Downloadable Prequel Unlocks Content in new Red Faction

A new downloadable Red Faction arcade title is more than just a game, it’s also a key.

THQ has announced a downloadable prequel title for the Red Faction: Armageddon called Red Faction: Battlegrounds. Battlegrounds is a top down vehicular combat game with three different types of vehicles, and four player local multiplayer.

What’s especially interesting about Battlegrounds though, is that not only does it act as a prequel to Armageddon’s story, it also unlocks unique content in Armageddon as you achieve various goals. Don Whiteford, Creative Director for developer THQ Digital Warrington says that Battlegrounds is a “companion product” to Armageddon, and the goal is not to make a ton of money – he says that revenues are still fairly low for digital products – but to increase awareness and loyalty for the Red Faction brand.

There’s no way that the content that Battlegrounds unlocks is going to be anything other than a little extra flavor, similar to the Normady crash site in Mass Effect 2 or the nudity code that came with Saboteur, so how you feel about it will largely depend on how you feel about downloadable content in general. It’s believed that that Battlegrounds will be released on Xbox Live Arcade and PSN in either November or December, a few months ahead of Armageddon’s March release.

Source: Gamasutra