Analysts: THQ Stock Drops Due To Homefront Scores

THQ had plenty of confidence in Kaos Studios' Homefront, but it seems investors aren't impressed with the critical reception.

These days, investors only want to side with the best of the best and according to review scores thus far, this new shooter doesn't cut it. THQ trading was down $1.25 (21% of its value) to $4.69 and analysts are blaming the unimpressive critic scores for the decline. The game currently holds a relatively low Metacritic rating of 72, although the PlayStation 3 version is doing a bit better at 76 (likely because there are less counted reviews for the PS3 version). Said Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey:

"This score is a bit of a disaster for THQ and the share price today is reflecting that. The market is a quality-driven market, (and) you need at least a score of 80 and above on Metacritic to do well."

Homefront is the story of North Korea invading the US, and in the single-player campaign, we'll become a member of the America resistance as they fight the Korean People's Army. THQ has also provided players with dedicated servers for the online action. However, that being said, THQ has said they've been forced to expand those servers due to "demand," and add-on content can be expected.

You'll see our review soon. What are you expecting?

Related Game(s): Homefront

Tags: homefront, thq, thq stock, homefront reviews

3/15/2011 9:01:15 PM John Shepard

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Comments (40 posts)

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Jawknee
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 9:35:16 PM
Reply

LOL! This information was on the news station I listen to during the day. Was funny hearing about it on an AM station that usually sticks current events. This isn't surprising to me. I had a feeling this game was going to blow chunks when I first started seeing gameplay videos.

1 up, 2 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 9:52:02 PM
Reply

Awww that's too bad, any time a game with promise flops that's another feather in CoD's cap. Something needs to bring that series down. Battlefield 3, you're up.

4 up, 0 down

PasteNuggs
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 10:12:02 PM

I honestly think the Battlefield series is the only one that has a chance because it has almost the same brand recognition as COD.

Last edited by PasteNuggs on 3/15/2011 10:17:04 PM

1 up, 0 down

FATHASUN
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 1:22:15 AM

Medal of Honor had brand recognition too. Battlefield will do good but COD is an OCD.

I seriously think the only way that COD will die is if commits suicide.

Last edited by FATHASUN on 3/16/2011 1:26:51 AM

3 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 9:57:21 PM
Reply

All I really knew of the Homefront game was that it had a dude with a bandana over his eyes. I'm all thinking. "dude, your bandana is over your eyes. How the heck are you gonna shoot dupes like that?"
Anyway, the game doesn't look like anything special. Perhaps these analysts didn't get the memo that gamers already chalked this "me too" game up to just another milker in a crowded market with superior competition.

Come on THQ hang in there, at least until Darksiders 2 comes out.

0 up, 1 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 9:59:52 PM

That dude reminds me of Blind Kenshi in the PS2 Mortal Kombats.

3 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 11:02:45 PM

yeah, man, that's what Homefront needed, more telekensis powers =p

1 up, 1 down

Jawknee
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 11:10:54 PM

and Plasmids perhaps?

1 up, 2 down

___________
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 3:43:47 AM

speaking of kenshi, WTF is he not in the mortal kombat reboot?
he was one of my favorite characters from deception!

0 up, 1 down

PasteNuggs
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 10:01:18 PM
Reply

I've read a few of the reviews and the all say a few common things. Run of mill gameplay, outdated visuals, short campaign and typical shooter gameplay. Well if thats the case then how come COD still gets the scores it has?

9 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 10:07:20 PM

Yeah that's a cod description if I ever heard one.

4 up, 0 down

PasteNuggs
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 10:16:39 PM

Uhh ya. It's not like I'm saying "hey go out and buy this crap game" but I'm just wondering why COD gets a pass on its flaws while a game that is trying to bring a different idea gets shunned for the same issues. Perfect reason why I only take this sites reviews serious.

BTW, I picked this up today so I may, just may do a user review, which would be my first,that is if I find the time.

1 up, 0 down

MadPowerBomber
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 12:46:06 AM

I saw him in the background fighting against Frost and Sareena while playing the MK Demo just now.

Talking about Kenshi, heh.

0 up, 0 down

MadPowerBomber
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 12:47:40 AM

...i replied to the wrong post...

::facepalm::

0 up, 0 down

BikerSaint
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 10:25:42 PM
Reply

Damn, I had high hopes for Homefront.

Oh well, guess I'll be picking it up once the used price drops to under $25 & there's a buy 2-get 1 free sale along with it.

