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Gotham City Impostors beta invites are the real deal
If you were a keen enough detective and/or a nefarious enough villain to opt in to the Gotham City Impostors closed beta early last month, go check your email and prepare to don your choice of cowl or clown wig: Beta invites are on the move! Now, the beta hasn't actually started yet, but the invitation indicates another announcement "in the coming weeks," which could be any time from now until the heat death of the universe. Those lucky enough to receive an invitation to Monolith's 6-on-6 vigilante shooter are urged to register at the game's official forums. You can still dress up like Batman and fight crime even if you didn't get an invitation, we suppose, but real-world vigilantism never works out the way you think it will. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Sign up for Gotham City Impostors beta, see what it's like not to be Batman
Warner Bros. and Monolith have started accepting applications for a closed beta of Gotham City Impostors, the Batman game that is about people shooting each other for some reason, and isn't about Batman. If you're ready to don the cape and cowl of some guy, you can sign up for the beta here. It'll start in September. We suspect that if Monolith is really looking for useful data out of this trial, it's going to have to sift through a few thousand very confused bug reports like "too many Batmans on-screen" and "It is possible for Batman to kill people with a gun."
The Game Archaeologist jacks into The Matrix Online: Jamming with Ben 'Rarebit' Chamberlain
When we started into The Matrix Online month last week on The Game Archaeologist, one of the comments caught my eye. Massively reader stealthrider wrote: Please, please do a tribute to Rarebit. MxO was his baby, and no one took its death worse than he. He did everything for that game, much of it single-handedly. Everything from playing the canon characters and co-writing the story to fixing hundreds of bugs and even creating a new zone from scratch. Not to mention developing and implementing the story missions, new items, the RP item vendors, and pretty much everything else in MxO's final couple of years. He even implemented and moderated a player-created minigame as part of the official story. He retired from game development in the months before MxO's shutdown. He was that dedicated to this game that he couldn't work on anything else afterward. He's a god among developers, and he is as sorely missed as the game itself. I think this sums up how many Matrix Online vets feel about Ben "Rarebit" Chamberlain. So instead of a mere tribute, we drove the MassivelyMobile over to Chamberlain's house (read: send a polite email request), and he graciously said he'd be glad to reminisce with us. So hit that jump to find out the last word on MxO from the dev who held it together!
Gotham City Impostors preview: Batman with guns
"When I started at WB, one of the things I was most excited about was that I was going to get to work with the creative teams behind No One Lives Forever, Shogo and FEAR," Laura Fryer, general manager of WBIE's myriad Seattle studios told an assembled audience of E3 judges this morning. "So when I started, the first thing I did when I got that NDA signed was I went and found that team, and I said 'Okay guys, what are you working on?'" As it turns out, the team at Monolith Productions was in between projects and wasn't actively working on anything. After some encouraging words from Fryer, the team put some serious thought into what it wanted to work on next and the answer was ... Batman. "Okay, it's cool," Fryer told them, "but we already have a Batman game. And last time I checked, people really liked it so I'm not sure how that's going to work." "No, not the Batman," they told her. "We want to work on multiplayer Batman."
Gotham City Impostors shooting up XBLA, PSN, PC courtesy of Monolith Productions
Just announced at this morning's Warner Bros. Interactive pre-E3 event, the long-rumored Gotham City Impostors is a new shooter from F.E.A.R. dev Monolith Productions. It's a multiplayer shooter set in the Batman universe. If that sounds weird ("But Batman doesn't use guns!"), then you're a step ahead of the curve. The crux of Impostors is simple: You don't play as Batman or Joker. Instead you play as a highly customizable "imposter" on Team Bats or Team Jokers. "Posing as amateur vigilantes or villains," explains the press release, "gamers will create their very own Bats and Jokerz characters using unprecedented customization options including insane costumes, homebrewed gadgets and a wide range of traditional and imagined weapons." From there, you'll take your character into a series of gametypes and maps, which are "inspired by DC Comics' Batman license." Impostors is being shown running 4v4 multiplayer at today's preview event, but WBIE tells us that the maximum number of players isn't yet set in stone. Update: Clarified details based on press release. Additionally, GothamCityImpostors.com is now live.
