Homefront Message Board older than one year ago

#unreality In a slightly different reality Japan is a vassal state to the Greater Republic of Korea, much of the United States has become the New Korean Federation of Occupied America and I'm the shadowy figurehead of a seditious and violent anti-Korean movement. More »

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.

Kaos Studios' Homefront has gone "gold" and is under two weeks away from being released. We found out yesterday afternoon about one scenario that didn't make the cut: protecting a dumpster ... with a baby in it.

Lead single-player designer Chris Cross (real name!) related a story about the team's process of involving civilian presence in the game. Cross said his team wanted to "make it relevant without making it cheap." As it turns out, relevant became a little crazy -- at least initially.

"We went through all kinds of crazy crap! We put a baby in a dumpster and were using that as a bullet shield," Cross explained, heartily laughing. "We were trying a bunch of very strange ideas."

We'll be doggedly exploring every dumpster we find in Homefront in search of secret (baby) easter eggs when the game ships on March 15.

#trailer I don't care which players are playing which side in this new trailer for THQ's Homefront; when a White Castle goes up in flames, everybody loses. More »

Drop a bomb to the multiplayer gameplay featured in this GDC 2011 trailer.

As heavily hinted at in comments made by Homefront devs Kaos Studios and publisher THQ eariler this year, it looks like the future of the franchise won't be created solely in The Big Apple. Senior VP of Core Studios Dave Davis spoke to the THQ Montreal/Kaos Studios collaboration during a studio head roundtable this afternoon at GDC. "Wherever the talent is, we will have our studios," Davis told us, though he admitted that "Manhattan is an incredibly expensive place." Yeah, we know all about it, Dave. He also added, "There isn't a talent pool -- most of the people we have there are imported to NYC."

That said, he doesn't see Kaos shutting its doors as its employees relocate to The Great White North. In fact, Kaos has already worked with the Montreal studio (in a relatively cursory sense) on the first game in the franchise. "When finishing Homefront, we had about 10-11 people who helped shipped the original Homefront. And that was talent that we got from Montreal that we couldn't get anywhere else," Davis said. He further assured us that "We're trying to do the best thing for the product and the best thing for the studio, and going forward there will definitely be collaboration." What's not clear is if collaboration means consolidation in this case.

Say what you will about the silly and even careless marketing campaign for Homefront, but it appears to be working, as THQ core games VP Danny Bilson told Eurogamer that Homefront has racked up more pre-orders than any other game in the publisher's history. Bilson didn't reveal worldwide numbers, though he noted that 200,000 pre-orders have been made in the US alone.

That would seem to be good news for developer Kaos Studios, whose employees voiced concern over a possible studio move or closure after Homefront's completion. Bilson intimated that the developer's fate rests on the success of the game, saying that sales would "help influence" what might happen going forward; and he insisted THQ hasn't made any decisions at this point. "That's the truth."

"A lot of it has to do with how successful [Homefront] is and how strong that core team comes out on the other side," said Bilson, adding that he "loves" Kaos and that THQ is "trying to do what's best for everyone."

We figured that the fake North Korean protest staged during GDC as part of the Homefront marketing campaign was going to draw controversy -- but we couldn't have predicted this debacle. THQ's staged rally, meant to "decry the North Korean regime and the treatment of its citizens," ended in a symbolic release of ten thousand red GameStop-branded balloons. While majestic at first, bad weather quickly deflated the balloons, causing a downpour of promotional garbage directly into the San Francisco bay.

Environmentalists were not pleased, especially when they discovered that the balloons had advertisements attached to them, highlighting the "resistance multiplayer pack," a pre-order bonus. "Obviously, we have a problem with polluting of the bay and this is just polluting and littering," Amy Ricard, a spokeswoman for the environmental group Save the Bay, told SFGate.

GameStop was quick to issue a statement, distancing itself from the poorly-received event. "The balloon drop stunt in San Francisco was created by THQ ... and GameStop had no prior knowledge of it." THQ later issued a statement, confirming GameStop's non-involvement, adding that the balloons were "100 percent organic product and are 100 percent biodegradable."

