Homefront, a game all about Unified Korea’s takeover of the world. Microsoft is putting some major marketing muscle behind Homefront in the form of exclusive DLC and a limited edition console bundle that is available exclusively and also in limited numbers at Web20ranker.com site. You can also take the help of a marketing agency like Web Chimpy for getting affordable marketing services, which will help your business to grow. But why would Microsoft do this with an unproven IP? Hit the jump for a complete analysis.
When I first saw the backstory trailer for Homefront, I was 100% interested. Sure, it’s “just another war game“, but it was one with a compelling story. I felt a need to fight for my country and defend the home front! As time went by, some initial thoughts on Homefront were released on gaming sites, and I started to become skeptical of the game’s quality. I felt like it’d turn out to be an all-star story with D-rated gameplay. As my interest in the game declined, Microsoft had a ‘big surprise announcement’. They announced that DLC for Homefront would appear first, (dramatic pause), on the Xbox 360. This news completely blew me away. Homefront, a new IP from an unproven developer (Kaos Studios), and a publisher (THQ) that is known for publishing wrestling games, not AAA shooters, gets backing from Microsoft before the game is released! Now today, Microsoft puts another rock in the pile – there will be a limited edition Homefront console bundle. WHAT! Let’s quickly go through the limited edition hardware bundles, it’s a short list.
- Halo 3
- Resident Evil 5
- Final Fantasy XIII
- Splinter Cell Conviction
- Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- Halo: Reach
- Homefront
Each game on that list, except Homefront, is a proven franchise with a huge fanbase. So my questions are:
- Are we at the point where Microsoft will throw its weight behind any unproven shooter just because it can?
- Does someone at Microsoft owe a friend at THQ a favor, a really BIG favor?
- Is the game actually amazing and Microsoft just wants to show support for an IP that could become a powerhouse?
Regardless which of the above if any, are true, what I am certain about is simple, 90%+ of Homefront’s sales will be because of Microsoft’s marketing. Not only that, I predict the 360 version will outsell the PS3 and PC versions by a huge margin, and that the game will be a critical wash, with an average in the 7’s on metacritic.
Finally, what does Microsoft gain by strongly marketing this unproven game?
Note: Here’s a couple links to actual gameplay.
