Randy Pitchford Talks Aliens: Colonial Marines

[SM]

Quite.

Considering Prometheus seems to be bearing some striking similarities to Alien in terms of plot, it may afford them to go in an alternate direction in future films than what they did with Alien3 (obviously not with Hicks and Newt but along the expected militaristic narrative following Aliens).

Problems can arise though depending on how much they want to respect the existing Alien film continuity though.  The Alien films used the previous films as a springboard, and ignored comics and video games - twice.  If they want to maintain a potential Prometheus series in the Alien universe, it may be too restrictive. Say they went down the road of the advertised Alien3 ("On Earth everyone will hear you scream"), and the Jockeys or DNA mutants or whatever lay Earth to waste around the time of Alien or Aliens.  You end up with a serious continuity clash.

Which brings us back to:

But if Fox doesn't care about canon, why should we?

[Xenomrph]

But they kinda do care about canon, or they wouldn't be taking the time to say that stuff is/isn't canon.

[SM]

"Kinda" obviously doesn't cut it.  Otherwise they'd have someone on quality control.

[Xenomrph]

"Kinda" obviously doesn't cut it.  Otherwise they'd have someone on quality control.

Well they do, they have a licensing department that handles it. Multiple licensees have spoken of it over the years

Just because it doesn't meet your personal standards doesn't mean they don't have standards at all, or don't care. The mere fact that stuff has to pass by their licensing department (and according to licensees, sometimes gets rejected) and the fact that they take the time to say "yes, this is canon" shows that they do care. If they didn't, they wouldn't bother saying anything at all.

[Le Celticant]

"Kinda" obviously doesn't cut it.  Otherwise they'd have someone on quality control.

Well they do, they have a licensing department that handles it. Multiple licensees have spoken of it over the years

Just because it doesn't meet your personal standards doesn't mean they don't have standards at all, or don't care. The mere fact that stuff has to pass by their licensing department (and according to licensees, sometimes gets rejected) and the fact that they take the time to say "yes, this is canon" shows that they do care. If they didn't, they wouldn't bother saying anything at all.

The problem is you're asking a bunch of incompetent people to decide about art.
And we've all see where this "standards" can lead (AVP&AVP-R).
They got greenlight, they got approved and are considered by FOX as the same universe since there are direct connection with Weyland & Yutani.
And dare to tell me we can take this as a Standard and strong base for the Alien universe... I dare you.

----------------------

Concerning the interview, I absolutely don't see the hype / point to reveal mysteries.
MYSTERY MADE ALIEN.
I'm really tired of this.

[SM]

If Fox Licensing cared about anything other than revenues, then they'd actually make an effort to keep everything straight, with the films or other licensed media.

But the simple fact is they don't and never have.

[Xenomrph]

"Kinda" obviously doesn't cut it.  Otherwise they'd have someone on quality control.

Well they do, they have a licensing department that handles it. Multiple licensees have spoken of it over the years

Just because it doesn't meet your personal standards doesn't mean they don't have standards at all, or don't care. The mere fact that stuff has to pass by their licensing department (and according to licensees, sometimes gets rejected) and the fact that they take the time to say "yes, this is canon" shows that they do care. If they didn't, they wouldn't bother saying anything at all.

The problem is you're asking a bunch of incompetent people to decide about art.
And we've all see where this "standards" can lead (AVP&AVP-R).
They got greenlight, they got approved and are considered by FOX as the same universe since there are direct connection with Weyland & Yutani.
And dare to tell me we can take this as a Standard and strong base for the Alien universe... I dare you.

I really don't know what to say.

Fox considers them canon, some other people do as well (myself included). But no one is forcing you to accept them as canon, so what's the problem?

If Fox Licensing cared about anything other than revenues, then they'd actually make an effort to keep everything straight, with the films or other licensed media.

But the simple fact is they don't and never have.

And in the end that doesn't really matter - we can pigeonhole their reasons for what they said, but it doesn't actually change the fact that they said it.

[SM]

And - funnily enough - nearly 25 years after first producing original licensed material, the continuity is messier than it's ever been.

What Fox says has no bearing on the actual material, since Fox aren't creating it.

