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THQ shutters Homefront dev Kaos Studios and THQ Digital Warrington
Manhattan-based Kaos Studios -- developers of Frontlines: Fuel of War and Homefront -- has been closed. THQ confirmed the closure to Joystiq this afternoon, noting that the company's UK-based studio, THQ Digital Warrington, has also been closed. The Warrington studio previously worked on Red Faction Battlegrounds and Warhammer 40K: Kill Team. A statement from THQ additionally explains that employees at each studio have been alerted. Beyond a cursory note about "strategic realignment within its internal studio structure," no other specifics are given as to the why the studios were closed, but its not as though the closure of Kaos Studios was unexpected. In the meantime, Homefront development has been transferred to the company's Montreal studio. THQ states that the laid off employees will be given a chance to interview at other internal studios, such as Montreal and Toronto. The full statement is available beyond the break. Update: Due to UK law requiring employers to give a 60 day warning before layoffs, THQ says that THQ Warrington employees' warning "starts today ... and it is longer than 30 days." Given that, it's "not an immediate closure," but "a notification process leading to closure" for the UK-based studio.
THQ calls Red Faction: Battlegrounds reception a 'disappointment'
During an event today promoting SyFy's Red Faction: Origins tie-in movie, THQ's creative / biz dev director Lenny Brown shared with Joystiq his thoughts on the reception of the recent download-only release in the franchise, Red Faction: Battlegrounds. "I think it's a little bit of a disappointment," he told us bluntly, with the bulk of that letdown caused by the game's Metacritic score, currently sitting at 49 out of 100. "I think what's most disappointing for me," Brown said, "is how sometimes the prose of the reviews don't match the final score. Someone will say something not necessarily glowing, but you think you're tracking along a 7, and then you get a 4." Our own review gave the game two out of five stars. "That's not talking about the fairness of the score of this game in particular," he clarified. "It's not the best game in the world, but it's not a 5. It's a satisfactory experience that leads into the bigger game. And I think just because of what we're trying to do, that's innovative, and I think that alone deserves a 7."
Red Faction Battlegrounds review: Get your half-ass to Mars
Man, is there anything more pretentious than a game reviewer? Just look at him, stirring his whole leaf Darjeeling tea with a gold-rimmed monocle, sneering at any game that doesn't aspire to turn Roger Ebert into a weepy Gamestop customer. Why can't he just enjoy a four-player vehicular combat game for its simple pleasures and stimulating explosions? I tried, between sips. Despite ticking some appealing boxes and crates of TNT, Red Faction Battlegrounds is a tepid pursuit of the bare minimum, resistant to the creative nudge that could have made it feel like something worthwhile. Everything works, it does what it says on the tin, but there's not a spark of personality in there. Even the ties to Red Faction are superficial -- the tanks, armored cars and bipedal mechs could have been from any game and any planet.%Gallery-120476%
XBLA in Brief: Red Faction: Battlegrounds
This ain't your granddaddy's Red Faction. We'd wager it's not your daddy's Red Faction either. Nope, Red Faction: Battlegrounds is a horse of an entirely different color. Specifically, it's a fixed-view car combat game with a focus on party-style multiplayer. Quite the departure, right? Check out the latest XBLA in Brief and see it for yourself. [iTunes] Subscribe to XBLA in Brief directly in iTunes. [Zune] Subscribe to the XBLA in Brief directly. [RSS] Add the XBLA in Brief feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [M4V] Download the M4V directly.
European PSN releases for April 6
There's no time to waste with silly banter, dear reader -- this week's European PSN update is a doozy. There's the downloadable launch of MAG, a beta for SOCOM: Special Forces, a demo for Motorstorm Apocalypse, and the arrival of Red Faction Battlegrounds, just for starters. To top it all off, there's another round of discounts and permanent price cuts on PSP classics, and a huge batch of PlayStation Plus bonuses. You'd better start reading the full list after the jump. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Red Faction: Battlegrounds launch screens and trailer roll out
Man, it seems like our whole day has been about Red Faction: Battlegrounds. Not only is THQ Digital's destruction derby available today on PSN (and tomorrow on Xbox Live), but the studio has released a metric ton of screenshots and a launch trailer, both of which are posted after the jump.
PSN Tuesday: Red Faction: Battlegrounds, StarDrone, Angry Birds sale
This week's PSN update adds two very different type of arcade titles: Red Faction: Battlegrounds is the vehicular combat game that somehow ties into the Red Faction universe. Don't think about it too hard, just drive around for $10 and blow stuff up. Meanwhile the Move-supported StarDrone is a hybrid pinball / brick-breaking game. Check out the videos for a better idea. It should also be noted that the excellent Lara Croft: Guardian Of Light is 50 percent off for $7.49. Also, the phenomenon that is Angry Birds has come in step on PSN with its iOS cousins, as the game is available now for $1.99 instead of $3.99 Greedy green pigs can head on past the break and steal a glance at all of this week's DLC. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Red Faction: Armageddon pre-orders get Battlegrounds at GameStop, Amazon
Red Faction: Armageddon may seem like a generally mean addition to the video game industry, what with all its subterranean maneaters and appetite for destruction. In reality, it's actually quite generous -- the list of pre-order bonuses for the title is long and varied, featuring in-game freebies like the sneaky Recon uniform (Best Buy), a 24-page comic prequel to the game (Walmart) and even vouchers for a free download of Red Faction: Battlegrounds (GameStop and Amazon). Check out the full list of who's offering what just past the jump!
