THQ: IPs Auctioned. Current Developments: Homeworld has gone to Gearbox

[Stacy]

THQ games generally make some decent titles so why are they bankrupt?

[Teoskaven]

...so that means that Darksiders III will be cancelled or the series will pass to another company? I hope it will not be EA in that case.

[Dr. Homem]

News round-up:

 

THQ will be porting games to Linux

Jason Rubin, president of THQ, has announced that they will port games to Linux. This is good, but beaware that this does not mean that 1) they WILL port and more importantly 2) they will port at same time as PC releases. Especially because cost/benefit is in question and, while stable, porting to Linux is quite expensive and may not be viable in their current state.

 

THQ files for Chapter 11, Assets will be purchased

The company obtains commitment for interim financing to fund operations without interruption. Mind you, this only means that the company has been turned to a new group of "managers" up top who will help direct THQ in the right direction if they fail.

THQ isn't going away and we will see South Park, Metro and other titles. If those flop, then you could see real shifts in business planning. If they do well, you'll probably see THQ moving in the direction they have been which is focusing on creating recognizable brands and developing internal IPs that they can use to sustain a financially stable and creatively vibrant company.

 

[Badnik Mechanic]

THQ: We sorta blame Call of Duty for the mess we're in but not really however what we say has a point just don't remind us that we made Homefront.

 

And the latest rumor? Ubisoft might be willing to buy THQ.

[Spin Attaxx]

And if I'm being honest Sega's days basically seem basically numbered as well.  Let me put it this way: I don't know how long it's going to take but I don't see them coming back from their hard times.  They've been consistently unable to get any kind of return on most of their games and it's really their own fault.  

Well, if they can get Sonic to be equal to or better than Mario in the sales and reputation department again (they seem to be starting to piece Sonic's rep back), I think they'd live.

[Doctor MK]

Well, if they can get Sonic to be equal to or better than Mario in the sales and reputation department again (they seem to be starting to piece Sonic's rep back), I think they'd live.

 

I hate to say it, but I think that's a pretty big "if".

 

Mario is the poster boy for an entire console, so he's gonna get much more advertising (and therefore sales) as a result. Plus he has a much more all-encompassing appeal for the whole family, which will forever work in his favour. Sonic has family appeal too, but Mario is so much easier to just pick up and play these days.

[Patticus]

Well, if they can get Sonic to be equal to or better than Mario in the sales and reputation department again (they seem to be starting to piece Sonic's rep back), I think they'd live.

 

Nintendo will have to see a tremendous decline in its first party output quality for Sonic to ever think of besting Mario again.

 

 

Sega's future presently lies in the continued success of its handful of core franchises. Without them, it's more or less finished as a videogame publishing entity. They could purchase a studio and an IP from the ailing THQ to bolster their roster, if they really wanted to take advantage of the situation and build their base back up, but frankly I see Ubisoft as the more likely prospect for at least some of THQ's suite of studios and properties.

[Detective Shadzter]

Looks like it's the end of the line.

THQ to be stripped of game assets in major IP auction
End of the line for long-suffering publisher; Saints Row, Homefront and more up for grabs; EA cited as 'interested party'
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/385319/thq-to-be-stripped-of-game-assets-in-major-ip-auction/

[Teoskaven]

Oh, hell no: out of all the companies, why EA? Why not Ubisoft, or 2K?

[Carbo]

Well I guess that's that then.

South Park is definitely going to survive one way or another so I don't worry too much over it's release but Saints Row and Darksiders? I'm not sure any publisher has a mentality that will be able to preserve the way THQ let their developers go nuts with. They were really one of the few publishers in this era that would actually let games be what they want to their fullest extent and I just don't see the massive Zelda-like structure of Darksiders or the insane schadenfreude of Saints Row being preserved by any other party.

I can see EA taking the latter and trying to turn it into their own GTA killer and I hope by god they don't. The most hopes I have is that either Ubi or WB get them since both have been pumping out some quality games as of recent.