[Xenomrph]

No, but they choose to okay it for public consumption (and according to licensees, occasionally veto it or request changes).

[Le Celticant]

"Kinda" obviously doesn't cut it.  Otherwise they'd have someone on quality control.

Well they do, they have a licensing department that handles it. Multiple licensees have spoken of it over the years

Just because it doesn't meet your personal standards doesn't mean they don't have standards at all, or don't care. The mere fact that stuff has to pass by their licensing department (and according to licensees, sometimes gets rejected) and the fact that they take the time to say "yes, this is canon" shows that they do care. If they didn't, they wouldn't bother saying anything at all.

The problem is you're asking a bunch of incompetent people to decide about art.
And we've all see where this "standards" can lead (AVP&AVP-R).
They got greenlight, they got approved and are considered by FOX as the same universe since there are direct connection with Weyland & Yutani.
And dare to tell me we can take this as a Standard and strong base for the Alien universe... I dare you.

I really don't know what to say.

Fox considers them canon, some other people do as well (myself included). But no one is forcing you to accept them as canon, so what's the problem?

Spoiler

[close]

-------

Gearbox is no exception.
They promise, promise, promise and the fan get attracted.
Just like Paul Anderson did, like Robert Rodriguez did, like the Strause Brother did, like Rebellion did.

It's funny because I said exactly the same thing for AVP Requiem, PREDATORS and AVP 2010.
I guess I'm kinda THE shadow of AVP Galaxy 

I'd rather not expect what Randy is telling us and that's about it.
So for "me" it is already set to not be a sequel to alien, not using all the proper material from the movies and not giving a damn in the word "Science" that is part of Science Fiction.
And no one could ever force me to accept otherwise. 

[escroto]

Agreeded Le Celticant. And whatsmore, wait and see how this once "game truthful to "Aliens" ends up being an advertising product for Kenner Alien Toys (refer to the german video of the last GB ACM show where the kenner toys where next to GB ACM stand). Now think we already have the rhino alien (crusher), the probable spyder alien Chris$$ was talking about, and well..., great right? , all these years of awaiting our ultimate game based on Cameron's stuff for nothing.

And yeah I remember well your old "warnings" you're also talking about

@_Xenomorph: Dude, in all honesty and you know much love to you coming from us all, but..., tell us, what does It take to defend the unacceptable? , I mean are you on our side or theirs?

[Samus007]

It depends on the hbo show.

Just because in alien 3 they "found God" doesn't mean I should magically start caring about these monsters (the cast). The one character besides ripley that was like able was Clemens, and they killed him midway.

HBO shows are usually teeming with "monsters" and "garbage" who more than not are the main-characters of each show. A perfect example here would be the HBO classic OZ, where every single character is more or less the worst that society and mankind created. Yet you cared for a lot of them because in the end they were only people with really fawked up lives trying to survive in a prison. And just as you started to understand and sympathize with some character, he was  killed by one of the inmates. All the nice prison guards and prison staff quit their job, got killed or were fired only to be replaced by some really sadistic and/or corrupt megalomaniac. That was an excellent show and I know that I'm not the only one who appreciated it.

As for alien3 being a far better film then aliens, your are entitled to your own opinion. The alien 3 being called an underrated movie really annoys the hell out of me

That was not a respond to your post but to Mechafist's post.

Well, it is an underrated movie no matter whether you love Alien 3 or hate it. The reason I say that is due to the kind of mass psychosis chain-reaction that entailed its release. The almost zealously negative criticism it received, at least here in the US, was out of proportion and the years of Alien 3 bashing that followed was just as ridiculous. I know a lot of people have grown up with Aliens and had their first proverbial non-sexual hard-on when they watched Aliens the first time (me included!), so by snuffing Hix n' N00t, nixing guns altogether, bringing back the solitaire Alien, which in this installation was hunting down bald Brits in a run-down prison facility, was like being bitch-slapped followed by a kick in the groin. The logical response to this was of course to declare that Alien 3 must be the worst movie ever made from the day it was shot all the way till the end of time! Of course times have changed and more and more people have started to realize that maybe it isn't as bad as Aliens fans and critics have wanted us to think. It is different than Aliens, yes, but that doesn't make it a bad movie, it just makes it a different movie.

