It has been said for a lot of time: games are more and more expensive to make, in this generation is being harder to make a profit, it was predicted that small or medium sized publishers would fail in time, not making enough profit so their next wave of games can’t be properly supported economically, which assures they also would fail/wouldn’t good enough for AAA material, leaving EA, Activison, Ubisoft and a pair more in the market.
THQ was almost a textbook example, imo. It does have a lot of of good or decent enough games but all in the “just acceptable” range of sales. Like Darksiders, Metro 2033, Space Marine, Red Faction, Saints Rows, WWE. They tried but not one of their games reached the “blockbuster” level. They don’t have GTA or Gears of War or Halo or CoD or WoW or FIFA or Battlefield or AssCreed or anything like that.
I’m sure. I didn’t mean to suggest that THQ actually made the game better or anything. But they did publish it, and so when I think of THQ, I see that splash screen as I’m trying to play TQ. Obviously, I owe Iron Lore more (RIP) but I can’t help my associations.
I wonder if THQ trying to go for “blockbuster” status is what destroyed them. They could’ve done decently by iterating faithfully on their successful franchises. Instead they squandered huge resources on Homefront and attempted to appeal to the mass market with Red Faction: Armageddon instead of building on what they had with Guerrilla.
Hard to know if the RF thing was THQ or Volition’s fault. Volition is probably the most underappreciated gaming studio…well ever! They’ve made so many games that I’ve enjoyed the hell out of and yet have not sold huge numbers. Aside from the obvious example, which practically killed the space genre, RF:G and the Saint’s Row series should be selling way more than they do. I’m sure SR does alright, but I can’t help but wonder if Armageddon was an attempt to slide into the Gears type numbers.
That’s right…I knew there was a game they were working on that I was interested in seeing. I just couldn’t be bothered to google it! I find that Qt3 is better than Google for such things.
It could be possible… but usually it’s not that easy. Even if you play your hand conservatively, trying to make not very expensive profitable games; not every game will be a success, some of them won’t cover the costs. So you need some other games whose profits are well higher than the average, to compensate the failures.
And let’s remember that even ignoring the expensive AAA blockbuster games, the average level/quality of games accepted by the public increases every year. Even forgetting the AAA, the requisites of a game from 2005 weren’t the same from a game in 2008, which are not the same for a 2012 game. The acceptable level in graphics, polish and features has increased now. Now people expect a sizable single player portion AND some well implemented coop, even in games not called Call of Duty or Gears of Wars. Games cost $60, why accept less?
When your characters talk, it’s expected some decent lip-synching. When you fire a rocket to a “atrezzo” (like a car or a garbage can) from a city environment, it’s expected some kind of destructibility, not like 10 years ago where everything was built in Adamantium in videogames. Etc etc
Budgets needed for modern videogames are two or three times bigger, but the revenue hasn’t increased in the same factor.
THQ did the QA for Titan Quest, which is something they do in general, they have a massive QA department. I was at THQ and worked in QA during the TQ period, mostly on the editor. It was fairly entertaining and somewhat insane.
Where? EA? cringe Activision? barf
There’s no safe place left on Earth to hide!
Can’t say I ever held anything against THQ. Nor can I say they ever left a distinctive imprint as a positively respectable publisher.
All I can say is, they supported great studios that brought us excellent games. And that’ll be a loss (to us all) if they won’t be able to do so any further.
Also: Fuck the Mass Market for not recognizing the genius in the likes of Darksiders.
(I want Darksiders 2!!!)
And once again it’s time for an “updated business strategy”:
THQ Outlines Business Strategy of Focusing Exclusively on High-Quality Core Games and Connected Experiences for Key Franchises
Company Exiting the Kids’ Licensed Category
AGOURA HILLS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jan. 25, 2012-- THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) announced its updated business strategy as the company exits traditional kids’ licensed video games and focuses on its core video game franchises and digital initiatives for the future. The company will continue to build its strong portfolio of core game franchises and align its resources to deliver games on both existing consoles and new and emerging platforms. The company intends to accelerate digital revenues by extending and supporting key console launches, and to create dedicated digital properties for emerging platforms.
As part of the alignment, THQ is in the process of exiting its relationships with kids’ licensed entertainment companies but will continue to sell certain previously released titles.
“THQ will be a more streamlined organization focused only on our strongest franchises,” said Brian Farrell, President and CEO, THQ. “The success of Saints Row®: The Third™ is an example of what our revised strategy and focus can achieve. We have now shipped 3.8 million units globally and are currently expecting to ship between five and six million units lifetime on this title. Additionally, our robust digital content offerings for this game have resulted in the highest digital revenue of any console title in our history.”
The company’s five internal studios are developing games aligned to several of THQ’s key franchises, including the upcoming launch of UFC® Undisputed™ 3 and Darksiders® II, as well as Company of Heroes, inSANE, Saints Row, Warhammer 40,000, and the new title from Patrice Désilets and his team. The company also continues to work with prominent external development talent on both existing and new franchises. THQ’s goal is to optimize its portfolio for the current generation of consoles and to establish new franchises on the next generation of game devices.
THQ will discuss its new streamlined business model that reflects this strategy in more detail on its third quarter 2012 conference call scheduled for Thursday, February 2, 2012.
The company’s five internal studios are developing games aligned to several of THQ’s key franchises, including the upcoming launch of UFC® Undisputed™ 3 and Darksiders® II, as well as Company of Heroes, inSANE, Saints Row, Warhammer 40,000, and the new title from Patrice Désilets and his team.
Wait, is that the first time they’ve officially confirmed a new CoH? I know they’ve been dropping hints, but I don’t recally seeing anything official.
A group of former staff at publisher THQ have called for four “underqualified” senior executives, including CEO Brian Farrell, to be fired.
In a letter sent to THQ’s board of directors and several investors, blind copied to a NeoGaf user, the former employees claim that “chronic and constant mismanagement” caused a slew of layoffs and studio closures and drove the publisher’s share price into the doldrums.
The letter opens with an explanation of the “formula” from which THQ profited in its early days. “They find a hot licence, make a cheap game, barely advertise it, and make money,” the letter says. “This formula worked during the PlayStation and Xbox and Game Boy days … [but] THQ’s old guard executives seem to be stuck trying to manage the company the same way they did back then, and haven’t realised the industry has changed.”
CEO Brian Farrell is singled out for spearheading the acquisition and formation of a large number of studios “without strategic reasoning or specific plan.” Many of those studios were later closed: last year the publisher shut down Homefront developer Kaos Studios, its UK studio Digital Warrington, two in Australia and another in Phoenix, Arizona. “The executive team at the time were an entirely different group of people with one key exception,” the letter reads. “The CEO.”
I’ve played SR3 for 39 hours according to the in-game stats. I haven’t had a single crash and my framerate has been in the 50-60 range, dipping only during the worst of the explosion combat zaniness.