The Game Archaeologist jacks into The Matrix Online: The highlights
It's not every year that a movie comes along that captures the pop culture zeitgeist so powerfully and so quickly as The Matrix did. I recall lugging a few college friends along to see this in 1999 -- having heard only a few sparse details about it beforehand -- and coming out of the theater feeling as if we we'd been electrified. The bold mix of science fiction, martial arts, philosophy, action, and leather ensembles became the smash hit of the year, and a franchise was born. And while we had great hopes that this would be this generation's Star Wars, The Matrix ultimately proved to be a lightning-in-a-bottle phenomenon, impossible to recapture once unleashed. Sequels, animated shorts, video games, comic books -- none rose to the height of the original film, and eventually the franchise petered out. During this period, an odd duck of an MMO was born: The Matrix Online. When you think about it, an online virtual world where people log in and fight against programs was a really short hop from the movie series. MxO, as it was abbreviated, was an audacious game with unique features, story-centric gameplay and a sci-fi bent in a field of fantasy competitors, and while it only lasted four years, it was enough to make a huge impression for its community. So by popular demand, this month we're going to revisit the 1s and 0s of The Matrix Online to see just how deep the rabbit hole (and well-worn cliche) goes -- and what made this game stand out!
F.E.A.R. 3 set to terrorize March 22, pre-order items detailed
In an effort to appease all of its retail partners while simultaneously inconveniencing fans, Warner Bros. this morning detailed F.E.A.R. 3's pre-order bonuses -- different and exclusive to three separate retailers -- alongside announcing the game's official release date: March 22, 2011. Best Buy and GameStop pre-orders will pack the Shredder and the Hammer weapons, respectively, while Amazon pre-orders get a 12-page Fear-based comic book. The Shredder is described as "a sidearm specially developed by Armacham Technologies for their elite guard as an effective way to stop experimental super soldiers that have gone rouge," while the Hammer is said to be "Fettel's original sidearm which was lost when he was killed by his brother, Point Man." And though the new trailer after the break doesn't feature either weapon in action, it does feature a creepy, backwards walking humanoid thing just in time for Halloween.
Warner Bros. lays off staff from Monolith, Snowblind, Surreal
Apparently, Warner Bros. didn't get the memo that layoffs are so 2009. The publisher has released an unspecified number of staffers from Seattle developers Monolith Productions, Snowblind Studios and Surreal Software, perhaps best known for the FEAR series, Death Tank and The Suffering, respectively. The publisher told Gamasutra, "we had a few too many resources in certain functions and some positions were eliminated in this process." Seems logical enough, but that doesn't make it any less of a bitter pill for those affected. Here's hoping everyone lands on their feet.
Best of the Rest: Dave's Picks of 2009
Resident Evil 5 I've long been a fan of the Resident Evil series, and while the campaign here has problems and should never be played solo, the Mercenaries mode is what kept me coming back. Those action-packed levels spent trying to survive while running low on ammo and health were some of my most chaotic, yet highly enjoyable, experiences of 2009.
Steam Weekend Deal: F.E.A.R. 2 and Reborn DLC
If you've been too frightened by the prospect of Alma's return (or too frightened by the prospect of dropping $50+ on her new game), know that this weekend's Steam deal is none other than F.E.A.R. 2 and the recently released Reborn DLC. If you fall into the former grouping, we suggest you draw the shades, turn off your computer for the weekend and even take the phone off the hook just to be safe. However, if you're in the latter group, now's the time to pounce as Valve has slashed 50% off of the price of each, offering them at a reduced $24.99 and $4.99, respectively. You can't be in both groups though – if you spend the weekend hiding, you'll miss the deal which is available for "this weekend only."
FEAR 2's 'Reborn' DLC priced at $10
FEAR 2 is almost ready to be Reborn with new DLC, which Eurogamer notes will set you back 800 or $10. The addition of Reborn to the supernatural FPS is so momentous, it warranted a demo last week. The single-player add-on, set to be available on Xbox Live Marketplace, PlayStation Store and ... the internet for PC, joins the free, slo-mo multiplayer update scheduled for September 3rd. Don't let Thursday sneak up on ya.
New Fight Night and FEAR 2 demos land on Live
We know what you're thinking. "Hey, aren't there already Fight Night Round 4 and FEAR 2 demos?" The answer to that question is ... yes. However, these are new Fight Night Round 4 and FEAR 2 demos. The new Fight Night demo adds the ability to punch using the face buttons instead of the right stick, so it might be worth a look for those who were turned off before. It also features a "body spamming fix." We're not sure what that is, but it sounds gross. The FEAR 2 demo is actually pretty interesting, as it's a demo for the upcoming single-player DLC pack, "Reborn." It's not very common to see demos for an add-on, but it seems like a pretty good idea. If you're hankering to see what "Reborn" has in store, download the demo and give it a try. The DLC itself was originally scheduled to release this month, so it should be available any day now. Add the Fight Night Round 4 demo to your Xbox 360 download queue Add the FEAR 2 demo to your Xbox 360 download queue
FEAR 2 gets free Slow-Mo Deathmatch DLC on September 3
It's been a long time since Monolith Productions unleashed FEAR 2: Project Origin on the world. Seven months after release, the game is experiencing a rebirth of sorts, through an upcoming single-player expansion and brand new multiplayer update. "Slow-Mo Deathmatch," a staple of the first game, is finally coming to FEAR 2 through a free update that will be available on September 3rd. Free? A price like that is certainly going to make us revisit the game. In addition to toiling on the various FEAR 2 updates, Monolith has created this hilarious and thematically-inappropriate trailer for the update. Watch as the magic of "SCIENCE" explains the process behind this DLC.
