Sudden Studio Closure Prompts GOG To Release Classic Horror Game Ahead Of Schedule
Classic gaming hub GOGhas announced the early release of the classic horror title F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault Recon) after the studio behind it was suddenly shuttered earlier this week. The genre-bending psychological horror FPS was developed by Monolith Productions and released in 2005 to critical and fan acclaim.
According to a report, Monolith Productions was unexpectedly shut down by Warner Bros., canceling the development of a Wonder Woman game that the studio had been working on. In addition to canceling the studio's current projects, the closure endangered the company's previous games, at best placing the IPs in limbo, and at worst relegating them to being lost media.
GOG has stepped in to make sure this doesn't happen. The official GOGcom X account has revealed that the PC gaming platform will be releasing F.E.A.R. Platinum by next month, ahead of schedule.
FEAR Will Be Available On GOG Game Preservation Program By Next Month
More Monolith Titles Promised Soon
F.E.A.R. Platinum, which includes both the game and its two expansions, will be joining many other classic titles in the GOG Preservation Program. This program aims to rescue old games from obscurity as current technology renders them unplayable. Games added to GOG through this program include visual and gameplay upgrades and ensure that they work on modern tech as well as future PCs.
Time is erasing the games that shaped you. Forgotten, incompatible, unplayable. We can fight back. — GOG Preservation Program
The updated version of F.E.A.R. was already in the works behind the scenes, but it seems that even GOG was caught off-guard by the shuttering of Monolith. According to the X announcement, the game's release was "originally scheduled for a later timeframe, we’ve decided to accelerate this release to properly recognize Monolith’s contributions to gaming." The company promises that more Monolith Productions games will join the lineup of Good Old Games"eventually," though there's no word on which of the titles will be brought to GOG.
The GOG Preservation Program Will Help Keep FEAR And Other Classic Games Playable
GOG Is Dedicated To Preserving Gaming History
The GOG Preservation Program was started in November of last year with the ambitious goal of eventually rescuing all games that have been abandoned by their developers for any reason. The program currently has 104 games, with more being added regularly. Some titles that GOG has preserved include Dino Crisis and its sequel, Resident Evil 1 through 3, and many more titles, old and new.
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As technology improves and leaves old tech in the dust, I'm happy to know that many of the games that shaped my childhood won't be left behind by time. Now F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault Recon) and other undisclosed Monolith Productions titles arrive in the program ahead of schedule. This seems to be an exciting time for GOG, as the company plans to announce something exciting about the GOG Preservation Program. The platform promises that "this is just the beginning."
Source: GOGcom/X, GOG Preservation Program
F.E.A.R.
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