Ubi Shanghai started from scratch with I Am Alive

By Martin Robinson Published 22 November, 2011

Protracted development detailed by Ubisoft.

Ubisoft Shanghai started from scratch when it took over production of I Am Alive, with much of original developer Darkwork's efforts being scrapped.

Since it debuted with a spectacular trailer in July 2008, I Am Alive has been shrouded in mystery. It emerged that Darkworks handed over the reigns to Ubisoft Shanghai last year, and the game was re-announced as a digital download late in September.

With its release at an unspecified date this winter drawing closer, and with the game nearing completion, Ubisoft has started to take the wraps off I Am Alive with a series of gameplay presentations - and the story behind its protracted development has started to become clear.

"First it was a CG trailer," Ubisoft Shanghai's Aurelian Palasse told Eurogamer, "It arrived in Shanghai in 2010, and we decided to make it more realistic."

In its current near-final shape, I Am Alive is a survival game set a year after a mysterious apocalyptic event, with a focus on traversal and inventory management.

"We started from scratch, but with the same pitch," Palasse said, "I don't want to take the point of view that our game's better [than Darkworks'] - but first of all it was a CG, so everything was possible, and it wasn't real gameplay. But we liked the pitch, and we liked the way it felt."

I Am Alive is scheduled to hit Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network this winter. We'll bring you a more detailed look at the game in the very near future.

Picture of Martin.

About Martin Robinson

Martin is Eurogamer's features editor with responsibility for commissioning, editing and often writing our feature and preview content. He's also passionate about driving games.

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Comments (14) Latest comment 2d ago

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  • Bennicus #1 2d ago

    Ahh I see what went wrong here... they should have not started from scratch, and then the game would be finished quicker.

  • Nico4 #2 2d ago

    @Bennicus Maybe this will benefit the game, somehow. Let's wait and see

  • TrevHead #3 2d ago

    @ Bennicus well it isnt as if we are short of games to play atm. So I can wait on this

  • eltonpr0n #4 2d ago

    This could be a nice diversion during the bleak January.

  • Deckard1 #5 2d ago

    I've got a feeling this is going to be dogshit.

  • Yeoung #6 2d ago

    If it features the protagonist as the sole food provider for hungry kids like some kind of post-apocalyptic Robin Hood, I'm in. Would be cool if you have to balance between bribing local murderous gangs and feeding the aformentioned children, all the while you're thirsty and starving to death hanging on some ledge, trying to make your way through the decimated ruins of a former metropolis.

    I'm definitely up for this, should that be the case.

    Edited by 1 at 22/11/11 @ 19:47

  • Psychotext #7 2d ago

    I don't think I've ever played a game that had a focus on inventory management... at least not an intentional one.

  • dfunked #8 2d ago

    "Ubisoft Shanghai started from scratch when it took over production of I Am Alive, with much of original developer Darkwork's efforts being scrapped."

    Hold on a sec, isn't that a massive contradiction?... Surely ALL of Darkwork's efforts would have been scrapped if they had actually started from scratch?

  • Phishfood #9 2d ago

    @dfunked I think it means everything EXCEPT the original concept was scrapped. Ubisoft says "You're not good enough to do your own idea, so I'm giving it to someone else"

    Which must be quite disheartening for the original dev to have all that time, effort and money wasted.

  • 32768Colours #10 2d ago

    I don't know why - I'm not usually one for calling these things - but this game has 7/10 written all over it. I'll be pleased if I'm wrong, but I just can't see it myself.