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Report: How Homefront's developer crumbled
The slow demise of Kaos Studios leading up to its June 2011 closure has been attributed to poor management and a misallocation of resources, according to conversations anonymous ex-staff members had with Gamasutra. One of the Homefront developers believed THQ's "plan was to close the studio regardless."Management issues reportedly stemmed from inexperienced team members leading more qualified peers during Homefront's development. One ex-staff member said the studio "had this level of leads with tons and tons of experience, and you had the directors with much less." Those directors "didn't listen to the very talented team they hired."Former THQ Executive VP of Core Games Danny Bilson was also the target of former team members' frustrations. Ex-staffers spoke of Bilson's heavy involvement in Homefront's development and his tendency to "hand out mandates on high and then disappear," adding that "he's not qualified to talk about game mechanics."We've contacted THQ for comment on this story.
Wasteland Diaries: A fond farewell
Fallen Earth's Alpha County: the first installment of Sector 4 is here at long last. There was a time when the place was considered a myth by many wastelanders, but it has finally become a reality. If you want to see what it has in store, check it out for yourself. It's very likely that's what I'm currently doing. Since the patch date got pushed back a day, I wasn't able to do a piece on my first impressions of the new zone. Maybe I'll handle that next week. I've instead decided to do a retrospective on what I am leaving behind in Fallen Earth, a fond farewell to some of the things that will no longer matter. There are a great many things I will miss as I cross over into S4, and there will be a great many things I won't miss. As a creature of habit, I fear change, but I'm trying to be as optimistic as possible. With that in mind, after the cut, I'll try to concentrate on some of the changes that I'll be pleased about.
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.
Wasteland Diaries: Choose your clan
If you are playing Fallen Earth and you are not in a clan, you are doing it wrong. The importance of clan membership cannot be overstated. There are simply too many benefits to not find one that suits you. There is safety in numbers if you are a PvPer. It's nice to team up on that nasty boss with your PvE buddies. And roleplaying by yourself isn't roleplaying at all; it's just being weird. We need to interact with other people to get the most out of an MMO game. Hence: clans. Finding a clan to join is easy. Finding the best clan for you is a bit more complicated. In order to make it a little bit easier for you to choose the clan that's best for you, I have compiled a list of Fallen Earth clans for you to check out. I've supplied their requirements, playstyle focus, and website when available -- some clans are more secretive than others (or maybe less formal). So click past the cut and start your search for your new BFFs.
Wasteland Diaries: RP-PvP
In Fallen Earth, I spend most of my time PvPing. Well, actually, I probably spend most of my time waiting or preparing to PvP. I engage in PvE content out of necessity. In order to be effective in PvP, one needs levels and chips and gear. If this stuff could be earned through PvP alone, then that's all I would ever do. The situation has gotten better with the FCP rewards and XP for PvP, but it still isn't really enough. The other prominent playstyle in Fallen Earth, one I usually shy away from, is roleplaying. Some people will never do it, and some people are always in character. Most of us fall somewhere in between. This week I dipped my toe into the RP field. I would normally never decide to attend a roleplaying event, but lately I've been trying to broaden my horizons. Knowing there was a possibility of some PvP action solidified my decision to head down to New Flagstaff for Rowdy's Bunker of Blues. This is an event held every Wednesday night at the bunker bar by the pond in the center of the city. There was a live DJ and free drinks (plus the aforementioned possibility of a fight), so why not? After the cut, I'll describe what happened there and how I did when I threw my hat into the RP arena.
Metareview: Homefront
There is definitely a war going on in Homefront, especially in the game's review scores. We weren't exactly keen on the game, but hardly anybody seems to be. The general consensus has the game taking significant lambasting by outlets over the short, mediocre single-player campaign, tempered by what the title has going on in multiplayer: GamePro (4/5): "Homefront does a whole lot right, delivering powerful imagery and actions on the single-player side, as well as interesting multiplayer alterations, but neither end feels fully realized. ... Should Kaos expand on this promising start with meaningful and memorable additions in a sequel, Homefront may prove a potent franchise in no time at all." Game Informer (70/100): "Thanks to some well-crafted maps and a unique in-game economy, the multiplayer fares better than the campaign. Rather than give each team a set number of vehicles at the start of the match, Homefront rewards you with Battle Points for each kill, assist, or flag capture." IGN (70/100): "[Homefront] controls and feels like a typical shooter, looks like a game that's several years old, and most importantly, has an inexcusably brief campaign. Multiplayer is Homefront's redeeming quality, and those gamers out there who are like me and swoon for alternate/future history settings should certainly look into it. " 1UP (B-): "Kaos Studios has made a competent shooter to accompany an engrossing story, one I'm more than willing to finish (assuming a sequel will be made). Multiplayer is where the game's real value lies, and it's certainly more than competent. There's a polish to the online mode that speaks to the developer's true talent." Giant Bomb (3/5): "Whether or not you decide to pick up Homefront should rely entirely on how much you want to play its multiplayer. It's not quite exciting or remarkable enough to trump the current giants of online dude-shooting, but it's a solidly crafted mode made comparatively impressive by just how tremendously mediocre the game's single-player campaign proves to be." %Gallery-104301%
Homefront mobilizes launch trailer
Homefront is prepared for its March 15 launch, sending out the final trailer to gather troops for battle against The Great Leader.
