Pachter: Homefront failure may deter pubs from making new IP

While the failure of THQ's new IP is certainly bad news for the company, Homefront's lackluster reception may act as a warning sign for other publishers as well. According to video game analyst Michael Pachter, the game's performance may encourage other publishers to invest more money in their established franchises, rather than experimenting with new properties.

[Desert Turtle]

Isn't this game selling really well in the UK, though?

[UNCyrus]

failure? I'm sick and tired of the overuse of that word

[socomnick]

Selling really well world wide.

It's a really good multiplayer game but it has some faults.

Engine rendering issues and short sp hurt the game.

[JsonHenry]

It may be a failure in reviews, but I was under the impression it was actually selling rather well?

[Bear_Grylls]

Pachter: "Homefront failure may deter pubs from making new IP"

I call BS on that. Just another excuse for another COD in 5 and a half months time. October is coming people lol :-P

[DeadlyFire]

A game that sells 375,000 on first day. Considering shelf life of a game it should be on shelf for at least a year or two. Likely it will hit its mark.

375,000 x $60 bucks = 22.5 Million bucks. Budget was 50 Million? So after day 1 they only had to sell same amount over a duration of a year or two to break even. I don't think that is impossible or failure at all. They are very likely to break even or even make a profit off this game. Which will give them great reason to make the 2nd one even better. I like their approach to MP from what I have seen so far. Its an attempt for a balanced game environment. More balance = more competitive gamers = more fun environment. That will win a battle in a long run. Not yet bought or owned for me. I plan on waiting for price drop.

Anyone that regards Pacther as more of a video game analyst over me needs to ride the short bus.

[gorebago]

It should fail

[gauntletpython]

Agreed, but its lame that other new IPs could be dragged down because of it.

[xstation79]

Why should it fail? If you don't like it, trade it in and get something else. That is of course if you even bought it to begin with.

[gorebago]

I did. Day two after owning it: GONE. I'm all about new ips but I feel supporting this one just because it's new to encourage more is rewarding the developers who created a lazy product and sending a message that we'll accept anything, good or bad as long as it's new.

If the game was amazing then by all means buy, buy, buy. But it isn't. Justify your purchase all you want out of insecurity but the game SUCKs hard.

Play bulletstorm. It wasn't perfect but at least it was playable.

[Kon]

Homefront didn't failed, i think this guy should go back to his cave.

[DangerTick]

It won't deter other pubs from making new IPs. All they have to do is avoid turning it into a CoD clone like Homefront.

[Stealth20k]

generic shooters shouldnt be made

[InfiniteJustice]

Didn't they have to sell 2 million to break even? I know it's sold a lot in the UK, not too sure about everywhere else.

[KrystofKage1]

What failure? It's having great sales. The review community are a bunch of snobs who seem to think their collective opinion determines the success of a title.

[BLAKHOODe]

Publishers that don't have an original idea should not make new IPs.

[Gamer_Z]

It didn't sell because it was an average game not because it was a new IP. Crysis and BF series are not new IP's and are not well known as say COD but they will see sales because those games are pushing the genre forward with new engines and gameplay, Homefront isn't doing anything special it's not pushing the envelope it's just doing the standard and with a market that is saturated with FPS games rightnow your game has to be something special its has to be doing somethig different to warrant a purchase.

[powney91]

I don't see why a new game HAS to do something new or special. I mean, yes, of course it would be great. But even in a saturated market, the formula works, and from a business point of view, millions of people LOVE the current formula. No point drastically changing something if the risk could potentially harm sales.

[Ashby_JC]

Im all for something fresh.

And at the same time I want a FUN game. And HOMEFRONT is fun.

I didnt have fun playing Killzone 3 and that is touted on this site at least as the Shiznit.

What homefront lacks in the looks it makes up for it in the MAPs and the weapons etc.

If they can get the freezing and waiting for getting players matched up...then they will be just fine.

ANd also....it is week ONE!!! Do they stop selling a game after the first week??

[TheTallMan]

Pachter failure may deter people from aggreeing with anything he has to say.

[powney91]

I'm sorry, but a game does NOT need to sell millions and millions of units to be a success. Yes, it hasn't achieved COD numbers, but the whole point of creating a new IP is to first establish a brand, and then expand on it. It wasn't until COD 4 where sales started to really make headlines.

[sickbird]

Its good, but i cant fudgin join my friends games on xbl.

[Biggunz]

Pachter: Homefront failure may deter pubs from making new IP

LMAO!!!!!

[jbiz320]

That would be stupid if they did. People just need to make good games.. No matter what size your marketing budget is, if its a turd its a turd. No glossing over that.