1 up, 1 down

bluedarrk
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 10:37:05 PM
Reply

this game is pretty good I like the MP a lot better than blackops, the battle point system is a cool new way for killstreaks

1 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 11:14:39 PM
Reply

I just hope we can still rely on a critic's evaluation of quality in the coming years. It seems as games grow more complex in design the more difficult it may be to quantitate it's elements and weigh those things properly. It seems strange to me that for an industry that's so influenced by critical acclaim that there isn't (or maybe there is?) a more organized appreciation and understanding of the medium at the academic level. Wouldn't it be nice if videogame critics were "schooled" in good game design within an academic body that empirically critiques the interactive medium? We have lots of film study classes in universities, so why not games?
I get tired of reading really poor reviews, written by critics who seem to have their values all misplaced.
Basically, it just sucks to think that a bug multi-million dollar game's success could be contingent through the eyes of a select few of individuals that may have proved that they can write, but may not have proved that they can accurately critique a medium that may possibly contain content that exceeds their understanding or ability to even sense or recognize the whole of the product's assets. Wasn't GT5's review consensus a virtual product raping by many critics? Anyway, I'm not saying Homefront should've been rated higher, it just seems to me this media power held by critics is pretty heavy. I just hope we can always trust them.

3 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 11:38:01 PM

oh and something more related to this that I thought about. I read a interview snippet from earlier today with David Jaffe. He claimed that he thinks there's just one more major disc based game generation and then things will all go cloud gaming, or something like it.
Maybe that's a way to break the critics power or influence over sales.
Think about this scenario.
All games for the PS5 are offered via a cloud PSN service.
Many games have a 1 hour free introductory sample. After that hour the service then asks if you'd like to pay $15 for about 1/4 more of the game's content etc etc. This way, all gamers are free to sample every game for free, and if the quality of the game entices the player they can then pay up for more content.
Isn't the reason why game's are so reliant on critic's scores because a gamer doesn't want to "waste" $60? It seems so many of us on here wait for a score and say, I'll wait to get it when it goes discount.
If all games were offered directly to the end-user so they can judge for themselves the quality we then wouldn't necessarily need a critic to direct our purchases because we could already decide for ourselves.

3 up, 1 down

kraygen
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 11:18:41 PM
Reply

Honestly after playing the black ops demo I have no faith in reviews when it comes to shooters. None whatsoever. Black ops was getting 9's, I loaded up call of duty classics after playing the black ops demo, classics has better graphics, hands down.

Do reviewers get drunk before they review shooters because they know nothing new is about to happen? Granted their are those slim few fps games that are different, but the majority deserves a 7-7.5.

This is the score I was expecting for homefront and I thought it sounded more interesting than most military shooter sp campaigns. So my interest in it has not changed one bit, as for THQ and their investors, they need to start paying attention. They shouldn't have expected homefront to sell 15 million copies just because cod does.

1 up, 0 down

Temjin001
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 1:14:46 AM
Reply

I wonder what's going to happen to EA's stock after everyone tries the PS3 Crysis 2 multiplayer demo that can't help but screw up and not connect. And didn't they clean these problems up for the 360 audience already? What's their problem now? Wow, Crytek, way to make two poor first impressions.

that's right, I'm whining =p

3 up, 0 down

FATHASUN
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 1:24:46 AM

I do not consider that a whine. It is a valid statement based on fact. For all the shit talking Crytek was doing I expected better.

5 up, 0 down

Geobaldi
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 3:54:55 AM

The PC multiplayer demo hasn't been plagued with those issues, none that I've encountered thus far at least anyways. Other than some connection issues in those first few days it was released.

1 up, 1 down

Dancemachine55
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 1:31:28 AM
Reply

This is, again, a perfect example of how a good shooter doesn't sell well simply because it doesn't have Call of Duty on the cover. Had it been named Call of Duty: Homefront, we'd have seen a complete blowout in terms of sales numbers.

Sure, the graphics might not be on par with CoD and it might have an engine different to CoD, but CoD's graphics aren't THAT much better and CoD's engine, while good, cannot touch the wonders of Frostbite 2 nor the Uncharted 2 engine. Seriously, why do Black Ops (88/100) and MW2 (94/100) have higher scores when Homefront is similar but different enough to stand out a little? I smell a conspiracy.

The story of Homefront is certainly far more interesting than anything CoD has offered, and yet even though Modern Warfare 2 and Homefront have a very similar single player campaign runtime, Homefront has more points deducted for it!! Consistency, people, come on!!!

Now for the multiplayer. Killstreaks are in this game as well, but this game uses Battle Points as currency to buy better weapons and vehicles. CoD has no vehicles at all, and currency wasn't introduced til Black Ops!!

Now, if Homefront's controls were iffy or not tight enough, or if the AI didn't react to bullets and shots as well as CoD, I would understand the lower reviews, but no one has mentioned it!!! No one!!!

So, Homefront is considered a lesser game simply because it doesn't have Call of Duty on the cover, the campaign is a half hour shorter than MW2, and the graphics aren't as pretty looking. The multiplayer looks far more fun, the story in the campaign is far more interesting and it does nearly everything else almost as well as CoD!!!

I feel so sorry for THQ. They put so much hype and buzz behind what was meant to be a great game, but reviewers are too busy playing Call of Duty to notice. Can't wait for the day Activision finally hits saturation point for this franchise and it finally goes under. T'will be the day the folks at PSXExtreme rejoice as they enjoy their rounds of Killzone 3, Resistence 3 and Battlefield 3!!

