F.E.A.R. multiplayer now the low low price of zero

Sierra announced today that their award-winning PC first-person shooter F.E.A.R. will now have its multiplayer component be available for free to gamers. Renamed F.E.A.R. Combat, anyone with a good Internet connection and rig to play the game, will be able to download it at no cost starting Thursday, Aug. 17.
The entire thing will be a complete package including "all the updates, additional official maps and additional official game modes all in one downloadable file."
Can we get a "hell yeah!" for this? Good job Sierra on building up some brand loyalty.
Check after the break for the full press release.
SIERRA ANNOUNCES F.E.A.R. COMBAT
F.E.A.R. Multiplayer to be made available for free.
LOS ANGELES, CA – (August 8th, 2006) – Sierra Entertainment today announced that the multiplayer component from the award winning PC title F.E.A.R.™(First Encounter Assault Recon), has been renamed F.E.A.R. Combat, and will be made available to the public as a free download on Thursday August 17th, 2006.
F.E.A.R. Combat is the complete multiplayer component of F.E.A.R. and includes all the updates, additional official maps and additional official game modes all in one downloadable file. F.E.A.R. Combat users will be able to play against the owners of the retail version of F.E.A.R. as well as the other F.E.A.R. Combat users.
F.E.A.R. Combat features:
- 10 Multiplayer Game modes.
- 19 Multiplayer Maps.
- 12 different weapons.
- Punkbuster support for anti cheat support.
- The capability to download user generated content.
To get more information on F.E.A.R. Combat, please visit www.whatisfear.com or www.fearfans.com.
F.E.A.R. Combat will be available for download on August 17th 2006.
About Vivendi Games
Vivendi Games (www.vivendigames.com) is a global developer, publisher and distributor of multi-platform interactive entertainment. The company is the leader in the subscription-based massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPG) category, holds leading positions in the PC, console, handheld and mobile games markets, and is an emerging player in casual online games. Vivendi Games' two principal studios and publishing labels include Blizzard Entertainment, headquartered in Irvine, CA, the creator of World of Warcraft®, Diablo®, StarCraft®, and Warcraft®; and Sierra Entertainment, headquartered in Los Angeles, which includes Radical Entertainment, Swordfish Studios, High Moon Studios, and Massive Entertainment. Sierra's IPs include Crash Bandicoot®, Spyro The Dragon®, Empire Earth®, SWAT®, Darkwatch™, Timeshift™, Ground Control® and Leisure Suit Larry®. Vivendi Games is also home to Vivendi Mobile Games, publishing games for the emerging mobile market, and Sierra Online, dedicated to publishing casual games for online play and distribution on all platforms. Vivendi Games maintains strategic relationships with industry leading content partners, including Universal Music Group, NBC Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, and Ludlum Entertainment. The company has 16 offices around the world conducting business in 75 countries.










Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
guyinjapan @ Aug 8th 2006 6:21PM
im going out and getting a huge tattoo on my chest that says "i
Mike @ Aug 8th 2006 6:25PM
What a strange idea for a tattoo that is...
On the subject, this rocks. I don't have this game yet and I'd like to see the multiplayer.
guyinjapan @ Aug 8th 2006 6:25PM
ok, what the hell, it just cut off my comment...
*ahem*
im going out and getting a huge tattoo on my chest that says "i *heart* sierra"... right now...
retro @ Aug 8th 2006 6:26PM
Holy shit, holy shit! That is frigging SWEET! I love Sierra!
Daniel @ Aug 8th 2006 6:41PM
Ha cool is the multiplayer good?
007craft @ Aug 8th 2006 6:56PM
hmm. This Multiplayer are the only reason I and lots of other people out there, purchase pc games. If multiplayer becomes free, then theres no longer a benefit from not pirating.
I guess I dont need to buy this for my 360 when it comes out now. Or maybe I do, seeing as fear runs slow on my Pc heh.
If every Pc game went the way that fear is going here, I would never purchase a pc game again lol.
TopaZ @ Aug 8th 2006 7:19PM
i hope they have fixed some of the terrible things like NO SPAWN PROTECT, no voting, no way to eliminate unarmed attacks from your server, etc.etc. This is a beautiful game and engine, but you have to listen to the FPS masses when it comes to these tiny nuisances that can ruin the whole experience. That said, I'M SO THERE
qbix @ Aug 8th 2006 7:19PM
ID set a good example with Enemy Territory, and now Sierra. I'm glad to see companies doing this.
William @ Aug 8th 2006 7:24PM
Too bad F.E.A.R. is an absolutely terrible game. Only the gameplay mechanics are good, everything else is just recycled generic wannabe Half-life.