Alien and aliens are considered by many, fans and just general movie goers, as instant classics both highly rated. Alien 3 is not. Not by a long shot.

Well, general movie goers want some good old Hollywood entertainment and that's about it. What I'm saying is that the general movie goer would rate the Transformers movies higher than let's say Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales...

Aliens is highly rated, yes, and Alien 3 not so much. The reason behind this is that Cameron is Hollywood's golden boy - everybody loves his stuff - yeah! He knows exactly what fans and the general movie goers want, and here comes his true skill - he knows how to merge the two into movies that are indeed super commercial action movies that don't feel cheap and derivative, something that Michael Bay and Bruckheimer never will be able to do. Kudos to Cameron!

Oh yeah, it has some really great moments. But when someone dies, I just don't care, at all. Which is sad, because in my opinion, you should care about the cast of characters.[/quote]

I have the same problem with Aliens as well - I don't care when the marines die. The only person I cared for, except for Ripley, was Bishop the robot.
[/quote]

You honestly didn't care for Hicks, Newt, or some of the others? You cared more about some rapists? Again, entitled to your own opinion for sure, but it just strikes me as odd is all.

As for OZ it was an excellent show. But I think I enjoyed it for other reasons then you. For instance, I never really 'cared' for most of the characters so much as I enjoyed the show because it was like watching a train wreck. Probably the same reason I enjoy watching J.A.I.L. and shows like that.

I actually do enjoy Alien 3, but like I said, I don't care for most of the characters. For me, there was no redemption for the prisoners of Alien 3.... any chance of that was broken when one stood up and claimed he was a murderer and rapist of women. It doesn't matter if they found god or whatever, there was never going to be sympathy or a feeling that these people can help. I will never forget what I thought when I left the theater in 92 after seeing Alien 3, "Well, that was entertaining, but no where near as good as the first two". Alien 3 is better now, yes, thanks to the "directors cut", but it's still has the same issues for me. Senseless killings of Hicks and Newt and a bunch of characters that are "garbage". I will always wish that A3 went a different direction. IMO.

"Kinda" obviously doesn't cut it.  Otherwise they'd have someone on quality control.

Well they do, they have a licensing department that handles it. Multiple licensees have spoken of it over the years

Just because it doesn't meet your personal standards doesn't mean they don't have standards at all, or don't care. The mere fact that stuff has to pass by their licensing department (and according to licensees, sometimes gets rejected) and the fact that they take the time to say "yes, this is canon" shows that they do care. If they didn't, they wouldn't bother saying anything at all.

The problem is you're asking a bunch of incompetent people to decide about art.
And we've all see where this "standards" can lead (AVP&AVP-R).
They got greenlight, they got approved and are considered by FOX as the same universe since there are direct connection with Weyland & Yutani.
And dare to tell me we can take this as a Standard and strong base for the Alien universe... I dare you.

I really don't know what to say.

Fox considers them canon, some other people do as well (myself included). But no one is forcing you to accept them as canon, so what's the problem?

Spoiler

[close]

-------

Gearbox is no exception.
They promise, promise, promise and the fan get attracted.
Just like Paul Anderson did, like Robert Rodriguez did, like the Strause Brother did, like Rebellion did.

It's funny because I said exactly the same thing for AVP Requiem, PREDATORS and AVP 2010.
I guess I'm kinda THE shadow of AVP Galaxy 

I'd rather not expect what Randy is telling us and that's about it.
So for "me" it is already set to not be a sequel to alien, not using all the proper material from the movies and not giving a damn in the word "Science" that is part of Science Fiction.
And no one could ever force me to accept otherwise. 

Thats the sad truth right there.

[Remonster]

God, why couldn't we just have another planet with Aliens on it instead of trying to justify returning to LV426 and the Sulaco.

[Iceycold]

And in all my years I've never heard 'Alien3' referred to as "immature".

First time for everything I guess.

It's writer said "I killed off Newt because she annoyed me!"
That was mature, was it?

