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Rebellion's Derby studio on the verge of shutting down
Echoing grim sentiments made earlier this year, Rebellion Studios' CEO Jason Kingsley recently told Develop that the Derby branch of Rebellion that birthed Lara Croft (previously at Core Design) may not be around for too much longer. "It's quite likely that [the Derby studio] won't be kept intact in the way it did, but that individual consultancy period is not over yet," he said. He's concerned, however, with that fact that "no one has stepped up" to purchase the ailing third branch of Rebellion Studios. "We would obviously like someone to, but no one has done so as yet." When we reached out to our contacts at the studio, we were unfortunately met with no response as of publishing. Kingsley revealed that Rebellion otherwise is in the "mid-stages" of "two big projects," and reiterates that "nothing's been decided yet" for the Derby offices. As always, if you are a member or representative of the studio in question, don't hesitate to contact us if you'd like to clarify.
Rebellion boss: AvP is a critical success, sequel in discussion
Speaking to Develop, Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley made it clear that his company is delighted with the success of Aliens vs Predator. The game recently landed in the number one sales position in the UK -- reason enough to be pleased, no doubt -- but Kingsley is also pleased with AvP's critical reception. "We wanted Aliens Versus Predator to be a critical success as well as a commercial success," said Kingsley, "which we think we have achieved." Kingsley's words might seem a little puzzling to anyone that's glanced at AvP's Metacritic average. Even the PC version, which has the highest average score, only manages a "mixed or average reviews" rating of 73. However, Kingsley noted that the game has received "three totally shit reviews by some Americans, which is a bit odd," adding that some of the reviews were "inexcusably bad." Said Kingsley, "If you discount those poor reviews AvP is averaging high for us." Whatever the overall scores, it seems Rebellion is bullish to keep pushing the franchise, with Kingsley noting that the company is already in discussions with Sega about a possible sequel. "We would love to work with Sega again," said Kingsley, "there were a lot of things we couldn't fit into the original." We're guessing these were things Rebellion couldn't fit into its 1994, 1999, or 2007 iterations either.
Patched Aliens vs. Predator demo hits the PlayStation Store
It was bound to happen one day: A pre-release demo has been patched. PS3 owners experienced some matchmaking issues with the initial release of the Aliens vs. Predator trial. Now developer Rebellion has not only fixed the bugs, but has added a few new features to the multiplayer demo, including the ability to create and search for specific matches. Players that have the old demo installed on their hard drives will find it no longer works. An "Incompatible Version" error will appear for those attempting to play it. Instead, players are advised to go back into the PlayStation Store to re-download an updated demo. Yes, it's another 800MB-ish download, but if you want an early taste of Aliens vs. Predator, this will have to suffice.
Aliens vs Predator DLC 'soon after release'
Speaking to VG247, Rebellion's Tim Jones has revealed that day-one special edition DLC for Aliens vs Predator will eventually be available for everyone else. The DLC will be made available on release day for those that purchase the special edition (which is pretty hard to miss) and, as is becoming tradition, vanilla edition purchasers will have to wait. As for the DLC itself, Jones says that it will include four separate multiplayer maps (two for the survival mode, two for other modes). Concerning future DLC, Jones simply says, "Watch this space." Alas, it looks like our dreams of a day-one Alf skin for the Xenomorphs have been dashed. Here's hoping someone at Rebellion jumps on this potential DLC goldmine.
Latest Aliens vs. Predator trailer has disco fever
There are plenty of things worth highlighting in this Aliens vs. Predator trailer. The foreboding "blip ... blip ... blip" of the motion tracker and the lone marine with only a pistol to protect himself from the onslaught of scurrying Xenomorphs are just a few, but what irks us most is the digital lady dancing on the pole of the disco. Is that, like, really the future of t3h pr0nz? We were hoping for some kind of Star Trek Holodeck-type action.
Aliens vs. Predator demo confirmed for Thursday
As hinted at by an Xbox Live Spotlight ad which briefly appeared yesterday, a demo for Aliens vs. Predator will be released on Xbox Live, PSN and Steam tomorrow. A Sega Europe blog post which announced the demo's imminence revealed that the trial gives players access to all three of the game's species, who can battle it out Deathmatch-style on one of AvP's multiplayer maps. You can bet we'll hop on this one as soon as it's available -- who knows, maybe the fanged proboscis which will soon bore into your skull will belong to one of us!
