The credits for the just released, and tragically poorly received Homefront: The Revolution, acknowledge the game’s protracted, troubled development cycle- the original game, which was developed by Kaos Studios and published by THQ in 2011, was originally going to get a sequel when Crytek purchased the IP from THQ, after the latter’s bankruptcy. Crytek UK were put in charge of the sequel, but after a few years of silence, it was announced that the IP, and development of the sequel, were sold to Deep Silver, and Dambuster Studios respectively.
The credits for the game acknowledge this history. In a new message forwarded by studio head Hansit Zala, Dambuster say, “Homefront: The Revolution has been in development for just over four years, and as some of you may be aware, the path has not always been a smooth one.
“Several reboots, the original publisher going into liquidation, the development studio changing ownership… I could go on. Thankfully, throughout all these difficult times, key people have kept faith and believe in the IP and the team’s ability to deliver a quality game, and I would especially like to acknowledge Klemens Kundratitz’ and Huw Beynon’s unwavering support, without which this game and this studio would not exist.
“For the team members that have made it to the end, I salute you for your endeavor. To create a game of this size and complexity with a relatively small team is a remarkable achievement. For those that we lost along the way, I would like to thank you all for your contributions, and you will find your names in the special thank you section.
“Finally, for all of you that have enjoyed playing the game, I promise you – this is just the beginning.”
It’s a heartening and encouraging message- and it is a reminder that while the game may have a lot of problems, it is a miracle that it exists at all. My hope is that all of these people don’t get discouraged at the mauling Homefront: The Revolution has been getting from the press, and that they continue to develop games, and learn from the criticism. They have the heart for the industry, and they have some great ideas- all they now need is stability.