THQ Offers STALKER and Company of Heroes on GameTap

THQ and GameTap are announcing a deal which will bring the most interesting and successful titles from the game publisher to the download service. The agreement also targets games published under the ValuSoft brand and it will most likely be finalized in the near future.

THQ has, especially in recent years, emerged as one of the most interesting videogame publishers in the industry and although it lacks the financial power of behemoths like Electronic Arts or the newly formed Activision Blizzard, it has released some titles that caught the attention of gamers everywhere. Company of Heroes largely rewrote the rules of the real time strategy genre when it was released last fall, focusing on micro-management and a very clever advance and retreat mechanic. Warhammer 40,000 and its expansions have delivered one of the most epic RTS experiences, while a game like STALKER created a very believable and weird universe that appealed to first person shooter fans. In addition to these titles THQ is also bringing games like Puzzle Quest, Red Faction, Supreme Commander and Titan Quest to GameTap.

The digital distribution service, which charges for the subscription and allows you access to a large catalog of videogames, is growing as more and more publishers understand that players are willing to pay to get games, sometimes classics and sometimes new titles, which they can play quickly, without the hassle of going out and buying a CD in a boxed set.

THQ games are at the moment also available on Steam, since 2007, and on GamersGate since January 2008. The publisher also mentions that new games will be moved to digital distribution after a period in which they are sold exclusively in stores.

Adrienne Lauer, who is the sales director for THQ, stated that "Our new partnership with GameTap allows both a brand new audience and fans alike to enjoy our titles and franchise games online. Digital distribution is a great way to extend the reach of our properties and GameTap is an ideal outlet for this effort".