,longer to get EXP,better skill blanceing)but vats is a joke, it lacks individual ranges and accuracy for weapons it uses a general rule for gun type that is barely adjusted between them) ,AP and the drugs that suppose to double AP or lessen action during their use is non exsistant not to mention should also effect real time actions..... its a mess and a nightmare like BS is.
Its arbitrary because you do not pay attention to mechanic detail and think shiny rules, face it its how all new media is made, rather you as individual care or not dose not matter by buying in and enjoying you are part of the problem just as the all the US voters are to blame for the US becoming fascism lite via lobbying, and lack of focused and maintained oversight,ect.....
Reply
Free targeting could have been better polished (like guns weaker with 3 or 4 more levels to get and not just rusty and super levels to get,workbench culd have been to guns and equipment what enchantment was to morrowind but a bit less all encumbersome,longer to get EXP,better skill blanceing)but vats is a joke, it lacks individual ranges and accuracy for weapons it uses a general rule for gun type that is barely adjusted between them) ,AP and the drugs that suppose to double AP or lessen action during their use is non exsistant not to mention should also effect real time actions..... its a mess and a nightmare like BS is.
Its arbitrary because you do not pay attention to mechanic detail and think shiny rules, face it its how all new media is made, rather you as individual care or not dose not matter by buying in and enjoying you are part of the problem just as the all the US voters are to blame for the US becoming fascism lite via lobbying, and lack of focused and maintained oversight,ect.....
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 4:54PM ZippyDSMlee said
Zampano
I forgot to rant, if I want story I will read a book/watch a film or anime(yes I went there), I can not stand crap to mediocre game mechanics it ruins everything for me.
Reply
I forgot to rant, if I want story I will read a book/watch a film or anime(yes I went there), I can not stand crap to mediocre game mechanics it ruins everything for me.
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 4:54PM (Unverified) said
It could be as you say, that almost everyone who isn't you is blinded by shiny objects and too stupid to recognize how inferior the products they like and, by extension, their own mental capacity are...or it could just be that you're a rude, arrogant, elitist little jackass who needs to learn proper spelling and punctuation.
Another mystery for the ages.
Reply
Another mystery for the ages.
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 5:03PM ZippyDSMlee said
Zampano
More like a curmudgeon who sees things like they are, you can call manure fertilizer it still dose not change the fact its still shit.
Like what you will but do try and want more for less cost to you as a individual its quit annoying to watch civilization go into the crapper because no one cares.... from media goers to voters to worried about their current setting than grater world around them...have we learned nothing in the last 5 thousand years?
PS:My shiny is gameplay and fun factor and not have to drudge through poorly implemented game play...tho I have a much lower tolerance for crappy films than I do anime....damn I am an odd pain in the ass.
(side note darnit all to heck I keep forgting to reply to the right frikking thing FAIL I AM!!!)
Reply
More like a curmudgeon who sees things like they are, you can call manure fertilizer it still dose not change the fact its still shit.
Like what you will but do try and want more for less cost to you as a individual its quit annoying to watch civilization go into the crapper because no one cares.... from media goers to voters to worried about their current setting than grater world around them...have we learned nothing in the last 5 thousand years?
PS:My shiny is gameplay and fun factor and not have to drudge through poorly implemented game play...tho I have a much lower tolerance for crappy films than I do anime....damn I am an odd pain in the ass.
(side note darnit all to heck I keep forgting to reply to the right frikking thing FAIL I AM!!!)
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 8:25PM ZippyDSMlee said
Darkfocus
Pretty much, tho I have to hate on it as much as I can simply because they could have done better but stopped short because it dose not matter anymore.
Reply
Pretty much, tho I have to hate on it as much as I can simply because they could have done better but stopped short because it dose not matter anymore.
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 1:46PM WMcPete said
So then, why doesn't another publisher pick this up, have it finished and polish it up? I am guessing that the game had turned out really crappy or something for them to have pulled the plug on a franchise like Aliens so close to the end. Especially when there are millions of fans out there (like me) that would probably end up buying it no matter how crappy it was.
Reply
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 1:59PM (Unverified) said
I'm sure Sega have signed a deal to stop any other publishers acquiring this, and if it was any other publisher I'd assume the game was crap. But as its Sega, and they've demonstrated on numerous occasions that they have no idea what they're doing, I'm sure the game is fantastic... and we'll never see it
Thanks for everything Sega
Really looking forward to Sonic 4
Reply
Thanks for everything Sega
Really looking forward to Sonic 4
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 1:57PM Rather Dashing said
Having played many Obsidian games in the past, I can definitely see how they can think that almost any in-development title "feels" like a published game.
Reply
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 4:28PM gLitterbug said
That was the first thought I had when reading the headline as well. I'm probably one of the few people who never got hyped about this game due to being attached to Obsidian.
