American McGee gives a heartfelt goodbye to his beloved fans (so-called the “Insane Children”) over on his Patreon.
American McGee posted earlier this month that the “dream is over” in regards to production for “Alice: Asylum” based on a decision from the company Electronic Arts (better known as EA), which had hosted his first two games, “Alice” and “Alice: Madness Returns”.
It is sad news for those who were eagerly awaiting the next and final installment of the “Alice” franchise. McGee had been battling with EA for the last couple of years to win back the rights to his game. Unfortunately, he did not come out of this battle victorious. And so he decided the next best option was to work with the company, which led to this dead end. He explains the details of the situation in his final Patreon post:
“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. 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.”
Many have remarked upon the greedy practices of EA, but this action has sent them further down that sinkhole. A Reddit post asking users why EA is still hated in 2023 contains many responses of complaints against their absurd amount of microtransactions. It appears that their main focus is on the market over any amount of well-thought storytelling.
Other important figures of the project, such as Lead Designer Omri Koresh, also express their sadness at the sudden halt in production on Instagram. He acknowledges he will have to find another job soon but adores all the art and dress designs he got to make for “Alice,” as well as exploring the possibilities of routes in her final journey to Wonderland. He hopes he can land an Art Director position at a good gaming company sometime in the future.
The Project’s Designer and Manager, Alex Crowley, also took to his Instagram Story to lament the loss of the game:
“Thank you to everyone for their messages of support and kindness regarding Alice. It means the world to me , and your voices are helping me through a difficult time. Much love and respect.”
So what happens now?
The heavy toll of this news also led McGee to decide that he is now retiring from the gaming industry as they have sapped the last of his energy. He makes it very clear he even wishes to distance himself from the entirety of his creation of “Alice” as he states that even if EA did manage to take up the game one day, he wishes to have no part in it. Instead, all focus will be going on his family and the existing business he has with his Mysterious shop.
The shop in question still contains many of his beloved merch for the game. There is the Cheshire Kitten Plush with its special bag, a replica of the Chaos Necklace that Alice was meant to wear in the new game, as well as several art prints.
Another update was also posted listing all answers to any questions that fans had regarding this news. Turns out that the Alice TV show adaptation will still go forward, but the original team will not be involved, nor do they wish to be. At this moment, they all need a well-deserved break.
In another post patreon FAQ, McGee says that it is now time to move on and let go. He knows he did everything he could so now the only thing left within his power is to acknowledge the reality of the situation despite the difficult situation.
“So, I would ask that you join me in moving on. If you decide to stay back and continue fighting… that’s fine. That is your decision to make. I respect that. And I ask that you also respect my decision to move on. Thank you.”
Like our dearest Alice Liddell, we must keep moving toward the horizon of an unknown Wonderland that leads us to new projects and endeavors. Thank you so much American McGee for everything that you have done for your Insane Children.
