THQ's Homefront 2/Homefront Brand Review

## Executive Summary

* Squandered Potential - Homefront over-promised and undelivered creating a hugely polarized critical and consumer response.

* Development Challenges - Technology, team experience and management failed to realize game vision and almost doubled development expense vs. greenlight wiping out CM.

* Concept Resonated - Exceeding initial sell-in, sales and metrics are testament to brand potential for differentiation in market

* Tech Stumbles - Materially flawed on-line launch further hindered critical response and quickly drove negative sentiment

* Strong Marketing Sold The Game - Marketing campaign consistently delivered on position and drove strong metrics into launch

## The Brand

### Brand Objectives

* Position Homefront as a *leading brand* in the FPS genre with unique differentiation from the competition.

* Create a long-term branding strategy and identity to make sure we *stand out*.

* Develop a near-future world that will enable storytelling that we can *own*.

* *Engage* the audience, create a core community & appeal to the mass market.

### Brand Positioning

 **2027. America has fallen to a savage military occupation.**
**Stand united, fight back, and defend your homefront.**

Game Pillars

* Emotive Setting and Story
	+ Occupied USA is a twisted, emotive setting
	+ Witness the human cost – see society struggling to survive
	+ Join the guerilla resistance & fight for freedom
	+ Written by John Milius (Red Dawn / Apocalypse Now)
* Intense Single Player Campaign
	+ Intense scripted action & memorable set pieces
	+ Cinematic story-telling allows you to play through the story, rather than watch it unfold
	+ Depth of game-play; infantry and vehicle combat
* Best in Class Multiplayer
	+ Battle Commander: game-changing innovation generates dynamic objectives on the fly
	+ Large Scale warfare: 32 players on dedicated servers
	+ Epic vehicular combat: attack helicopters, jeeps, tanks and drones

### Brand Report Card

* Market Position - High level position of Fight for freedom, as a civilian against an occupied homeland resonates strongly with consumers and media
	+ Shows tremendous potential for ongoing differentiation and uniqueness in genre
* Premise - Occupied USA (familiar becomes alien) proved to be a strong emotive trigger, worldwide
	+ Universal themes most effective globally vs. US specific
* Backstory - Unified Korea and fictional timeline extremely polarizing yet engaging. Inherently engrained in IP backstory
	+ The actual enemy should be minimal focus moving forward
	+ Marketing Creative - Maintained position throughout materials effectively. Consistency of creative punched above its weight
	+ Maintain creative direction for possible sequel

### Post-Mortem Consumer Research

* Homefront brand is not toxic but not incredibly strong on its own
* Homefront brand is very polarizing based on ownership
* Homefront owners are extremely favorable to a sequel but areinherently skeptical
* Homefront concept a top draw for consumers
* Homefront 1 owners skew older in age (35-45)

Satisfaction High Amongst Owners

* Satisfied Owners – *Bought into the world already and love the concept. Interest high for sequel.*
	+ 88% satisfied + very satisfied (47% very satisfied) – *Nielsen*
	+ 89% satisfied + very satisfied (49% very satisfied) - *PSB*
	+ Over-index towards higher consumer (35-44) - *PSB*
* Unsatisfied Owners - *The world & SP campaign of HF1 was a purchase driver but game disappointed. Skeptical of execution of sequel.*
	+ Crytek association very positive impact
		- 76% of owners are more+much more likely to purchase since Crytek is developing (38% much more) – *VGMarket*
		- 71% owners are more interested in purchasing game with Crytek developing – *PSB*

* Owners relate HF as unique, fun to play alone, cool and high quality
* Non-owners view as cheesy & boring.

* Homefront is a powerful brand to the HF owner but complete opposite for non-owners.

## The Game

### Software: Key Takeaways

* Weak Visuals: Out-of-date Unreal Engine decision irrecoverable
	+ Ensure best possible tech choice for possible sequel
* Short and Disappointing SP: Cuts and changes through production delivered a 4-5 hr experience that failed on its key pillars
	+ Sequel potential hinges on ability to deliver a superb, deep and innovative SP
* Graphics Uninspired - Environmental storytelling was strong, yet low resolution
	+ Occupied USA needs to be fully realized for a possible sequel
* MP features well received
	+ However lack of Beta and flawed online infrastructure killed momentum
	+ MP military vs. SP civilian was confusing from messaging standpoint

### Key Considerations for Sequel

* Brand can only go forward with a significant re-boot in quality – requiring alternative/significant development experience and track record with inherent consumer pedigree
* Development scope/ costs need to be appropriately planned and managed
* THQ online infrastructure requires a significant investment
* Ownership / brand health studies required to determine consumer interest for sequel and help identify key strategies for potential sequel planning

