Some sad news out of THQ as the company has announced a "strategic realignment of its internal studio development teams." Basically, THQ is moving away from their kids and movie-based properties to focus on "high-quality owned IP with broad appeal that can be leveraged across multiple platforms."
The shift in focus has thus caused 200 people to lose their jobs and has seen the two THQ studios in Australia and and one in Phoenix to be shut down. At the very least, all affected employees can still apply for any open positions in other THQ studios that are still operational, which are now comprised of these five main branches:
- THQ Montreal (Unannounced new IP)
- Volition (Saints Row: The Third, inSANE)
- Relic Entertainment (Company of Heroes, Space Marine)
- Vigil Games (Darksiders II)
- THQ San Diego (WWE)
Additionally, THQ has thrown in the towel on the MX Vs ATV franchise. In case you forgot, the Red Faction series was put to rest just last week. Oh, don't worry about the Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville Online game for Facebook. It's safe. Thank Christ.
Sad news all around. We wish all those affected the best of luck at finding news gigs.
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Contest:
7:53 PM on 08.09.2011 | 
SUCK ON THAT PARROTHEADS!!!!
Give me a break. These publishers are going to rape the honey pot until its so dry that they start to bleed and chafe, then move on to whatever will make them the most cash and do the same. It sickens me when a publisher releases a statement after cutting jobs talking about how it needs to focus on a "broad appeal" as though that very mindset isn't what got gaming to the state its in in the first place.
Give me a break. These publishers are going to rape the honey pot until its so dry that they start to bleed and chafe, then move on to whatever will make them the most cash and do the same. It sickens me when a publisher releases a statement after cutting jobs talking about how it needs to focus on a "broad appeal" as though that very mindset isn't what got gaming to the state its in in the first place.
I could careless about video game politics to be honest. If there are still great games to play from these "evil" publishers then I'm happy to be a gamer. I think you got other things to worry about, right?
One of the main tenants of the consumer goods business is to keep diversity in your product. This safeguards you in cause one of your baskets fall and some eggs get broken. I described bad business practice, and when a booming market is forced to cut diversity to make ends meet, then there is a real problem. Its not a matter of evil, just a matter of putting yourself, and your shareholders, before the health of the industry at large.
I may have better things to worry about, but the people losing their jobs may have a different opinion.
Just publish Metro and Witcher.
''Oh, don't worry about the Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville Online game for Facebook. It's safe. Thank Christ.''
fu facebook
This makes me a very sad panda.
Homefront and Red Faction: Armageddon are clear examples of big ambitions cut by restrictive budgets. The cut corners can be seen very clearly and the games did not sell well as a result. What's frustrating is that THQ seem to be blaming the studio or the market, when ultimately, a lot of the problem is *them*. Ambitious game needs an ambitious budget. You cannot mix the two (no matter how much staff are forced to crunch) as the press and the buying public will smell it a mile off, especially when you're charging £40/$60 per game.
Brilliant. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to organise a strategic deployment of my internal biological waste.