Live-Action Hawken is Rockin'

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Live-Action Hawken is Rockin'

The live-action trailer for the Hawken web series is very cool, but isn't this supposed to be a videogame?

I can't help but be impressed by this trailer for the Hawken web series that's set to debut in 2013. It's not exactly packed with stars, but it's got that guy from House and that dude from CSI Miami, and the mech combat effects are actually pretty good. It's clear that some real effort and money is being put into this thing, and the results, at least based on this trailer, appear very promising.

As a long-time fan of giant fighting robots I wish nothing but the best for the series, but I can't help wondering just a bit why this is all happening in the first place. Hawken [http://www.playhawken.com/] the videogame - the PC-exclusive, free-to-play online indie shooter - won't even be out for nearly five months, yet here we have a full-on trailer for a live-action series based on the property. What if the game bombs? What if it's decent but unable to attract more than a very narrow, niche audience? And as gamers, wouldn't we rather see this budget put into the game, rather than a transmedia world-building exercise?

I think that may be my biggest beef with the whole thing. I'm thrilled by the idea of deepening the experience, but it's a game, I'm a gamer, and my natural preference is to keep it within that context. There's a huge amount of storytelling potential in the interactive medium of videogames, so why not take advantage of that instead of falling back on more conventional formats to build a world?

But hey, I'm a weirdo - and this does look pretty cool. Here's hoping the series is as good as the promo. Hawken the videogame comes out on December 12, while Hawken the web series will debut sometime in 2013. And, in case you've forgotten, Hawken the graphic novel [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/116617-Hawken-Ups-the-Narrative-Ante] is scheduled to arrive in March 2013.


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FallenTraveler

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Jun 11, 2010
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this is neat, I think it's a good idea to build you're world. It's similar to the approach Kingdoms of Amalur was attempting to take. Get a game out with the basics to get people hooked, then bring on the mmo. This is a bit different but still cool.

Haha, them graphics are looking pretty good.

But seriously for a cheapo web series those do look pretty good.

Edit: Holy mother of god I made first... yay me!
 

Scarim Coral

Jumped the ship
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Oct 29, 2010
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Oh man I had competely forgot about this game (another game just added onto my list of games to buy since I now got a pc to run games)!
The live action look alright I guess althought I think the helmet look abit too clean (the visor look crystal clean).
 

Scorpid

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Jul 24, 2011
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GAH I'm a sucker for big mechs... I'll look forward to it I guess but I'm not happy that you found my marketing Achilles heel!
 

WanderingFool

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Apr 9, 2009
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cursedseishi said:
I watched the trailer cause I wanted to know who "that guy from house" was. I was expecting Hugh Laurie (as crazy as that is, I'd love to see House piloting a mech, specially after seeing his cane-axe and cane-gun) or the guy who played Wilson.

Instead I had to look it up because apparently I missed the episodes "that guy" was in! Or I might of saw them... can't remember...
It was the black Mormon from back when House's original team disbanded. I cant help but feel its bad when I can only remember the guy because he was a black Mormon, and not for anything else.

Anyways, looks awesome, cant wait to see more...
 

Tamrin

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Nov 12, 2011
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I am looking forward to Hawken as much as the next mech loving gamer because the gameplay looks AMAZING, but that trailer... visually it looked good for a webseries, but overall it was just a bad trailer. I'd like to see them release another that does a better job of trying to suck you in conveying more about the plot.

Also, I agree with Andy's beef. The game isn't even out yet and this thing is getting a graphic novel, webseries, AND a movie.

Furthermore, the story is supposedly being divided among its media so you don't even learn everything about Hawken unless you play the game, read the novel, watch the webseries, AND watch the movie. I hope this doesn't get stricken by Murphy's Law. I mean, seeing how awesome the gameplay looks the worst case senario may just be Hawken gets a decent fanbase that loves its game but has no idea what the story is about because it's too broken up, but that still kinda sucks.

Also, REALLY? Am I the only one who remembers the black guy from House, Edi Gathegi, was also in X-Men: First Class?
 

ASnogarD

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Jul 2, 2009
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Am I the only one who is getting a bit down with all this premature hype.

I was all over Hawken months ago, looks great etc etc but its still a long ways off and one can only stay hyped for so long, I feel the hype started too soon and will bite the poor game in its metalic butt when it finally gets out.

I really hope it works out as it does look awesome, I just hope the hypemachine doesnt run out of juice before the game is released... and gamers are looking at CoD wannabe 4, err I mean BF 3...or was that 4, or BC2.5, err I mean MoH... or ...

... what was I talking about again ?
 

Jodan

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Mar 18, 2009
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cool its like gundam for americans
like with out all that drama and laser spam
 

Daemascus

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Mar 6, 2010
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I've heard of Hawken, but this is the first time I've really watched anything about it and I have to say... I thought the mechs were going to be bigger, like Mechwarrior sized.
 

UnderGlass

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Jan 12, 2012
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That trailer is very well edited. Good job. But yeah, a titanic waste of money. I picture many of the devs crying themselves to sleep at night thinking about the tiny demographic who will actually see this and remember it and how that money could have been used to improve the game.

They're going about this all wrong. The developer mentioned they didn't have much in the way of back-story and wanted to expand on it. They should have concentrated on that in-house and seeded the game with as much as they could. Once the IP had shown it's chops then is the moment to go all transmedia on its ass. But then that's what you get when a publisher gets involved.