Tag: THQ

Fury Rises! Darksiders 3 Has Been Announced!

by The_acz

5 years ago THQ released Darksiders 2, and shortly after closed their doors for good. It was a sad time not only for THQ, but for fans of the Darksiders series. Now THQ has risen from the ashes, and along with that, so has Darksiders. This morning, IGN exclusively revealed that the newly formed Gunfire Games which is mostly made up of Vigil Games employees, will be releasing Darksiders 3 with the help of the also newly formed THQ Nordic. The story centers on Fury and her quest to kill the seven deadly sins. The game is set for a 2018 release on Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Check out the trailer below, and get ready to rise again!

Did You Know Gaming? Shows Us ‘The Avengers’ FPS That Almost Was

by Eric Francisco

Did You Know Gaming? is one of my favorite lunch break time-killers at work. Their 5-10 minute videos have unveiled the making and secrets of nearly a hundred prolific games, franchises, and consoles and it’s my favorite way to occupy my attention while I eat a pastrami. They’ve recently introduced a new series, “Unseen64” which delves into the doomed productions of cancelled video games. Their newest video reveals an amazing what-could-have been: Marvel’s The Avengers, which would have been a first-person action game with a story written by veteran comic scribe Brian Michael Bendis.

I’m really stunned by how well the FP aspects would have worked without the “S” part. None of the Avengers (except maybe Iron Man) would have shooting mechanics, but based on the footage from early builds it actually looks like it would have been a ton of fun. Each of the playable Avengers — Captain America, Thor, Hulk, and Iron Man primarily, with Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Ms. Marvel being unlockable — essentially fulfill a class not unlike *Team Fortress 2*, with everyone relying on each other’s strengths to make up for their own shortcomings. That’s teamwork! Which should be at the heart of most comic book games (Batman excluded).

Also notable is how the game isn’t based on the film, but The Avengers property with designs inspired by Joss Whedon’s movie and an original story riffing on Bendis’ Secret Invasion storyline. The tie-in video game quietly died a few years ago and none of us really noticed.

One thing that never ceases to amaze me about cancelled video games is how invincible they should have been. You’d think that a video game tied to one of the most lucrative films in history would have been cancellation-proof, but THQ’s financial woes were ultimately what killed the project. A more recent example is P.T., aka Silent Hills which its ingredients should have allowed it to survive: genre auteur Guillermo del Toro, Metal Gear Solid mastermind Hideo Kojima, and Norman Reedus, the breakout star of the world’s most popular cable series The Walking Dead. How on Earth do these things just fall through the cracks?

E3 2014: ‘Devil’s Third’ Is FINALLY Coming, And It’s A Wii U Exclusive!

by Josh Jackson

Oh, Devil’s Third. I thought you were going to go the way of Starcraft Ghost and the Wii Vitality sensor and never see the light of day. After floating in development hell for more than a year after THQ folded with few details on what the game was even about, it looks like the game has finally found a home. But it’s probably not where you expect.

Devil’s Third is the first game by famed director, Tomonobu Itagaki (the mind behind Dead or Alive and the first two Ninja Gaiden Xbox titles) after a very public split from his bosses at Tecmo. Itagaki has a lot to prove with his new IP, which we finally get a chance to see in action. Only this time, the title has shifted to Wii U exclusively, giving me potential flashbacks of Madworld. And by that, I mean a great, violent game that most people will shut their eyes and cover their ears at while they scream to the world that Nintendo is “kiddy” or “casual”. Let’s hope this title can be given more of a chance.

Keeping up with the ultra violent game play of his last action game while combining it with his love for rock and roll, a first glance makes this look more like a Suda 51 game than anything. Switching seamlessly between first person shooting and third person slashing, the game is looking like it could be an interesting blend of genres. But will it be enough to push the genre forward like some of his previous work has done? Only time will tell.

Honestly, I was excited to hear that the game was coming, mostly because I’ve been a big fan of Itagaki’s work for years. After watching it though, it looks a little choppy for my tastes. I’d hope a game with as much development time as this would come off looking better, but I still have hope that the new team at Valhalla Games can pull it together before its 2015 release.