### Software: Original SP Pillars

1. YOU are at the CENTER of the action – the DRAMA ENGINE brings BATTLE right to YOU
2. VARIETY of gameplay featuring TANKS, HELICOPTERS, and the UNIQUE unmanned combat vehicles GOLIATH & FLYING ASSAULT DRONE
3. ENVIRONMENTAL NARRATIVE – America, YOUR HOME COUNTRY is twisted by a SAVAGE OCCUPATION
4. FIGHT with the RESISTANCE against an OVERWHELMING enemy -- start the ruthless GUERILLA WAR to RECLAIM your country
5. IN-GAME storytelling communicates the HUMAN SIDE – see CIVILIANS surviving and fight with DISTINCT, BELIEVABLE resistance characters

### Software: Critical Response

* Gameplay overpromised & under delivered
	+ Standard shooter gameplay
	+ Poor quality – 70 Metacritic
	+ Poor visuals
	+ Short SP campaign
	+ Broken online MP at launch
	+ Squandered opportunity…

“*Homefront's engrossing vision of the future and gratifying competitive multiplayer outweigh its squandered potential and workaday game mechanics.*”
- GameSpot
## The Campaign

### Campaign Report Card

* Campaign schedule adjusted multiple times due to software challenges and slippage.
	+ Recommend shorter campaign length for sequel once software timing is predictable
* Territory compliance with beat map effective
	+ Take forward
	+ All markets would have benefitted from earlier media $ to drive awareness earlier.
	+ Consider stronger dictation of media delivery to markets
* Enthusiast PR strategy highly effective – US implementation light until nearer to launch
	+ Review US PR challenges and determine next steps

### Partnerships

* Microsoft Partnership - Key campaign driver aiding awareness and credibility – seek 1st party for possible sequel
	+ Use as best practice across portfolio
* CIA Support - Tae Kim added valuable insights to content and also press engagement
	+ Continue to leverage for possible sequel
* John Milius - Provided a great talking point (*Red Dawn/Apocalypse Now*) but polarizing and ‘aged-up’ marketing demographic
	+ Recommend leaving behind for possible sequel to further broaden appeal
* In-Game Partners - Generally added to immersion
	+ Improve/earlier planning for sequel

### Campaign Beats

**Objective - Sustain nine month buzz campaign built around strategic editorial waves and quality visual assets.**

Tactics = “Bombs Not Hand Grenades”

* Major press beats:
	+ E3 2010 Blitz/Relaunch
	+ Multiplayer 1st hands on
	+ SP 1st hands on
	+ Multiplayer event (THQ Gamers week)
	+ Previews
	+ Reviews
* Video Release Campaign including:
	+ 7 Official Trailers
	+ 3 Dev Diaries
* Voice of Freedom Campaign

### Microsoft Partnership

* Global Microsoft Support:
	+ Extensive visibility throughout all MS channels
	+ Incremental marketing funds
	+ Email blasts
	+ Branded Destination Experience
	+ Xbox.com splash page

### Community

* Fully-featured community site and social media presence.
	+ Over 192,000 fans on Facebook
	+ Almost 10k official community members (only 4k less than Saints Row community)
	+ Over 5,000 followers on Twitter
	+ Over 1,900 subscribers on YouTube Channel

### Trade Marketing

Objectives

* Execute a Comprehensive Retail Campaign including In-Store, Online, Preorder / Launch Incentives, and Employee Engagement Tactics
* Secure Feature Space / Off-Shelf Placement at Drive Accounts
* Target key competitive releases (FPS) for reservation rollovers to drive pre-orders.
* Partner with Microsoft to delivery Priority Title Focus at retail

Results!

* One of the largest pre-order campaigns in THQ history!
* Gamestop – Over 230k pre-orders
* Best Buy - over 24k pre-orders - Largest THQ reserving title ever
* Steam – over 30k pre-orders
* Amazon – over 8k pre-orders - Largest THQ reserving title ever
* Europe – Total of all European pre-orders over 46k units

### Creative: Trailers & TV Spots

Future History TrailerResistance TrailerMultiplayer Reveal TrailerMultiplayer Carnage TrailerOccupation TrailerLive Action TV SpotLaunch Trailer (Volunteers)
Results:

* YouTube – over 3MM total views
* Machinima.com - over 2.2MM total views
* Jeuxvideo.com - over 1.18MM total views
* Gametrailers.com - over 1.9MM total views
* Xbox Live – over 1.6MM total views

### Creative: Developer Diaries

Future HistoryLarge-Scale WarfareFight for Freedom

### The World of Homefront

* Timeline
* Artifacts
* Jefferson
* Mystery Mailers
* Novel