Monolith, WBIE bring home F.E.A.R.

The fallout has been substantial for the many gaming licenses that once fell under the wing of Vivendi Games and its subsidiary, Sierra Entertainment. Following the gaming group's merger with Santa Monica-based publishing powerhouse Activision in July, a number of licenses and studios were placed under the magnifying glass.

As an outcome of that scrutiny, Massive Entertainment (World in Conflict) and Swordfish Studios (50 Cent: Blood on the Sand) were dubbed "nonstrategic business units," while properties such as Brutal Legend, Ghostbusters, and Bourne were dropped from the publisher's lineup.

While happy resolutions to the many in-limbo properties have been few and far between, one grinning party is Monolith Entertainment. The Warner Bros. Interactive-owned studio said today that it has reacquired the rights to make games under the name F.E.A.R., a franchise it created for publisher Vivendi in 2005.

With the rights to the name secured, Monolith also said that Project Origin will be a spiritual successor no more. The game has been rebranded F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, retaining as a subtitle the moniker selected by fans of the paranormal shooter last September.

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is now expected to ship for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on February 10. For more on the game, which picks up where the 2005 original left off, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.