Warner Bros. invests in Korean publisher to 'co-develop certain online games' [Updated]

Unless you live in South Korea or are a massive fan of the F.E.A.R. series, chances are you haven't heard much about Korean studio Inplay Interactive. That's going to change right now, so prepare yourself.

Inplay is a developer that's worked on F.E.A.R.: Origin Online and SNK All Stars Online but is now poised to rapidly expand its portfolio. ~~Today, the studio announced that it has inked a deal with Warner Bros. to develop two of its most significant IPs into MMOs: Batman and Lord of the Rings.~~ In turn, Warner Bros. will be both an investor and a shareholder of the company.

[Update: We've learned that our original source was mistranslated. Warner Bros. has indeed invested in Inplay Interactive with intent to "strengthen the Korean development capability of online games to the world." The partnership "Intend[s] To Co-Develop Certain Other Online Games by utilizing Warner Bros. Properties," but the specific properties have not as yet been disclosed as originally reported. We apologize for the confusion.]

Reader Comments (29)

Uh.......

confused...

Wait what?!?

So, Warner Brothers has more *Business Sense* than LucasArts at allowing TWO MMOs on the scene and are not afraid of confusing iddle-widdle player's minds?

Also, Batman?!? DCUO won't be calling (well, literally, it won't since WB seems to accept this). How will that work? Another LoL-styled MMO set in Gotham City, like the proposed LotrO one? Maybe some different game play mechanics?

@Space Cobra dey took er jerbs!! >.

@Space Cobra
You aren't the only one who is confused x'D
although a Batman mmo is, I guess, inherently different as it doesn't involve the entire DC universe.. Seems like a South Korean early April fools ~~

Huh. Wonder if these will be F2P like the current DC/LotR MMOs. And if WB really wants to try having two LotR MMOs running alongside each other.

More games is never a bad thing. And when 2 games are both using the same IP that encourages competition, which is also a good thing as it means companies have to step up their "game" and make their product the best it can be.

Poor hobbits are going to have nightmares of men dressed as bats... oh wait nvm...

I'd imagine they would run out of playable characters pretty quickly if it ever came to a Lotr-MOBA.

Strange choices...especially the Batman one...

I cannot help but notice the glaring DCUO and LOTRO. Sauron will tolerate no rival! Or Joker!

It will be interesting to see how this turns out.

Turbine's LOTRO is based more so On Tolkien's works since these are licensed with WB I'm thinking this version will be more movie based. Just a thought....

@MrsAngelD Turbine's game is licensed by Middle-earth Enterprises, which is now owned by WB. This one will be as well, since ME holds the rights to both Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

Lord of the Rings: The Grind to Mount Doom

I guess I understand, Koreans do play very different then us. They live for grindy questing, Americians not really.

@(Unverified) They don't live for grindy quests, but its more of a competitive style of play. Its just that killing monsters over and over usually factors into that, regardless of how the content is presented. They are quite different indeed.

@(Unverified) Are you serious? Literally almost every western MMO is based around grindy questing.

I am getting visions of cat people in Middle-earth.

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Warner Bros. invests in Korean publisher to 'co-develop certain online games' [Updated]

Reader Comments (29)

Posted: Jan 20th 2012 3:04PM Ossum said

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Posted: Jan 20th 2012 3:09PM Space Cobra said

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Posted: Jan 20th 2012 3:50PM MrsAngelD said

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