Rumor: AvP demo arriving this Thursday
According to tipster Mike, an ad for an Aliens vs Predator demo recently popped up in the Spotlight section of the Xbox 360 dashboard. The ad reportedly announced that the demo will be released February 4, this Thursday. Unfortunately, the ad has since been pulled, though AvPGalaxy reports finding the ad as well. The site also notes that the demo will arrive on the same day for PSN and Steam as well, adding that an official announcement from Sega is forthcoming. Given that the game will be hitting retail shelves in just two weeks, the timing for the demo would certainly make sense. We'll be sure to update this post if and when Sega makes things official. Update: it's official! [Via Destructoid]
Aliens vs. Predator multiplayer modes explained, caught on tape
You probably already guessed that a game that pits three different death-dealing species against one another wouldn't feature your garden variety multiplayer modes. A recent Sega Europe Blog post has confirmed your suspicions -- Aliens vs. Predator will feature seven unique competitive game types, ranging from various "deathmatch" modes, to the propagatory "Infestation" mode, to the "Survivor" mode, which is featured in the trailer posted above. There's also "Domination," which Modern Warfare veterans should be familiar with, and "Predator Hunt," which Dateline correspondent Chris Hansen should be extremely familiar with. Check out Sega Europe's blog to learn more about the online carnage that will unfold when the game hits store shelves February 16.
Multiplayer patched into original Aliens vs. Predator on Steam
What fun is Aliens vs. Predator without the knowledge that the Predator whose face you just ruined with your secondary baby-jaws isn't being controlled by a real person? Thankfully, that's a question we no longer have to ponder -- as promised, the original Aliens vs. Predator Classic 2000 has received multiplayer support on Steam, complete with Steam overlay integration. There's no support for dedicated servers, unfortunately, but we're hoping the game's age will dissuade PC gamers from boycotting it for this reason alone.
Newest Aliens vs. Predator trailer explores the title's heritage
Rather than getting on Steam and playing gobs of classic Aliens vs. Predator leading up to the game's almost assured (though still "unconfirmed") February launch, wouldn't you rather spend the next three-ish minutes watching the folks at Rebellion speak about the history behind both games' development? We knew you'd see it our way! Regardless, the trailer you see above does plenty in the way of explaining the near-direct connection between the original game and the upcoming release. Hey, did you know that both games feature some aliens, maybe a predator or two, and lots of humans? It's true! Peep the trailer for more mind-blowing revelations like that one -- if you can handle them, that is. %Gallery-63762%
Aliens vs. Predator system requirements de-cloaked
Are you curious whether your computer's robot brain is beefy enough To Catch an Aliens vs. Predator? You don't have to stress about it any longer: Sega recently revealed the system requirements for the PC version of the game. There's nothing too prohibitive in there (unless you're still vehemently sticking to your Windows 95 OS), and as Big Download reminds us, AvP will be one of the first games to natively support DirectX 11. Check out the full list of requirements after the jump!
Aliens vs. Predator Classic 2000 now on Steam
Are you itching to get your hands on Rebellion's upcoming shooter Aliens vs. Predator? Have you been dreaming of mouths within mouths, mouths that open sideways and regular human mouths screaming in terror? If so, you might want to see a therapist. You might also consider picking up Aliens vs. Predator Classic 2000, the PC AvP title created by Rebellion aeons ago. The game is now available on Steam for the rock-bottom price of $4.99. It includes both the Gold edition and the Millennium expansion pack, and it supports the Xbox 360 controller for PC, so even the young'uns can appreciate it. The one thing it does not currently support is multiplayer, though Big Download notes that support will be added in a future patch.
A video explanation of why Aliens vs. Predator was temporarily banned in Australia
Be forewarned: Unless you want to see a ton of humans, aliens and predators get murdered (our count was 24 kills in 21 seconds!), you should probably shy away from watching the Aliens vs. Predator trailer we've posted above. There's no developers talking about how excited they are to release the game, or any details about the plot -- it's basically just a demo reel of the title's horrific carnage. Wait a minute: No direction, no story and tons of violence? Are we sure this isn't a trailer for the next Saw movie? %Gallery-63762%
Rebellion to 'review the need' for Derby Studio
Rebellion, which is currently working on Aliens vs. Predator and recently blessed us with Rogue Warrior, will likely shut down one of its facilities. GI.biz reports the company plans on closing its Derby, UK studios as it focuses resources on its Runcorn and Oxford locations, the latter of which is handling AvP. The Derby studio was once home to the Core Design team, the originators of the Tomb Raider franchise before Lady Croft left for Crystal Dynamics. Studio CEO Jason Kingsley said in a statement that "growth is sometimes painful, never more so than in the current climate" and that the company has "decided to review the need for the Derby facilities, and consultation with staff at Derby is ongoing." GI.biz reports "a number of staff have been made redundant," which is the UK's horribly polite way of saying "kicked to the curb." And, with that, we have our first layoff story of 2010 -- please, we can't go through another year of this.