F.E.A.R. MULTIPLAYER IS TERRIBLE, I own the game and I stopped playing the multiplayer days after first playing it.
WHY ELSE WOULD SIERRA MAKE THE MULTIPLAYER FREE?!?!?
They're trying to get you to buy the actual game too; the single player mode. That's really the only sort of worthwhile part to F.E.A.R., even so, it really wasn't that great.
This one is just a waste of Harddrive Space boys, let it go.
Sassan @ Aug 8th 2006 7:27PM
Grear! Fear was a great FPS, loved it... this is even better now more people will play :D
TopaZ @ Aug 8th 2006 7:31PM
oh William, you can't just say 'terrible' without backing it up.
Aside from the nagging issues I just mentioned, f.e.a.r. multiplayer is FANTASTIC.
-- Shadows are better than the source engine, and realistically become part of early detection of enemy targets.
-- The level of destructible environments and debris is unprecedented in a multiplayer game. You can fill an office with so much smoke and rubble that you can't see through the chaos.
-- All the "wacky" (power) weapons are separated into a power category that can be turned off for "realistic" weapons matches
-- The first retail game to offer deathmatch with BULLET TIME
the list of positives goes on and on. The fact that you say even the single-player campaign is "not that great," when it is widely regarded as one of the best games of last year, speaks volumes about your taste in games.
Wedge @ Aug 8th 2006 7:43PM
No. He's right. The single player was pretty bad. The gameplay was pretty fun, but didn't have much in the way of progression, it was mostly the same thing the whole game. Until the end of course, which was just plain retarded. The graphics were good, but the art direction was about as bland and uninteresting as you can get. The plot was an absolute joke. Entirely vapid, lacking in any suspense or interest, full of loose ends and holes, it was utterly the most pitiful part of the game.
Never really played the multiplayer though. Maybe it's fun, assuming I try to run it on lower specs than I tried to run the single player at. Gawd that thing murdered my poor 6600GT.
Rene @ Aug 8th 2006 7:54PM
Hard to decide these days.
360 with microtransactions or PC with just about the same amount and better versions of the games with free downloads?
T-Bag @ Aug 8th 2006 8:26PM
I would be excited had I actually owned a $4000 computer to run it.
Josh @ Aug 8th 2006 8:28PM
SWEET! My friend recently downloaded the demo(s?), and he said the multiplayer was pretty fun, but the single player didn't look too good to me. This is VERY VERY exciting as I don't have to spend money anymore to get this game for multiplayer! This is one of the many reasons I will not be buying a PS3 or especially a 360.
K1ller 1nst1nct @ Aug 8th 2006 8:44PM
Hmmmm, I'm thinking they are going to dump Ads into the game and use this as a test to see how well something like this can make money.
The3rdNuisance @ Aug 8th 2006 9:01PM
Great... I feel ripped off now... I barely even played the single player, and no PC FPS's single player is really worth $50. Yeah, the Multiplayer is awesome, if you don't mind the fact the unarmed attacks are 1 or 2 hit kills, that get you from what seems like 5 feet away from the fist, and the gameplay is so chaotic, with grenades all over that one little hallway. Well, hopefully this means more Team Deathmatch servers.
William @ Aug 8th 2006 9:50PM
"""11. oh William, you can't just say 'terrible' without backing it up.
Aside from the nagging issues I just mentioned, f.e.a.r. multiplayer is FANTASTIC.
-- Shadows are better than the source engine, and realistically become part of early detection of enemy targets.
-- The level of destructible environments and debris is unprecedented in a multiplayer game. You can fill an office with so much smoke and rubble that you can't see through the chaos.
-- All the "wacky" (power) weapons are separated into a power category that can be turned off for "realistic" weapons matches
-- The first retail game to offer deathmatch with BULLET TIME
the list of positives goes on and on. The fact that you say even the single-player campaign is "not that great," when it is widely regarded as one of the best games of last year, speaks volumes about your taste in games.
Posted at 7:31PM on Aug 8th 2006 by TopaZ"""
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I'd like to note TopaZ that... graphics don't make a game. I've played FPS's since they were made and I'm telling you, especially Deathmatch, that F.E.A.R. Multiplayer doesn't even stand close to Half-life Deathmatch.
Yes I agree the graphics are very nice, and how shooting boxes and things makes debris and there is a level of depth into the game, that really is great and I loved it. But all that ended with minor nuisances (like someone said). The only things you listed as *Positive parts to the game* were graphical things. You didn't seem to pay much attention to how badly the gameplay is plagued by bugs, lag, weapon unbalancing, pace, and selection of weapons and different types of levels. Bullet time got pretty annoying too.
