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[Nirolak]

high dev costs are still one of the problems they faced. I dont know why you guys are able to simoly blame Udraw and management.

Right, most publishers have over $1 billion in cash, or at least over $500 million. THQ had like $100 million or less going into this holiday, which is why uDraw's $80 million loss was painful.

They didn't get to $100 million in cash though without messing up tremendously for years.

 

["God's Beard!"]

So should I sell short on THQ stock or what?

 

[Cameron122]

Have you all loved something you could never had?


Dawn Of War 3

 

[bangai-o]

Vigil should probably be shifted over to developing xbla and 3ds games. While Darksiders is great, i dont think gamers are responing that hugely for 2+ year dev schedule. guess we'll findout when D2 comes out though.

 

[bigboss370]

Saints Row 3 ended up being underwhelming after the amazingness of SR2. now that i think about it, i guess it may have had a lower budget, too bad ;_;

 

[Glass Rebel]

Right, most publishers have over $1 billion in cash, or at least over $500 million. THQ had like $100 or less going into this holiday, which is why uDraw's $80 million loss was painful.

They didn't get to $100 million in cash though without messing up tremendously for years.

That's one hell of a gamble. What the fuck, THQ.

I hope the devs, especially Relic and Vigil, don't suffer from this (they will).

 

[Totobeni]

Saints Row 3 ended up being underwhelming after the amazingness of SR2. now that i think about it, i guess it may have had a lower budget, too bad ;_;

SR4(if they survived to make it) will not need a huge budget anyway, the new engine they've made for SR3 is there already,and they will most likely will pull an SR2 again (rebuilding the city,add tons of new crazy activities and shit on it)I think it will not cost too much.

 

[Nirolak]

That's one hell of a gamble. What the fuck, THQ.

I hope the devs, especially Relic and Vigil, don't suffer from this (they will).

Err, $100 million I meant to write, but yes, it's still incredibly low.

 

[Grayman]

youch. So if darksiders 2 doesn't sell great they are going to run out of cash to pay other studios they have working very quickly.

 

[Glass Rebel]

Err, $100 million I mean to write, but yes, it's still incredibly low.

Don't worry, my mind automatically inserted "million". Not even THQ would be that stupid.

 

[bangai-o]

youch. So if darksiders 2 doesn't sell great they are going to run out of cash to pay other studios they have working very quickly.

WWE

 

[JaseC]

SR4(if they survived to make it) will not need a huge budget anyway, the new engine they've made for SR3 is there already,and they will most likely will pull an SR2 again (rebuilding the city,add tons of new crazy activities and shit on it)I think it will not cost too much.

Even with the existing engine they'll still be looking at a minimum ~2-year development period for the game, and with Volition having around 220 employees, that's a lot of money -- especially for THQ.

 

[rdrr gnr]

youch. So if darksiders 2 doesn't sell great they are going to run out of cash to pay other studios they have working very quickly.

I'd love to buy SRIII but it was still full price as of two weeks ago. It dropped by $10 last week. Still too high.

 

[Steverulez]

Even with the existing engine they'll still be looking at a minimum ~2-year development period for the game, and with Volition having around 220 employees, that's a lot of money -- especially for THQ.

Well the SR3 disc based expansion releasing at the end of the year should help them quite a lot, probably just a little bit of a beef'd up DLC pack for like $30 or so? Can see that doing well for them.

 

[Totobeni]

Even with the existing engine they'll still be looking at a minimum ~2-year development period for the game, and with Volition having around 220 employees, that's a lot of money -- especially for THQ.

I thought they where less than 100 after the Red Faction massacre last year(since an entire team gone).

oh well..

I'd buy a retro 2D Saint's Row on Steam anytime.

 

[Eusis]

I'd buy a retro 2D Saint's Row on Steam anytime.

Like this?

 

[Grayman]

WWE

There is a license that hasn't been on the market in a long time. Most likely WWE and UFC will be continue to be developed by Yukes with a new publisher. The games presumably sell well year to year with not a lot of expense.