Although the company promises to clean up its mess, many are still furious at THQ's tasteless promotion. Perhaps THQ should stick to ... taste-ful stunts.

[Photo credit: Mathew Grimm / Special to The Chronicle; source]

10,000 red balloons? Sure. Speeches by global experts? You bet! A whole mess of hired protesters? Also that! But Dillinger Escape Plan? That we did not expect to see at THQ's Homefront rally this morning outside of GDC. And how does THQ's veep of Core Games explain the inclusion of the hardcore show? "They're a great local band who would bring people out!" he told us. "Even in the rain!" And we can't help but agree with the former statement (aren't they from New Jersey, Danny?).

Alongside the red (allegedly biodegradeable) balloons and red Homefront signs Dillinger Escape Plan fans and passersby both enjoyed the hardcore music stylings of classic Dillinger Escape Plan tunes. There's also a strong possibility that some folks were moshing. Including some press. Maybe us ... maybe.

Bilson continued, explaining the rally as a means "to highlight the story aspects of Homefront." He also hesitantly admitted, "We're trying to do more and more things to market our game. Just trying to do something different, ya know?"

He further detailed the rally as showing off Homefront's "social science fiction," and hopes it'll "get people thinking about more than just pulling triggers." It certainly got us thinking about more than just pulling triggers. For instance -- making sure we weren't being trampled by die-hard Dillinger Escape Plan fans.

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.

#ruhroh GameStop's Homefront promotion for the Game Developers Conference involved releasing hundreds of red balloons in the downtown of one of the most environmentally conscious cities in America. Many floated into its neighboring bay. Bad idea? Yeah, you could say that. More »

THQ puts the war in perspective with this live action hybrid trailer for Homefront from GDC 2011!

THQ's literal Homefront marketing machine, the "Korean taco"-peddling Pyongyang Express, has made its scheduled appearance at GDC 2011. Its "Subsidized Good Food for a Better America" is being (orderly) distributed free of charge -- although consuming it is, technically, eating away at freedom.

Surprised? Yeah, we're not either. Turns out that THQ is once again planning a North Korean-themed event , though this time it's GDC that the publisher is invading. As reported by the SF Weekly, anti-North Korean protesters (read: hired actors) will be marching across the Golden Gate bridge, through the streets of SF, and ending across the street from GDC at Yerba Buena Gardens. And as you likely inferred from the headline above, the protest is staged in promotion of the company's next game, Homefront.

This time around, the spectacle intends on decrying "North Korea's human rights violations," and apparently features "speeches by global experts, musical performances, and the launch of 10,000 balloons." We're not sure what the balloons have to do with the forthcoming launch of Homefront, but we're all about decrying human rights violations. So, um, score?

#feartactics The people who want to sell you the video game Homefront aren't selling pillows or hot cocoa on a cold day. Their pitch isn't cozy. It appears to be... fear? More »

Highly anticipated first person shooter Homefront sponsors rally to witness future history.

Lead the resistance against North Korea.

Original music score composed by Matthew Harwood, recorded with a-list musicians in New York.

I was not impressed by Homefront's single-player campaign when I first previewed it three months ago. Apparently, Kaos Studios took notice. With the game's release only a month away, an updated preview build -- covering the first three levels of the story mode -- has been sent out to press, and I was shocked to find that nearly every complaint I had with the older build has been addressed. Add in its compelling multiplayer component, and Homefront just might have what it takes to survive in the ultra-competitive FPS market.

Homefront's core narrative as it's imagined in the gameworld is still every bit as arresting in the updated build. Witnessing the game's North Korean occupation of Anytown, USA for the second time was no less brutal to bear. Civilians are rounded up and executed, with the cries of newly orphaned children coldly ignored. It's hard to imagine that the gravitas of the game's opening moments could carry on throughout the story, but Homefront manages to keep this momentum going. In the next two levels, you'll go through a detainment camp, the ruins of a school and a garbage dump ... filled with dead bodies.