Apart from that; A3 is the sort of film pretentious art students make out of sheer dissatisfaction with their own lives. The "happy ending" of Aliens is done away with, replaced with an angsty teen attitude of "life sucks then you die!"

Heroic, or at least sympathetic or relatable characters are disposed of and replaced by...shock!...murderers and rapists. What a bold move! Oooh, how controversial are we, A3 makers? How cutting edge? But also, because we shouldn't judge, one of them is actually a nice guy in the movie! How great are we?

Please.

Add in the total rejection of logic and continuity (as depicted by Aliens) in the first ten minutes, add in endless swearing, and the result? A movie made by moody, rebellious teenagers who like the concept of the Alien but hate the  way it's been executed. It's so puerile it's embarrassing.

[SpreadEagleBeagle]

You honestly didn't care for Hicks, Newt, or some of the others? You cared more about some rapists? Again, entitled to your own opinion for sure, but it just strikes me as odd is all.

I'm not sympathizing with rapists, child molesters and murderers if that is what you're implying. I cared for them as people within the context of the situation because they felt like real people with real lives - really screwed up lives formed through horrible choices which have brought them to where they are. All vile people but still people nevertheless.

As for OZ it was an excellent show. But I think I enjoyed it for other reasons then you. For instance, I never really 'cared' for most of the characters so much as I enjoyed the show because it was like watching a train wreck. Probably the same reason I enjoy watching J.A.I.L. and shows like that.

I watched it for the same reason, but on top of that I also "cared" for a handful of the characters despite their despicable backgrounds. That is what I love about HBO - complex characters that are beyond good and evil, forced to live their lives the way they do because the choices the made, choices forced on them by an indifferent society without any responsibility for their actions... Something like that. It is interesting, it is engaging.

I actually do enjoy Alien 3, but like I said, I don't care for most of the characters. For me, there was no redemption for the prisoners of Alien 3.... any chance of that was broken when one stood up and claimed he was a murderer and rapist of women. It doesn't matter if they found god or whatever, there was never going to be sympathy or a feeling that these people can help. I will never forget what I thought when I left the theater in 92 after seeing Alien 3, "Well, that was entertaining, but no where near as good as the first two". Alien 3 is better now, yes, thanks to the "directors cut", but it's still has the same issues for me. Senseless killings of Hicks and Newt and a bunch of characters that are "garbage". I will always wish that A3 went a different direction. IMO.

And I respect your opinion and I see your point of view even though I don't share it. The reason I started discussing the whole thing with you is due to the random wanton bashing of Alien 3 which is pretty common when you deal with Aliens fans, which I find extremely annoying. I also find extremely cheap and trashy when one of the guys (Randy Pitchford - an Aliens fan) working with a canonized sequel to Aliens/Alien 3 talk shit about Alien 3 like that. Kind of unnerving if you ask me.

It's writer said "I killed off Newt because she annoyed me!"
That was mature, was it?

That doesn't make the movie immature, only the writer.

Apart from that; A3 is the sort of film pretentious art students make out of sheer dissatisfaction with their own lives. The "happy ending" of Aliens is done away with, replaced with an angsty teen attitude of "life sucks then you die!"

Don't wanna sound smug but that really cracked me up! Did we even watch the same movie??? Sure, I can see how a disappointed Aliens fan might find Alien 3 to be pretentious (if one doesn't like something it is easy to choose to (mis)interpret ambitious for pretentious), but ridden with "angsty teen attitude" etc. I don't get at all. If anything is pubertal and immature then it is the super hero cartoon ending of Aliens.

Heroic, or at least sympathetic or relatable characters are disposed of and replaced by...shock!...murderers and rapists. What a bold move! Oooh, how controversial are we, A3 makers? How cutting edge? But also, because we shouldn't judge, one of them is actually a nice guy in the movie! How great are we?

Please

Please what?

Add in the total rejection of logic and continuity (as depicted by Aliens) in the first ten minutes, add in endless swearing, and the result? A movie made by moody, rebellious teenagers who like the concept of the Alien but hate the  way it's been executed. It's so puerile it's embarrassing.

Wow, you really hate Alien 3 don't you? Out of all the Alien 3 bashing yours is the most inventive. Kudos to you!