After a review by EA, plans for the third and final installment of the Alice McGee trilogy have been canceled, according to a recent Patreon update on the Twitter account of American James McGee, the original developer of the Alice series.

Thanks to a "design bible" created in advance with the help of many creators and artists (also available for download on Patreon), we knew everything about Alice: Asylum before it was even officially greenlit, from the core concept to the story tying up loose ends from American McGee's Alice and Alice: Madness Returns; it just had to happen.

The production team has also been transparent with fans about everything, including the need to collaborate with other studios, respect for the original vision, the estimated $50 million budget, and the need for approval from EA, the current IP holders. Legal conflicts with EA are what spurred the idea of a PDF design bible in the first place, rather than a bootable game prototype like most developers do.

According to American McGee's April 8 Patreon post, EA has refused to fund the game, lend its license to the developers, or even sell it. For the funding issue, the post reads: "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." As for licensing, the post adds: "On the question of licensing, they replied that "Alice" is an important part of EA’s overall game catalog, and selling or licensing it isn’t something they’re prepared to do right now."

Alice: Asylum has reached The End

After several weeks of review, EA has come back with a response regarding funding and/or licensing for "Alice: Asylum" - Alice had a good run but the dream is over. https://t.co/hyprIq9MpE#gamedev #aliceasylum pic.twitter.com/sIE3bKbaVY

— ⚓ American McGee 🏴‍☠️ (@americanmcgee) April 7, 2023

The developer expresses deep disappointment that he has reached an "endpoint" with the development of Alice and game production in general. He also mentions that he currently has no investment in pursuing new game ideas with the already established base he's created with all the passionate creators and fans. Even if EA decides to change sides and accept the pitch at some point, he also adds that he has no desire to be involved in any future project or any other Alice-related project.

Posted: Apr 11, 2023 12:24 pm
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://www.dualshockers.com/ea-alice-asylum-cancelled/