14 DAY TRIAL // THQ, right after announcing its rebranding and refreshed logo, confirmed that it would be applying its new, lower pricing model to "another major franchise."
THQ isn't afraid to take any chances, and pioneered an interesting pricing model with the recent MX vs. ATV off-road racing game, which was sold at a lower than usual price of $39.99, instead of the regular $60 price tag normally associated with a full-pledged console title.
The company was then to profit from the larger install base, as more people afforded the title, to which it could sell downloadable content.
It seems that the strategy was a success, as THQ's core games boss Danny Bilson revealed at a press event that he wants to apply the same model to "another major franchise," but that this isn't "an official announcement."
Bilson then shared a few details, saying that the lower-priced game would appear around 2012.
THQ is among the very few companies that are speaking against the current pricing model in the industry.
Its President, Brian Farrell revealed recently that the $60 price tag was "keeping people out."
"What we're thinking about the business is we're turning it on its head a little bit," said Farrell last year. "It's not, 'how high a price can we get', but 'how many users'."
"If you can capture everyone under that economic curve, that's where you can make the most money. […] We think this is the future of gaming. We think that's the way games are gonna go in the long term."
Seeing the economic downturn affecting the gaming budgets of many people, who can't afford to buy two or three full games a month, and how a lot of players are turning to lower priced used games, thus scoring outlets like GameStop a huge profit, then THQ's new strategy may be a winner.
Still, 2012 is a bit far away, but if gamers want lower-priced games, then they should seriously consider backing up the company when the new, "cheaper" title arrives.