LogInAccording to the developer, Electronic Arts, the holder of the Alice IP, has declined to provide funding for the development or explore the possibility of licensing options.
Developer American McGee has announced that the years-long effort to create Alice: Asylum has come to an end.
Alice: Asylum was first announced in 2017 as the third installment in the Alice game series, following Alice: Madness Returns.
According to McGee's recent announcement, the team has recently completed the creation of a comprehensive design bible for the game, which included concept art, game design principles, and narrative objectives. Following the creation of the design bible McGee resumed discussions with Electronic Arts, the publisher and owner of the Alice IP, regarding the production of the title.
However, as McGee notes, EA has shown no interest in funding the project. Additionally, EA didn't agree to license the IP, as Alice is an "important part of EA’s overall game catalog", and the company was not currently prepared to sell or license it.
McGee was the driving force behind the first two Alice games, American McGee's Alice and Alice: Madness Returns. He has been attempting to bring the third game to fruition for several years and even launched a Patreon campaign to gather support for creating a production and design plan. However, he has acknowledged that whether or not a third Alice game would be approved depends entirely on EA.
Following EA's decision, McGee stated that his team had explored all possibilities to make a third Alice game a reality and that they have now "exhausted" all options. He further mentioned that "there is no other way forward with the project."
He added that he will not be involved in any future developments, even if a third game is produced, despite being in charge of the first two titles. Additionally, he noted that he's "reached an endpoint with game production in general" and will now redirect his attention to his family and managing his online store.
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