Monolith Productions, the studio that impressed the gaming world with its near-simultaneous releases last year of the action-packed horror F.E.A.R. for the PC, and the more subtle, but perhaps even scarier Condemned: Criminal Origins for the Xbox 360 (both games which used the same engine), announced today that they will indeed be continuing the storyline of F.E.A.R. on PC and multiple next-generation console systems. However, because the F.E.A.R. name and logo are trademarked to Vivendi Universal Games, the sequels will be carrying new, as of yet unknown titles.
So, despite VU Games owning the name, it turns out that Monolith was smart to keep the real important IP’s close to home and therefore owns the rights to the game’s characters and storyline. Though because Vivendi does own the name, it can still possibly port the first game over to next-gen consoles as has been rumored lately, though Monolith made no statement about said rumors.
GameSpot was able to speak directly with Monolith President Samantha Ryan about the announcements and she commented on the name change, stating that the sequels “will not be called F.E.A.R., but the IP ownership rests with Monolith and Warner Bros. Fans should expect that the sequels will be set in the universes they know and love.”
Ryan went on to state that, “we believe that the PC audience is entirely viable and can support a game just as it did support F.E.A.R. To deliver the best quality title, the PC needs to be a focus. We believe that next-gen will also be awesome, but again, it has some differences and this is the approach that we’re going to try.”
Apparently, what Ryan means is that Monolith will tailor the PC and console versions to accommodate the specific requirements of each outlet. Though according to her, the storyline will consistent between the different platforms and will continue on from where the first game left off. “It’s an exciting and different universe, and when you have something you love, you want to continue it,” stated Ryan.
Ryan was also quick to emphasize that Monolith is in need of talented new employees to work on these new titles. “Talented people in the industry who are excited by this universe should apply. “There are a lot of talented people floating around…and we have a lot of positions of fill.”
Advanced Media will continue to follow developments out of Monolith and will report to you immediately when more detailed information about these new games are released.
