Topic: THQ Easing Away From Multiplatform Releases

[WindyMan]

The publisher is looking to exploit the strengths of each platform instead of porting everything everywhere.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=13338

 THQ CEO Brian Farrell has made it known that going forward, his company's strategy is to ease up on broad multiplatform releases, instead focusing on each platform's particular strengths.    

"In the past a lot of publishers - including us - would say, 'Okay, let's make a game and get it across every system,'" said Farrell in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz.  "That's not our strategy going forward; there are going to be different gamers for the different systems. So our strategy is different types of content, segmented on who the users of the systems are."    

Farrell said that with each console bringing something different to the table, the market will become segmented.  That is, there will be the hardcore group and the mainstream group.  THQ is, unsurprisingly, betting the 360 and PS3 will cater more to the core gamer crowd, while the Wii will have more of the mainstream set.  By focusing more on a particular platform with each release, the company is looking to "compete at the highest level of quality."    

This new way of thinking for THQ won't change the fact that its biggest game, Smackdown vs. Raw 2008, will be coming to all platforms later this year, as it will likely continue to do so in the years following.

[UncleBob]

Sweet!  Now if only good developers/publishers would get this mindset as well.

[Entroper]

I'm all for concentrating your efforts on taking advantage of a console's capabilities.  Just don't give me watered-down game after watered-down game on the Wii.

[Crimm]

Awesome.  This means they'll divide up they're already HORRIBLE development teams.  Maybe they'll break the 0 out of 10 mark.

That would be fun.

[Arbok]

All "Bratz" and "SpongeBob SquarePants" games now exclusive to the Wii and DS! While all worthwhile THQ games can now be found on the 360/PS3 (all 2 or 3 of them...).

Or at least that's how I read it.

[MaryJane]

Quote
Originally posted by: Arbok
All "Bratz" and "SpongeBob SquarePants" games now exclusive to the Wii and DS! While all worthwhile THQ games can now be found on the 360/PS3 (all 2 or 3 of them...).Or at least that's how I read it.

Ditto

[Ian Sane]

This is a good idea in theory but it's the wrong company doing it.  THQ just doesn't have any real passion for creating games.  Someone who actually cares about the quality of their product would do better with this strategy.  Though Acclaim actually had a shred of credibility on the N64 when most of their games were exclusives.  They went back to multiplatform after that, the quality dropped like a rock, and now they no longer exist.  So I guess there is a slim possibility of THQ getting better (not necessarily "good") with this plan.  I did like THQ's N64 wrestling games and those were exclusives.

The seperation of hardcore and mainstream with the Wii being the clear mainstream console sounds kinda scary.  It sounds an awfully lot like my fear of hardcore gamers being squeezed out, at least on Nintendo consoles.

Somehow it figures that even when a Nintendo console sells like hotcakes it still doesn't get the "good" third party support.  It's like Nintendo fans can just never catch a break.  "Sorry crappy games don't sell on your console so no support for you!"  "Oh now crappy games sell on your console?  Okay we'll just give you crappy games then.  No point giving you the good games if all we have to do is give you crappy ones.  If you didn't want crappy games you shouldn't have bought them in the first place."  It's like every time we pull ahead they change the rules.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Well Ian I don't think THQ should be given much credit for the N64 games, they were created by Aki who is no longer with THQ!

[King of Twitch]

This is like finding out a prostitute wants a serious relationship. They're still a prostitute, but you have to cheer them on for the effort.

[ShyGuy]

Depends. Is she going to stop hookin' on the side?

On the Subject, Does THQ have any titles besides WWE wrestling and licensed cartoon games?

[Arbok]

Quote
Originally posted by: ShyGuy
On the Subject, Does THQ have any titles besides WWE wrestling and licensed cartoon games?

Conan
Stuntman
Frontlines
Juiced 2
STALKER

[UncleBob]

You know, I'm all for this idea - in fact, I wish all developers would create games aimed at the strong points of a particular system.

However, there is a drawback to this.  Customers get upset when a game they want isn't released on the system they have.  Granted, it's simply a fact of life that a system will have its own exclusive titles - but customers would just be in a tizzy if every game was "exclusive" to a system.

However, the bright side to this is that most customers don't understand how all of this works and they blame Nintendo because there's no GTA on the GCN or Microsoft because they don't have a Mario game on the 360... So I guess while the customers get aggervated and mad at the hardware companies, they don't know anything about the people who actually make the decisions, so they can't be mad at them.

[ShyGuy]

Quote
Originally posted by: Arbok

Quote
Originally posted by: ShyGuy
On the Subject, Does THQ have any titles besides WWE wrestling and licensed cartoon games?

Conan
Stuntman
Frontlines
Juiced 2
STALKER

Something tells me none of those are coming to the DS or Wii

[Arbok]

Quote
Originally posted by: ShyGuy
Something tells me none of those are coming to the DS or Wii

Not a one, they have all been slated for the PS3/360/PC.

[NeoThunder]

i honestly can't think of any good THQ games....can anybody else?

[EasyCure]

yeah this is no big loss either, all their games suck no matter what so even if we did see some of the more "hardcore" titles go to either one of the two other systems they'll still be crappy games.

[comfortboy]

Well I give them credit for Pilot Wings 64 created by Paradigm Entertainment, which is part of THQ now but I dont see them putting out a worthwhile pilotwings game on the wii although the concept with the remote and nunchuck makes my mouth water.

[Smash_Brother]

Quote
Originally posted by: MJRx9000
This is like finding out a prostitute wants a serious relationship. They're still a prostitute, but you have to cheer them on for the effort.

Win.

It's good to see someone realizing this. I've always said that spreading dev resources across three consoles is a terrible idea and results in crappier games overall with a few rare exceptions. Now if Ubisoft would only follow suit and give us BG&E2 on the Wii...

As for Ian's comments, I'll complain when I actually see a lack of gamer games on the Wii, but seeing as how I can count the number of non-games on one hand and the gamer games keep piling up, I can't see it being a concern yet.