Kotaku: project origin

Monolith Guy: Expansions, Ports Sunk F.E.A.R.

Owen Good — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 14:00:00 MST

Dave Matthews (not this guy), the primary art lead for F.E.A.R. 2, has an idea what tanked the franchise: expansions and console ports — ones not made by Monolith.

Talking to CVG, Matthews said the Extraction Point and Perseus Mandate expansion packs, made by TimeGate Studios, may have brought some new people to the brand — "and killed off a few."

Says Matthews:

"[TimeGate] took the story in a direction that we didn't intend. We look at Extraction Point and Perseus Mandate as an alternate universe, a 'what could have been', and because of that it doesn't necessarily diminish the story that we were trying to tell. F.E.A.R. was about Alma, F.E.A.R. 2 is about Alma, and we wanted to continue the story the way we originally intended."

Less-than-fawning reviews of those expansions, plus some mehs for the console ports of original F.E.A.R., might have the brand in a slump, Matthews suggests in chucking Day 1 Studios under the bus. Day 1 built the 360 and PS3 versions of F.E.A.R., which didn't do as well as the PC version. Matthews vows that 360 and PS3 versions of F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin will be closer to their PC counterpart (also due in 2009) than was the case with the original.

Ports and Expansions "Killed Off a Few" F.E.A.R. Fans [CVG]

F.E.A.R. 2 - Walking In A Deathmatch Wonderland

Mike Fahey — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 12:00:00 MST

Last year we determined that singing a fake holiday song without being able to sing was a very bad idea for an internet greeting card. Apparently F.E.A.R. 2 devs Monolith didn't get the memo.

Witness F.E.A.R. 2 Project Origin multiplayer quality assurance guy Lucas Meyers battle his way valiantly through this terrible parody of "Walking In A Winter Wonderland", "Walking In A Deathmatch Wonderland". While it is truly painful to listen to, it at least contains some footage of F.E.A.R. 2 multiplayer.

And Christmas was going so well. Thanks a lot, Monolith!

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin Community Site [Official Site]

The Mysterious Project Origin Case Opens

Mike Fahey — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:20:00 MST

Last week I received a mysterious case, delivered to a local storage facility with instructions to post a video in order to receive an unlock code. Now the case has been opened - what's inside?

The small metal case was found inside a storage locker a short drive from my home, following directions that arrived via a mysterious letter in the mail. For the past week I've been staring at this thing, idly running through the numbers now and then to see if I might stumble across the unlock code, to no avail. Now a post on the Project Origin community forums from a user named Caseman has revealed the combination. Anyone have money on 332?

Hit the jump for a video of the case opening, and more questions.

All of this seems to be building up to a F.E.A.R. 2 event to take place in New York in the middle of next month. The pictures seem to be schematics for some sort of gaming chair / monitoring device. As for the pictures of the two uniformed men doing something to an SUV, I have no earthly clue. Is that a light of some sort they are screwing around with? Why don't you have a look for yourself.

Oh, and the flash drive contained another message from the shadowy figure, this time with clips of top-secret Armacham Technology Corporation experiments on unlocking the latent psychic powers in ordinary humans, which I probably shouldn't post.

I said probably.

What The Hell Is Inside This Case?

Mike Fahey — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:40:00 MST

A mysterious letter arrived in my mailbox yesterday, containing the address of a local storage facility and the key to the lock on the door that opened to reveal this small, metal briefcase.

What. The. Hell. Filled with creepiness, no? Not only did they have my mailing address, the storage facility was but a 2 minute drive from my house, so following my traditional Thanksgiving dinner and the accompanying nap, I drove out into the cold, dark night to an empty storage facility in a part of town that certainly wouldn't win any awards, just to see what the hell was going on here.

As any regular watcher of supernatural television fiction - The X-Files, Fringe, etc. - empty storage facilities are extremely spooky. Just rows and rows of locked doors under flickering florescent lighting. The ride to the second floor in a giant freight elevator would have been harrowing, but recent games have taught me that elevators, once devices used for high drama, are now simply used for seamlessly loading new areas.

Entering the new area I quickly found the correct door, unlocked the padlock (which is still in my possession because hey - free padlock), and discovered a tiny, locked silver case sitting in the center of the cold concrete floor.

Go go dramatic effect!

I brought the case home, and realized that the letter had also been packed with a DVD. On it, the following video message:

Attention Mr Spookyman: It's very hard to tell no one about any of this while still posting an image of the case. Besides, no one goes to that much trouble masking their voice and appearing all shadowy when they don't want attention.

Anyway, all we know so far is:
1. This has something to do with F.E.A.R. 2, previously known as Project Origin.
2. There is something going on in New York, which is a great deal north of where I live.
3. Shadowy figure is all shadowy.
4. Someone associated with this project knows how to use Google Maps.
5. The case has a three-digit combination, which I theoretically could crack way before December 5th, though it would ruin the dramatic tension.

For now, we wait. I have the case sitting next to me, and every once in awhile I turn the tumblers randomly, just to see if it opens. I suppose I could start from 000 and work my way up to 999, but they know where I live, so it might be wiser to simply leave well enough alone.

Tune in next week for the hopefully dramatic conclusion to the Case of the Case Case. Cue dramatic cliffhanger music!

F.E.A.R. 2 Now Actually Named F.E.A.R. 2

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:40:00 MDT

When we first heard that the proper sequel to horrific first-person shooter F.E.A.R. was to be christened Project Origin, a warm, immediately bored feeling washed over us. We were thankful not to have to type out all those damn periods — damn you, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.! — but lamented having another dull game title to throw on the pile.