Monolith hiring for new 'first-person action game'
Monolith Productions -- the developers behind titles such as F.E.A.R., Condemned, and, if you're an older gamer, No One Lives Forever -- are looking for a software engineer for a "triple-A next-generation console title," as a recent job posting on the developer's site points out. Further down into the nitty-gritty of the listing, you'll find a brief description for this new Xbox 360, PS3, and PC title: "Work closely with engineers, designers, and artists on the creation of game systems for a cutting-edge first-person action game on PlayStation 3, XBox 360 and PC." And, sadly, that's about all of the information on the game the job listing provides. With F.E.A.R. 2 releasing this past February, we'd be hard-pressed to consider a new entry in that series, so we're crossing our fingers for a new No One Lives Forever. [Via IGN]
F.E.A.R. 2 maps yanked from XBLM, back in April
Microsoft has removed the free F.E.A.R. 2 DLC, released yesterday, from the Xbox Live Marketplace. According to Big Download, the Toy Soldiers pack will be available again sometime in April, as was Monolith's plan all along. So, no miniature F.E.A.R. 2 toy battles for anyone 'til next month. Hey, there's always, um ... the Army Men series?
Trivial Pursuit, Tomb Raider and FEAR 2 receive free DLC
Major Nelson of the clan Hryb sends word that free DLC is available on XBLM for three very different types of games. Trivial Pursuit: Hundreds of new questions for movie buffs. Tomb Raider: Underworld: Designer costume pack, created by designers and voted for by Tomb Raider fans. F.E.A.R. 2: "Toy Soldiers" Map Pack, where players are inches tall and battle in a "pinball machine, a hospital lab room, and a playground sandbox." OK, that actually sounds cool. Go ahead, grab those and get to thinking, dressing and killing.
Warner appoints former MGS exec to oversee Seattle studios
"Utilising her expertise to direct our Seattle studios in several key areas, we are looking forward to developing quality games under her leadership in the most efficient ways." That's what Samantha Ryan, Warner Interactive's senior vice president, has to say about the company's latest appointment. Former Microsoft Games Studios executive producer, Laura Fryer, will now oversee Warner Interactive's Seattle studios, which include Snowblind Studios and the FEAR-ful folks at Monolith Productions. There's no word yet on which quality games are due to be developed under Fryer's leadership in the most efficient ways, but here's one that can't be made efficiently enough: No One Lives Forever 3. We all look like we need a monkey.
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin demo now available on the XBLM
Boo! Did we scare you? No? All right, what if we told you a demo for F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin was available for download right now on the Xbox Live Marketplace? A single-player demo for Monolith's latest can be found on the XBLM as of early this morning in all of its 760MB glory. If you're looking for a scare today it might be worth checking out. F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin takes place [Spoiler Alert! from the original game] post explosion that devastated the city from the original game and stars a brand new protagonist, Special Forces operator Michael Becket. Oh and yes, Alma's still around and she's still looking to put the hurt on those who wronged her in the past. Run! Download the demo for F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
F.E.A.R. 2 demo to cause soiled pants January 22
We thought we would warn you so you can prepare the extra pair of trousers now. You'll need it, because Alma and the gang are headed back to your Xbox 360 in a new F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin demo that arrives on XBLM next Thursday, January 22. We don't know what the demo will contain, but we're guessing it will involve (virtual) shooting, (virtual) hallucinations and (very, very real) abject terror. What would you expect? It's F.E.A.R. 2. Twice the fear, half the calories.
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin demo now in Qore, free for all next week
Annual subscribers to Qore will be able to download an exclusive demo of Project Origin right now. Simply load the latest issue and download it from the Download Center. Those that don't have a Qore subscription will be able to get it for free in next week's PlayStation Store update. The horror-themed M-rated shooter has you fighting Alma, a girl with mysterious and overwhelming powers. You'll be able to download it on January 23rd. [Image Credit: PSP GadgetZ]
