The degree to which we feared ACM was, in hindsight, crazy. Potential release dates for NS2 were discussed with reference to ACM's potential release date. Around the lunch table, we pondered the pasting reviewers would give us if they were simultaneously reviewing a AAA mega-budget aliens vs marines title.
At shows like GamesCom, PAX-East, and E3 I walked around the ACM super-booths in awe. I spoke to ACM PR reps and they had no idea what NS was. I watched the demos (especially the E3 one) and thought... 'How can we possibly stand up to these guy on the aliens v marine stage?' I walked around the Power Loader in multiple countries and shook my head at the poor luck of having to face this Sega/Gearbox monster in our launch window.
Now, I'm filled with sadness. Sadness at being an Aliens fan and not being able to experience LV-426 like I had imagined I would. Sadness that we spent so much time being afraid of a game that we have beaten on Metacritic by 38 points. Sadness that the launch trailer for ACM probably cost more than 30% of the entire development budget of NS2.
With that marketing machine, with that moneypot, with that kind of development time, with that kind of bullet-proof intellectual property, ACM should have been an absolute hit.
No, UWE won't be milking the poor reception of ACM. To do so would make us wankers, it would be dishonorable. Remember when Warfighter exploded? Activision ran a targeted ad campaign hitting every single Warfighter keyword with CODBLOPSII pre-rolls and banners. I'm sure it got them sales. But it also said much about the kind of company they are.
There is a very subtle aliens reference in the Gorgeous Trailer, but it was scripted in long, long ago. Well before we even realized ACM was landing at the same time as the update. Now, I just hope the press won't can us for 'trying to milk failure.'
EDIT: Corrected Meta-critic differential to 38 from miscalculated 30.