Japanese-headquartered publisher and developer Sega has acquired the license to create new games based on the
Alien series of movies from 20th Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising, with games including a first-person shooter and a role playing game currently in pre-production.
The movie series, particularly the first two entries, have had an enormous influence on video games in general and have resulted in a number of well received games in the past. Sega’s own history with the franchise is limited to 1993 light gun game
Alien³: The Gun, although 1988 classic
Alien Syndrome was clearly influenced by the series.
The first new game is not expected to appear until 2009, with both a first person shooter and a separate role-playing game being planned. None of the games are expected to be direct adaptations of any of the specific movies. The new license only relates to the Alien franchise and does not include Alien vs. Predator.
According to
story in The Hollywood Reporter, Sega is apparently in talks with actors from the movies, including Sigourney Weaver (Ripley) and Lance Henriksen (Bishop), to lend their likenesses and voice talents to the new games. "We haven't finalized anything at this point, but everything is on the table," said Rob Lightner, vice president of business development at Sega. "It's important for everyone to understand the difference here: We're taking licensing to the next level with this franchise."
"We'll go out of our way to tie the games into the films in unique ways," added Lightner. "We're also looking at all 'Alien' source material for inspiration, in addition to the films. We may incorporate some characters that fans know and love, and we may let gamers find answers to questions that were left unanswered in the movies."
