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All Articles: Aliens: Colonial Marines
Gearbox adds female characters to Aliens: Colonial Marines multiplayer
Given that the Alien film series has always featured strong female roles (including Ellen Ripley, Private Vasquez or Dr. Elizabeth Shaw in Prometheus), it seemed not only sexist but basically wrong when Aliens: Colonial Marines producer Brian Burleson announced there would be no female characters in the multiplayer portion of the game. After a major online petition, signed by over 4,000 people including several associated with the Aliens film, it finally caught the attention of Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford.
Speaking to Eurogamer at this weekend’s PAX Prime, the company’s head honcho revealed that the co-op mode and online multiplayer will both feature at least one playable female character. The company released artwork of the co-op character, Private Jennifer Running, a fiery, short-haired redhead. Whether she was created after the petition, or existed all along and was only revealed early because of the outcry, we will never really know.
While it is a great result for female gamers, or those males who wish to get it touch with their female roots, should we really have been having this discussion over a game set in the Aliens universe? What do you think, readers?
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360
Tagged Aliens: Colonial Marines, PAX Prime 2012
Aliens: Colonial Marines Dev Diary #2: Xenos vs Marines
This developer diary for Aliens: Colonial Marines has it all. Xenomorphs? Check. Hot gameplay action? Check. Randy Pitchford? Double check. It’s also got awesome quotes like “There’s no negotiating with this thing. It’s going to kill you.”
Pitchford, Gearbox’s CEO and President, is joined by Producer Brian Burleson, Senior Design Director John Mulkey, and Writer Mikey Neumann in this episode. They talk about how scary these aliens are, how much influence they took from the films, and what their favorite weapons are in the game. But really, you should just watch the video.
Aliens: Colonial Marines will be out on February 12, 2013 for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
Gearbox talks authenticity for Aliens: Colonial Marines
The big guns at Gearbox Software have released their first developer’s diary for Aliens: Colonial Marines, entitled “Authentic Aliens.” The interview subjects (including CEO Randy Pitchford) mostly talk about their desire to create a game that is worthy of Ridley Scott’s Alien and James Cameron’s Aliens, but in the process, they show off plenty of new footage from the game as well.
Aliens: Colonial Marines will be available for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 on February 12, 2013. A Wii U version will also be released sometime next year.
Nintendo says Wii U version of Aliens: Colonial Marines will ship on February 12
UPDATE: A Sega spokesperson told us “We’re still nailing down the Wii U release date.” So I guess February 12 is only the official date for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 versions as of now.
When Sega set the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 versions of Aliens: Colonial Marines for release on February 12, 2013, they said that the Wii U launch date would be announced “at a later time.”
That later time appears to be today as Nintendo has gone ahead and revealed, courtesy of their E3 2012 Hub, that the Wii U version of the game will also launch on February 12, 2013.
Of course, it’s not real until Sega says so. So we’ve contacted the publisher for confirmation on the February 12 release date.
Posted in News, Wii U
Tagged Aliens: Colonial Marines, E3 2012
Aliens: Colonial Marines Collector’s Edition makes me say “Get away from her you…”
Here’s something to take the sting about the most recent delay for Aliens: Colonial Marines. Sega and developer Gearbox Studios have announced a Collector’s Edition that will make you want to sing the praises of the Corps… “A day in the Marine Corps is like a day on the farm. Every meal’s a banquet! Every paycheck a fortune! Every formation a parade! I love the Corps!”
Retailing for $99.99, the Collector’s Edition will be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360 only (sorry PC gamers). The centerpiece of the edition (which is house in a “Xeno Hive” box) is an awesome resin powerloader figurine complete with a snapping Xenomorph. Sega has been shipping a life-size version of this statue to multiple game conventions around the world, so if you’re going to be at the E3 Expo next week, be on the lookout for it.