Red Faction: Battlegrounds coming April 5 for $10, distributed free as PS Plus incentive
An email recently distributed by Sony to PlayStation Network users contained a flabbergasting amount of news regarding THQ's next, miniature installation of the Red Faction franchise, Battlegrounds. First off, the email confirms the game will drop in North America on PSN (and assumedly XBLA) in the same week as Europe, on April 5. Entry to the 'grounds will run shoppers $9.99 (800 Microsoft Points). However, if you'd like to eschew that fee, you can simply enroll in the PlayStation Plus program before March 25 -- doing so will allow you to grab the game for free and keep it forever. It's unclear whether this deal's available for everyone, or just the people who received the aforementioned invitational email; we can't imagine Sony left too many people off that mailing list, though. They rarely care about exclusivity when it's money time.
Red Faction's Battlegrounds open up in Europe this April
THQ's downloadable game about Mars cars, Red Faction: Battlegrounds, will launch in Europe in the first week of April, according to a statement from THQ to Eurogamer. No North American date has been announced, but the overwhelming majority of PSN and XBLA releases arrive here the same week as they do in Europe. It's therefore safe to assume you'll be blasting the surface of Mars in walking mechs, rovers and other vehicles for a good month and a half before Armageddon hits. We're checking with THQ ourselves to make sure.
Red Faction: Battlegrounds beta extended to Oct. 26
If you were one of those lucky few PlayStation Plus members selected for the Red Factions: Battlegrounds beta, you'll have an extra week to zoom around and blow junk up. Word comes via the PlayStation Blog, where Volition community manager J Goldberg also announced that 1,000 more PlayStation Plus members will be invited into the beta. Red Faction: Battlegrounds is a twin-stick shooter in which up to four players engage in vehicular-based combat both online and off. It's expected to launch on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in early 2011.
PlayStation Plus update for Sept. 21: Zen Pinball, Red Faction Battlegrounds beta
The next round of bonuses for PlayStation Plus subscribers looks to be the beefiest yet, with early access to Romino Games' PSN strategy title Sword and Soldiers, free downloads of Zen Pinball, Echoes and Syphon Filter 3, and -- for select members chosen at random and informed via an XMB message -- access to the Red Faction Battlegrounds beta. Click past the jump for the full list of rotating offers and freebies coming in the September 21 PlayStation Plus update.
THQ wants Red Faction: Battlegrounds to be free, or at least cheap
There is likely to be a low barrier of entry for THQ's downloadable Red Faction spinoff, Red Faction: Battlegrounds. At Gamescom, a THQ representative told Joystiq that the company may opt to give the game away as a pre-order bonus for Red Faction: Armageddon. "No price yet," the rep said. "They are talking about possible pre-order specials. It's possible, hasn't been finalized yet, that if you pre-order Armageddon you may be able to toss this in as well. They obviously want to keep it as low as possible." Barring that, he said, THQ hopes to sell it for 400-800 Microsoft Points ($5-10). The freebie strategy fits with THQ core games VP Danny Bilson's strategy to use downloadable games to extend its brands. In addition, the representative offered additional details on the downloadable title's planned DLC. "Two downloadable packs," he said, "one ties into the [Red Faction: Origins] miniseries ... it also has a Armageddon DLC pack."
THQ reveals DLC for Red Faction: Battlegrounds
Red Faction is kind of a big deal -- maybe you didn't know? The franchise is getting its fourth full retail game early next year (Red Faction: Armageddon), a television tie-in on SyFy (Red Faction: Origins), and even a downloadable title for XBLA, PSN, and PC (Red Faction: Battlegrounds). The downloadable property, however, will be getting tied to the other Red Faction ... things in production. Speaking with StrategyInformer, a THQ rep said that two downloadable content packs will be released for Battlegrounds, one of which contains extra vehicles, while the other will somehow tie to the forthcoming Syfy show. Furthermore, Achievements (and presumably Trophies as well) from Battlegrounds will unlock content in Armageddon, though it wasn't made clear what type of content that will be (the coveted ostrich hammer, perchance?). Battlegrounds will be available sometime in "early 2011."