Thankfully, amid the sloughing off of Sierra brands at Activision Blizzard, Project Origin has secured its originally intended title and will be known from this day forward as F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin. The official site writes that developer Monolith Productions and publisher WB Games have purchase the rights to the F.E.A.R. name, most assuredly helping its chances at retail. (We still liked "Dead Echo" better!)

Project Origin Renamed - F.E.A.R.2: Project Origin [Project Origin]

Microsoft Unveils PAX Schedule

Stuart Houghton — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:20:00 MDT

Microsoft have finalized the list of demos they will be bringing along to PAX next weekend.

Those champing at the bit for more glimpses of Gears of War 2 will not be disappointed — there will even be a couple of Gears signing sessions, should you have any merchandise you need to boost on eBay.

Other demos we would class as 'eagerly awaited' are Halo Wars and Project Origin, but MS will be showing off their new Games Creation and 'Mashups' tool PopFly as well as more info on the New Xbox Experience.

It is those 'TBA' demos on the Saturday & Sunday afternoons, that have us intrigued, though. What could it be? Is it a new game? Could it be the long awaited Next-Gen updates of Minesweeper and Freecell? Have they finally gone mental and are bringing out a portable Xbox?

Exciting!

Full schedule after the jump..

Friday

2:00 PM Gears of War 2

3:00 PM Project Origin

4:00 PM Gears of War 2

5:00 PM Popfly

6:00 PM Project Origin

Saturday

10:00 AM Halo Wars

10:30 AM New Xbox Experience

11:30 AM Popfly

12:00 PM Gears of War 2

1:00 PM Gears of War 2 Signing Session

2:00 PM Gears of War 2

3:00 PM Project Origin

3:30 PM New Xbox Experience

4:30 PM TBA

Sunday

10:00 AM Halo Wars

10:30 AM New Xbox Experience

11:30 AM Popfly

12:00 PM Gears of War 2

1:00 PM Gears of War 2 Signing Session

2:00 PM Gears of War 2

3:00 PM Project Origin

3:30 PM New Xbox Experience

4:30 PM TBA

PAX Here We Come! Demo Info [Gamerscore Blog]

New Trailer for FEAR Sequel, Project Origin

Brian Crecente — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:00:00 MDT

More creepy little kids, more long hallways with flicker lights, more stuff to shoot, Developer Monolith Productions just dropped their new E3 trailer for Project Origin on us. Project Origin is the sequel to creepy shooter F.E.A.R. This new trailer shows off some new weapons, enemies and locations. Stay tuned next week for our hands-on impressions of the game when we play through a chunk at E308.

PO Powered Armor Makes It All Better

Mike Fahey — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:40:00 MDT

Like my mother used to say, nothing makes the scary people and things seem less scary than a giant suit of heavily armed power armor. This is the Replica Elite powered armor from Project Origin, which effectively turns you into an unstoppable killing machine with nothing to be afraid of. My favorite part is when our narrator Nathan says, "Ever since SHOGO we've wanted to create a highly detailed and destructible environment that a mech could tear through with ease." Really? Then why are we futzing about with this Project Origin nonsense? More SHOGO please. Make it cartoony, cell-shaded, whatever. Hell, use the original SHOGO engine for all I care. More SHOGO!

Don't Witness Project Origin's Assassin In Action

Mike Fahey — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:40:00 MDT

Ever fight an enemy in an FPS and wish you were playing the bad guy instead of the good guy? That's the feeling I get watching this clip of Project Origin's assassin in action. It's all well and good to run around shooting folks in the face, but the ability to fade in an out of view at a moment's notice really calls to the ninja inside me, which is good, because it keeps him from stabbing his katana into my innards and trying to climb my esophagus with his pointy ninja gloves. Damn inner ninja.

UPDATE: Monolith contacted us to let us know the wrong vid had gone out with the release, and the better one has replaced the...less than better one.

Monolith Wasn't Taking The Piss

Mike Fahey — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:20:00 MDT

The Monolith folks at the Project Origin Community site were extremely concerned when they discovered that, based purely on the abomination video released last week, I wouldn't be able to play their game and control my bladder at the same time, joking that they would send some super-absorbent help my way. Lo and behold, the Fed Ex man knocks on the door early this morning, bearing gifts. Apparently their team stayed at work late on Friday, fastidiously stenciling the Monolith logo on the front of a half dozen adult diapers, which they then shipped across the country along with a slightly more tasteful Monolith t-shirt. I am absolutely speechless. I suppose now I have to play Project Origin when it comes out, once I figure out how to get these damn things on. Who wants pictures?

Still Life With Project Origin Abomination

Mike Fahey — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:40:00 MDT

The abomination from Monolith's upcoming Project Origin doesn't look half as terrifying standing in freeze-frame as it does in motion, but it's still a pretty damn scary looking creation. Still not sure if I could handle playing the game without peeing myself in fright, but the folks from the Project Origin Community site may have come up with a solution.

Mike Fahey of Kotaku explains that "for some reason the little bastard (Abomination) scares the living piss out of me." We will be sending Mike some adult diapers so he can have a urine free couch and play the game too.

I was hoping for a semi-attractive nurse with a catheter, but I suppose we take what we can wee in.

Kotaku thinks Project Origin is Scary [Project Origin Community]

Project Origin Is Scary

Mike Fahey — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:20:00 MDT

WB Games just completely lost a customer for ~~F.E.A.R. 2~~ Project Origin. There is no way in hell I am every going to put myself in a situation, real or virtual, where I have to go up against something that looks and moves like the abomination seen in the clip. For some reason the little bastard scares the living piss out of me. Sure - call me a wuss - but I'll be a wuss with a comfortably urine-free couch once the game is released this fall.