So Devil’s Third is finally on its way. Will you be picking this up for your Wii U? Check out the trailer below and as always, check back in the days to come for all your E3 needs!

THQ Is Closed: Assets And IPs Being Sold

by Derek Kraneveldt

Just a few days after Atari announced that they’re entering bankruptcy protection, popular developer/publisher THQ has announced their permanent closure.

 

A letter went out to all employees yesterday, explaining what the closure means for them, their work, and their jobs. Read it below.

 

January 23, 2013

 

To All THQ Employees:

 

We now have the answers we’ve been seeking through our financial restructuring and Chapter 11 case. While much will be written, here are the facts of the bids and auction that occurred:

 

Yesterday morning, we received a competing bid for the operating business, along with Clearlake’s offer, and numerous offers for separate assets. During an auction process that lasted over 22 hours, the final conclusion was that the separate-asset bids would net more than a single buyer for the majority of the company. Shortly, we will, present the results to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, which must concur with our assessment.

The proposed sales of multiple assets is as follows :

 

-Sega agreed to purchase Relic
-Koch Media agreed to purchase Volition and Metro
-Crytek agreed to purchase Homefront
-Take 2 agreed purchase Evolve and
-Ubisoft agreed to purchase Montreal and South Park

 

We expect these sales to close this week.

 

Some assets, including our publishing businesses and Vigil, along with some other intellectual properties are not included in the sale agreements. They will remain part of the Chapter 11 case. We will make every effort to find appropriate buyers, if possible.

 

What this means for employees

 

We expect that most employees of the entities included in the sale will be offered employment by the new owners. However, we cannot say what these owners may intend, and there will likely be some positions that will not be needed under the new ownership. You should receive notice this week or early next week if the new owners intend to extend employment to you. Please note that the terms of your new employment, including pay and benefits, may be different from the current terms of your employment with THQ.

 

If you are an employee of an entity that is not included in the sale, we regret that your position will end. A small number of our headquarters staff will continue to be employed by THQ beyond January 25 to assist with the transition. THQ has sufficient resources to pay these employees for work going forward, and we will be contacting these employees immediately to ensure their continued employment during this transition period. We are requesting the ability to offer certain severance pay to minimize disruption for employees of non-included entities as they determine the next steps in their careers.

 

We know you will have many questions about this news. We’ll be meeting tomorrow when we return to talk through this announcement and to answer any questions you have. You will receive a benefits fact sheet and FAQs with answers to some questions that may be on your mind. Please review these materials closely.

 

A personal note

 

The work that you all have done as part of the THQ family is imaginative, creative, artistic and highly valued by our loyal gamers. We are proud of what we have accomplished despite today’s outcome.It has been our privilege to work alongside the entire THQ team. While the company will cease to exist, we are heartened that the majority of our studios and games will continue under new ownership. We were hoping that the entire company would remain intact, but we expect to hear good news from each of the separate entities that will be operating as part of new organizations.

 

For those THQ employees who are part of entities that are not included in the sale, we are confident that the talent you have displayed as part of THQ will be recognized as you take the next steps in your career.

 

Thank you all for your dedication and for sharing your talent with the THQ team. We wish you the best of luck and hope you will keep in touch.

 

Sincerely,

 

Brian Farrell, Chief Executive Officer

 

Jason Rubin, President

 

 

Certainly a sad and heartfelt letter, I hope that all displaced employees can quickly find work at other developers.

 

Certainly a lot of interesting shuffling happening with THQ’s remaining properties. Thankfully the hard work that employee’s have been doing doesn’t seem to be going to waste, as most games in development appear to have found new publishers.

 

As it says above, Ubisoft is now set to publish the highly anticipated South Park game. Sega now has the rights to the Homeworld series, and seeing how they also own the Total War franchise, a Homeworld 3 makes perfect sense. It’s also interesting that Crytek purchased Homefront, seeing as that game was an absolute piece of crap.

 

THQ continues to seek buyers for currently unpurchased IPs, including (very surprisingly) Vigil Games, developers of the popular (and critically well received) Darksiders franchise.

