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There Was a 'Battle Angel Alita' Game Pitched to Activision Back in 2005


Alita: Battle Angel may have received mixed-to-negative reviews but the film has been widely accepted by viewers and is currently making a ton of money. It looks like we will be seeing a sequel in the near future and this could be that one Hollywood anime adaptation that actually becomes a film franchise. That and Pokemon: Detective Pikachu but it was a much harder battle for Alita.

While the franchise would make for an ideal video game, it turns out that we almost got one way back in 2005. 14 years ago. Yeesh. Feel old yet?

Casey Holtz, a video game designer who used to work in Activision, recently revealed to Kotaku that he had pitched a game based on Battle Angel Alita (the name of the manga). Considering how this was back in 2005, this title would have likely come to the PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube if it came out. It didn't sadly.

Since James Cameron had gotten the film license by that time (it was in development hell for a while), Holtz was hoping that a movie tie-in game would have been possible. Holtz discussed his failed pitch, though he does appreciate how Activision gave him the chance to talk about it, noting how it was a pretty unknown property at the time.

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Credit: Kotaku/Casey Holtz
"At the time, it was my first year as a game designer in the industry, so I sincerely appreciated the management meeting with us and letting us pitch the game in the first place.I think there were some concerns that the property was lesser known in the U.S. and Europe. Anime and manga were not as huge as they are now, so back then it was a bit of a tougher sell, even with the amazing film track record of James Cameron."

Times sure have changed huh? Granted, Alita still isn't as popular as Dragon Ball or My Hero Academia but it's gaining a fanbase.

Alita: Battle Angel should still be in theaters. Would you have played an Alita video game in 2005?

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Credit: Kotaku/Casey Holtz

Read:Alita: Battle Angel Dominates Worst President's Day Weekend in 15 Years

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