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Homefront invades U.S. store shelves on March 8, 2011
In the world of fictitious military takeovers, the unassuming hours of March 8, 2011 will probably live on in infamy. According to an update on THQ's Facebook page, that's the day U.S. store shelves will find themselves the subjects of a hostile occupation from new FPS Homefront. That imperialistic empire will spread its control to the peaceful island of Australia on March 10, then -- making excellent time, we might add -- it will drop into Europe on March 11. What can we possibly do to prevent this coup? We ... don't know. We're not sure our local GameStop will let us put sandbags over their doors. At least, not before the holiday shopping season kicks off. Maybe they'll acquiesce in a few months or so.
THQ details Homefront sequel, novel tie-in and potential miniseries
An upcoming novel will follow a tabloid reporter in L.A. during the first moments of the North Korean attack on the US. It's the first salvo in THQ's "transmedia" strategy for Homefront, which is about "building worlds first," then having "different media access that world in interesting ways," Danny Bilson said during his keynote speech at IGDA Leadership Forum 2010. THQ is hoping also to do a miniseries for the game following the contents of the book -- it'd be on SyFy, we imagine -- but even more interesting are Bilson's comments regarding the next game. "The sequel has new features and doesn't even deal with the same characters," Bilson revealed. "It takes place on the other side of the Mississippi -- nobody knows what's going on over there because the North Koreans have irradiated the Mississippi with radioactive iodine and nobody can cross it without a hazmat suit. It's very interesting stuff." Bilson says the book will be available for purchase a month before the game launches. HomeFront is currently slated for March 2011.
THQ exec appreciates North Korea's cooperation in selling Homefront fiction
THQ's EVP of Core Games Danny Bilson deftly diffused a potentially explosive question regarding Homefront's cultural sensitivity toward militaristic North Korea today during THQ Montreal's press event, by emphasizing that the game is "speculative fiction." Bilson noted that, thanks to North Korea scaring the international community over the past couple years through its nuclear testing and sinking of a South Korean ship, that "they've been really cooperative" in selling the game's world. With tongue firmly planted in cheek, he said, "And we really appreciate the regime in North Korea for supporting Homefront the way they have." Bilson explains that when THQ made the decision to go with North Korea as the antagonist in the game, that it consulted with East Asia experts in Washington D.C. to sell the premise. He notes that the timeline trailer released during E3 shows the result of that "speculative fiction that comes out of paranoid theory." The company will also release a Homefront novel early next year that follows a reporter in 2027 and explains the world even deeper. Bilson does believe Homefront is a "global game" because it's not important that it takes place in America; the story is about a country being occupied, and it draws its inspiration from other countries being occupied throughout history. Bilson concluded, "There is a reality to [Homefront], but it's by filtering history through a future fiction that gives some sense of gravity to a fantasy."
Bilson: Homefront's 'emphasis is on multiplayer'
During THQ's Montreal event, core games EVP Danny Bilson categorized its FPS Homefront as a primarily multiplayer experience, though "the single-player is extraordinary," he said (of course). "The emphasis is on multiplayer," Bilson explained, "but with an awesome movie to play through on the other side." The reason one even has to be emphasized over the other is, of course, budget. "To get to the old things we used to play, like the 20 hours of single-player," he said, "you'd have to sacrifice, perhaps, the depth of the multiplayer, or have a five-year schedule and unlimited budget." The two portions of the game take place in different settings and involve very different gameplay, with the single-player game involving guerrilla warfare and the multiplayer involving all-out army vs. army combat. Bilson estimated that the single-player portion of the game -- the "awesome movie" -- will run between six and ten hours, which makes it more of an awesome miniseries. The multiplayer is "hopefully in the hundred-hour range." That means it's going to be really heartbreaking if the game is changed at the last minute to be about an invasion from the North Opposing Force.%Gallery-104301%
Homefront multiplayer preview: Funding the war machine
Kaos Studios' Homefront envisions a hypothetical future in 2027, when the US is in the grips of an invasion by a unified Korea. The multiplayer component takes place during the first days of the conflict, two years earlier, in 2025. Unlike the single-player campaign's guerrilla-based combat, the multiplayer represents large-scale war. There are helicopters, tanks, drones and plenty of other expensive futuristic technology to play with. Been there, done that. But Kaos has something extra up its sleeve: Battle Points. It's in-game currency that allows players to call in vehicles, resupply themselves with ammunition and deploy special attack and reconnaissance drones -- and it's entirely score-based, so you don't have to be The Terminator to actually affect what's going on in a given match. %Gallery-104301%
Digital Extremes developing PC version of Homefront
THQ is showing off the PC version of Homefront for the first time at Gamescom this week, thanks to the efforts of Digital Extremes. The publisher announced that Digital Extremes, best known for Pariah, Dark Sector and for assisting on BioShock 2, is developing the PC release. According to THQ executive producer Frank De Lise, DI won't simply be dropping Kaos Studios' North Korean invasion-themed FPS onto PC. "We're building on the great game that Kaos Studios is making and enhancing it with specific PC relevant features," De Lise said, listing dedicated servers and clan support specifically. "We believe the core PC first-person-shooter fan will really appreciate these features, which are becoming increasingly rare." Who could that statement be directed at?
