Apocalypse Now scribe pens new FPS, THQ's Homefront

8:40 AM on 05.27.2009   |   Nick Chester

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When it comes to war, screenwriter John Milius knows a thing or two about a thing or two. The man  wrote the screenplays for Apocalypse Now and Red Dawn; how’s that for a resume?

But we wonder how that experience will translate to a videogame. Today, THQ has announced that its internal developer Kaos Studios is prepping a new first-person shooter, Homefront, for release on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. Written by Milius, Homefront is set in 2027, ten years after the economic collapse of the United States. Players will act as part of the American Civilian Resistance, a group fighting to reclaim U.S. soil from North Korean occupation.

The game also literally takes the war to the “homefront,” with malls, suburbs, and city streets named as the battleground, with both air and ground vehicles at your disposal. With Hollywood talent like Milius on board, THQ is pushing the “interactive and cinematic” aspects of Homefront, with an emphasis on single-player action. Multiplayer is also in the cards, of course; because if a game has guns and soldiers, it simply must have multiplayer.

Homefront will be one of the highlights of THQ’s E3 showing; we should have more details next week when we invade the Los Angeles Convention Center.

 The War Comes Home in THQ’s Homefront

Baseball Fields, Strip Malls and Suburban Neighborhoods Become Battlefields in THQ and Kaos Studios’ Brand New Shooter for Xbox 360®, PLAYSTATION®3 and Windows PC
E3 Expo 2009

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) today announced Homefront™, a new First Person Shooter (FPS) from internal developer Kaos Studios®. Penned by John Milius (Apocalypse Now, Red Dawn), Homefront is set ten years after the economic collapse of the United States and follows the American Civilian Resistance as they fight to reclaim their homeland from an oppressive North Korean occupation. Featuring a personal, story-driven single player campaign and a full suite of multiplayer options, Homefront is scheduled for release on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. Homefront will be unveiled at E3 2009 in THQ’s booth – number 5300 in the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

“Homefront isn’t about going to war on the other side of the world or battling aliens from another planet; it’s about fighting foreign invaders in your own backyard and defending your right to live,” said David Votypka, design director, Kaos Studios. “Homefront combines the unsettling notion of an occupied America with interactive, player-driven narratives to create a deeply engaging single and multiplayer experience.”

“Kaos Studios is using powerful narrative and environmental storytelling to create a plausible, near-futuristic setting where the people of a once mighty nation must fight to maintain their existence,” said Kevin Kraff, vice president of global brand management, THQ. “This harsh backdrop will be the foundation for an emotionally-charged single-player campaign and an intense multiplayer experience.”

About Homefront

The year is 2027. The world has suffered a decade-long energy crisis, and economies have crumbled. Reduced to a mere shadow of the super power it once was, the United States became the target of a North Korean takeover. American malls, suburbs and city streets are now battlegrounds as the civilian resistance fights for freedom. Featuring a compelling single player story crafted by John Milius (Apocalypse Now, Red Dawn), Homefront immerses gamers in an interactive and cinematic FPS experience where they will assume an infantry role or take command of a wide variety of aerial and ground vehicles. In addition to the single-player experience, Homefront will deliver a robust multiplayer experience. In a land stripped of freedom, the brave will fight for their home.