[Badnik Mechanic]

So then SSMB. Which IP's shall we all pitch in to buy?

[FourCartridge]

So then SSMB. Which IP's shall we all pitch in to buy?

 

Saint's Row. The only realistic homes I see for that are EA and Activision, and you know how those two work. =/

[Teoskaven]

Definetly Darksiders, just for the sake of ending the story.

[Dr. Homem]

It will be very interesting to see how this goes... It seemed like THQ and the investor had a plan going on until they were denied, let's hope they have a backup plan and Activision/EA doesn't grab all their great franchises.

 

Just imagine them buying either Saints Row, Company of Heroes, Darksiders, Metro or any of the great games they're working on.

The only positive thing I can see from a worst-case scenario: THQ gets a new start with plenty of cash. They still have talented people, and with the money, they can start over as the gamer's publisher.

 

Best of luck to them.

[Detective Shadzter]

THQ game studios up for sale to highest bidder
Vigil, Relic, Volition and THQ Montreal up for grabs
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/385501/thq-game-studios-up-for-sale-to-highest-bidder/

[Doctor MK]

I sure hope Vigil ends up going to a worthy owner, I'd hate to see a potential Darksiders III ruined because it's gone to a crappy publisher or something.

[Candescence]

I'm personally hoping that Relic ends up with someone who has half a mind to want to make Homeworld 3.

[Stacy]

Regardless of who buys them they won't be the same. If EA get Saint's Row they will probably ruin it get rid of the staff and programmers who made it great. If Ubisoft get Saint's Row expect to be like all their other Open World Games All Filler, No Meat.

 

Square Enix are only ones I would trust with the IP if they keep the original staff on board but with the way the Economy is I doubt it.

 

This sucks.  

[Patticus]

This is all U-Draw's fault. They lost $100m on that piece of shit. I'm starting to doubt whether Relic will survive this now, beyond a skeleton crew for the CoH2 DLC. I want Ubisoft, Nintendo and Squeenix to get the lion's share of the IPs and studios.

[Detective Shadzter]

This is all U-Draw's fault. They lost $100m on that piece of shit. I'm starting to doubt whether Relic will survive this now, beyond a skeleton crew for the CoH2 DLC. I want Ubisoft, Nintendo and Squeenix to get the lion's share of the IPs and studios.

Yeah, I honestly don't know why they thought U-Draw was a good idea. I had a go on one a couple of years ago at GAMEFest and it definitely wasn't pick up and play friendly. I couldn't work out what was what on the menu and I used to have a V Tech as a kid that did the same thing. There are enough kids tablets out there with dedicated screens that it was just plain stupid to release one for consoles. As I mentioned, toy companies did that back in the early 90's. To release one without its own screen when they did was financial suicide. 

[Dr. Homem]

The big problem was trying to extend it past the Wii, where it did okay. However they literally have warehouses full of uDraws for the 360 and the PS3 that nobody will buy - and the PS3 version only did slight better because they somehow made it work on PCs as well. That, and horrendous management (inside people have said the same).

[Tara]

Well, THQ has never been exactly my favorite publisher, but it's a shame to see them go.  Hopefully their assets will be bought off by a respectable company who will steer them all in the right directi- oh, who am I kidding?

 

Anyway, rest in peace, THQ.  I will forever remember you for the Sonic Advance series as well as, more importantly, Rugrats: Search For Reptar.  What an amazing game. ='(

[Badnik Mechanic]

Here are the current rumours.

 

Sega has bought Relic Studios.

 

Red Faction & Saints row has gone to Koch Media.

[Remy]

Sega buying Relic is interesting. So they'll have Total War and CoH/DoW/Homeworld. They're going to be the biggest name in RTS after Blizzard

[Candescence]

Considering the state that Sega is actually in, I'd be surprised if they let Relic do anything other than Warhammer. So no Homeworld III. Fuck this shit.

Edited January 23, 2013 by Masaru Daimon