Homefront reviews cause THQ share drop

Shares in publisher THQ dropped by nearly 25 per cent yesterday, with the LA Times claiming that analysts are "spooked" by the lower than expected review scores for new shooter Homefront.

At the time of writing the game has a Metacritic average of 72 per cent, placing well below the vast majority of its competitors – though notably not EA’s 5m+ selling Medal of Honor, which has a score of 74 per cent.

"The game seems to resonate with consumers," THQ boss Brian Farrell told The LA Times. "It’s a mass-market title. Let’s see what players think."

THQ has previously spoken of its lofty ambitions fro the new brands. Core games boss Danny Bilson claimed earlier this month that Homefront is "in the conversation" with top FPS titles such as Call of Duty and Battlefield.

A day earlier Bilson has stated that Homefront was the most pre-ordered title in THQ’s history, with over 200,000 pre-orders placed in the US alone.

And with firm sales data yet to be revealed, Homefront could yet prove more successful than we think. Just yesterday the game’s Twitter feed said that: "Demand for dedicated servers outstripped expectations. Though we’re thrilled by the popularity, please bear with us as we bring more online."