Topic: THQ Claims No. 2 Publishers' Ranking

[WindyMan]

Although, exclaiming "We're number two!" just doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

THQ Achieves #2 Independent Publisher Ranking for the Month and Quarter Ended March 31, 2004

MX Unleashed and Game Boy Advance Lineup Drive Results

CALABASAS HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 20, 2004--Building on its ranking as the #2 independent publisher for 2003, THQ Inc. today announced that its March video game sales grew 38% year-over-year to $28.3 million, driving the company's ranking as the #2 independent videogame publisher for the month and quarter ended March 31, 2004, according to The NPD Group, Inc./ NPD Funworld/ TRSTS Video Games Service.

For the second consecutive month, MX Unleashed ranked in the top-ten best selling titles for the PlayStation(R) 2 computer entertainment system and Xbox videogame system from Microsoft. March sales were also driven by Game Boy(R) Advance titles SpongeBob SquarePants(TM): Battle for Bikini Bottom, Sonic Battle, Sonic Advance 2 and Scooby Doo(TM) Monsters Unleashed.

"Our new original release MX Unleashed coupled with the continued strong sales of our licensed brands drove THQ's strong performance during the March quarter," said Brian Farrell, president and CEO, THQ. "We look forward to demonstrating our fiscal 2005 product lineup at E3, with games based on some of the most popular movie and television properties of 2004 and several new brands targeting the core gaming audience."

Since 1967, The NPD Group has provided reliable and comprehensive sales and marketing information for a wide range of industries. NPD provides critical knowledge on what is selling, where, to whom and why to help our clients make more successful, fact-based business decisions. Today more than 1,300 manufacturers and retailers rely on NPD to help them better understand their customers, product categories, distribution channels and competition in order to help guide their business and positively impact sales and revenues.

THQ Inc. is a leading independent publisher of interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms including those manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., Nintendo and Microsoft as well as PC CD-ROM and wireless devices. The THQ web site is located at www.thq.com. THQ is a registered trademark of THQ Inc.

[SuperLink666]

WHo is #1

[Ian Sane]

EA is number one of course.

Number 2 is a fitting title for THQ considering they're total crap.

[gwgtrunks]

Then woulden't #20 or so be more fitting? .

I still remember when EA sucked. Lots.

[Deguello]

When you publish a mighty assload of titles like THQ it's hard not to be rated high.  Especially when you have Sega's contract for GBA publishing.  I always picture THQ's QA dept. to be one guy with an "OK" stamp pounding furiously as hundreds of different, yet identical games fly by at an alarming rate.

[CaseyRyback]

didn't a similar article like this come out a couple months ago? I guess Rockstar gave them the boot for a while and they just reclaimed it

[KDR_11k]

What's the opposite of an independant publisher? Or does that just mean "we don't want to admit that Nintendo is #1". Some sales tracking group once said Nintendo is the #1 publisher and I'm inclined to believe them.

[Bill Aurion]

I know that Nintendo is the top publisher for sales in Japan, but I'm not sure for areas outside of it...

[Ian Sane]

"What's the opposite of an independant publisher?"

I assume independant publisher is the same as third party publisher.  Nintendo doesn't count as such because they make their own consoles and only release games for those consoles.  They also don't have to pay any licensing fees.

And realistically I highly doubt that Nintendo overall sells more games than THQ does since Cube games don't really sell all that great and THQ sells games for all the consoles including the PS2 and GBA which even without the Cube and Xbox sales probably put THQ higher than Nintendo.

[CaseyRyback]

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
"What's the opposite of an independant publisher?"

I assume independant publisher is the same as third party publisher.  Nintendo doesn't count as such because they make their own consoles and only release games for those consoles.  They also don't have to pay any licensing fees.

And realistically I highly doubt that Nintendo overall sells more games than THQ does since Cube games don't really sell all that great and THQ sells games for all the consoles including the PS2 and GBA which even without the Cube and Xbox sales probably put THQ higher than Nintendo.

I bet their GBA games sales make up for that though

[Shift Key]

SECOND COMES RIGHT AFTER FIRST!!!11!!! hrhrhr
UUMMF TRIVIA Q - Who said that quote?

Look where mass-produced license games get you? I'm not surprised they are up there, deservedly or otherwise. I also don't care much for them either, but they can keep doing their thing they do (an exclusive GC wrestling game that doesn't blow would be nice though).