[GrumpyVeteran]

Pachter is a moron.

[harbour]

i'm buying this new sooner or later. Sooner or later, i think most people will be intrigued enough to want to check this game out. They have the 10 dollar online fee ready if people pick it up used, they still get their cut. No way this game isn't going to do alright. It's prob done alright already.

ps..i have black ops,,just been getting good at bad company 2,,been playing and loving kz3,,and just got crysis 2 today,,so just over-saturated in that market for the moment,but i am going to pick this up.

[harbour]

One thing about Pachter as well is that he definitely isn't stupid but he definitely and definitively is a douchebag who full well knows what kind of things stir up shit to stir up hits.

[missioncompleted]

multiplayer is one of the most addicting FPS experiences myself and roommate have had since the 1st modernwarfare. eliminates run and hack, sniper quick scoping etc...

[Ashby_JC]

ALso there isnt alot of KNIFING like MAG.

The amount of ppl who knifed in MAG was ridiculous.

I have been knifed maybe 3-4 times after alot of MP.

In MAG I may get knifed 3-4 times or more per match.

[Grimhammer00]

I got it day 1...traded it 7 days later. (yes, today)

Story good, short yes....did it in 4hrs. Friend did it in 3.5hrs.
Mp is fun....nothing new, but full of unbalance.

Example: huge maps, match starts, opposite team all 12 (in 24 player Battle Commander: ground control)....all snipers. 5-10 mins of this crap. Then the sniper 12 after racking up battle points, start spawn heavy tanks & assault copters. Say 4 tanks and 3-4 heli's at any one time spaming control points and running everything.

Sounds fun right? Wrong. Not even when your on the side that's bullying the match.

Then you have the frequent lock ups on ps3 (360 too I believe).

Did I mention proning? Some love it others hate it....but since snipers are semi-realistic with 5-10 mile ranges seemingly in this game....unless you are sniper too, forget it. You can't hit back. You can try to just run a map that takes 5 mins of real time to get to those camping snipers or try a vehicle. But the latter will be a juicy target for those in coming copters. Lol

It all feels like an attempt at realism...and it's not very fun unless your good. I guess that's applicable to all games. Lol for me I like my games to skew towards fun while retaining some realism. Or-crysis 2, kz3, MAG, BC2, Halo:Reach etc.

Just my opinion.

[airhorn95]

How is Homefront failing it seems to be selling well. Also the online multi-player is amazing, campaign not so much lol.

[therapist]

it outsold killzone 3 in the same time span and will continue to do so, are we saying killzone 3 is a giant flop

source; (from a ps3 site no less)

http://playstationlifestyle...

[earbus]

Im happy with the game havent played online much or singleplayer been to busy but first thing i noticed was the clean edges graphics come second to jaggies for me .

[Ashby_JC]

Ok I usually DONT comment on what this guy says.

But HOW is this game a failure??

From what I understand didnt it get 375K sales day one??

THis is the same guy that called Borderlands on 09 DEAD ON ARRIVAL!

Borderlands was a huge hit and a sequel is in the works.

SMH....what is this guy basing FAILURE off of exactly?

[FunkMcnasty]

In regards to the article, Homefronts "failure" is deserved by THQ and Kaos. Why? Because they had a great concept for a story, and "allegedly" worked with John Milius (co-wrote "Apocolypse Now") to create the story portion of the game, and given today's software marvels we expected, if nothing else, to have a graphically attractive game. Kaos failed on ALL levels. they squandered what couldve been an epic story arch, on a 4-5 hour campaign that is SOOOO effin linear, I'm surprised your character can even look left and right. If John Milius had ANYTHING to do with this game, I'm willing to bet it was no more than eating Cheez-Its in Kaos's staff lounge, because there is little to no emotion or depth involved in the story which, again, was a great concept with a lot of promise. Furthermore, they couldn't even at least make a game with graphics that are up-to-par with anything from last gen, let alone anything that comes close to even the industry standard on the current consoles
The Multiplayer was decent, but I highly doubt that it will maintain the same type of loyal community that COD and BFBC2 have garnered.

If I'd wanted an FPS with ps1/gamecube graphics and a cloned COD multiplayer, I would've gone to the lab myself.

The thing is, it wasn't that Homefront failed because it was a new IP, it failed because it was mediocre at best and got some pretty tepid review scores, so people aren't buying it. In closing, If developers want to see their new IP's do well, then they should not be discouraged by homefront's lukewarm success, they should learn from it. Maybe next time, the new hyped IP could actually be completed and polished into a product that gamers of this console generation have come to expect from the flagship developers like Rockstar, Infinity Ward, DICE, Bethesda..etc.