 

[Dr. Kitty Muffins]

I think companies are just waiting for THQ's death so they can buy some licenses or franchises on the cheap without having to acquire the debt that a outright purchase at this time would commit them to.

5 bucks says EA or Activision snatches up the WWE license. I just hope they hand it off to a new team and stop the yearly releases. A bi-annual release schedule with a huge roster expansion pack sold in the off year would be far better.

 

[Linkhero1]

I think companies are just waiting for THQ's death so they can buy some licenses or franchises on the cheap without having to acquire the debt that a outright purchase at this time would commit them to.

5 bucks says EA or Activision snatches up the WWE license. I just hope they hand it off to a new team and stop the yearly releases. A bi-annual release schedule with a huge roster expansion pack sold in the off year would be far better.

If THQ does end up going under, I wonder which one of the two companies would snatch up Saints Row.

 

[TouchMyBox]

40 million?

Let's buy THQ, GAF.

 

[Linkhero1]

40 million?

Let's buy THQ, GAF.

And acquire their debt too? No thanks! Let's buy their IPs once they go under.

 

[TouchMyBox]

And acquire their debt too? No thanks! Let's buy their IPs once they go under.

But dude, this is the Toy Headquarters we're talking about here.

 

[SolidSnakex]

I just hope they hand it off to a new team and stop the yearly releases. A bi-annual release schedule with a huge roster expansion pack sold in the off year would be far better.

I'm not sure if that's a choice that they can make. I'm pretty sure that it was stated that Codemasters has to release F1 games every year as part of the license agreement. I wouldn't be surprised if the WWE license was handled the same way.

 

[JoeBoy101]

In light of this news and other positive news recently, I'm upping my bid for 51% control of THQ to $350. Executives, you know how to reach me if you want to talk.

THQ Board? Stumpy is smart. Let him have it. Hell, he'll probably go to $500 if you ask real nicely.

 

[Totobeni]

Like this?

That amazing.

If THQ does end up going under, I wonder which one of the two companies would snatch up Saints Row.

EA for sure,Volition/SR IP will most likely end with them since they love to copy other companies, Volition and SR will give them an access to open world genre and put them in the GTA market,Activision wont even think about them since just sold out Sleeping Dogs so they don't care about the genre or SR and have Radical for open world games.

 

[bangai-o]

I'm not sure if that's a choice that they can make. I'm pretty sure that it was stated that Codemasters has to release F1 games every year as part of the license agreement. I wouldn't be surprised if the WWE license was handled the same way.

neogaf is still in the early stages of understanding gaming studio contracts. give it time.

 

[Linkhero1]

That amazing.



EA for sure,Volition/SR IP will most likely end with them since they love to copy other companies, Volition and SR will give them an access to open world genre and put them in the GTA market,Activision wont even think about them since just sold out Sleeping Dogs so they don't care about the genre or SR and have Radical for open world games.

Wasn't Sleeping Dogs, True Crimes before the rename already, a shitty franchise? I'm not saying that Sleeping Dogs was destined to be bad, but peoples' past experience with their work might have turned them off. I think that's why Activision might have dropped it. I think Saints Row is well established enough for Activision to consider picking it up. I would rather have neither of the companies pick it up to be honest.

 

[AzureSkies]

$400. I'm even willing to give you a few coupons on top of that.

I hate to be that guy, but...

$1500

Take it or leave it.

 

[rdrr gnr]

Thread prediction: Which publisher should buy IP X from THQ?

 

[JoeBoy101]

I hate to be that guy, but...

$1500

Take it or leave it.

 

[Tagg9]

How can they only be worth $40 million? THQ's intellectual property alone is worth way more than that, without even taking into account the games currently under development. Is that number based on their debt owing?

 

[DOBERMAN INC]

I hope CoH2 sees the light of day.

 

[Jafku]

I hate to be that guy, but...

$1500

Take it or leave it.

$1501

/priceisright

 

[Alrus]

I'm still baffled that they thought uDraw was going to be a hit with the ps360 crowd...

If THQ does end up going under, I wonder which one of the two companies would snatch up Saints Row.

