THQ schließt Studios und stoppt Produktlinien

[Executable]

Der Spiele-Publisher will weitere Entwickler-Studios, die unter seinem Dach arbeiten, schließen und sich im Zuge dessen aus verschiedenen Produktkategorien zurückziehen. Wie das Unternehmen mitteilte, werden von dieser Entscheidung rund 200 Beschäftigte betroffen sein, die ihren Job verlieren.

THQ reagiert damit auf die in letzter Zeit recht schlechten Verkaufszahlen bei verschiedenen Produkten. Parallel soll in den verbleibenden Bereichen eine Neuausrichtung der Strategie durchgeführt werden. Diese besteht im Wesentlichen darauf, zukünftig stärker auf die aktuell boomenden Segmente Social- und Mobile-Gaming zu setzen.

Gänzlich eingestellt wird die Entwicklung von Spielen, die auf Lizenzen zu verschiedenen Kinder-Spielzeugen und Filmen beruhen. Auch die schon länger bestehende Rennspiel-Serie "MX vs. ATV" wird eingestellt. Im Zuge dessen werden zwei Entwickler-Studios in Australien geschlossen und ein weiteres Team in den USA aufgelöst.

Im Herbst soll das Engagement von THQ auf Facebook mit der Veröffentlichung des Spiels "Margaritaville Online" starten. Allerdings soll es trotzdem weitere traditionelle Spiele aus diesem Hause geben, hieß es. Diesen wird allerdings mangels größerer Wachstumspotenziale längst nicht mehr die alte Aufmerksamkeit zu Teil


Naja die letzten WWE Spiele warn eh nicht so besonders.

Ich hoffe nur das Saints Row 3 geil wird.

Diese Studios sind meiner meinung nach betroffen.

THQ Asia-Pacific Pty., Ltd.
THQ Studio Australia

SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants!
-Microsoft Xbox (2005), PC - CD-ROM (2005), SONY PlayStation2 (2005)-
Avatar: The Last Airbender
-Microsoft Xbox (2006), Nintendo GameCube (2006), Nintendo Wii (2006), SONY PlayStation2 (2006)-
Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Burning Earth
-Microsoft Xbox 360 (2007), Nintendo Wii (2007), SONY PlayStation2 (2007)-
Avatar: The Last Airbender - Into the Inferno
-Nintendo Wii (2008), SONY PlayStation2 (2008)-
Megamind: Ultimate Showdown
-Microsoft Xbox 360 (2010), Nintendo Wii (2010), SONY PlayStation3 (2010)-
The Last Airbender
-Nintendo DS (2010), Nintendo Wii (2010)-

THQ San Diego
THQ Wireless, Inc.

WWE All Stars
-Microsoft Xbox 360 (2011), Nintendo Wii (2011), SONY PlayStation Portable (2011), SONY PlayStation Portable Download (2011), SONY PlayStation2 (2011), SONY PlayStation3 (2011)-
Destroy All Humans! 2 Make War, Not Love
-Mobile - J2ME (2006)-

Quelle (http://winfuture.de/news,64830.html)

[nampad]

Genau genommen sind es THQ Brisbane, THQ Phoenix und Blue Tongue. Um letztere tut es mir richtig leid, da die de Blob Reihe recht gut war.

THQ Announces Internal Studios Realignment to Focus on Key Strategic Initiatives
Company Increases Emphasis on High Potential Categories; Reduces Focus on Kids and Movie-Based Licensed Titles for Consoles

AGOURA HILLS, Calif., Aug 09, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

THQ Inc., (NASDAQ:THQI) today announced a strategic realignment of its internal studio development teams to better align resources with the company's future portfolio of interactive entertainment. THQ is in the process of transitioning its portfolio away from licensed kids titles and movie-based entertainment properties for consoles and has also decided not to actively pursue further development of the MX vs. ATV franchise at this time. As a result, the company announced the closure of two studios in Australia, and the elimination of a development team at the company's Phoenix location. The company is maintaining its Quality Assurance team in Phoenix.


THQ's five internal development studios are focused on key initiatives and franchises: THQ Montreal, creating an unannounced new IP with a team led by industry veteran, Patrice Désilets; Volition, Inc., developing the highly anticipated upcoming game Saints Row(R): The Third,(TM) and inSANE(TM) in collaboration with renowned film director Guillermo del Toro; Relic Entertainment, creators of Company of Heroesand the upcoming Warhammer 40,000(R): Space Marine(TM) for PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system; Vigil Games, developing Darksiders(R) II and next year's MMO Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online(TM); and THQ San Diego, developers of WWE All Stars and creating best-in-class fighting games.

Today's actions will result in a personnel reduction of approximately 200 people. All affected employees are eligible to apply for open positions within the company globally.

"With this realignment, we are narrowing our focus to high-quality owned IP with broad appeal that can be leveraged across multiple platforms, and to work with the best talent in the industry. By right-sizing our internal development capacities for our console portfolio, our five internal studios are focused on delivering high-quality games with talented teams driving the execution of those titles to market," said Brian Farrell, President and CEO, THQ. "As we have outlined in our business strategies, we are making shifts to reduce movie-based and licensed kids' video games in our portfolio, which underscores our strategy to move away from games that will not generate strong profits in the future."

Farrell added, "We will continue to evaluate our capital and resources to concentrate on fast growing digital business initiatives such as social games, mobile and tablet-based digital entertainment."

The company has recently outlined its four-pillar digital strategy: 1) create a digital ecosystem around key console title launches such as the scheduled November 15, 2011 release of Saints Row: The Third, which includes plans for a robust DLC schedule, online Season Pass, and in-game store for consumables; 2) create a critical mass of users on social media platforms such as Facebook and mobile platforms, including iOS and Android(TM), using THQ-owned or branded content, such as the upcoming fall release of Margaritaville(R) Online, based on Jimmy Buffett's popular brand; 3) create an ongoing digital revenue stream with the launch of the company's MMO, Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium(TM) Online; and 4) continue to drive digital end-user sales through existing channels as well as through the upcoming re-launch of THQ.com.

[RavenTS]

Die Konsolidierung (nein nicht mehr Konsolenspiele! ;-) der Branche setzt sich fort.?!
Wenn sich jetzt langsam alle größeren Unternehmen auf den Casual- und Social-Bereich stürzen wird da auch bald das Gejammer überwiegen...