You tell me that "when it is widely regarded as one of the best games of last year, speaks volumes about your taste in games." How hard is it to be the best when people like yourself wet yourselves over a new FPS with better graphics!?!?! omfg!?! Hey guess what, look at half-life 1 and 2 and counterstrike and quake and doom! They all got "best game woot buy this" awards. Who ever said the industry had good tastes, they probably just have people with little or no experience rating these things like Movies are rated.
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THANK YOU NUMBER 12 FOR BACKUP!
"""12. No. He's right. The single player was pretty bad. The gameplay was pretty fun, but didn't have much in the way of progression, it was mostly the same thing the whole game. Until the end of course, which was just plain retarded. The graphics were good, but the art direction was about as bland and uninteresting as you can get. The plot was an absolute joke. Entirely vapid, lacking in any suspense or interest, full of loose ends and holes, it was utterly the most pitiful part of the game.
Never really played the multiplayer though. Maybe it's fun, assuming I try to run it on lower specs than I tried to run the single player at. Gawd that thing murdered my poor 6600GT.
Posted at 7:43PM on Aug 8th 2006 by Wedge"""
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I can't agree with 12. (Wedge) more. He managed to read into exactly what I was saying. The entire singleplayer campaign looked the exact freaking same. Its like they were using starcraft map editor and had the pallet set to "Space Platform" the entire time. Same goes for the multiplayer which had be feel like I was playing Doom rather than a Deathmatch. F.E.A.R. would be better as a Counter-Strike type game, but not a Deathmatch.
It's because of people like TopaZ who wet themselves over any new fancy FPS that many Developers keep churning out rehashes of the same thing. I'd be lost without Valve, the only company so far to actually do things with the games they make and not just add a new layer of graphics and call it something else.
Johny @ Aug 8th 2006 10:17PM
LOL half life 2 got pretty boring mid way thru the mods are the only thing keeping me on steam
Sassan @ Aug 8th 2006 11:43PM
hey William, FEAR was as good as HALF LIFE 2, after Half Life 2 FEAR was the most enjoyable FPS I've played!
BTW why don't you stop whining and not play the game Period and go to your little halflife deathmach! allrigh...
Ian @ Aug 9th 2006 12:37AM
Does anyone actually care about this? FEAR is as sweet as sugar but the multiplayer part is something compared to the liking of anchovies. I played it once and never played it again, multiplayer that is.
Fortyseven @ Aug 9th 2006 12:39AM
I enjoyed the shit out of FEAR. This is excellent news.
William @ Aug 9th 2006 1:34AM
"""""BTW why don't you stop whining and not play the game Period and go to your little halflife deathmach! allrigh...
Posted at 11:43PM on Aug 8th 2006 by Sassan"""""
Sassan I can tell you are from the younger generation or you are just a really immature adult based on the fact you just used the phrase "stop whining and not play the game Period". That is about the most immature, noobish, and whining in itself comment anyone can make. Most people who make it are just babies.
Hey news flash Sassan guess what?! I DONT PLAY F.E.A.R. if that wasn't ANY MORE OBVIOUS. So DONT TELL ME to stop whining and stop playing the game if I WAS SMART ENOUGH to stop playing AGES ago. I'm not whining I'm trying to get people to realize the game was 75/100 and it was a generic shooter. Stop boosting something that will just make developers think they have it right when they certainly don't. I'm so freaking tired of generic genre recycled garbage.
For all I know the only two FPS you've played are HL2 and F.E.A.R.
Why can't the majority of people online ever hold a mature and relevant discussion? Void of any obviously anger sparked comments full of fanboy and self-defense pride?
AX @ Aug 9th 2006 4:54AM
Why? Becuase in game advertising is a booming, projected 1000% fold increase in 5 year industry, and sierra is hoping on it. They are not doing this as a favor for anyone :[
Josh Sims @ Aug 9th 2006 11:10AM
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Sassan I can tell you are from the younger generation or you are just a really immature adult based on the fact you just used the phrase "stop whining and not play the game Period". That is about the most immature, noobish, and whining in itself comment anyone can make. Most people who make it are just babies.
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....Why can't the majority of people online ever hold a mature and relevant discussion? Void of any obviously anger sparked comments full of fanboy and self-defense pride?
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Wow.. that's the most selfcontradictory post I've read all day.. of course, it is just 10am.
dethdelur @ Aug 9th 2006 10:25PM
wow, I feel ripped off, I bought this game for 60 bux and pay for a server that is usually full. on the bright side, more noobs to shoot!!!! where can I get a refund?
yes, get this game if you have a decent computer, check the system requirements or you will be disappointed.
DETH is Everywhere
DETHDELUR
www.dethclan.com