14 DAY TRIAL // Publisher THQ has had a tough year, but it appears that the company has now managed to put the worst behind it and is now ready to look towards the future and to deliver a number of high-profile video games that customers will appreciate.
Brian Farrell, the chief executive officer working at THQ, has told Gamasutra that, “We want to show the shareholders that the heavy lifting is done. The last six months have been an exercise in great pain and suffering.”
“We feel like we’re getting there. We’ve taken a lot of negative things in the press – and frankly a lot of that was deserved. This company has changed. We have strong, new leadership. Look at our fourth quarter earnings. It’s starting to come together,” he confessed.
THQ has initially signaled that it was eliminating or selling all the projects that were not AAA, but now it seems that the publisher is interested in pursuing some non-traditional experiences, but with more of an eye on potential profit.
Farrell then added, “We don’t have a lot of room to run, so we’ve got to execute flawlessly. There is no question who is responsible for where THQ is right now. That’s with me. I feel equally responsible for getting this company out of it.”
THQ was forced to eliminate some studios, fire employees and sell intellectual properties.
The company has also recently announced that it was no longer ready to launch a new expansion for Saints Row 3 and that the content would now form the basis for a new full game in the series.
In the coming year, THQ is getting ready to launch a number of big AAA titles, including Darksiders II, the shooter Metro: Dark Light and a new strategy experience from Relic, Company of Heroes 2, which moves the action to the Eastern Front.