Gamertell

Sega has quashed rumors that its first-person shooter based on the Aliens film franchise has been axed by announcing it is will be released in the first quarter of 2009.

After Gearbox Software’s Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway sold less than expected, rumors ran rampant that this sci-fi themed shooter might have been given the heave-ho from Sega. I’m just spitballing here but could those lackluster sales be because every third game on store shelves these days is a World War II shooter?

If the Axis powers had a soldier for every WWII shooter released in the past five years, they’d have won the war in a week. Besides which, the Aliens license will be an additional sales tool Brothers just didn’t have.

This is the second such denial in three months as in November 2008 the game’s developer assured us Aliens: Colonial Marines was still coming out. Gearbox Software President Randy Pitchford issued a statement trying to dispel the rumors then. With both Gearbox and Sega doing their best to still promote the game, it looks like a release both companies are expecting great things from.

It’s only fitting that the Colonial Marines should appear in a video game, as every “tough American military grunts beat up evil imperialistic aliens” game including Halo owes a debt to the Aliens films. If this project can adequately capture the thrilling exploits of the movie series, count me in.

If they screw it up, I’ll be first in line to blow this thing out the airlock.

Read [VideoGamer] Also Read [Xbox360Fanboy]