 

What are your thoughts? Are you disappointed that you’ll never be seeing the THQ logo on another game again?

Metro: Last Light Gets A Gameplay Trailer! Check Out ‘Genesis’

by Shane O'Hare

Metro: Last light can’t get here any sooner. The sequel to Metro 2033, Metro: Last Light has promised to offer next gen cutting edge graphics and environments. Well we finally get a peak at what we can expect come 2013. Check out the Genesis trailer below.

 

4A Games has really out done themselves with this one. Metro 2033 was a stunning example of how a fantastic book can be brought to life in a very organic way. We can expect greatness this time around as well, because the author of Metro 2033 and Metro 2034, Dmitry Glukhovsky is writing the story for Last Light.

So you say “Shane, you are extremely attractive and even though you have a tendency to flip out at the drop of the hat we all love you very much and value your voice at Geekscape, but I am absolutely new to the Metro games series! I haven’t played 2033 and don’t want to get left behind.”

Well you’re in luck, as THQ is really being generous right now what with their Humble Bundle. Well the Christmas cheer keeps flowing as they are giving Metro 2033 away…FOR FREE! AS IN BEER! AS IN DON’T COST A THING!

You can get your very own free copy of Metro 2033 right here!

New ‘WWE 13’ Details Hit The Ring!

by Josh Jackson

Looking to expand on the upgrades that WWE 12 brought to the ring, THQ has unveiled some of the new bells and whistles that wrestling gamers can look forward to in the upcoming WWE 13.

Looking to improve on the overall presentation to make it feel more like you’re playing in front of a crowd of 10,000 plus piss drunk fans, crowd noise is expected to react appropriately to the action in the ring. If you pull off a big move? Expect the fans to jump out of their seats. Let’s just hope that every match takes place in New York, Miami, Chicago or Philly, because realistic crowds anywhere else usually means uncomfortable silence… oh wait, here comes Cena! Now you can cheer!

It’ll be much easier to pull off big moments too, with new spectacular moments that finally let us pull off some of the crazy happenings that make us fans to begin with. Things like reversing moves into finishers, chaining pinning combinations into reversals and even wrecking the whole f’ing ring will be possible.

And to top it all off, commentary is looking to be improved by bringing in two sets of announcers, (Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler for current stars while good ole’ Jim Ross and King take over for the announced Attitude Era stars,) that will actually respond to what’s happening in the ring. You know, instead of the generic, bored banter we’re used to having repeat every five seconds.

Can’t get enough grappling and baby oil? Check out these features in action while we count down the days until October 30th.

 

 

E3 2012: Embark on a Quest to Become Cool in “South Park and the Stick of Truth”!

by Josh Jackson

During Microsoft’s press conference, the previously announced South Park RPG got a shiny new trailer, compete with new details, features and of course, lots of hilarity.

Embarking on an an epic quest to save South Park, gamers will create their own character who will be the savior of the South Park universe. The short trailer already features plenty of nods to the show, including the Woodland Critters, the fake anime version of Professor Chaos and a gun toting Jesus Christ. Xbox gamers will finally be able to tell off Cartman with Kinect support, so if you want to trash talk your enemies in the foulest of ways possible while beating them down. South Park hasn’t had a very strong reputation when it comes to gaming, but this trailer had me genuinely laughing, and its release on March 5th can’t come soon enough.

But that’s not all, because THQ is planning additional content for the title, including the Mysterion Pack which will be a timed exclusive for the Xbox 360. Check out the press release detailing the content:

 

