THQ Promises No "Steroided-Out" Flag-Wavers in Homefront

[Andy Chalk]

THQ Promises No "Steroided-Out" Flag-Wavers in Homefront

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THQ Vice President Danny Bilson says the upcoming shooter Medal of Honor [http://www.amazon.com/Homefront-Pc/dp/B003Q55Y5C/ref=sr_1_3?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1280769027&sr=1-3] because "there's no steroided-out super-soldier waving the American flag" running around to save the day.

Due out in early 2011, Homefront is set in the year 2027, when a reunited and nuclear-armed Korea invades the United States, which is in the grip of an almost total economic collapse. Players will join the American resistance and engage the occupiers with a combination of advanced, near-future technology and guerrilla tactics. The game will be a military shooter, but THQ's [http://www.thq.com/] Bilson said it will be substantially different from its contemporaries in at least one way.

"The most important thing about Homefront is that it completely differentiates from [Call of Duty and Medal of Honor]," he told CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=256276]. "There's no steroided-out, super-soldier, waving the American flag, saying, you know [puts on gruff Yankee voice], 'We're Rangers. Toughest guys in the world.' You know? It's like, no interest in that."

"We're a global company. No jingoism here," he continued. "What we're telling the story of is civilians fighting for their homes. We've created this massive world of 2027. And it's global. We haven't got there yet but you're going to see Homefront: London later on in the franchise. This is not just a game in the U.S."

Bilson actually worked as a writer on a number of earlier Medal of Honor games, including Rising Sun [http://www.amazon.com/Medal-Honor-Frontline-Playstation-2/dp/B00005V6BB/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1280769444&sr=1-1], but he said the "tonality" of Homefront will be entirely unlike that of the current crop of military-themed shooters. "It's violence with consequence. There is civilian misery in this game," he explained. "There's a sequence where you and your guys go into a neighborhood and they want you out - even though they're Americans. They don't want the Koreans coming there and they don't want to get shot at."

"In last year's Call Of Duty where they kind of got to America during a Russian invasion, not there were no civilians anywhere. It was like being on a lot in a movie studio," he said. "Everything was pristine. It was really fun - loved the game, those guys are brilliant. But our mission is to go where the other guys aren't. We're using the skills of our team to their best advantage."

Homefront is being developed by Kaos Studios [http://www.amazon.com/Frontlines-Fuel-War-Pc/dp/B000UB3B3W/ref=sr_1_2?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1280769558&sr=1-2] for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.


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[The DSM]

I like that idea.

Some companies belive that if a shooter doesnt have 100 American flags in the first 10 mintes it will scare the American gamers away.

Its a good idea, but Ill wait to hear about the execution.

 

[Distorted Stu]

Too much American willy waving for my like. I think il pass.. (The trailer was well made).

 

[megs1120]

For people going for a grounded setting, the war they're imagining should be a bit less ridiculous. North Korea reuniting the Korean peninsula? A Korean invasion of the United States? You've got to be kidding me.

 

[Chipperz]

Sold. Sold, sold and sold. This game has the capacity to go international, especially seeing as the tone seems to suggest that America won't be winning this one - a United Korean invasion of Europe would be awesome.

Also, hoping for character customization in this above and beyond "how fast do you want to run with your knife out?"

EDIT - Another reason for America to lose and for Korea to attack Europe - the line "We've been the bloody UK longer than you have, mate! *bang*"

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

Interesting. Tad ironic that the first half of the game's title is made to look like the American flag, though.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Would you look at that, a shooter that actually presents a relatively believable backstory for the "evil country invades America" plot. That's good.

Trailer looked nice too, nice use of existing footage. That also shows what kind of power the media has; with the right amount of cutting and pasting, you can create or distort any kind of story, interview or whatever.

Too much American willy waving for my like. I think il pass.. (The trailer was well made).

Wait...whut? This article is about that they're not going to do that as they dislike it themselves.

Interesting. Tad ironic that the first half of the game's title is made to look like the American flag, though.

Well it is America that's being invaded, the war being on their turf.

 

[sagacious]

I was interested until I read it was by the same people that made Frontlines fuel of war. That game pushed the envelope in terms of how terrible a game can be in graphics, gameplay and story.

Also, Homefront: London would be infinitely more interesting, and i'm saying that as an american.

 

[Le_Lisra]

But there will be still someone (allegedly) awesome running around saving the day, I guess.

 

[Korten12]

snip

Well I am loving Frontlines, so I hope this is good also.

 

[HK_01]

Funny, considering the trailer is the most "flag-waving" one I've seen in my life for a game (that I can recall now, tell me if there's one that's worse).

 

[Distorted Stu]

Would you look at that, a shooter that actually presents a relatively believable backstory for the "evil country invades America" plot. That's good.

Trailer looked nice too, nice use of existing footage. That also shows what kind of power the media has; with the right amount of cutting and pasting, you can create or distort any kind of story, interview or whatever.

Too much American willy waving for my like. I think il pass.. (The trailer was well made).

Wait...whut? This article is about that they're not going to do that as they dislike it themselves.

Interesting. Tad ironic that the first half of the game's title is made to look like the American flag, though.

Well it is America that's being invaded, the war being on their turf.

Its just too american for me, i mean, i don't recall seeing British or other allies troops being mentioned once. It was just Korea VS the world with the US being the hero.. thus making the figurative American willy even bigger. Patrioism makes me cringe.

 

[inFAMOUSCowZ]

i really hope the game turns out to be great. Frontlines was fun but nothing amazing.

 

[Jonny49]

Homefront: London? Now that would be cool.

 

[Mr. McFuzzers]

The trailer looked good. Maybe I will be getting this game after all...

 

[Cowabungaa]

Its just too american for me, i mean, i don't recall seeing British or other allies troops being mentioned once. It was just Korea VS the world with the US being the hero.. thus making the figurative American willy even bigger. Patrioism makes me cringe.

There is one trailer about this game. ONE! How on earth can you know that? And I'm not sure whether you actually read the article, but:

There's a sequence where you and your guys go into a neighborhood and they want you out - even though they're Americans.

Doesn't sound very AMERICA, FUCK YEAH! now does it?

I wouldn't be so quick to judge about a game with one teeny tiny trailer that just explains the backstory, and pretty much nothing about what we'll actually see in the game. Who says that the Americans won't be reinforced by EU troops at one point? Who says they'll actually win?

As for America being portrayed as the hero, that makes me doubt whether you've actually seen the trailer. Riots, financial crisis, fuel problems, you name it. If anything this trailer makes America look like anything bút the valiant last bastion of freedom, but a crumbling old superpower in danger of being annexed.

All this article is about is how they don't want to make it your average 'Go America go!' shooter. That's all there is to it, that's all we know about it.