THQ Organizes Real World Rally to Promote Homefront

[Logan Westbrook]

THQ Organizes Real World Rally to Promote Homefront

The publisher has secured DJs, a band, and even former CIA operatives for its promotional endeavor.

GDC isn't the only thing going on in San Fransisco this week, as Homefront's [http://www.amazon.com/Homefront-Xbox-360/dp/B003Q53VZC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299025288&sr=8-1 ] publisher, THQ, has organized a rally to promote the game in the city's Yerba Buena Gardens. The stated aim of the rally is to draw attention to the human rights abuses in North Korean, and presumably help sell some games in the process.

The rally will feature former CIA agent Tae Kim, who helped Homefront developer Kaos Studio create the game, and author and EMP expert William R. Forstchen, whose book, One Second After, was apparently cited by Congress as a realistic depiction of what life would be like in mainland America after an attack with an EMP weapon. Also on the bill is "Menace," a DJ from Live 105, San Fransisco's alternative radio station, and the Dillinger Escape Plan, a hardcore punk band, whose singer has rather strong libertarian views that he isn't afraid to share.

It sounds like it could be a very interesting way to spend some time, but at the same time, using the actual plight of people in North Korea as a way to promote a game where you spend a lot of time killing North Koreans seems a little mercenary. If you're in San Francisco and want to attend the rally, it starts at midday at the Carousel corner of Yerba Buena Gardens on Wednesday, March 2nd.

Homefront comes out for PS3, PC, and Xbox 360 on March 15th in North America and March 18th in Europe

Source: SF Weekly [http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2011/02/homefront_north_korea.php]






Permalink

 

[RUINER ACTUAL]

I think it's a great idea. Personally, I've been looking forward to Homefront since last fall.

I think it's the other way around though: they're using the game to help bring attention to the human rights abuses in North Korea. A lot of people don't know about that stuff- it's fucked up. I would attend but I live in Ohio.

 

[Thunderhorse31]

So what you're saying is THQ is wasting tons and tons of money on a game that will almost certainly flop, when they should be devoting all of their resources to Saints Row 3?

 

[Shoggoth2588]

So what you're saying is THQ is wasting tons and tons of money on a game that will almost certainly flop, when they should be devoting all of their resources to Saints Row 3?

A lot of the stuff I've seen promoting Homefront seems really controversial. Like, really controversial. I'm was better able to watch the School Shooter trailer than any of the Homefront stuff.

That being said: Why is it going to Homefront which (as you mentioned Thunderhorse) looks like it will be another sub-par modern war game. All of this controversy would fit so much better in Stillwater and, Saint's Row 3.

I mean, imagine this: The commercial shows a teen falling asleep in class (lets say inner-city looking classroom: low funding. The sleeper isn't the worst kid in the room as others will be carving up their desks or, rounding second base). The lights go out and the intercom rings out, 'Code Red: Code Red: All teachers turn out your lights and lock your doors. This is not a...' *gunshot...silence...feedback* "Attention all students. This facility is now under the control of the 3rd street Saints"

The kid wakes up, pulls a gun from his backpack and stands with half of his class, who are all revealed to be wearing similar shades of purple, all carrying other weapons. Gunfire starts ringing out in the halls. The intercom comes back on...

"If any -insert gang name here- are still in the building...you've been warned."

---

OK, it's obvious that I thought that up on the spot but still. I would rather see something like that then seeing a family living in a burned out bus, shooting RPGs at Korean Heli-Drones. Or, watching faceless MPs beating on people for no good reason.

Actually there's something I'm still not even clear on: Is Homefront a game about the entire U.S. falling under Korean rule or, is it just the west coast?

 

[Branches]

Yeah, They're also having a invite-only event to try out the game for press. I don't remember when, but I've got a friend at the Chronicle who's checking it out.

Look, you can't walk from a bus stop in Downtown San Francisco without seeing a Homefront bus shelter poster. It's all over the buses, and it's all over the streets.

The only other time I've seen a advertising push in the city on the same scale was for Mafia 2, because they had precisely the same amount of coverage for the entire downtown and outer areas of SF.