Red Faction Battlegrounds trailer blows up
Curious what Red Faction Battlegrounds – the downloadable title from THQ Digital – is all about? We told you this morning that it's a "topdown car, mech and rover combat title" but what does that even mean? Lucky for you, there's a trailer just after the break and some screens in the gallery below, all designed to communicate what Red Faction Battlegrounds is all about. And that, to quote the trailer's unnamed narrator, is simply "to blow shit up."%Gallery-99560%
Red Faction: Battlegrounds announced for XBLA, PSN by THQ Digital
In a panel at the just-kicked-off GDC Europe conference in Germany, THQ Digital creative director Don Whiteford revealed his studio's first major title, Red Faction: Battlegrounds, being built by a core team of just four people. As reported by Gamasutra, THQ Digital Warrington – formerly known as Juice Games – is working on the companion game, due for release on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network before next year's March retail release of Red Faction: Armageddon. THQ's Danny Bilson previously said it would be available "three or four months" before Armageddon, putting the downloadable title's launch somewhere around December of this year. Gamasutra reported that Battlegrounds is a "topdown car, mech and rover combat title [...] with up to four players on the same screen" and offers the ability to "unlock unique elements in Red Faction: Armageddon." As for why a downloadable Red Faction game comes so close to a major retail release, Whiteford said that while " margins were looking very healthy in this space," a key part of the strategy is "building awareness and loyalty for the company's core brand products." And it seems to be working. This is our fourth post mentioning the game and it's only just been announced! [Update: THQ has dropped the press release – found after the break – and it's got some additional details. First, it's due for release in 2011 so, keeping with Bilson's earlier comments, we imagine an early 2011 launch. The game features destructible environments, just like its console cousins, and supports four-player local and online "pick-up-and-play multiplayer." The game is described as "a fast-paced multiplayer-focused vehicular combat game in which fast-attack vehicles, heavy tanks and combat walkers wreak havoc above ground and beneath the surface of Mars." It's apparently playable at Gamescom this week in Germany, so expect some impressions here shortly!] [Update 2: We've got the first trailer and screens from the game here. Or you can always click the handy "screens" or "video" tabs above.]
THQ registers 'Red Faction Battlegrounds' domain
THQ has a lot of Red Faction transmedia projects going on, so let's add another to the mix: RedFactionBattlegrounds.com. The RF: Battlegrounds domain registration, noticed by Superannuation, is either another non-gaming project or is more likely the name of THQ's Red Faction downloadable title for XBLA and PSN, which is supposed to come out before Red Faction: Armageddon's launch in March. The publisher also currently has Red Faction: Origins, its SyFy original movie (which could turn into a television series), set to premiere next March. At this rate, it'll be fitting if THQ announces Red Faction: Overload for April -- but we doubt it.
THQ's Danny Bilson reveals the universe of Red Faction media
THQ's Core Games VP Danny Bilson contributed to a panel with a few Syfy execs this past weekend at Comic-Con, along with Andrew Kreisberg, writer for the upcoming Red Faction: Origins movie. The panel was about "transmedia" in general and Red Faction specifically, with THQ being a prime example of a company trying to tell (and sell) a universe's stories across multiple platforms and media. The way it's all going to work is that Red Faction Guerilla starred Alex Mason, Red Faction: Origins will star his son and daughter Jake and Myra, and then Red Faction Armageddon will star Darius Mason, Alex's grandson. Kriesberg revealed that the movie will feature "three sort of main factions," and that "they're all sort of right. Everyone thinks this is their planet, and that's what makes the drama." Kriesberg shared one line from the movie that he believes wraps up a major theme: "It's hard to win a war, because the winners have to clean up." Bilson also mentioned the upcoming downloadable game, and said that one of the factions from the movie, the White Faction, will have "elements" in the XBLA and PSN title. Bilson said that THQ's got "two more of these" transmedia properties "in the hopper" -- we presume he means Saints Row and de Blob, both previously revealed to be in progress.
Red Faction downloadable game due before Armageddon
THQ is going to deliver some emergency Red Faction to those fans unable to hold out until the March 2011 release of Armageddon. Danny Bilson, THQ's VP of core games, told CVG to expect a downloadable Red Faction game to hit Xbox Live Arcade and PSN in the interim between Guerrilla and Armageddon. "There's going to be a Red Faction Arcade game that ships about three or four months before Armageddon," Bilson said. "What's interesting is that we will sell it to the fans, it will have content you can download that is TV show-related, it will build up to the new game and also we can use it to drive pre-orders, too; we can give codes and aspects of it, we can give the whole thing away." The TV show to which the game will relate is likely Syfy's Red Faction program, produced as part of a larger multi-franchise partnership between the cable network and THQ. Bilson said that the supplementary downloadable game strategy will be in place for other games. "You'll see it on Red Faction, you'll see it on Saint's Row and a couple of others," he said, adding that a Red Faction comic book was also in the works. Bilson also announced plans to reveal plans this December for "the biggest trans-media play anyone has ever done" related to the Saints Row franchise.