Homefront fires off its multiplayer carnage trailer
THQ's made it no secret that Homefront's design "emphasis is on multiplayer." This trailer seeks to tempt multiplayer shooter fans away from their beloved Call of Duty and Battlefield.
Homefront live-action trailer keeps nursery rhyme marketing alive
A Dead Space 2 trailer used "Ring Around the Rosie," and now Homefront's going with "Pop Goes the Weasel." We're calling it now: "Puff, the Magic Dragon" for Skyrim.
Homefront arriving one week late on March 15
During THQ's investor call today, president and CEO Brian Farrell repositioned Homefront's launch from March 8 to March 15. A THQ rep confirmed the delay to Joystiq, saying, "We moved our Homefront launch date by one week to March 15." No specific reason was given for the move, but the launches of Pokemon Black & White and Dragon Age 2 on March 8 go a long way in explaining it. The rest of THQ's statement seems to reflect our supposition: "We think we have a great opportunity to dominate retail on this date." Tell that to Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's World Championship 2011: Over the Nexus.
Kaos employees concerned about studio move or closure
Though the Kaos Studios team is currently in New York toiling away on Homefront, some are worried it'll be the last game they make in the city, according to a Develop report. A Kaos source told the publication that some staffers have voiced concerns that they'll be uprooted after the project is finished and moved to THQ's new, tax-friendly 400-person-capacity studio in Montreal. Kaos boss David Votypka didn't dismiss the employee concerns when Develop asked for his take on them. He admitted "the goal has always been to find a way to utilize [the Montreal facility] in future Kaos projects" as "New York is not the most inexpensive location to develop games." But exactly how that move would shake out -- whether it would result in two homes for Kaos, or the studio closing and being enveloped by THQ Montreal -- is unclear. Votypka said that while various scenarios have been submitted to THQ, he doesn't expect a final decision "for some time yet." We imagine much of the eventual decision rests on how well Homefront performs when it launches on March 8.
THQ and Kaos defend 6 month 'crunch' for Homefront
Accusations of an exhaustive "crunch" at Homefront developer Kaos have been met head-on by parent company THQ and the studio's general manager David Votypka. Develop is covering all sides of the issue, including Votypka's acknowledgement that the studio has been crunching for the last six months, with 10 hour days. He notes, "If this seems unique or abhorrent, I would have to suggest that any assessment regarding a 10 hour work day would need to consider a much larger segment of the American workforce." The anonymous employee also wrote up their own piece for Develop expressing fears about "THQ publicly [saying] things that glorify crunch time." The source feels that management shouldn't have put the team on a schedule that created this extended, "seven day a week crunch mode." "Crunch," loosely defined as the overtime-intensive period before a game ships, is an industry standard. The issue certainly gets sensitive whenever brought up, and it always seems like the specter of EA Spouse is watching the conversation.
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%
Engadget's recession antidote: win a KORG KAOSSILATOR and a copy of Matt & Kim's album "Grand"
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff or companies stop sending things. Today we've got something really special for our musician-readers: a KORG Kaossilator Dynamic Phrase Synthesizer, and a copy of Matt and Kim's album, Grand. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff! More information -- and another photo -- after the break.Huge thanks to Korg for providing the gear!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) KORG Kaossilator and one (1) copy of Matt and Kim's album, Grand. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Monday, May, 4th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Frontlines: Fuel of War Achievements
We saw the ones for Army of Two earlier in the week, and those seemed rather creative considering the genre and publisher. While that game has been criticized harshly in the games press and populace, Frontlines has been given just a bit more faith in the hope that it might do things a bit differently. Well, those supposed differences do not shine through at all in the Achievements. To the game's credit it does have two secret Achievements (one worth 0 points, to boot) but actual goals are rather linear (beat level one, beat level two, etc). Though they do attempt to bring in a bit of creativity by doing a set similar to the Halo 3 meta-game Achievements, in which the goal is to beat certain levels in certain time limits. There's also a set that involves beating the levels without dying. So, if you were incredibly uber you could conceivably beat the game in one sitting and receive 21 Achievements over the course of the session just from the ones associated with the levels. Trying to create artificial replay value are they? Well, the reactions to the demos have been mixed so we'll have to see if the final gameplay can hold up to their plans for player engrossment.