Actually there's something I'm still not even clear on: Is Homefront a game about the entire U.S. falling under Korean rule or, is it just the west coast?

You know, If I know John Milius, he's most likely occupied the Western half of the United States, and there is a stalemate happening on the Great Plains.

 

[The Random One]

And yet, people will still not buy that North Korea could ever succesfully invade the US.

So what you're saying is THQ is wasting tons and tons of money on a game that will almost certainly flop, when they should be devoting all of their resources to Saints Row 3?

OK, I love the Saints' Row franchise and if SR3 is to SR2 what SR2 was to SR it will be the best game in the universe, but THQ is a large publisher. I'd rather see them wasting resources pushing a daring but likely to fail game than see them wasting redundant resources pushing a sequel to a sequel to a profitable sequel.

Especially because if Activision buys Take-Two THQ will take its place as the cool awesome publisher, so they have a lot to live up to!

Captcha: Pouvoiur, icandor. Hey, that's the name of my alternate reality story about the French WWII resistance with fire magic.

 

[qbanknight]

Well this is slightly less retarded than ridiculous Dante's Inferno protest EA pulled, but it doesn't feel genuine since the ultimate purpose is to market a game about committing acts of violence against a country that commits acts of violence

It's not really offensive, but this is certainly not helping human rights organizations

 

[Thyunda]

Well this is slightly less retarded than ridiculous Dante's Inferno protest EA pulled, but it doesn't feel genuine since the ultimate purpose is to market a game about committing acts of violence against a country that commits acts of violence

It's not really offensive, but this is certainly not helping human rights organizations

Sure it is. It draws attention to their cause. It is actually labelling North Korea as a bad guy in more than just video game terms, but in actual violation of human rights.
Not everybody knows this. Not everybody is going to take the word of a man asking for donations.

So you have a mainstream, hugely popular developer stand out and shout to everyone that this shit IS happening. It draws attention to the right cause, and yes, maybe it will sell some games.


Methods regardless, only good can really come of this.

 

[itsausernamewhatofit]

So what you're saying is THQ is wasting tons and tons of money on a game that will almost certainly flop, when they should be devoting all of their resources to Saints Row 3?

A lot of the stuff I've seen promoting Homefront seems really controversial. Like, really controversial. I'm was better able to watch the School Shooter trailer than any of the Homefront stuff.

That being said: Why is it going to Homefront which (as you mentioned Thunderhorse) looks like it will be another sub-par modern war game. All of this controversy would fit so much better in Stillwater and, Saint's Row 3.

I mean, imagine this: The commercial shows a teen falling asleep in class (lets say inner-city looking classroom: low funding. The sleeper isn't the worst kid in the room as others will be carving up their desks or, rounding second base). The lights go out and the intercom rings out, 'Code Red: Code Red: All teachers turn out your lights and lock your doors. This is not a...' *gunshot...silence...feedback* "Attention all students. This facility is now under the control of the 3rd street Saints"

The kid wakes up, pulls a gun from his backpack and stands with half of his class, who are all revealed to be wearing similar shades of purple, all carrying other weapons. Gunfire starts ringing out in the halls. The intercom comes back on...

"If any -insert gang name here- are still in the building...you've been warned."

---

OK, it's obvious that I thought that up on the spot but still. I would rather see something like that then seeing a family living in a burned out bus, shooting RPGs at Korean Heli-Drones. Or, watching faceless MPs beating on people for no good reason.

Actually there's something I'm still not even clear on: Is Homefront a game about the entire U.S. falling under Korean rule or, is it just the west coast?

Actually that Saint's Row commercial would be pretty cool.

But yeah Homefront looks like a failure waiting to happen in my opinion. I never really experienced any hype for this game, it kinda seems like they're scraping the bottom of the barrel. At this point I'm really sick of "realistic" shooters.
I am pretty psyched for Brink though.

 

[thefrizzlefry]

WOOOO!!!!! DILLINGER! I SMELL THAT WHOOORRRRE!!!!! WHOA!!!! BRING ME BACK!!!! BRING ME A BRICK!!!!!
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Yeah, I'm a really big Dillinger Escape Plan fan. I wish I lived in San Fransisco, this sounds fun. And, of course, yay Dillinger.