Last edited by Dancemachine55 on 3/16/2011 1:39:16 AM

3 up, 2 down

Dancemachine55
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 1:41:10 AM

Just wanna add, I too am looking forward to Ben's review of Homefront, since his impressions of Call of Duty games are far more realistic than most brainwashed trend following gamers and reviewers out there.

2 up, 2 down

PorkChopGamer
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 6:54:48 AM

I like when people criticize reviewers' scores and they haven't played the games themselves. Too bad reviews aren't done by gameplay vids and demos, huh? And what will you do if Ben doesn't rate Homefront higher than the 8.8(88 average is too high, in your opinion, right?) he gave Black Ops?

That being said, I've only had a chance to play an hour of Homefront but I've enjoyed the hell out of it. Powerful stuff story-wise and gameplay is solid.

0 up, 1 down

zabak74
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 8:11:09 AM

Thank you man, I feel EXACTLY the same way. I bought Homefront yesterday and I enjoy it. Last few years I'm just ignoring reviews. And Call of Duty games - I'm 36 years old and I don't want to play multiplayer games 6 X 6....I'll play Homefront for a while but Battlefiled is my game of choice.

2 up, 0 down

Excelsior1
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 3:01:21 AM
Reply

sounds like thq brought a medicore game to an already crowded genre and paid the price.

1 up, 2 down

___________
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 3:45:18 AM
Reply

this is EXACTLY why i dont listen to reviews!
4 hours into it, and im loving it!
so much better then that crap they call black ops!
i swear to god, i would not be surprised if these people started giving uncharted 2s and rouge warrior 10s!

2 up, 4 down

Geobaldi
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 3:57:00 AM

4 hours in? So going by all the reviews I've read, you should have another hour or less before you finish the main campaign. $10 an hour is to much to pay for a single player experience I was looking forward to. I'll buy the game later, but for now I'll play something else.

1 up, 1 down

___________
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 8:58:13 AM

i doubt its that long.
theres 7 missions, i cant see many finishing 7 missions in 5 hours.
especially if your playing on the higher difficulties it gets quite hard!
people have got to understand kaos studios are only a very small developer, considering that, considering they would of had 1/4th the budget crysis 2, KZ3 had, they have done quite well.
it most definetly needs to be longer, but from a no name developer it is certainly a valiant attempt.
reminds me allot like singularity, a good game but just needed more time in the oven.

1 up, 1 down

JSwayze
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 3:55:28 AM
Reply

I'm tired of FPS.

3 up, 1 down

DazeOfWar
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 6:30:24 AM
Reply

Wasn't Black Ops a pretty short campaign too? I can't remember how long it took me but I know it wasn't really long. It's also funny how how BO's online is broken but still gets raved about.

I did pick up Homefront and haven't had a chance to play it yet but 5hrs to me isn't bad if I really enjoy it. MOH had a short campaign but it was still good. Also from what I've heard from a couple friends is that the online for Homefront is really fun.

2 up, 0 down

Vysey
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 3:39:45 PM

I haven't gotten that far with the Black Ops campaign..Kinda gave up and went back on Bad Company 2, I find the MP is much less stressful and more enjoyable!

3 up, 0 down

DazeOfWar
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 5:38:31 PM

I'm with you on BC2 online. The game was so much more fun. I also love having vehicles in the games. I have been loving KZ3 lately because I like MP games that actually have more to do than just kill each other. MAG is also a good example of this. Objective games and also class based games seem to be more enjoyable in my opinion.

3 up, 0 down

SirLoin of Beef
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 8:50:31 AM
Reply

I've been enjoying Homefront so far. I couldn't get on to the servers to try out the MP but the campaign isn't too bad. I did like the shout out to "Red Dawn" in in part of the second mission.

2 up, 0 down

D1g1tal5torm
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 10:19:07 AM
Reply

If the game was good enough, it would receive good scores.

If the game is not good enough and the publishing company has floated, then the stock SHOULD drop.

It's an indication of the publishing company's judgement.

2 up, 0 down

Vysey
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 3:38:23 PM
Reply

Well I for one think the game looks interesting and on that alone have, as we speak, got the game whizzing towards me via Royal Mail (yes I'm in the UK =]).

I'm not too dependent on critics reviews because everyone has their own tastes and like many of you have said, just because it's not COD doesn't mean it's crap! After all since when has COD been the FPS that everything has to be judged by?

I don't comment often, even though I've had an account for over a year, I'll have to make more of an effort. I read all the articles though, good job guys. Best PS(insert console here) review site and without bias!

1 up, 0 down

Danny007
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 8:06:32 PM
Reply

The review scores turned me away from this game, but I still want to try it out.

0 up, 0 down

just2skillf00l
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 @ 8:39:19 PM
Reply

The multiplayer's good fun!

0 up, 0 down

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Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 9:26:00 AM
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