I kind of consider them to be canon honestly, Films and Games I personally consider canon, mainly the films, that's where they both started, therefore that's where the truth is, and Games are Secondary right behind them. It's the Books and Comics that I don't really count, because they literally can be from anyone with any idea, hell I could make the next Comic or Novel, so for me Alien, Predator, and AVP alike, canon lies in the Movies and games, but that's just me.
Like i said, Variety, Options, Abilities. AvP Games are by far the greatest Multiplayers of all time IMO. Take the mainstreamers, CoD, Halo, Everyone on the field is the same, same health, same weapons, same abilities, everything. In AvP nearly everyone is different. What species you choose completely alters how you play the game, A xeno is completely melee, and can climb on any serface, is small and fast, yet weak, but if you bite it close to your target your wounds can even do the work.
Yautja can do nearly anything, masters of melee and deadly at range, invisible, but not for the newbie players, if you're a master, then as a pred, you are a master.
Humans are basic FPS characters, and honestly if they were more similar to CoD then the game would be severely more intense.
But yes, more weapons, options, abilities, more control, and yes old maps, AvP2 maps were astounding. AvP has the potential to be the greatest multiplayer experience of all time, and the popularity of CoD and Halo, if only done right. AvP2 just IMO had it PERFECTED, for it's time perhaps but the potential is still there.
Damn I need to make video games...