Sega has announced this afternoon that a new Aliens vs. Predator title is in development for release in early 2010. No game details or even mention of which platforms it’ll be on have been released, but Sega has confirmed that independent dev studio Rebellion, the team behind the original Aliens versus Predator classic from 1999, is on the job.
More importantly, today’s announcement also brings word that Rebellion’s new AvP game will be the first of Sega’s three licensed Aliens franchise titles to be released, as the releases of the other titles have been “strategically updated.” This means Gearbox’s Aliens: Colonial Marines FPS — which only a month or so ago was said to be on track to ship by this summer — now won’t see the light of day this year, and with the new AvP game due in early 2010 it probably won’t ship until middle of next year at the earliest either…bummer!
Obsidian Entertainment is also working on an Aliens RPG for Sega, but today’s news really has no impact on it considering the project has remained secretive to this point and has never been given even a tentative target date of completion.
“The innovative new AvP game presents an exciting opportunity for us,” says CEO of SEGA West, Naoya Tsurumi, “It represents a fantastic addition to our growing Aliens franchise and the reinvention of one of gaming’s most cherished iconic titles. By adjusting the release of our other Aliens titles to accommodate it, SEGA will ensure that every title lives up to the high expectations of Aliens and AvP fans.”
“SEGA continues to create masterful games based on our Aliens franchise and this new addition is sure to continue their successful track record,” said Gary Rosenfeld, Senior Vice President, New Media for Fox L&M.