 

[duchaked]

if the adverts were done by EA like with Dante's Inferno, it'd probably involve hiring Koreans to dress up as NK soldiers and brutally beating up white American actors hired to be Resistant fighters...

that sure wouldn't go very well at conventions

edit: but hey that sounds like one heck of a party still! lol (the promotional event in the thread, not my hypothetical situation)

 

[Canid117]

I hope they handle this respectfully. Maybe donate some of the game sales to helping people hurt by the North Korean government or something.

 

[Devil's Due]

So what you're saying is THQ is wasting tons and tons of money on a game that will almost certainly flop, when they should be devoting all of their resources to Saints Row 3?

Saints Row was a boring game with nothing of interest other than gangs vs gangs. I'd rather buy a game that tries to do something different and risky than continue eating the same flop over and over. At least they're trying to be different. They've got my dollars because of it.

EDIT: Also, interesting approach to marketing. Not sure if I agree, but we'll see.

 

[Bretty]

So what you're saying is THQ is wasting tons and tons of money on a game that will almost certainly flop, when they should be devoting all of their resources to Saints Row 3?

Saints Row was a boring game with nothing of interest other than gangs vs gangs. I'd rather buy a game that tries to do something different and risky than continue eating the same flop over and over. At least they're trying to be different. They've got my dollars because of it.

EDIT: Also, interesting approach to marketing. Not sure if I agree, but we'll see.

I am not the only one that was unimpressed with Saints Row.

One day the North Korean Elite will pay for what they do. I just hope that when it happens I am allowed to stay out of it.

 

[Baresark]

Haha, I am looking forward to this game. That being said:

1.) Korea never was and never will be a threat to the west. I know they have the worlds 4th largest standing army. They also have an estimated GDP of $50.1 Billion.

2.) South Korea would never "join" North Korea. Only the reverse is possible because the lives of people in the South is much much better. For a reference, their GDP for 2010 was $853 Billion.

3.) Even if 1 and 2 were possible, they DO NOT have the resources to wage war on any of their neighbors, let alone America.

4.) In the game, they invade China, the worlds newest economic giant. I am quite positive that China could run them over without any issues what so ever.

All this said, I think this is going to be a good game.

PS. Fantasy is not that controversial. I would be interested to know what people found so controversial about the source material.

Edit: I'm glad to see them putting this much into the advertising, that means they are backing the game completely. Which means they think it's a pretty good game. I'm just hoping their idea of a good game isn't the same as Treyarch's idea of a good game.

 

[5t3v0]

WOOOO!!!!! DILLINGER! I SMELL THAT WHOOORRRRE!!!!! WHOA!!!! BRING ME BACK!!!! BRING ME A BRICK!!!!!
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...
Yeah, I'm a really big Dillinger Escape Plan fan. I wish I lived in San Fransisco, this sounds fun. And, of course, yay Dillinger.

I love you. Well, mainly them.

Holy shit, just reread it, DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN! Well, I was about to brush this off as a poor mans battlefield 3 but now I may have to buy it or at least check it out... though I think that means I am a slave to marketing and consumerism...

Edit: Wish they called them the correct genre of Mathcore than Hardcore punk. Just an article nitpick though

 

[Nouw]

An interesting way to promote a game, we'll see about this one.

 

[BarbaricGoose]

This ain't gonna end well.

I can't point out why, but I have a gut feeling that something bad is going to happen.

 

[mattaui]

Sounds good to me. Too bad they're not having a series of these around the country, I'd enjoy attending. With so many complaints about the stale concepts of WW2 or Middle Eastern-based shooters, it's a little strange to see everyone dismissing this idea out of hand. It's really not nearly as outrageous a premise as some seem to feel it is.

It's not NK invading the US now, it's the Greater Korean Republic invading a divided, isolationist and infrastructurally crippled US 15 years from now. I've said this before, and I'll say it again, but if you think people in 1930 knew what 1940 was going to look like, much less 1945, you might be utterly amazed.

I didn't recall anything about the GKR invading China, however, just occupying all of southeast Asia and Japan, so I'll have to go look into that again.