The package also features a USCM Dossier complete with a Mission Briefing, USS Sephora Schematic, Recruitment Card, LV-426 Recon Photo, USCM Iron-on Badges, and a USCM Graduation Certificate.
A host of in-game bonuses rounds out the Collector’s Edition including four playable movie characters (Corporal Hicks, Private Hudson, Private Drake, and Sergeant Apone), Additional Marines Character Customization Options, an exclusive multiplayer map (USCM Academy Firing Range) and a trio of weapons (Ripley’s Flamethrower, Sonic Electronic Ball Breakers, and Phase Plasma Rifle).
If you just want the in-game stuff (minus the Academy level, the Ball Breakers, and the Plasma Rifle), you can pre-order the game from GameStop to get them.
Aliens: Colonial Marines will be available on February 12, 2013.
Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Aliens: Colonial Marines
Aliens: Colonial Marines mostly comes out in February 2013, mostly
Sega and developer Gear Box Software have delayed Aliens: Colonial Marines again! If I were the pessimistic sort, I’d be screaming game over, man! Game over! But I’m willing to give Gearbox the benefit of the doubt, especially after viewing the excellent new trailer above.
The game is now scheduled for a February 12, 2013 release on the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. The release date of the Wii U version will be announced “at a later time.”
Aliens: Colonial Marines just can’t seem to catch a break as this is the fourth or fifth release date delay (I’ve honestly lost count) since the game was announced in 2006. But Gearbox President Randy Pitchford wants to assure fans that it’s really coming this time:
“I am thrilled to announce the definitive launch date for Aliens: Colonial Marines. Aliens: Colonial Marines is the culmination of a life-time of inspiration from the films and relentless passion and drive from the exceptionally talented development team behind the scenes.”
No reason was given for the delay.
Aliens: Colonial Marines Hands-On Preview: The Xenomorphs Say “Game Over, Man!”
One of the longest lines at PAX East was the one for the Aliens: Colonial Marines booth, which had one of the best experiences on the show floor. No, they weren’t offering free mohawks, but they were hosting a developer-led demonstration of the single-player campaign, followed by a hands-on preview of the multiplayer… against those same developers. Sadly, we didn’t get to play as the xenomorphs, but that didn’t detract from the experience at all. And it’s scarier being hunted down by killer aliens when you know they’re far smarter than AI could ever be. (more…)
Posted in PC, Previews, PS3, Top Story, Wii U, Xbox 360
Tagged Aliens: Colonial Marines, PAX East 2012
Aliens: Colonial Marines is officially part of movie canon; Wii U version “is not a port”
We learned two very interesting things about Aliens: Colonial Marines at this weekend’s PAX East.
One, the Sega-published shooter has been inducted into the “official canon” of the Alien universe by 20th Century Fox. Chris Faylor, the Community Manager for developer Gearbox Software, told us that all previous expanded universe material (including the novels, the comics, and all the Alien vs Predator stuff) has been thrown out. The only productions currently considered canon are the first four films (yes, even Alien 3), Aliens: Colonial Marines, and maybe Ridley Scott’s Prometheus (since there’s still the possibility it’s not a prequel).
We also chatted with Matt Powers, a Senior Producer on the game for Sega, about the Wii U version of the game. Powers initially referred to the game as “the Wii U port” and Faylor rushed back over to scold him, telling us: “I hate that word. The Wii U version is not a port. Remove it from your vocabulary.”
After that rather tense exchange, we tried to get Powers to talk more about how the Wii U controller would come into play. With the Community Manager standing over his shoulder, he would only say that “there are interesting things you can do with the Wii U controller” and “for an Aliens game, you can probably guess what some of those things are.”
For the non-diehards in the audience, Powers was (wink, wink) likely referring to the famous radar display Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, and the rest of the Colonial Marines used to track the xenomorphs in the film.
Aliens: Colonial Marines is expected to launch sometime this Fall.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360
Tagged Aliens: Colonial Marines, PAX East 2012