14 DAY TRIAL // Video game publisher THQ has announced that it has delayed a number of high profile upcoming video games, from the strategy-oriented Company of Heroes 2 to the shooter Metro: Last Light, and the recent financial reports from the company suggest that it might be facing more problems in the near future.
Jason Rubin, the president of THQ, is quoted by VG247 as saying that, “Our fourth quarter releases are the first titles that I have had the ability to materially impact, and experience told me that the games needed additional development time to be market-ready.”
Company of Heroes 2 and Metro: Last Light are now expected to arrive in late March 2013 and THQ says that South Park: The Stick of Truth will be moved from March 5, 2013 to early fiscal 2014, which means late spring or even summer of next year.
Rubin justifies the delays by telling investors that, “I firmly believe releasing our fourth quarter titles without extra time for polish in the current environment would lead to underperformance that could in turn lead to future additional capital shortfalls.”
He has also admitted that the company will have financial problems because of the delays, but says that the short-term issues are less important than the long-term success that Company of Heroes 2 and Metro can bring to THQ.
The company president has also revealed that there are 10 other high profile titles, all of them original intellectual property, that THQ has planned for the 2014 and 2015 fiscal years.
The publisher has also admitted that, despite a high review score, Darksiders 2 – the open-world action title created by Vigil Games – has failed to meet sales expectations, only managing to sell about 1.4 million copies worldwide.
Saints Row: The Third is continuing to perform better than ever, topping 5 million units since launch.