Topic: Red Faction: Armageddon - Update: THQ is done w/ RF franchise

[MysterD]

NEWEST - July 27th, 2011:
GiantBomb -> THQ is done w/ Red Faction franchise b/c of lack of sales.

OLD
Links, Info, News, Etc.
Eurogamer -> Volition talking about PC gaming and piracy.
Businesswire.com -> RFA delayed until May 2011.
Bluesnews -> RFA planned for March 2011.
Brief info on game modes and storyline from THQ.
E3 2010 Trailer -> E3 2010 Trailer.; Joystiq's analysis of the trailer.

[Pugnate]

I actually really really liked the first Red Faction. I am not sure why, but it was really enjoyable. It gave a lot of fun feedback during the action. I also liked the weapons.

The second was really poor though.

I am interested in the third because I have a PS3 now heh.

[beo]

the last red faction was surprisingly good. i'll be keeping an eye on this.

[MysterD]

From the page w/ info on RFA...

Extermination Mode - Four players can team up online to battle back the relentless tide of attackers as the mysteries of the ancient threat continue to unfold.

What is up w/ games and the number 4? Especially for RPG party based-games and for four player co-op game modes?

I don't know - but does this sound like a Campaign Mode to you all (like say a L4D Campaign w/ a story and stuff) OR does it sound like it's just like a DOW2's Last Man Standing kind of mode (where you keep playing the game mode until you die and see how much time you all can last)?

Guess we'll have to wait and see, I guess...

[Pugnate]

I guess is that magic number. L4D made a lot of money, so it could be an influence.

I think publishers have come to the conclusion that multiplayer often brings the difference between a hit and a mega hit.

[idolminds]

2 player co-op is more "intimate", more reliance on the other person
3 player is kind of a strange number. Not the intimate of 2, but not the freedom of 4.
4 player is a good blend. You aren't relying on just the other person, you can have random people with you and not really upset anything. You can pair off into two groups of 2, if you want. And if your buddy goes down you still have people that can come to rescue.
5 player is another strange number. Doesn't pair off evenly.
6 player is leaving "co-op" area and just turning into regular multiplayer.

[MysterD]

RFA pushed back until May 2011.

[MysterD]

Eurogamer -> Volition talking about PC gaming and piracy.

Saints Row: The Third and Red Faction: Armageddon developer Volition is convinced making PC versions of its multiplatform games is still worth the time and money required – despite the threat of piracy.

Indeed the THQ-owned studio takes an interesting approach when making PC titles: "Let's make a game that's worth stealing, and then we'll worry about making sure they don't."

That's according to Volition studio manager Eric Barker, who told Eurogamer that the PC versions of Red Faction and Saints Row look "beautiful".

"Some people say PC is dying. Some people say PC is the future," he said. "PC is the most variable, because it depends on what you've got under the hood.

"For us, the key thing was making sure the PC version was done in-house."

The PC ports of Saints Row 2 and Red: Faction: Guerrilla were both created by external studios - and suffered quality issues.

For their follow-ups, however, Volition decided to bring PC development duties home – and Barker reckons PC gamers will reap the rewards.

"You should see [the PC version of Red Faction: Armageddon], it looks absolutely beautiful. If you've got a great graphics card it looks fantastic. We definitely believe PC games are great and if they're done right and done well by a studio, they're phenomenal.

"There's a lot of debate and discussion. I can't predict the future, but I'm really happy with how Red Faction: Armageddon looks on PC. It's beautiful."

In recent months some high-profile games, including Crysis 2 and Dragon Age 2, have suffered leaks and popped up on torrent sites ahead of release.

THQ's own Homefront was also available to illegally download ahead of release.

But Volition isn't too bothered about piracy. "I don't think [piracy] is something at the forefront for us," he said. "First and foremost, we want to make sure we're making a game people would want to pirate. Let's make a game that's worth stealing, and then we'll worry about making sure they don't."

[idolminds]

Well, the Red Faction franchise is dead.

"Given that that title now in two successive versions has just found a niche, we do not intend to carry forward with that franchise in any meaningful way," he said.

A quote from Shacknews:

"Mid-70s is not good enough," Farrell said, referring to the reviews Armageddon ultimately received.

Just goes to show the state of affairs in the game industry is. A mid-70s game basically spells the death of a franchise?

[MysterD]

Wow @ a lot of the comments from GB users saying they want Guerrilla sequel, not Armageddon.
So, damn - I have Guerrilla and all, I need to get around to it.
What was so different about Armageddon, anyways?

[idolminds]

No idea. My involvement with this franchise is me playing the RF1 demo way back when.

[gpw11]

I think from what I read in an interview, Guerilla was more open world, which people liked.  The problem with that, is that the destructable environments were toned down because of that.  I guess they were still totally destructible, but more like blow the hell out of a shanty town instead of take out the side of a mountain.  Armageddon tried to fix that a bit by making the game more linear...which I'm assuming people didn't like so much.

That was what I got out of it anyways.  Could be wrong, but I played the demo of Armageddon and it seemed pretty fun.  Have yet to install Guerilla though....I got it in some THQ hits collection in a Steam sale.

[scottws]

I didn't like Guerrilla much. It was sort of blah and the shantytown thing is a great description.  Also, it was clearly a console game.  I played with a mouse and keyboard and it was not a very good experience.  It would have been better if I still had a working 360 wireless receiver.

[Xessive]

I got Armageddon during the sales for about $25. Visually it's not bad, performance is better than Guerrilla. Destruction? Great. Where does the game fail? Bland story, monotonous gameplay, and it's a claustrophobe's nightmare! Save for a few select and short missions the whole game is in caves and tight spaces!

In my opinion, the major failing was that Armageddon (following suit of its predecessors) does not not add anything new to the old formula. It still feels like it's not much more than a demo for Volition's destruction engine, an excuse to have destructible objects.