Homefront trailer shows the softer side of insurrection
THQ wasn't just promoting its upcoming shooter Homefront with a fake North Korean platoon at E3, you know. The company also released the title's first gameplay trailer, which you'll find posted after the jump. It's actually a troubling minute-long vignette of our dudes getting wrecked by their dudes, but hey -- at least the music is pretty.
THQ enlists North Korean 'soldiers' to promote Homefront
In order to promote its upcoming shooter Homefront, THQ enlisted a group of struggling actors totally real soldiers. The group marched throughout the streets of Figueroa near the Staples Center before stopping into the ESPN Zone bar to watch North Korea take on Brazil in the first-round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Renting out an entire parking lot across from the Los Angeles Lakers' home base, THQ set up barricades plastered with dozens of flags proclaiming the land was the property of the North Korean Federation. For citizens unaware of the E3 2010 event, it was quite a confusing spectacle. Video of the march after the break.
Preview: Homefront
"The year is 2027 ... A once proud America has fallen, her infrastructure shattered and military in disarray. Crippled by a devastating EMP strike, the USA is powerless to resist the ever expanding occupation of a savage, nuclear armed Greater Korean Republic." -- THQ product description, Homefront An invaded America has become the video game prémisse du jour. Resistance 2, Turning Point, and most recently, Modern Warfare 2, have all explored the notion of a besieged superpower. Kaos Studios' upcoming Homefront may be treading familiar territory, but there's still good reason to be excited: It's got heart. The hands-off playable presentation I watched showcased stellar visuals -- a must in this competitive genre. Particularly striking were the environments, filled with incredible detail. Homefront's opening scene evoked a "lived in" quality: the overgrown foliage, the dirty equipment, and the solemnly swaying swings conveyed a complex yet unspoken story. %Gallery-94923%
THQ prepping Homefront, new Red Faction for 'fiscal 2011'
During its annual investors conference call, THQ's Brian Farrell dropped details on that Homefront game we've been waiting on, as well as word on a new Red Faction title. Both will arrive during the company's fiscal 2011 window -- to us regular schmucks walking the streets, that's the period between April 2010 and March 31, 2011. As for Homefront, it's really not news: THQ had already said the game will arrive sometime this year or early next. However, this Red Faction business is definitely news. We'll be crossing our fingers for more wacky animal-based weaponry this time around. Oh, and more stuff to blow up. Definitely more of that, please. Both games will be shown during E3 2010 in June.
THQ already planning Homefront 2
We have a hard enough time remembering which FPS Homefront is (it's the one that is basically Red Dawn, if you're curious) and THQ is apparently already thinking about the followup. According to Gamespot, THQ's core gaming chief Danny Bilson told the FBR Capital Markets 2009 Fall Investor Conference "It's the beginning of a story. We're going to tell this like a serial, with cliff-hangers. And then we intend to continue the story in [downloadable content], until we go to Homefront 2." The question that will remain unanswered until Homefront ships is, of course, will we be willing to go with them? %Gallery-65785%
Homefront comes home in 2010 (or early 2011)
Today, during its earnings conference call, THQ offered the first clue about the release window for Kaos Studios' Homefront. The FPS about a North Korean invasion will be invading our homes (see what we did there?) in "fiscal 2011," which translates to the year starting in April 2010 and ending March 31, 2011.We're going to go ahead and guess that THQ is aiming for the later half of 2010, because the first half of the year is going to be jam-packed with stuff that was supposed to come out in 2009.%Gallery-65785%
Homefront reveal trailer not as totally rad as Red Dawn
You can understand, for upcoming Kaos Studios-developed Homefront, how it might be hard to live up to the '80s film, hinged on fears of nuclear war, Red Dawn. But it's a similar premise (and the same writer!) that holds together the trailer you see above, peppered with "Resist!" signs and talk of an occupied United States.Considering the game's coming from the same studio that developed Frontlines: Fuel of War, you can appreciate that we're a bit trepidacious when approaching another FPS in Homefront. Still, it remains to be seen whether or not Kaos Studios can pull out the big, anti-occupational guns this time around, so we're remaining cautiously hopeful for Homefront.%Gallery-65785%
Protect America from North Korea in THQ's new FPS: Homefront
In Red Dawn, a classic film written by John Milius, ordinary American citizens are called upon to defend against a Russian invasion on American soil. In Homefront, a new THQ FPS written by John Milius, ordinary American citizens are called upon to defend against a North Korean invasion on American soil. They also take to calling themselves "The Badgers," after the local high school lacrosse team. No, no, we made that last part up.What we're not making up is that the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC game is being developed by Kaos Studios. Its Frontlines: Fuel of War didn't exactly set the world aflame, but it was interesting enough that we're eager to see what the team can do when paired with this fresh-ish premise. The game's supposed to be at E3, so hopefully we'll be able to give you a better idea of what to expect soon.
