EA and American McGee back in bed for Alice sequel

by Stevie Smith - Feb 20 2009, 17:00

In something of a ‘left-field’ announcement that’s sure to take some gaming fans by surprise, third-party publisher Electronic Arts (EA) has revealed it is once again teaming up with famed software creator American McGee to develop a sequel to cult hit Alice.

EA’s announcement reveals that Chinese developer Spicy Horse has been signed on to helm the sequel with McGee overseeing the creative process. Shanghai-based Spicy Horse was founded by McGee in 2007 and released its first game American McGee’s Grimm in the summer of 2008.

“This new project is a dream come true for me and the fans who’ve kept the Alice flame alive,” trumpeted McGee regarding the sequel. “EA gave us creative latitude and support on the original game which resulted in something beautiful and daring. This trip through the looking glass promises to be even more exciting.”

Bolstering that enthusiasm, general manager of EA Partners David DeMartini hailed the original Alice as “an instant classic,” adding that EA is “ready to help [McGee] bring his innovative vision for the franchise to even darker, more exciting places.”

Alice, which was released on the PC format in October of 2000, provided gamers with a surprisingly dark and macabre take on Alice’s adventures after the conclusion of Lewis Carroll’s timeless literary series.

A Sony PlayStation 2 port of the original game was also in development but failed to emerge due to cancellation – which resulted in the closure of original developer Rogue Entertainment.

EA has not yet offered a release date target for the sequel, although the publisher’s return to American McGee’s twisted world has sparked rumours that the game is being prepared to coincide with Tim Burton’s big-screen Hollywood adaptation of Alice in Wonderland (2010).

The currently unnamed sequel will be released on the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

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