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Warner Bros buys TT Games
Not satisfied with merely financing, publishing, and distributing LEGO Batman, Warner Bros. has decided to purchase the whole pie, bagging developer Traveler's Tales and its parent group TT Games. While we haven't been told just how much cash will be stuffed into the briefcase when it changes hands, we do know the acquisition encompasses both the development and publishing arms of TT Games, which owns game rights to a book about obscure world records. Recreating the longest ironing session ever (55 hours, 5 minutes, fyi) would certainly be a thrill, but we've got our fingers crossed for a proper Matrix treatment to follow on the heels of LEGO Indy. Go ahead, eat the red brick -- we dare ya!
New family content headed to XBLA and XBLM
In an effort to bring in the youth and parent markets, Microsoft just announced plans for releasing brand new content from Nickelodeon and Warner Bros. to the Xbox Live Marketplace as well as announcing two new children's based XBLA games.Starting today, you'll be able to get 50+ episodes of Warner Bros'. "Looney Tunes" via the (US only) Video Marketplace. The episodes included feature the standard "Looney Tunes" greatness and a few episodes are even available in Spanish (double w00t!). Nickelodeon made the announcement that, starting today, exclusive content from their show "The Backyardigans" and episodes of "Blue's Clues" and "iCarly" will be available for purchase off the Video Marketplace. Finally, two new XBLA games were also revealed today both capitalizing on the popularity of children's animated figures. SHREK-N-ROLL and SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam will hit the Arcade soon'ish.Oh, and don't worry about us fanboys. We will not be blowing all our cash on television episode downloads this week, because we so outgrew our obsession with "Blue's Clues" like ... totally months ago. Seriously, we don't like that adorable and laughable blue dog at all. Really ...
DS Fanboy Review: Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck
Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck is a very rare game: it has mostly mediocre minigames, and yet is one of the most compelling games released this year. It absolutely triumphs in most aspects not related to gameplay and a few that are; most notably-- and this isn't the boldest thing I'll say in this review-- it is the best Looney Tunes material created in any of our lifetimes. It completely redeems a license and character that have fallen into obsolescence. Forget that Back in Action ever happened. (Sorry if I reminded you that Back in Action happened.) This is a Daffy who can genuinely get away with a Captain Picard reference.
F.E.A.R. sequel finally named: nothing special
Remember a while back, we alerted you to the contest where Monolith was allowing gamers to name the sequel to F.E.A.R.? Well, the contest has finally ended and the winning name has been chosen. No, it's not L.A.M.E., but the chosen title is rather ... stale. Project Origin. We feel like we've seen that title countless times! Even though it's fairly unoriginal, it does get the idea across that the next game will all be about the creepy little girl, Alma, and what her purpose is. That's not all, though. Also, on the main webpage, there's a link to the names that got outright rejected. Some of these are pretty entertaining and are worth a look just to see if you can decipher the logic that went into creating them. While this contest ended with a less-than-stellar choice, we feel, it still means progress will be made onto another FPS/Horror game and we're excited to see what Monolith does with the franchise.
F.E.A.R. 2 officially dubbed 'Project Origin'
And no, that's just "Project Origin," not "Pancake Robots Occupy Jamaica Every Century To Obtain Rapidly Ingested Gyration Inducing Narcotics." Monolith Productions told us it was all acronymed out, remember? Defeating the slightly less generic "Dead Echo" and the slightly more ambiguous "Dark Signal," "Project Origin" has been voted victor in the "Name Your Fear" contest. Expect to see the terrifying title transformed into a spooky logo and plastered across the paranormal first-person shooter's marketing campaign closer to its release in 2008. On an unrelated note, is a game about fighting inebriated pancake robots in Jamaica too much to ask for? Let's make that happen, developers.
Not F.E.A.R. 2 officially named Project Origin
Project Origin it is then. After narrowing down the list of user submitted titles to three, Monolith has announced the official name of the sequel to F.E.A.R. The new title, Project Origin, received the most votes and beat the likes of Dead Echo and Dark Signal. Honestly, none of the names seem to evoke the same feeling as the original title -- you know, the feeling of fear -- but there's not much we can do about it now. Like it or not, we're stuck with it. What does everyone think of Project Origin? Was it your pick, or did you want something else? Did you hate all the names? Share your thoughts! Speak your mind, knowing full well that your voice now counts for naught!
