Power Button Podcast
Tip JarChevron Seven Will Not Lock; Stargate: The Alliance Scrapped
August 05, 2005
The other shoe had to drop sooner or later. Game publisher JoWood Productions issued a press release this evening announcing the cancellation of the first video game based on the Stargate: SG-1
The title in its current form, initially scheduled for an October 2005 release, does satisfy neither our quality requirements nor the fans' expectations. We will not release anything that does not do justice to this well known license” says Albert Seidl, CEO JoWooD Productions Software AG. “In recent months we have invested a lot of time and resources in helping Perception finish the development, but we now simply have lost confidence in their ability to finish this project in time and sufficient quality.”
So there you have it. No Stargate game for us in October. What's next for the wayward title? JoWood will take possession of the existing semi-finished game and shop it around to other developers in an attempt to finish the project. The publisher is also considering scrapping plans to release the game on current generation hardware and make the jump to the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3. On the other hand, the game may wind up in the trash heap altogether if nobody is interested in finishing development. Stargate fansite Gateworld has some commentary on the matter as well as fan reaction.
While I like that JoWood isn't prepared to dump yet another licensed piece of junk on the market, I'm very disappointed that the game has run into trouble. The Alliance is/was the first PC game I've been excited about in a long time. The television show's creative staff and acting talent were a part of the game's development process and the game was supposed to remain consistent with the spirit of the television show. My fear is, like the Stargate itself, the game will wind up buried and forgotten.