Alice Dev American McGee Was 'Emotionally Destroyed' by EA; Doesn't Give Fans Much Hope [Update]
The canceled Alice Asylum will never be developed. At least not with the participation of Americana McGee, but the creator has made it clear that also Electronic Arts is not interested in further development of the series.
Update
Due to a misunderstanding of the message in some media (in the post you will find a reference to an article published on gamesradar.com), American McGee released on Twitter an additional statement:
"This sort of clickbait intentional-misrepresentation-of-reality-headline is among the reasons that I feel a genuine sense of relief to leave behind the game industry, its media, and a large portion of the general gaming audience.
Why even write this article if you don't know that I am a "he" and not a "they?" I am not a development studio. I am a person. And my emotional reaction to EA's response to our proposal has absolutely nothing to do with the legal realities of developing a game (or any sort of IP, invention, etc) while in the employ of a corporation. I can't "touch the IP" because it is not mine. It belongs to EA and has since the moment I first conceived it while in their employ.
My decision to retire from games was made long before EA even responded. I knew that if they said "yes," I'd have a final go at development in some form. But by the time we were making the pitch to EA, I was already telling them that my direct involvement on a day-to-day basis was not a requirement (on my part).
Anyway, just another example of how trying to set the record straight makes things worse in some cases.
Thankfully, the response to the video by actual fans has been 100% positive and supportive. And I really appreciate my fans for that. If you want to see what I actually say in the video and read a response from people who care, here's the link:"
Original message (October 23)
It's been six months since final cancellation of the final part of the Alice trilogy. Unfortunately, the heroine has no chance of finding a new home. American McGee has recommended that fans abandon hope for the creation of Alice Asylum
The developer shared his "last words" regarding the project in material posted on YouTube. You can watch the video below.
If we limit ourselves to mere facts about the game, we didn't learn anything new. In short: after a market analysis, Electronic Arts rejected the project proposal, despite McGee's preparation of a substantial "bible" with the help of artists and fans who supported it on Patreon and Kickstarter. The publisher also refused to sell the brand.
Back in April, the creator made it clear how painful this decision was for him. In a new video McGee even stated that EA's rejection of the new "Alice" "destroyed him emotionally." For many years, McGee had been trying to make the project that would eventually be the culmination of the series a reality, involving a slew of people, and he sincerely believes that his vision was achievable:
"The rejection of our proposal [to create Alice: Asylum - editor's note] destroyed me emotionally. Not only because we had invested so much in it - both as a community and as creators - but also because I felt that it represented a vision of something that was not only achievable, but would have been quite beautiful if we had been allowed to realize it."
![Alice Dev American McGee Was Emotionally Destroyed by EA; Doesnt Give Fans Much Hope [Update] - picture #1](https://cdn.gracza.pl/gallery/html/news/987394046.jpg)
The creator also referred to one of the proposals of disappointed fans: the creation of a spiritual heir, if only as a completely new interpretation of Alice in Wonderland. This is not possible due to the complicated situation with copyrights, as a result - as the interested party himself put it - McGee cannot create a project "similar to or based on Alice in Wonderland for the rest of his life.".
The designer recommended that fans "give themselves a break" from "Alice". And if they have any comments, let them direct them to Electronic Arts. The creator no longer has any say in the future of the series, which he believes the company has abandoned, and does not want it to be continued "neither by him nor anyone else." Apparently the message has not reached all fans.
