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RIP THQ 1989-2012
13 years ago
General
I never actually thought I'd see this day. Hell to sorta honest I kinda thought THQ would be pulled out of this mess. Maybe it's because well, THQ did publish some really good or interesting stuff, as as they died. Midway collapse as arcade maker trying to adapt it's properties into the modern era, with only Mortal Kombat surviving as it;s legacy that I know off. Acclaim...well after BMX XXX was anyone sad to here them go?
I think what happened was some problematic business tatageies, really poor timing and the global recession took thier toll. THQ has for most of it's existence been as licensed publisher, mostly for Disney, Pixar and Nickeodeon. Thing is the current ecenomic state children's games don't sell, barring the recent exception of Skylanders and a handful of others. Parents aren't willing to drop money for video for thier children now, least not the full 60 dollars ones. With the advent of F2P and other alternative pricing models children where out of the equation.
Then there was shit like the uDraw tablet and interesting toy but an unnecessary accessory for the Wii. It did moderatly well for the Wii so THQ saw fit fo spend money to making versions that could work for the PS3 and 360.
The practically breaths and lives off expensive, stupid accessories that are only ever used for one game. Trying to convince 360 and PS3 users to buy a uDraw was a bit like a college reward it's students with Chuck E Cheese coupons.
And Don't get me started on Homefront, a game that makes Red Dawn look like Apocaplasye Now. the North Koreans could only get more evil if you found out their tanks ran on live puppies and that EMP was powered the tears of orphans.
But THQ also doubled down in recent years on it's own Ips and had soem greta studios attached to it. Say what you will about Darksiders, but that was Vigil's first game. That's not excusing Vigil for anything: The game had enough polish, spark, soul, hell lots of things then most studios like whoever is making CoD now does and this was their first game! Saints Row went from a San Andreas rip-off to a series that runs on balls to the wall insanity and fun.
So I guess that just leavs wher ethe franchises go, huh?
Welp South Park the Stick of Truth and THQ Montrela are no both in the hands of Ubisoft. The game is pretty likely to see release. It's only part missing is being on store shelves at this point. South Pakr Studios wants this game, as do Parker and Stone.
Crytek bought Homefront for some reason. For like 500K. Stop laughing. I'm not joking.
koch Media AKA Deep Silver has bought Volition and the Saints Row franchise. This both worrying and a bit of a relief. On one hand Deep SIlver's track record for quality games is non-existent. I mean seriously guys, Dead Island was kinda crap. On the other hand they don't seem too controlling of all that caring of the direction of their IPs. So they could just let Volition make Saints Row The Third. Give them money say "Make it by X Date" and we'll get Saints Row Fo' and be blasting robot dinos with dildo lasers or something cool. Plus Koch's recent "Zomboe Bait" snafu shows they're tad off kilter themselves. So really...no one else could publish a Saints Row game. Volition is a studio that does not give a shit about making a market tested consumer friendly game. Red faction feels like, up until Armageddon, like Volition watched Tital Recall and said "LEt'S MAKE THATA GAME!" and was awesome. hell one of the big features of Guerilla was "Smash Shit with a hammer" and they researched artitecture just so the buildings crumbled realistically. Activision does not care for open world games. And EA even the grittiest stuff feels like it was market tested and researched and generally EA has sterile, corporate feel.
Sgea Got Relic and Company of Heroes. this makes the most sense. Sega has the rights to Warhammer and they've so far, unlike other japanese publishers been makinga push into the PC market and the statgery genre. Hell RUSE was pretty much Sega's experiment onto the RTS as a console game. GWS likes relic, they respect 40K. Seems more like Sega is gently nudging GWS to give them the rights to 40K, and it's make the most sense.
And Vigil...got zlich. Ouch.it's more or less becaue Vigil just released a game and thier next project was veyr early in the dev cycle.
...Though I hear Rumors Platinum Games (yes THOSE GUYS) are interested in purchasing the Darksiders franchise.
I think what happened was some problematic business tatageies, really poor timing and the global recession took thier toll. THQ has for most of it's existence been as licensed publisher, mostly for Disney, Pixar and Nickeodeon. Thing is the current ecenomic state children's games don't sell, barring the recent exception of Skylanders and a handful of others. Parents aren't willing to drop money for video for thier children now, least not the full 60 dollars ones. With the advent of F2P and other alternative pricing models children where out of the equation.
Then there was shit like the uDraw tablet and interesting toy but an unnecessary accessory for the Wii. It did moderatly well for the Wii so THQ saw fit fo spend money to making versions that could work for the PS3 and 360.
The practically breaths and lives off expensive, stupid accessories that are only ever used for one game. Trying to convince 360 and PS3 users to buy a uDraw was a bit like a college reward it's students with Chuck E Cheese coupons.
And Don't get me started on Homefront, a game that makes Red Dawn look like Apocaplasye Now. the North Koreans could only get more evil if you found out their tanks ran on live puppies and that EMP was powered the tears of orphans.
But THQ also doubled down in recent years on it's own Ips and had soem greta studios attached to it. Say what you will about Darksiders, but that was Vigil's first game. That's not excusing Vigil for anything: The game had enough polish, spark, soul, hell lots of things then most studios like whoever is making CoD now does and this was their first game! Saints Row went from a San Andreas rip-off to a series that runs on balls to the wall insanity and fun.
So I guess that just leavs wher ethe franchises go, huh?
Welp South Park the Stick of Truth and THQ Montrela are no both in the hands of Ubisoft. The game is pretty likely to see release. It's only part missing is being on store shelves at this point. South Pakr Studios wants this game, as do Parker and Stone.
Crytek bought Homefront for some reason. For like 500K. Stop laughing. I'm not joking.
koch Media AKA Deep Silver has bought Volition and the Saints Row franchise. This both worrying and a bit of a relief. On one hand Deep SIlver's track record for quality games is non-existent. I mean seriously guys, Dead Island was kinda crap. On the other hand they don't seem too controlling of all that caring of the direction of their IPs. So they could just let Volition make Saints Row The Third. Give them money say "Make it by X Date" and we'll get Saints Row Fo' and be blasting robot dinos with dildo lasers or something cool. Plus Koch's recent "Zomboe Bait" snafu shows they're tad off kilter themselves. So really...no one else could publish a Saints Row game. Volition is a studio that does not give a shit about making a market tested consumer friendly game. Red faction feels like, up until Armageddon, like Volition watched Tital Recall and said "LEt'S MAKE THATA GAME!" and was awesome. hell one of the big features of Guerilla was "Smash Shit with a hammer" and they researched artitecture just so the buildings crumbled realistically. Activision does not care for open world games. And EA even the grittiest stuff feels like it was market tested and researched and generally EA has sterile, corporate feel.
Sgea Got Relic and Company of Heroes. this makes the most sense. Sega has the rights to Warhammer and they've so far, unlike other japanese publishers been makinga push into the PC market and the statgery genre. Hell RUSE was pretty much Sega's experiment onto the RTS as a console game. GWS likes relic, they respect 40K. Seems more like Sega is gently nudging GWS to give them the rights to 40K, and it's make the most sense.
And Vigil...got zlich. Ouch.it's more or less becaue Vigil just released a game and thier next project was veyr early in the dev cycle.
...Though I hear Rumors Platinum Games (yes THOSE GUYS) are interested in purchasing the Darksiders franchise.
I'd pissed if EA gota hold of relic. It'd be fucking Westwood all over again.