Monolith's F.E.A.R. technology to power next-gen console title?

Developer Monolith is working on a next-generation console title using the technology behind its PC first-person shooter F.E.A.R, according to director of technology Kevin Stephens.

Speaking to our sister site Eurogamer in Paris this week, Stephens revealed, "We do have a version of this technology that's running on next-generation consoles," when quizzed about the engine side of the game.

When pressed as to whether that meant Monolith had next-gen dev kits and were working on games for future consoles, Stephens joked, "You'd think so!" He then went on to elaborate a little further.

"I should just mention we do have multiple game teams, and there is a game coming up that hasn't been announced yet that, er, will be announced. And that'll answer your question," he said.

That game is not likely to be a port of F.E.A.R, however. Having been restrained from answering a lot of specific questions about the PC version by a PR minder throughout the interview, it's extremely unlikely that a comment potentially joining the dots between next-generation console development and currently PC-only Vivendi product F.E.A.R would be allowed to slip out in the same discussion.

Far more likely is that it's another franchise that has nothing to do with Vivendi-Universal Games - either one of Monolith's own IPs or something made-to-order.

Judging by a job ad on Monolith's website seeking a senior game engineer to work on a next-generation console title, it's some sort of first-person action-adventure game. The ad asks for experience with Xbox, PS2 and/or GameCube architectures and under preferred experience lists "Developed 1st-person action/adventure games".