THQ's uDraw Killing The Bottom Line

THQ is now worth $49.1 million, which is a bit less than the estimated $50 million budget for Dark Millenium Online.

The real kicker is the 52-week range.

Actually, that range is wrong, it hit 67 cents today (maybe that is closes only?).

We’re not going to get Saints Row 4, are we?

Maybe Rockstar will pick it up like they picked up Max Payne?

l o l

Time to buy, I think. Probably not, though. Majesco(COOL) was a different case when they dropped to 40 cents during the downturn.

So do people think we’re going to finally see what happens when a company with internet-dependent SP games goes belly up? I don’t want anyone to lose their jobs or for them to get bought out, but it sure seems like Ubisoft has been swimming upstream for a good while. I’m honestly curious as to how the fallout would affect the consumers (including me, of course).

bump

Well, net chatter…

That’s a shame. I like THQ, overall. They will always have a special place in my heart for Titan Quest alone. They must have really screwed up on the management side.

Oh no, no, no. Now you’ve got me really worried about the fates of the next Metro, Darksiders 2, future 40k games, great studios like Relic and Volition, the next game from Assassin’s Creed 2’s lead guy, and Itagaki’s next game. THQ is supposed to publish so many promising titles.

I would guess studios like Relic, Volition and Vigil will not have trouble finding new publishers/owners, should it come to that.

Glad I sold my stock a couple months ago back when it at least had SOME value. :P

  • Jon

Wow. That’s nuts. I can’t believe THQ crapped away their business like that.

Iron Lore devs might disagree with thanking THQ for Titan’s Quest, given the various grumblings I’ve heard around the web. :)

I’d hate to see what someone like EA or Activision would do to them. Asian owners might be even worse, considering the popularity (ubiquity?) of the freemium business model in some territories over there.

There’s an ugly rumor going around, that the Warhammer 40K MMO has been cancelled as well…

kotaku has this to say about THQ cancelling games for 2014

THQ like other game companies, AND THE PUBLIC, relie to much into “brands”. This make so game companies pay people like Disney and Games Workshop some mountains of money, before taking the risk to make a game. I blame the public and game companies, for following this path. IMHO, videogames sould invent new characters and universes as the norm, and use know brands as a exception.

But this is my opinion, and I am a random dude on the internet.

You seem to mixing two issues: relying on brands economically and creatively.

AFAIK, using established brands is generally the safer bet economically, with a higher return on investment.

As to creativity, I think the story is mixed. There are good arguments for developers not diluting themselves by trying to invent good game systems and background fiction. Though “Game X, part 23” is a good argument against the practice. Personally, I think we need more 40K games, not less.

The official response:

THQ has not cancelled its 2014 line-up, and has not made any decisions regarding the planned MMO. As part of the ongoing review of our business, we have made decisions to ensure that the company is strategically addressing the most attractive markets. As we have previously announced, we have dramatically reduced our commitment to the kids' boxed games sector which leads to a significantly more focused release schedule moving forward. Our slate for calendar 2012 and beyond is focused on high-quality core games and continues to build our digital platform and business. We are excited for our pipeline of original and high-quality content along with our relationships with some of the best talent in the industry.
Additionally, we are thrilled with the great performance of Saints Row: The Third, which on a like for like period in North America has tripled in sell-through from Saints Row 2. In addition, WWE '12's worldwide sell-through sales are up almost 40% year-over-year for the same sales period with fewer platforms. According to NPD, for the month of December and the 2011 year, THQ was the #5 publisher overall, #4 third party, with reported sell through growing over 18% in a market that was down almost 6%. And coming up next, we have two great titles for the first half of the year including UFC Undisputed 3 and Darksiders 2.

Not making a decision about an MMO in development isn’t a vote of confidence. The default should be full steam ahead rather than a “we don’t know yet.”