TouchIT

It’s easy for a brand-new first person shooter IP to get lost in the crowd of high-profile FPS franchises. With Homefront, THQ sought to reconfigure an existing back-end solution into a memorable online experience that would generate excitement and separate their “underdog” title from more recognizable competition.  The challenge was further compounded by the game’s politically sensitive premise — a near future scenario in which a repressive North Korean regime conquers and occupies a weakened United States.

Turning the challenges into differentiators, we leveraged the game’s unique premise, rich environment and compelling key art to design a web experience that conveyed a palpable sense of urgency and oppression. We aimed to evoke an emotional response in users that rallied them to fight together for a shared cause.

To energize user engagement beyond launch and encourage replayability, we knew we had to make them feel invested in more than just the game, but the entire franchise. So, we supplemented the in-game objectives with a series of online challenges designed to not just get users to the site, but keep them there. We did this by creating features that addressed the priorities that FPS gamers value and with a series of exclusive online challenges to supplement the in-game objectives.

Recognizing that credibility is key to FPS gamers who take pride in their accomplishments and standing on leader boards, we developed a distinctive badging system and prominent display of user statistics. We also took it a step further by capitalizing on the game’s innovative “Battle Commander” multiplayer mode to create community challenges that mirrored the in-game struggle of ordinary civilians banding together, guerrilla style, to free themselves from occupation.

Propelled by a robust site launch, Homefront sold 375,000 units in its first day of release on its way to a projected 2 million sales worldwide. Mission accomplished.