Warhawk exclusively embraces online multiplayer
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Mar 7th 2007 at 1:31PM }
Sony's Warhawk has ejected single-player features in favor of a multiplayer-only battle arena. Sony today announced the game's shift into the PlayStation Network realm, along with several new features designed to highlight the game's new focus. In addition to frenetic air combat, players will find themselves controlling jeeps, tanks, and woefully unprotected infantry units.
Several online modes are planned for the final release, some of which will see you fostering flag kleptomania, battling to obtain enemy territory and otherwise blasting other players to unrecognizable smithereens. Warhawk is currently scheduled for a Fall 2007 release on PSN.
Gallery: Warhawk
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
umm....hello?? @ Mar 7th 2007 1:43PM
lame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First MotorStorm, now this??? MotorStorm has only EIGHT tracks, NO LOCAL MULTIPLAYER--not even a system linkup (online MP only). THanks sonysuxax, for making me relegate your console as my most expensive doorstop ever...at least I can rent BluRay movies and make it SOMEWHAT useful.
Sean @ Mar 7th 2007 1:48PM
Why is the entire game tinted pink?
carg0 @ Mar 7th 2007 1:49PM
online-multiplayer only??
wow, lol. the suck-train for Sony just keeps rollin' on.
mushiking @ Mar 7th 2007 1:52PM
you do know this news is like 2 weeks old, right?
WIIBOUYUK101 @ Mar 7th 2007 2:00PM
the game has been canned more like the sixaxis stinks the single player mode stinks so its being canned and the multiplayer downgraded jesus so much for warhark at e3 so much for the bizzare showing of the controls by that guy on stage at e3 who looks like that bloke who used to do pop songs with annie lenox does it come with a free inflatable giant crab
LunarDuality @ Mar 7th 2007 2:02PM
@ mushiking
I know that the "download" news is old, but this is the first I personally have heard of the whole tanks, ground warfare thing. I think I heard the multiplayer only news sometime last week.
As for this conglomeration of news: Strange indeed. I thought the original appeal of Warhawk was the aerial combat. And then they used it to showcase the power of the SIXAXIS at E3 (although not that well IMO) and now it just seems like they've stripped out a bunch of attractive features (single player the major one) only to add in some questionable ones (tanks?!?) and make the title less important by making it a download only title (i.e. we don't want to spend money to distribute it to stores.) I would also think that doing all this eliminates a huge section of their potential consumer base.
quazi @ Mar 7th 2007 2:16PM
soooo this game went from flight game to battlefield 2 O_O?
Kevin @ Mar 7th 2007 2:29PM
Wow... They've really destroyed the original concept of this game. I remember the first pics they showed of this game... The chopper going up against some huge airships and hordes of enemies. It looked SO good, and I couldn't wait to see more. Now the only resemblance this game has to what we saw before is the name. I'll never understand this kind of stuff. How long before Killzone 2 does the same thing?
jimb @ Mar 7th 2007 2:39PM
Lame! One of the few games that had me "considering" getting a PS3 eventually is now ruined. I was also a little excited about Wipeout, but now that'll probably be online only too. Guess what Sony - gamers still expect a strong single player experience!
The original Warhawk was fantastic on PS1. This doesn't even look like Warhawk. Why even use the name?
Sony is really fracking up big time. Just look at all the unsold PS3s stacked up at virtually any store. This just adds to it.
Jason @ Mar 7th 2007 3:05PM
This isn't the first flagship PS3 game that became a stripped down PSN version.
sheppy @ Mar 7th 2007 3:35PM
@Jason, yes it is... GTHD was always meant to be a microtransaction network game. People bitched about the MTs and so Sony dropped what was done for free.
While I don't stand behind the decision to make it mp only, if you read several of the interviews when this was announced, it's naturally to see how peoples bitches ultimately lead to this games current state (until I've played it, I will not call it a failure. It still looks fun).
Early feedback from testers and focus groups thought flight only was a tad of a waste and made it seem shallow. Booya, ground combat included.
Too many players made it chaotic and not fun, Booya, reducing the numbers of players.
Too many enemies made it chaotic and not fun, bammo, dramatically reduce the amount of stuff happening.
Squad based system seemed annoying to coordinate and unavoidable damage was hated. Kablam, back to lone wolf tactics.
Sixaxis still not favored by many gamers and testers are split on it's implimentation. Kaboom, the choice to disable was introduced.
Single Player keeps having bugs, not fun, annoying, AI like a retarded dinosaur, excessively hard to balance as a campaign, and testers hated doing the single player compared to multi. Bammo, it's gone.
And now we have this... make it $20 and we'll talk. Anymore and it's "fuck off" land.
CelicaCrazed @ Mar 7th 2007 3:54PM
The latest videos for this game have me sold on a PS3. I don't understand why people are complaining that this is a multiplayer only game when essentially that is all people were going to be buying it for anyways. This game is shaping up to be the PS3's killer-app.
Digi Smalls @ Mar 7th 2007 6:07PM
ugh, another Sony 1st party "give up". what gives?
.
ackmondual @ Mar 7th 2007 6:13PM
@ #12
In the same way ppl cry "multiplayer!", there are plenty others crying "single player!". In the age of OL gaming, a great SP experience is still expected. Granted if this DL will only cost $20, then that is certainly forgiveable, as at that point, u r paying for and getting less than half a game.
AG @ Mar 7th 2007 7:32PM
This game looks bad ass!
For all of you complaining, STFU.
I get sick of the whining by you "fanboys". You guys need to live a little and realize just because it is not on the Xbox 360 or Wii does not make it a bad game.
Ty @ Mar 7th 2007 11:47PM
I agree! This game looks awesome and fun, even if it doesn't look like Warhawk once looked like. As long as they can deliver a flawless online mode, we may have a multiplayer winner here.
Negativecool @ Mar 13th 2007 11:59AM
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that the Warhawk team completely fucked up what could have been an awesome single AND multiplayer experience. I mean for Christ sakes, these guys were talking about how they wanted it to be a flagship AAA title that made you want to go out and buy a PS3. You can't make that happen with multiplayer only, download only at that. It certainly won't be that now.
That rant said, I don't understand why people are slamming it as complete shit. I am actually really curious to see how they pull the whole online Warhawk experience that they claim together. How can you get the "chaotic" feel of a crap load of enemies all around you with an online style like BF2 and the like? You can't, unless you're on a server with 30+ players on a small map. But apparently Warhawk’s maps will be expansive. I suppose what this leads me to believe is that since they canned the single player, which they probably decided on a good time ago, they've had plenty of time and resources to work on the online only aspect. So I'm assuming there will be a level of immersion there we haven't seen before...
...and then again maybe it'll be crap, I'm just intrigued is all, and I think only somone in the mindset of a fanboy would file it under another "Sony PR blunder" before it hits stor...er online.
JamesLill @ Mar 8th 2007 9:49AM
Damn, I am a Sony Fanboy. It is too bad they are screwing up any and all reasons I was going to buy one. Looks like I will just have to upgrade my PC. Sorry Sony, I loved you while you were making games for gamers. Now I have no freaking clue what your management is thinking.
johnny5 @ Mar 15th 2007 2:34AM
My friend briefly worked on the developement team out in Utah. The single-player was broken for over a year and they could just not make a compelling enough experience without delaying the game for another 1-2 years! It's sad that Sony has to advertise this as a feature. They didnt "embrace" anything. The game was broken as hell and now they are trying to recoup some of the lost money.
Sorry guys! Another blow for Sony