THQ: Difference between revisions
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===TBA=== |
===TBA=== |
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* ''[[Homefront (video game)]]'' (Xbox 360, |
* ''[[Homefront (video game)]]'' (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, PC) |
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* ''[[Warhammer 40,000: Space Marines]]'' (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3) |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 00:18, 24 June 2009
 | |
| Company type | Public, (Nasdaq: THQI) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Interactive entertainment |
| Founded | 1989 (as Trinity Acquisition Corporation) |
| Headquarters |  Agoura Hills, California, USA |
Key people | Brian J. Farrell (Chairman, CEO, President), Ian Curran (SVP Int'l Publishing) |
| Products | Red Faction series Tak series Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Smackdown Saints Row series Destroy All Humans! series Summoner series |
| Revenue |  $830.0 million (2009)[2] |
| -$431.1 million (2009) | |
Number of employees | over 1,600 worldwide |
| Website | http://www.thq.com/ |
THQ Inc. (Toy Headquarters) (Nasdaq: THQI) is a worldwide international American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices.
The company publishes internally created and externally licensed content in its product portfolio. THQ's internally created franchises include Saints Row, Frontlines: Fuel of War, Red Faction, MX vx. ATV, Company of Heroes and others. The company also holds exclusive, long-term licensing agreements with leading sports and entertainment content creators including World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Games Workshop (Warhammer 40,000), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Nickelodeon and Disney-Pixar. It has announced net sales of $830.0 million in 2008, down from $1,030.5 million in the year previous. Net losses were $431 million for the 12 months ending March 2009, down from $35.3 million in the year previous.
History
The company began building out its internal product development capabilities in 2001 with the acquisition of Volition, Inc. located in Champaign, IL. Since then, THQ's internal studio system has grown to eleven studios across the globe with distinct capabilities across all viable gaming platforms. Studios such as Relic Entertainment, Paradigm Entertainment, Juice Games, Kaos Studios and Volition, Inc., who are working on games for next generation of consoles as well as PCs.
THQ's global distribution network includes offices in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific as follows: United States, Canada and Mexico; Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom; Australia, Japan, and South Korea. Key THQ Wireless brands include Star Wars, WWE and certain Disney-Pixar properties. THQ Wireless serves content via all major carriers worldwide including Sprint, Motorola, Nokia (N-gage), AT&T, Sony-Ericsson, Orange in Europe and others.
Major franchises include games based on THQ's long standing licensing relationships with WWE, Disney/Pixar and Nickelodeon. The company also holds long-term rights to Bratz from MGA Entertainment and Warhammer 40,000 from Games Workshop.
On May 10, 2007, THQ reported its highest annual sales figures and net profits ever for the fiscal year which ended March 31. THQ's revenues reached over $1 billion. In 2008, THQ ranked 23rd on the list of largest software companies in the world.[1]
In March 2008, THQ announced they were to develop the world's first ever cheerleading game using the Wii Balance Board.[2]
On November 3, 2008 the company closed a number of its studios.[3]
Studios
- Blue Tongue Entertainment - Founded in 1995, based in Melbourne, Australia, acquired by THQ in 2004.
- Juice Games - Founded in 2003, based in Warrington, United Kingdom, acquired by THQ in 2006.
- Kaos Studios - Founded by THQ in 2005, based in New York, NY.
- Rainbow Studios - Founded in 1996, based in Phoenix, Arizona, acquired by THQ in 2001.
- Relic Entertainment - Founded in 1997, based in Vancouver, BC, acquired by THQ in 2004.
- THQ Studio Australia - Founded by THQ in January 2003, based in Brisbane, Australia.
- Universomo - Founded in 2002, based in Tampere, Finland, acquired by THQ in 2007.
- Vigil Games - Founded in 2005, based in Austin, Texas, acquired by THQ in 2006.[4]
- Volition, Inc. - Based in Champaign, Illinois, acquired by THQ in 2000.
Play THQ
 | |
| Company type | Children's division of THQ |
|---|---|
| Industry | Children's entertainment |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Headquarters | USA |
| Products | Cars Mater-National Nicktoons: Globs of Doom All Star Cheer Squad WALL-E Naked Brothers Band Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition |
| Website | www.PlayTHQ.com |
Play THQ is the family division of THQ, founded in 2007. Its first game was Cars Mater-National. Additional games published include licensed material such as SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom, WALL-E, Avatar: The Last Airbender - Into the Inferno, and original properties such as Lock's Quest. Play THQ is best known for publishing Disney/Pixar and Nickelodeon games.
XDG
The External Development Group (XDG) was founded in 2006[5] to streamline THQ's outsourcing initiatives. In 2008, the group opened a headquarters in Shanghai, China to transition from traditional business to business outsourcing methods to a form of distributed development.[6][7]
Additional developers/divisions
- SimBin Development Team AB
- Slingdot
- THQ Wireless
- ValuSoft
Upcoming games
2009
- All Star Cheer Squad 2 (Wii)
- Cars Race-O-Rama (PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360, Nindento DS, Wii, PlayStation 2, PSP system)
- Darksiders (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
- Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter (Nintendo DS, Wii)
- Marvel Super Hero Squad (Nindento DS, Wii, PlayStation 2, PSP system)
- MX vs. ATV: Reflex (PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PSP system)
- SpongeBob Truth or Square (Xbox 360, Nindento DS, Wii, PSP system)
- World of Zoo (Windows PC, Nintendo DS, Wii)[8]
- WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 (PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PSP system, Nintendo DS, Wii)
TBA
- Homefront (video game) (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, PC)
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marines (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3)
References
- ^ Software Top 100: "The World's Largest Software Companies"
- ^ THQ announce cheerleading game - 07/03/2008
- ^ [1] - 11/03/2008
- ^ http://investor.thq.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=96376&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=832692&highlight=
- ^ http://investor.thq.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=96376&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=831188&highlight=
- ^ http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3758/an_examination_of_outsourcing_the_.php?page=3
- ^ http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=19718
- ^ "GDN: E3 09: World of Zoo to Open this Fall". Gamers Daily News. GDN. Retrieved 2009-06-02.