If you've never heard of the title, 'American McGee's Alice', then you may find the following news to be worth a chuckle. In the 2000 PC release of the game, players took control of Alice, the protagonist of the series. However, this version of the tale is a bit different. Instead of wonder and cuteness, the cuteness wants to murder you. That about sums it up.
The game took place after the events of "Through the Looking Glass". Alice's family died in an accidental house fire, and the tragedy takes a toll on her sanity. Slowly but surely, Alice loses herself. She is placed in an insane asylum. After ten years in the asylum and spending time with her only possession: a white stuffed rabbit, Alice is somehow thrust back into the world of Wonderland. The Queen of Hearts has taken over indefinitley, and Wonderland is a much more sinister version of what it used to be.
The game was a success, albeit not a huge game-changer by today's high standards. Earlier last year, the sequel to the game was announced. "Alice: Madness Returns" is slated to hit shelves on June 14th this year on PC and console! Gamespot recently featured a new preview of the game that includes some hefty info about gameplay mechanics and a rather creepy look into the atmosphere of the game.
Here's a passage from the article, giving valuable insight into the metaphorical realm and reality of the game:
"The Hatter's domain is one of the first areas you'll visit after the tutorial stage. Here, judging by the color palette and decor, there's a distinct steam punk vibe to the area that has been carefully crafted in Alice's troubled mind. And that's where Wonderland exists, in the mind of the young girl who lost her family 10 years ago. The game's story follows Alice between Victorian London and Wonderland as she tries to piece together lost memories and dig deeper into her repressed ones. As you explore Wonderland, you can pick up two types of memories: the smaller audio snippets are suppressed voices from her past, and when you come across a larger memory, Alice will have an epiphany regarding the events from that devastating night."
As for a film adaptation, well you've seen the Tim Burton version and the Disney version. Compiled information from IGN has this to say about the American McGee adaptation:
"In December 2000, director Wes Craven signed on to develop a film adaptation of the game, with screenwriter John August hired to adapt the game for the big screen. American McGee had begun negotiations with Dimension Films 10 months before, with the studio committing to the project before Craven's signing. In September 2001, August explained that he had turned in a script treatment for Alice and was not attached to develop fuller drafts for the film adaptation. In February 2002, Dimension Films signed brother screenwriters Jon and Erich Hoeber to write the screenplay for Alice. In July 2003, the brothers announced that they had completed the script for the film adaptation.
In 2004 the project moved from Dimension Films to 20th Century Fox, but in 2005 Universal Pictures acquired the rights. As of June 2008, producer Scott Faye indicated the film was in "turnaround" from Universal. He admitted that the script needed development, but would be used to attract the attention of a new studio. At one point the film rights were reported to have been owned by Sarah Michelle Gellar, a self-confessed fan of the game, who noted in 2008 that she's "not giving up" on the film, but a few months later she was reported to have left the project."
American McGee's "Alice: Madness Returns" will be out soon! Follow the jump to read the article and read about how the game will play out.