Rebellion refuses to 'water down' Aliens vs. Predator, readying demo
In a recent interview with AvPGalaxy, Rebellion Studios' Martin Kennedy and Alex Moore openly spoke their minds regarding last month's Australian ratings fiasco with Aliens vs. Predator before revealing news of an upcoming demo for the game. "People who want the game will get [it] imported, it's not going to hurt us ... if anything it's been a bit of decent publicity," Kennedy said. "We're not going to water down the game for countries that can't treat adults like adults," continued Moore. Moore even went as far as to compare Australia's ban-happy government (as of late, at least) to past situations with Germany. "Germany's always one of those places that we've known it was going to be difficult because the first one [game] got banned in Germany as well." When pressed on the subject of a demo, however, the duo were more careful in their wording. "There will be a demo ...that's all we can say," Moore confirmed. Considering the game is still on schedule for an "early 2010" release (maybe February?), we're hoping that the demo will be arriving sooner rather than later. %Gallery-63762%
Aliens vs. Predator Hunter Edition to violently hug your face
It's official -- the new trend for video game special editions is the inclusion of things to put right on your face. For Modern Warfare 2, it was the ever-practical night-vision goggles. For Halo 3, it was a Spartan helmet, which offered cranial protection to the small-of-head. The Aliens vs. Predator Hunter Edition, which was announced for Europe earlier this month but confirmed for a U.S. release earlier today, includes one of the franchise's "facehugger" aliens, which ... well, we bet it serves some utility as well. For instance, say you've had a really large, luxurious beard for most of your life, then for circumstances beyond your control, you have to shave it. Your face will be so cold and lonely -- but not once it knows the fleshy embrace of the facehugger's unrelenting grasp. Oh, there's other stuff in the special edition too, such as a graphic novel, four extra multiplayer maps and a Weyland Yutani sleeve badge -- but can these bonuses comfort your recently shorn visage? No, they cannot. Check past the jump for the full image of the bundle.
New Aliens vs. Predator trailer says it's about story, actually about gutting
This is one of those situations where we wish we could just call up Mr. Sega (that's who runs Sega, right?) and ask him what he was thinking. How could he have possibly claimed this latest Aliens vs. Predator trailer has something to do with "story?" Here's the entire plot: There are humans, there are also Aliens, as well as a Predator. That's it! What else do you need, folks? Much like the snake and the mongoose (or 50 Cent and helicopters), these factions are natural enemies of each other. No story is required for them to make with the murdalizing -- they just do. Check out the trailer above for further confirmation of our position on the subject. %Gallery-63762%
Sega: Aliens vs. Predator reclassified in Australia without edits
Sega has announced its victory in the fight over whether or not Australians will get to (legally) play Aliens vs. Predator. According to a statement given to Kotaku, Sega has successfully appealed the OFLC's decision to refuse classification to the FPS and has secured the game a rating of MA-15+, which has yet to be reflected in the OFLC database. "We are particularly proud that the game will be released in its original entirety, with no content altered or removed whatsoever," Sega Australia general manager Darren Macbeth told Kotaku. "This is a big win for Australian gamers. We applaud the Classification Review Board on making a decision that clearly considers the context of the game, and is in line with the modern expectations of reasonable Australians". We now urge our Australian friends not to do anything that might appear even the least bit inspired by this game. If you see a ravenous, monstrous alien, let it go unblasted.
Aliens vs. Predator attempts Aussie classification on appeal
Sega and Rebellion won't release a "sanitized" Aliens vs. Predator for the Australian market, but it appears the companies are at least going to try and appeal the government's decision to "ban" the game. Refused Classification noted over the weekend that the classification board will hold a review of AvP's status this Friday, December 18. The most recent high-profile game to attempt an appeal with the Aussie ratings board was Valve's Left 4 Dead 2 -- it failed. However, an edited version of the zombie apocalypse survival trainer was released in the region. We've contacted Sega for comment on the matter. [Via GamePolitics]
Australian Attorney General offers insight into Aliens vs. Predator classification refusal
We've heard from Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson in the past on why he thinks certain games shouldn't be available to Australian consumers. And when he was asked recently by ABC why the upcoming Aliens vs. Predator was refused classification in his country (read: banned), he echoed previous sentiments on the interactivity of games having a stronger affect on people than other mediums. "I accept that 98 percent, 99 percent of gamers will tell the difference between fantasy and reality, but the 1 to 2 percent could go on to be motivated by these games to commit horrible acts of violence," Atkinson said. When the subject of AvP comes up, though, Atkinson put on his game reviewer cap and offered, "You don't need to be playing a game in which you impale, decapitate and dismember people." So, what're you thinking, Mr. Atkinson -- 5.0/10 maybe? 4.7/10? We're all ears. [Via GamesIndustry.biz]