F.E.A.R. sequel title finalists need your vote
The official finalists of the "Name Your Fear" contest have been chosen. You may recall that Monolith and Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment began the contest earlier this year. The winner of said contest will (obviously) get their title slapped onto the sequel to F.E.A.R., and all three finalists have also won the honor of getting their likenesses featured in the game (probably in a more gruesome state than they remember leaving them). But enough of this, on with the final three titles: Dead Echo Project Origin Dark Signal There you have it folks. One of those titles will be the name of the F.E.A.R. sequel. Head over to the contest page and vote for your favorite. While you're at it, you might as well tell us what you picked, too. Alternately, you could come up with your own title, knowing full well it has no chance of making it now. [Via Joystiq]
Vote on F.E.A.R. sequel finalists (no acronyms this time)
After losing their traditional sequel title in a vortex of legality, Monolith and Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment were thoughtful enough to request the aid of F.E.A.R. fans in dubbing the forthcoming and explicitly terrifying entry into the series. The "Name Your Fear" contest has produced three finalists awaiting your ultimate decision and potential derision. In case you were wondering, your suggestions of Undead Kindergarten Crematorium and FPS: First-Person Scary were uniformly rejected. The final trio of titles consists of: Dead Echo Project Origin Dark Signal The option that receives the most votes will obviously stick to Monolith's sequel like electric boo glue. (Sorry.)
Name Your F.E.A.R. finalists announced
A long, long time ago, but in the very same galaxy, we gave you a heads-up for a contest to name the next game in the F.E.A.R. franchise. Well, it's been a while, but some finalists have been announced and their not quite as silly as we had secretly hoped. In fact, they're pretty cool if you're familiar with the F.E.A.R. story. We'll list the finalists below. Dead Echo Project Origin Dark Signal Of the three, we've got our eyes on Dead Echo because of the description written after it. From a writer's perspective, the title lends a lot to the ideas of the game and portrays two words that, alone, aren't necessarily frightening but put together in the F.E.A.R. world, they gain a whole new set of meaning. Check out the descriptions for the titles at the Name Your Fear website and let us know what you think!
Return to House on Haunted Hill offers 96 different storylines on one HD disc
There's been a void of titles using the new interactive features of Blu-ray and HD DVD, but Warner may be taking things in a different direction with the direct-to-disc title Return to House on Haunted Hill. Demonstrated during the Home Media Expo, it announced the high definition versions will include seven points where viewers can choose what happens in the story, with up to 96 versions of the storyline. "Navigational cinema" is another way for HD discs to differentiate themselves from the standard DVD (other than their higher quality video and sound of course), we'll decide if its a worthwhile add-on or silly gimmick when the title is released October 16th.Read - VideoBusinessRead - Variety
Monolith wants you to name their next F.E.A.R. title
Monolith and Warner Bros. remember your reactions to F.E.A.R. as well as you do -- the chilling Japanese horror moments that made you jump, the anxiety felt in frantic gun fights, and the creepy girl. Always with the creepy, long-haired girls. With that in mind, Monolith and Warner Bros. want to get you involved in their sequel. Specifically, they want your help in naming it. First, a short story. Monolith and Vivendi had a pretty rough split after F.E.A.R. was released. Vivendi has held onto the rights to the name F.E.A.R. and expect to release a sequel with a "2" tossed on the end, but Monolith wants to create a game that takes place in the same universe, but can't use the title name or, presumably, the characters and organizations. Thus, they need a name for their project. You can submit any name proposals at their website, until June 22nd. They'll pick their faves, host a poll, and let the winning title get its time in the spotlight. Let us know your suggestions, too. Anything goes, but we'd love to keep it up with the funky acronyms. We'd vote for R.E.A.R. -- Really Evil Alma Representin', or B.L.A.H. -- Breaking Laws Around Hell.
Name F.E.A.R. sequel and appear in-game
Due to some fascinating legal chicanery, the sequel to horror shooter F.E.A.R. can't actually be called that. Rather than hire some high falutin creative types, Warner Bros. and Monolith are turning to the hive mind of fandom to help them name the next game. The prize for the top three names? Their likeness in the game and a tour of Monolith. After that, fans will be able to vote on the official name. Entrants aren't just being forced to set out on their own, they've been provided some helpful naming tips like "Some ideas for the Sequel associations: Frenetic Action, Horror (Asian), Destruction, Apocalypse, Paramilitary, Gore." So, we guess it's time for us to reveal our entry: Calamity Samurai Scare Blast End-time Soldier Entrails. But hey, we've already entered. What are your ideas?
Name the F.E.A.R. sequel, win in-game cameo
Think you've got the chops to name the sequel to F.E.A.R.? If so, you might want to look into the Name Your Fear contest being held by Monolith (currently hard at work on Condemned 2, yum). Entries will be accepted until June 24. 3 finalists will then be chosen and given an all-expense paid trip to Monolith, where they will receive the grand tour. As an added bonus, all 3 finalists will have their likenesses featured in the game (corpses #1-3, perhaps?). The 3 final names will be open to a public vote starting July 23 and ending July 27. Head over to the official contest site if you think you have what it takes. Our nomination for the new name: F.E.A.R. T.W.O., or First Encounter Assault Recon Talks with Oprah. Think about it, those guys probably need some serious therapy by now.
