American McGee’s try and develop a 3rd instalment in his fan-favourite Alice sequence “is at an end”.
In a public assertion posted to McGee’s Patreon, the developer stated he had “exhausted every option for getting a new Alice game made” after IP holder Electronic Arts reportedly “decided to pass on the project based on an internal analysis of the IP, market conditions, and details of the production proposal”.
Shortly after the completion of the Design Bible, I resumed talks with Electronic Arts concerning our efforts to get a brand new game made,” McGee explains. “They had been introduced with the Design Bible and a Production Plan (produced in collaboration with Virtuos Games) outlining the schedule, funds, group, and design for the brand new game’s manufacturing.
“After several weeks of review, EA has come back with a response regarding funding and/or licensing for Alice: Asylum. On the question of funding, they have ultimately decided to pass on the project based on an internal analysis of the IP, market conditions, and details of the production proposal.”
Despite passing on the challenge, although, it appears that evidently EA wasn’t prepared to half with the license, both.
Alice: Asylum has reached The End
After a number of weeks of evaluation, EA has come again with a response concerning funding and/or licensing for “Alice: Asylum” – Alice had a very good run however the dream is over. https://t.co/hyprIq9MpE#gamedev #aliceasylum pic.twitter.com/sIE3bKbaVY
— ⚓ American McGee ????☠️ (@americanmcgee) April 7, 2023
“On the question of licensing, they replied that Alice is an important part of EA’s overall game catalogue, and selling or licensing it isn’t something they’re prepared to do right now,” McGee added. “At this point, we have exhausted every option for getting a new Alice game made. With those answers from EA, there is no other way forward with the project.”
McGee finishes by stating he has “no other ideas or energy left to apply towards getting a nice Alice game made”, and confirmed that he has “no control over the Alice IP and no ability to make a new game happen”. He additionally thanked the artists and designers who’d labored on the challenge so far, who had been “funded through Patreon”.
“Lastly, I want to extend a bittersweet Thank You to our Patreon supporters,” McGee stated. “I do know this isn’t the end result we hoped for. And I really feel a mixture of feelings that leaves me sick on the concept of all the cash, hope, concepts, and love you’ve got poured into this effort through the years. We knew going into this journey that failure was a chance. But we wished to consider unattainable issues – and we had enjoyable doing that up-to-the-minute when actuality pressured itself into our Wonderland.
“It’s often said that when one door closes, another opens. Trite but true. And I hope that for all of you, this closure will bring life to other adventures and dreams.”
American McGee unveiled the complete story of Alice: Asylum, the third instalment of Mysterious Studios’ fantastically grim tackle Alice in Wonderland, again in August 2021.
Succeeding 2011’s Alice: Madness Returns, Alice: Asylum was a part of McGee’s distinctive “crowd design process” and had been drawn up in session along with his 3000+ Patreon backers.
As Wes summarised just a few years again, McGee was the inventive director of the EA-published 2000 title American McGee’s Alice. It gained cult standing and was adopted up by Alice: Madness Returns in 2011. Fans have questioned – and regularly questioned McGee – a couple of third Alice game ever since.
