Bird Bookshelf
Many years after its release people are still talking about the artistic nature of the original Alice game. Here’s an article discussing the literary merits of the product (alongside a list of other good lit adaptations): Games Radar Top 7 Games Based on Books
Snail Fight!
Here’s the official statement regarding the “Return of Alice” video which was being presented at www.returnofalice.com
Yesterday, a few sites picked up a video of Alice made by one of our fans and confused it as an official trailer of Alice 2. I wanted to clear up any confusion – as I mentioned in my post it was unofficial, and does not represent any of the final art direction or story elements in Alice 2. We look forward to sharing information on the game in the future.
The content has since been removed from returnofalice.com, but it still lives in its original location – on the website of its creator, Troy Morgan. You if you missed it, you can see it here.
Teargas and Plateglass
While working on the Alice sequel during pre-production I’ve been listening to a wide range of music. NiN and Manson can still evoke a proper degree of harshness and anger. While Vrenna’s original “Alice” soundtrack serves to remind me of the important movements and discoveries in the first game. When writing I try to avoid lyrical music – mainly turning on classical composers like Tcaikovsky and Saint Saens (both of who were debuting new works during the time Alice Liddel was alive).
But one group that has an especially “Alice” tone about them (at least in relation to what I’m thinking about for the new game) is “Teargas and Plateglass”. Aside from the fact that they’re rep’ed by Waxploitation, the same label Chris was on when he created music for Alice, it seems not much is known about this group. From Waxploitation, this bit of “info”:
In many
ways, what’s not known about the band says more about them than what is known. We don’t know who they are or where they come from or where they reside. But we know they are fond of the works of Godfrey Reggio and Sebastaio Salgado, David Sylvian, Jennifer Charles, and David Hykes. We know the last interview the band did was five years ago. What others have said about the band, from time to time, has helped fill in some of the details. The American Film Institute, which exhibited their music videos, called them “a bold experimental visionâ€. URB says the band “pave the way so the dark side can take its rightful place at the forefront of the genreâ€. XLR8R described their sound as “darkness mixed thick like a pool of blood†and advised listeners to “take with a stiff glass of Absintheâ€. Danger Mouse likened their music to “the end of the world†and King Britt noted that “their music restores my faith that deep, dark music still moves the massesâ€.
You don’t have to take my (or their) word for it though… because you can download their latest album completely free from Waxploitation’s website. Check it out here: “Black Triage”
And be sure to head over to the official Teargas and Plateglass website. There you can access more of their music and see some really beautiful music videos they’ve created.
“David DeMartini On Biz, Alice, More”, a mention of the new Alice in there: Read on Gamasutra
If you want a little more info about the Alice sequel, read the AP story by Derrik Lang over on Yahoo! News.
Alice Sequel – Snail Fight Image
Waking up in Shanghai this morning I’m greeted with a flood of emails, facebook messages, and phone calls. The world now knows what we here at Spicy Horse have known for some time: We’re making a sequel to “American McGee’s Alice” with Electronic Arts (EAP to be exact).
Not much can be said about the new project at this time. We are building it here in Shanghai. RJ Berg, who wrote the original and served as Executive Producer on the project, will reprise that role. The game will be delivered on PC, PS3, and 360. More details will come later of course. Until then, you can read the official press release. Or read EA’s official news blurb.
For me and the studio this obviously represents huge news. The original Alice was a good bit of fun – and aspects of the original are still quite compelling. The challenge for us – to build a great game, and a sequel worthy of the original – is real, but not daunting. Over the past few years we’ve assembled a really amazing team. I have full faith in their ability to create something amazing.
For me, this is a dream come true. The project will be fun, the studio can grow (and move – check out my flickr for pics of our new space), and we’ll eventually ship something unique. Lots of potential wrapped up in this news – I know I’ll be doing everything I can to make something great of it.
Check back here or in the forums for future updates. Can’t say I expect there to be much more news for a while – probably months. But if it’s allowed, I try to post some project updates, art, etc.
Also, a quick word of thanks to everyone at EA, EAP, CAA, and Weissman Wolff for everything they did to get this deal done.
And, we’re still looking for a few good people to join the team at Spicy Horse. Check out the hiring section for more info.