Guillemot: I Am Alive Rebooted, Delayed

Ubisoft Shanghai's post-apocalyptic, Chicago-set first-person shooter I Am Alive, first announced in 2008, has been overhauled in development and will not be shipping until at least April 2011. During a financial conference call this week, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot confirmed that the game "is still on the way," but that the studio "has been totally re-engineering the product" to use the company's current Splinter Cell engine, which powers the upcoming Splinter Cell: Conviction. As a result of its major production changes, it will not be done within Ubisoft's 2010 fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2010. Originally, the game was under development by Paris-based Cold Fear creator Darkworks, and was rumored to be produced by Assassin's Creed producer Jade Raymond. Early last year, Ubisoft punted the game over to its internal Shanghai studio and publicly stated Raymond has no involvement with the title. According to Guillemot, the game's clean break applies to its financial footprint as well, as the cost of its previous incarnation has already been absorbed. "We have actually amortized all the cost that [was] incurred with the previous developer," he said. "So everything we do is fresh now on that product, and we think it can become a very good quality product, but it's not going to come this financial year."