Gearbox Software said on Wednesday that its long-awaited entry into the Aliens franchise, Aliens: Colonial Marines, has gone gold for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC. For those just tuning into the gaming arena, that means the game is complete, signed by everyone involved, and sent off for manufacturing. Woot.
"When we first announced the release date for Aliens: Colonial Marines back in May 2012, Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford noted that the development had progressed to the point where we could see the end and be very confident in both our vision for the game as well as our launch date," the company said in a blog. "Today, we’re proud to announce that we hit every one of those targets."
Sega originally announced back in December 2006 that it purchased the electronic rights to the Alien franchise from 20th Century Fox. Then just days later, Gearbox revealed that it was working with Sega on a completely new game based on the franchise. The Aliens: Colonial Marines title was eventually revealed in the February 2008 issue of Game Informer.
After that issue went live, little else was said of the Alien-based shooter. It was believed to have been put on the back burner due to Sega's struggles with the M-rated audience on consoles, possible layoffs at Gearbox, and the studio's focus on piecing together Duke Nukem Forever for 2K Games.
But Sega reassured gamers that it still planned to push on with M-rated games with the launch of Aliens vs. Predator in early 2010. Later that year Gearbox confirmed that development on Colonial Marines continued to move forward by releasing new screens during the 2010 Penny Arcade Expo (PAX).
Since then, the upcoming shooter has seen its release date pushed back several times. But with the game now golden, eager fans will see no additional delays, as it's set to hit store shelves on February 12, 2013. Stay frosty, kids.