Looking for a special something to make that Homefront pre-order more attractive? Pay attention then, as pre-order bonuses have been revealed ... if you buy from the right retailer, that is. For those into more tangible bonuses, Best Buy is offering Homefront branded headsets for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game (pictured). Meanwhile, GameStop and the UK's GAME are offering an exclusive weapon and some day one item unlocks. Specifically, GameStop pre-orders will receive the 870 Express Shotgun, air recon drone, auto repair ability and the SCAR L. GameStop's offer applies to the Xbox 360, PS3 and PS3 versions of the game.

The Homefront Facebook page doesn't mention it, but Amazon has a few pre-order goodies of its own, namely some Xbox 360 or PS3 avatar outfits, a digital mini guide and a $10 credit toward a future game purchase.

#homefront Earlier this month, it was revealed that first-person shooter Homefront was going to be changed for Japan. Today, the game's Japanese publisher finally explained why. More »

North Korea's hypothetical invasion hits close to home.

Popular food truck franchise expands to serve the hardworking people of Los Angeles and San Francisco in glorious return.

THQ is deploying the Pyongyang Express, its fleet of North Korean-inspired food trucks, once again from February 22 through March 21 in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Homefront marketing like this is all fun and games until some food truck promotion sets off a nuclear incident.

In the spirit of the franchise motto of "Subsidized Good Food for a Better America," the trucks will sell tacos, burritos and rice bowls for a couple bucks. If you're a local, track the trucks by following the PyongyangBBQ Twitter. Oh yeah, and if you want to actually play Homefront early, they'll have the game available to demo at the truck on select days.

For those heading to the Game Developers Conference, a truck will apparently be stationed near San Francisco's Moscone Center from February 28 until March 4. Let us know how the food is!

Microsoft will issue a new Xbox 360 bundle in Europe that includes THQ's Homefront, this according to a post on GamerZines. The package is pegged to offer a 250GB Xbox 360 S console, one wireless controller and, of course, a copy of the game. A price and launch date for the set have yet to be revealed, though it'll likely be around the game's European launch date, March 18.

The news comes in the wake of announcements from Microsoft and THQ that Xbox Live members will get first dibs on Homefront DLC, and even a 360-exclusive multiplayer map. This sort of promotion -- the publisher getting its game in the box with the console -- could very well be part of what Microsoft is providing in exchange for the early content access.

We've contacted THQ to get the lowdown on this proposed new bundle. As soon as the intel breaks through the front lines, we'll pass it along.

On March 15, gamers (nay, patriots!) will enlist in the resistance in THQ's Homefront. This latest trailer is a good primer on what you're in for: lots of shooting, explosions and body bags. Honestly, the only thing missing from this trailer is that Drowning Pool song.

#video Homefront's version of the "second American Revolution" will pit U.S. citizen against North Korean invader, restoring freedom to our nation's White Castles, Hooters and gas stations with a feel-good bloodbath. More »

Will you welcome our new North Korean overlords, or will you join the resistance like a boss?

#culturesmash One of the last year's most uncomfortable experiences was sitting in a room full of Japanese press and watching as North and South Korea united and then overran Japan. That experience, however, is now lost to time, and the game, first person shooter Homefront, is all the less interesting because of it. More »

After bringing Metro 2033 and Red Faction: Guerrilla to Japanese retailers, Spike has been tasked with adapting THQ's Homefront as well. Unlike the previous titles, however, Homefront's main themes clash with acceptable game content standards in the country, according to Japan's CERO game rating guidelines. In order to bring the game up to code, Spike has detailed three main changes on the game's official Japanese website (via Andriasang):

In one live action sequence in the game's opening movie that depicts North Korean leader Kim Jong-il as having died, the image of Kim Jong-il has been removed. In scenes that have been deemed malicious to an existing country, said country is now referred to as 'A Certain Country to the North.' In scenes that have been deemed malicious to an existing person, said person is now referred to as 'Northern Leader.' We've dropped edited and unedited versions of the game's opening after the break for comparison's sake. Glory in the Great Leader or not -- the choice is yours!