I don't think Activision is very interested in the GTA clone business... They sold True Crime: Hong-Kong to Squeenix after all.

 

[Stumpokapow]

$1501

/priceisright

You know the objective of the price is right is to bid the highest without going over the item's actual value, right?

 

[Nirolak]

How can they only be worth $40 million? THQ's intellectual property alone is worth way more than that, without even taking into account the games currently under development. Is that number based on their debt owing?

It is the price of one share multiplied by the number of shares available.

It is not the value that you could generate if you liquidated the company, but presumably they wish to avoid that.

 

[Linkhero1]

I'm still baffled that they thought uDraw was going to be a hit with the ps360 crowd...



I don't think Activision is very interested in the GTA clone business... They sold True Crime: Hong-Kong to Squeenix after all.

Well, True Crimes wasn't that great of a franchise to begin with. The first two were a mess, so I don't blame them for selling Sleeping Dogs; However, Saints Row is a well established ip with three great games. I think it would be a miss if they don't attempt to pick it up if THQ goes under.

 

[JaseC]

You know the objective of the price is right is to bid the highest without going over the item's actual value, right?

Badum-tish.

 

[Grayman]

How can they only be worth $40 million? THQ's intellectual property alone is worth way more than that, without even taking into account the games currently under development. Is that number based on their debt owing?

Cost of Share * Number of shares

You could buy THQ for that much money today but there are probably some shareholders who would not sell.

 

[Corto]

You know the objective of the price is right is to bid the highest without going over the item's actual value, right?

This could be a classic example of the one-dollar-auction paradox. hehehehe

 

[Gamer @ Heart]

Posters suggest it was uDraw PS3 and 360 version that caused THQ to struggle.

That is the main reason they are dire straits for the past 8 months, but not why they were hurting for years. They overpaid for many many licences and sales werent there to justify them. So what did they do? they basically killed that part of their business and went to more core games, which without proper marketing support outside of saints row, also struggled tohit decent sales before price drops.

 

[Busty]

My stock answer for every THQ doom thread (and there have been fucking LOADS of them) is that Warner Bros games will buy them up. The IPs, the studios, the lot, just like they did with Midway.

The Saint's Row franchise seems a great fit for WB. It seems exactly what their 'IP portfolio' needs IMHO.

 

[Gamer @ Heart]

My stock answer for every THQ doom thread (and there have been fucking LOADS of them) is that Warner Bros games will buy them up. The IPs, the studios, the lot, just like they did with Midway.

The Saint's Row franchise seems a great fit for WB. It seems exactly what their 'IP portfolio' needs IMHO.

I would imagine that the THQ management knows they will be swiftly canned if the company is bought, and thus are not really looking at that as an option just yet. They will ride it out as long as they keep making their six figures.

 

[Glass Rebel]

Still pissed we'll never get Dawn of War III or even Battlefleet Gothic at this rate. The latter was the only possibility of getting something like Homeworld from Relic.

 

[Grayman]

My stock answer for every THQ doom thread (and there have been fucking LOADS of them) is that Warner Bros games will buy them up. The IPs, the studios, the lot, just like they did with Midway.

The Saint's Row franchise seems a great fit for WB. It seems exactly what their 'IP portfolio' needs IMHO.

The remaining publishers would be better off letting THQ collapse and obtaining the bits and pieces they want in a piece meal approach.

 

[Detox]

News like this puts me off buying Darksiders 2 at launch as it will probably drop faster in price then I would expect.

 

[legend166]

THQ were in trouble a long time before uDraw.

 

[Ein Bear]

I'm still baffled that they thought uDraw was going to be a hit with the ps360 crowd...

Seriously. How on Earth did they expect it to sell?

 

[rdrr gnr]

News like this puts me off buying Darksiders 2 at launch as it will probably drop faster in price then I would expect.

Or the opposite, right?

 

[Detox]

Or the opposite, right?

Honestly my brain has been rationalising either way and I don't have experience of watching other companies going bust. What usually happens to the prices of their games?