THQ is happy to offer exclusive weapons and costumes when you preorder South Park: The Stick of Truth. The Good Times With Weapons Pack, based on one of the most popular South Park episodes of all time, includes destructive items no fourth-grade martial artist should be without. With the Bulrog Chicken Attack, summon the devastating ninja powers of Bulrog and turn your feeble enemies into chickens! BLAM! “Nya-nya-nya-nya-na naa!  Now you are a chicken!”
With Cartman’s Kick-Ass Sai, the ultimate weapon of destruction, penetrate even the most evil of villains!  Harness the fiery sting of the Sai to slash and cut your way through South Park!
Rounding out the Good Times With Weapons Pack is the Samurai Costume. Show off your brute muscle with this bad-ass getup, complete with samurai headgear, a super-sweet cape, and the toughest cardboard armor this side of Takagawa.  Suit up, and prepare to unleash the ultimate pwnage!
THQ and Microsoft are proud to announce Xbox 360 exclusive pre-order items for South Park: The Stick of Truth: The Mysterion Superhero Pack. With your Superhero Costume, suit-up as the next South Park superhero!  It’s the perfect disguise for fighting your mortal enemies and keeping South Park safe!
Also, harness the elusive power of Mysterion with the Mysterion Special Attack!  South Park’s protector unleashes a deadly combination of stealth and firepower — your enemies won’t know what hit them!
Finally, slash the darkness with the diabolical switchblade, the Dagger of Cthulhu!  It’s the same weapon used to stab and kill Mysterion in the twisted classic episode “Mysterion Rises.”  And now… the fate of the Cult of Cthulhu lies in your hands!
  • South Park DLC on Xbox 360 First
The first three downloadable episode packs for South Park: The Stick of Truth will be available first on Xbox 360. These episodes are standalone adventures featuring their own stories, taking you to places in South Park you’ve never been before.
  • South Park: Better With KinectTM for Xbox 360
Taunt your enemies, and launch attacks with your voice. Finally, for the first time in South Park history, you can call Cartman a “fat ass,” and he’ll respond.

Check out the trailer below. Does it look as good as I’m saying it does? Don’t be a Jew, let us know in the comments!

WWE 13 Revealed, Quickly Unrevealed!

by Josh Jackson

What was an apparent leak earlier this afternoon, the reveal trailer for the upcoming WWE 13 from THQ hit the web, but was quickly pulled from every web page that dared to post it.

Promising a “revolution,” WWE had been hyping up the reveal for May 28th during Monday Night Raw through cryptic videos that gave no real clue as to what it was hyping. That revolution is seemingly an updated version of the revamped WWE 12 from last year, showing off new cinematic match sequences such as the ring collapsing after a top rope suplex, destrucable barricades that go into the crowd, and old favorites from wrestling’sboom period such as Mankind and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

But most importantly, current WWE Champion CM Punk is the cover boy this time around, which not only gets my Hulk Hogan PJ’s bunched up in excitement, but after he brought mainstream attention to the company last year through his “unscripted” roast of the company he worked for, was there really any other choice?

WWE 13 will arrive on November 1st, but check back on Monday for when the trailer is”officially” released

Warhammer 40K: Dark Millenium No Longer MMO. THQ Lays Off Relic and Vigil Employees

by Shane O'Hare

Sad news today. The once great looking MMO, Warhammer 40K: Dark Millenium, had a monumental shift today.

Changing from an MMO to an:

Immersive single player and online multiplayer experience with robust digital content, and engaging community features.

Well shit. Personally I am very disappointed. With the MMO market really diluted with WoW clones, a game set in the grimdark 40K universe was going to be amazing. Spacemarines. Choas Spacemarines. Space Orkz. Daemons. The perfect combination of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Now, I’m not sure what to expect from the game now.

To top of the crap cake with shit sprinkles, the direction change THQ is taking also took the jobs of 79 employees at Vigil Games and 39 at Relic. It’s not on the same level as the exodus EA tends to do, but these studios were pretty small to begin with.

Hopefully, HOPEFULLY, something good comes out of this. I still wan’t my Chaos Spacemarine’s. MMO or not.

So what do you think of this? The 40K universe has been represented nicely with the Dawn of War games and now Spacemarine. Is this shift away from the MMO indicative of their Warhammer Fantasy MMO failing? Do you  think we’re just gonna get another series of games like the Dawn of War, that have consistent expansion packs released with new races and stories?

My list of demands are small. Keep the Titans. More Chaos Spacemarines. COOP. Keep the COOP from the past games in. Any 40K fans? I’d love to hear what you think.