Frontlines: Fuel of War Developer Q&A
To coincide with the release of the Frontlines: Fuel of War multi-player demo, the senior producer Joe Halper gave the site totally360.com a quick interview to address a myriad of issues. A good chunk is devoted to the games new and novel approach to things in a genre muddled with sameness. The folks at Kaos seem to know of this problem and appear to be focused on the things that will make their game stand out from the pack. With the drones, the frontline itself, the destructible environments and the various vehicles that shouldn't be too hard to do. Though some of the talk around the multi-player is a bit dodgy, we can now find out for ourselves. The Q&A effectively finishes off with the assertion that Frontlines has the potential to rank up there with Halo 3 and COD 4 at the top the most played list. Does it? We'll be able to find out in exactly two weeks.
Rumor: Frontlines canceled on PS3
Kaos' upcoming multiplatform FPS may be dropping the PS3 version. The title was originally planned for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 release. However, the PS3 version has mysteriously vanished from retailer databases. Comments from moderators do little to quell the fear that the PS3 version has been quietly axed. An official comment from THQ is yet unavailable, but we wouldn't be surprised if the game was either canceled altogether, or significantly delayed. Once again, could this be yet another title that has fallen by the wayside due to the PS3's uniquely difficult architecture? And more importantly, do any PS3 fans care about the loss of this FPS, in light of upcoming releases, such as Haze and Resistance 2?[Thanks, Michael! Via WorthPlaying]
Today's sneakiest game video: Frontlines - Fuel of War hidden tour
Sneaky hidden videos will always score high on our list, particularly if they don't involve Britney, Paris, and Lindsay. It's time we reclaimed their 15 minutes because they've run into serious overtime.So, the story behind this video is as follows: 'Games For Windows' Magazine recently filmed a totally unathorized, hidden video tour of Kaos Studios for a piece about Frontlines: Fuel of War. They weren't thrilled about having their HQ filmed Geraldo-style, but THQ (the publisher) didn't want to retaliate against the magazine, for fear that they would give them a bad review in return.So, once all the smoke has cleared, what does that leave us with? Frankly, not too much. Either it's a well planned "fake" secret video, or else it's a new wave of marketing going into effect that really embraces the old adage "there's no such thing as bad publicity." Of course, nothing really groundbreaking or damaging was revealed in this video ... or was it? Does this mean we can start running around developer HQs with a camera, knowing that they won't want us to pan their upcoming games? Hmmmmmm ...
Frontlines brings 64 person multiplayer [update 1]
Update: An inside source reports to us that the information in Game Informer is a misprint. Matches over Xbox Live will be limited to 32 players. The PC version, however, should support 64 players online. Too bad, though 32 is nothing to sneeze at.The latest issue of Game Informer has a spread on Frontlines: Fuel of War, developed by Kaos Studios. Announced last April, Frontlines: Fuel of War is a military FPS featuring vehicular combat and advanced weaponry. The biggest tidbit of information, however, is revealed in the game's description. Should you walk by a copy of Game Informer in your local grocery store, flip to page 72 and focus your eyes directly under the title: "Up to 64-player via Xbox Live." You may be compelled to rub your eyes and unleash a hearty "whaa?" It's understandable. So there you go, from some of the same people that brought you Battlefield 2 comes 64 player madness.Anyone looking forward to this now?
KDDI's au Design Project yields four phones
Those crazy cats over at Japan's KDDI are back at it with another four concept handsets as part of their "au Design Project," a collaboration with various designers that's been carrying on for some time now to draw attention to their network. Coined the Infobar 2, Kaos, Cypres, and Vols (pictured), the phones aren't technically destined for production, but let's be honest: this stuff doesn't seem much more far out than garden variety Japanese mobile hardware.[Via and for the umpteenth time...]