Reply
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 4:40PM Rather Dashing said
I was still excited. Don't get me wrong, I acknowledge the company's faults. They aren't minor. But what IS there, what WAS finished, is almost always good enough to at least be worth a look. Their KOTOR II story, what was there and ESPECIALLY what was planned, was pure genius.
Reply
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 9:36PM darkfocus said
just get the PC version of alpha protocol that way even if it's buggy at luanch and obsidian does nothing to remedy it the community will fix it. Plus there's mods and any DLC will likely be released for free(well depends on the publisher, Who's publishing alpha protocol by the way?)
Reply
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 2:01PM Tapejara said
That's pretty sad, despite only having seen Alien, Aliens, and Alien Ressurection I love this franchise (still waiting on the blu-ray release...). An RPG would have been awesome, though I'm not too keen on protecting sentry turrets, I hate those types of missions.
Reply
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 2:21PM ProtagonistZero said
When has Obsidian ever made ANYTHING that felt like a finished game?
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Posted: Apr 28th 2010 2:21PM Rather Dashing said
I place the majority of the blame for KOTOR II on LucasArts, to be fair(they rushed it for Holiday release). But Obsidian games have a habit of being unfinished. They also have a habit of having the content that IS there being some of the best in the industry. Somewhere in there, there's an AMAZING game company with some really smart writers and game designers.
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Posted: Apr 28th 2010 2:58PM ProtagonistZero said
It had nothing to do with Lucasarts. Obsidian fails over and over. They're the Treyarch of RPGs.
Reply
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 2:38PM Petebot330 said
I still dont understand why you wouldn't just release it...? you'll make some of your money back, right?
Reply
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 2:56PM ZippyDSMlee said
Like remaking Shining force in 3D with some slight polish to the engine and a RT option then sell it for 50$ a pop......there's at least 5 games there if they can halve all the SF3 content and bring the GG release into the mix..........
Reply
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 4:44PM ZippyDSMlee said
Zampano
Free targeting could have been better polished (like guns weaker with 3 or 4 more levels to get and not just rusty and super levels to get,workbench culd have been to guns and equipment what enchantment was to morrowind but a bit less all encumbersome,longer to get EXP,better skill blanceing)but vats is a joke, it lacks individual ranges and accuracy for weapons it uses a general rule for gun type that is barely adjusted between them) ,AP and the drugs that suppose to double AP or lessen action during their use is non exsistant not to mention should also effect real time actions..... its a mess and a nightmare like BS is.
Its arbitrary because you do not pay attention to mechanic detail and think shiny rules, face it its how all new media is made, rather you as individual care or not dose not matter by buying in and enjoying you are part of the problem just as the all the US voters are to blame for the US becoming fascism lite via lobbying, and lack of focused and maintained oversight,ect.....
Reply
Free targeting could have been better polished (like guns weaker with 3 or 4 more levels to get and not just rusty and super levels to get,workbench culd have been to guns and equipment what enchantment was to morrowind but a bit less all encumbersome,longer to get EXP,better skill blanceing)but vats is a joke, it lacks individual ranges and accuracy for weapons it uses a general rule for gun type that is barely adjusted between them) ,AP and the drugs that suppose to double AP or lessen action during their use is non exsistant not to mention should also effect real time actions..... its a mess and a nightmare like BS is.
Its arbitrary because you do not pay attention to mechanic detail and think shiny rules, face it its how all new media is made, rather you as individual care or not dose not matter by buying in and enjoying you are part of the problem just as the all the US voters are to blame for the US becoming fascism lite via lobbying, and lack of focused and maintained oversight,ect.....
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 5:02PM ZippyDSMlee said
Zampano
More like a curmudgeon who sees things like they are, you can call manure fertilizer it still dose not change the fact its still shit.
Like what you will but do try and want more for less cost to you as a individual its quit annoying to watch civilization go into the crapper because no one cares.... from media goers to voters to worried about their current setting than grater world around them...have we learned nothing in the last 5 thousand years?
PS:My shiny is gameplay and fun factor and not have to drudge through poorly implemented game play...tho I have a much lower tolerance for crappy films than I do anime....damn I am an odd pain in the ass.
Reply
More like a curmudgeon who sees things like they are, you can call manure fertilizer it still dose not change the fact its still shit.
Like what you will but do try and want more for less cost to you as a individual its quit annoying to watch civilization go into the crapper because no one cares.... from media goers to voters to worried about their current setting than grater world around them...have we learned nothing in the last 5 thousand years?
PS:My shiny is gameplay and fun factor and not have to drudge through poorly implemented game play...tho I have a much lower tolerance for crappy films than I do anime....damn I am an odd pain in the ass.
Posted: Apr 28th 2010 9:44PM darkfocus said
just get the PC version of alpha protocol that way even if it's buggy at launch and obsidian does nothing to remedy it the community will fix it. Plus there's mods and any DLC will likely be released for free(well depends on the publisher, Who's publishing alpha protocol by the way?)
Reply
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