Kaos Studios hiring for unannounced project
After letting so many employees go, perhaps THQ is running out of pink slips to hand out. The publisher announced that its New York-based Kaos Studios is actually hiring, with new staff set to work on an as-yet-unannounced project from the Frontlines: Fuel of War developer. As for what the game will be, neither company is talking. Still, there are some possible clues, with a handful of job openings on Kaos' website looking for staff with "broad knowledge" on both PCs and consoles, and one in particular seeking someone skilled in the art of taking Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or Wii games online. We cornered a THQ rep earlier, but all we could pry out of her was that the publisher is "very excited" about the project and that it is "saving the details for E3." And Kaos, if that mysterious project doesn't work out, the extra bodies should make decent meat shields should THQ decide to swing its axe your way.
XBLM gets Frontlines DLC and it's 800 MS points
Available for download off the XBLM today is new Frontlines: Fuel of War downloadable content that'll add four mulitplayer maps to the online multiplayer gaming mix. But we think there's a typo on the DLC announcement. For some reason, this 4 Map Pack DLC is listed for 800 Microsoft points which just can't be right. Surely a game like Frontlines wouldn't (and couldn't) charge 800 points for four maps. This has to be a typo ... right?
Grab your free Frontlines 'Bonyeard' DLC
If you are still playing Frontlines: Fuel of War's online multiplayer then we're going to have to label you as both "committed" and "obsessed". So, this post is for those fanboys, because they'll probably be the only ones using this nugget of DLC info to get their download on.Available for FREE as a download off the XBLM is a new Frontlines Boneyard Map which is said to include "never before seen Automatic Shotgun, Rocket Jeep and Red Star Transport Helicopter" and "Shilnaya Balka missile silos" ... fun! This is the first of five (possibly free?) Frontlines multilpayer maps, so keep your eyes peeled for more DLC in the near future. That is if you're one of those "committed" or "obsessed" Frontlines fanboys.
Kaos announces new Frontlines: FoW DLC
Videogamer.com has details on some newly announced Frontlines: Fuel of War downloadable content and, as can be expected from any first person shooter, the DLC is multiplayer focused.Kaos Studios just confirmed that the new Fuel of War DLC has been sent to Microsoft cert and is awaiting the green light to release to the XBLM and is said to include five new multiplayer maps including Boneyard, Hindsight, Sunder, Wide Awake and Infiltration. Make the jump to read a detailed descriptions about each map.We'd also like to say that seeing a developer support their game, no matter which game, after launch with DLC is cool in our book. Judgment free. Though, we'll reserve our developer praise until after the DLC pricing is revealed, because we're admittedly a bit touchy about things like the cost of content. Especially for games that didn't quite break into the popular Xbox Live multiplayer rotation .... just saying.
THQ hooks up 90 servers for Frontlines' launch
With Frontlines: Fuel of War's release this week, THQ has already setup over 90 dedicated servers for online play over Xbox Live. Why the need for dedicated servers other than the fact that it's a nice gesture by THQ? Well, because the game is supporting 50 player versus multiplayer, that's why. THQ confirmed that 50 player versus mayhem will only be enabled on one map ("Village") at launch with the possibility of more maps allowing 50 players in the future. We'll have to see if this crazy idea of having a server farm actually works for Frontlines and also ponder why dedicated servers can't be an industry norm. Down with lag, in with dedicated bandwidth! Hoozah!
Frontlines: FoW now featuring 50 person multiplayer
After releasing not one, but two separate game demos to the XBLM, Frontlines: Fuel of War hasn't really garnered a major following or any sort of hype. But the dev team at Kaos Studios have been keeping their multiplayer cards held close and with their latest feature reveal, hope to get some attention.Confirmed via Kaos Studios' official forums, Frontlines developer deslief made it known that the game will in fact feature 50 player online multiplayer over Xbox Live. 50 players! Kaos says that they initially planned for a 32 player versus and even got up to as many as 73 players, but are settling a rather comfortable 50. Maybe that'll be the bullet point to make some pickup Frontlines, maybe not. Let's just hope multiplayer doesn't end up being a ride through lag-city.[Thanks, Da Crazy Basta]