Video: new Looney Tunes ACME Arsenal trailer
Revealed at the beginning of the year, a new trailer has surfaced for Looney Tunes: ACME Arsenal from Warner Brothers. Thankfully, the game actually looks halfway decent. What we see is essentially standard fare for action platformers, but it looks well done at least. The character models look very nice and the backgrounds are appropriately cartoony (we especially dig Wackyland). There are also plenty of outlandish weapons available (including a massive triple minigun). All in all, it's looking like a faithful rendition of some of our favorite characters. Here's hoping someone has the sense to put a budget price on it.Update: Corrected game title.
Lego Batman coming to 360 in 2008
After witnessing the huge success of the Lego Star Wars games, Warner Bros. is going to work with Lego to make a Lego Batman game. With Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment heading the publisher duties, TT Games is returning to develop the title, which is slated for a 2008 release on new generation consoles. Did you play and enjoy either of the Lego Star Wars games, camera issues aside? Looking past some gameplay issues, we were able to have fun and enjoy The Original Trilogy for what it as. So, do you think "Lego-izing" the Batman universe could see the same success as the Star Wars franchise did? [Via GameStooge]
300 marching for glory on PSP
Keep an eye out for 300, a PSP exclusive quietly marching under the radar. Based on the upcoming film inspired by Frank Miller's graphic novel (a re-imagining of the historic Battle of Thermopylae), 300: March to Glory seems to be taking a number of cues from its Spartan predecessor God of War, including a fixed camera, blood-showering violence, and d-pad selected powers (or "battle skills"). Fittingly, the odds of 300 succeeding as God of War did are exceedingly slim, in turn, sparking the potential for a surprise hit.300: March to Glory hits retail February 27.[Via PSP Fanboy]
F.E.A.R. sequel confirmed -- be afraid of children all over again
Not only do they, as I believe Lemina from Lunar 2: Eternal Blue said, "whine and cry and poop and fight", children have become staples in the Japanese horror genre well beyond the saturation point. Knowing that, F.E.A.R. decided to go ahead with the plans for a sequel to their interesting first-person-shooter-meets-Japanese-style-horror gameplay. While it had been in talks for a while, this is confirmation of the sequel's existence. It has been mentioned that the sequel will be released on the PC and multiple platforms, with each release specifically tailored to each console's strengths. Also, since the "F.E.A.R." franchise is owned by Vivendi games and this sequel is going to be worked on by Monolith and Warner Bros., it's probably going to have a different title. Can anyone think of a humorous title? How about: S.C.A.R.E.: Something Creepy Always Revealing Evilness! A perfect "Engrish" subtitle.
Rumor: F.E.A.R. sequels announced?
A press release from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced today that the sequel to F.E.A.R. is in the company's "current production slate". One snag may be that publisher Vivendi owns the rights to the franchise name, while WBIE owns Monolith, the developer of the title. Also mentioned in the press release is that Samantha Ryan, Monolith's CEO is now taking on the role of Senior Vice President of Development and Production at Warner. The forthcoming sequel will be coming to PC, Xbox 360 and PS3, with each version taking full advantage of its respective platform's strengths. So do you have any suggestions for a new name for the game? S.C.A.R.Y. seems a little cheesy to us. [Via QJ.net]
Warner to unveil Total HD hybrid Blu-ray HD DVD discs at CES
People love to continue to characterize Blu-ray and HD DVD as VHS vs. BetaMax -- but it's vaguely reassuringly quite different. This time around we aren't contending with physical cartridge incompatibilities and differing analog tape types, thankfully now it's blu-laser based optical discs which do operate differently, but are at least different in the same physical form factor. Enter Warner's finally-commercialized Total HD discs, the hybrid double-sided Blu-ray HD DVD discs we originally heard about being patented are now being commercialized and introduced at CES next week. Of course, so long as some studios don't release in both formats on the same disc (say, for example, Sony Pictures Entertainment), this disc actually hinders the unwitting user who buys content that isn't double-sided, thinking that Blu-ray and HD DVD formats are no longer relevant in day to day buying decisions. We know this is indeed a great stopgap for all those crossover movies released in multiple formats, but we really think it's the hybrid players, not discs, that are going to save the day during this format war.[Thanks, Ezra]
Batman Begins HD DVD hits October 10
The much-anticipated Batman Begins HD DVD including several HD DVD-exclusive IME (HDi) features will hit store shelves October 10, along with The Polar Express. One consistent complaint about the HD DVD and Blu-ray launches has been the paucity of big, quality titles.This hopefully marks a reversal of that trend and is a sign that studios are also confident in taking advantage of the unique features afforded by the formats. Studios know they have to get things right with their most valuable properties or risk angering millions of fans, now its just up to consumers to show if they're willing to pay the cost for the experience. VideoBusiness expects more details tomorrow including price and features. What this really means is in a month or so we can move on to complaining that Superman and Lord of the Rings aren't out yet but for now, we wait.
