Ben-DutkaUpdate: Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has said he regrets his statements:
""While discussing our strategy I spoke out of turn about someone else’s. It was inappropriate and I regret it."
Original Story:
THQ has fallen on tough times, although the company swears that things are looking up.
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick doesn't agree, though; he flatly told Joystiq that THQ "won't be around in six months," which has ruffled some THQ feathers.
His comments came during a speech at the MIT Business in Gaming conference, and Zelnick added that it was THQ's licensed properties that spelled disaster. Only recently has THQ said they're moving away from licensed stuff and focusing on producing AAA-quality titles. But it might be too little, too late; said Zelnick:
"THQ's strategy was licensed properties, first and foremost. License stuff from other people, whether it's UFC or WWE or a motion picture property, and make a game around that. And our approach, since we took over the company, is 100 percent owned intellectual property.
[THQ's] strategy didn't work and the execution was bad. To put it another way: the food was no good and the portions were small. THQ won't be around in six months."
He says the biggest difference between Take-Two and THQ is, in point of fact, quality. Zelnick mentioned that his company "has the highest quality ratings among third-party publishers" and in the end, "quality really, really, really matters." He acknowledged that THQ "has some good games" but overall, they haven't really "measured up."
And how does THQ respond to this? Here's what a THQ representative told GameSpot :
"Obviously, Mr. Zelnick's perception of THQ is outdated and inaccurate. His comments are irresponsible and false. Perhaps he would be better off commenting on his own business."
Oooooh… 'grabs popcorn'
I noticed THQ CEO failed to mention any quality games in his response. As I mentioned long ago when talking about THQ the last game I played of theirs was Titan Quest but I will get Devil's Third because its Itagaki's game. I hope they get it together because I don't want to see another gaming company go under.
I find it a bit surprising, & in very bad taste to kick a struggling company just because they're down on their luck.
I happen to like THQ(except for online passes) & I also think that Take-2 is a fantastic company, but there's no need for their CEO to speculate on another company's survival, unless you're helping by coming to their aid.
Long story short….
"Strauss Zelnick, please do everyone a huge favor……"STFU"
Haha wow, I remember an Apple rep told me years ago that the CEO of Dell told Steve Jobs that he should just go ahead and board up the windows and vacate the biz because their day was over…. Heheh well, well, good thing Steve never adhered to that insult. =)
Stupid to mention the WWE or UFC games since I'm sure they've been more or less profitable. THe problem is all the crap, especially like the uDraw thing.
Seems rather poor form to directly blast a company in such a condescending manner. Though I can't help wondering whether he's hoping that his comments will drive THQ further down and closer to a point where Take Two can buy them…
oh get your head out of your a$$!
hes half right but he needs to get off his high horse!
THQ has PLENTY of good games!
and thats exactly why hes saying this, so they can buy them out cheap and get some of their awesome games!
there scared saints row 4 will scare away GTAV!
ok, maybe not…….
there problems as he said has always been licensed games.
they spent a sh*t load of money making them, then spend 0 dollars marketing their games! which is why they always sell really badly.
darksiders, saints row series, deblob 2, metro 2033 all freaking awesome games but sold so poorly because they refuse to market their games!
i have NEVER seen a add for THQ games!
NEVER!
there constantly releasing new IPs or licensed games, the most expensive you can make, but not advertising and supporting them so of course there going to sell poorly!
if your going to spend big you need to make sure you get big!
thats the problem there spending money like their billionaires when there not!
there spending like their 2K but there not, there not a massive milti billion dollar publishing company!
there a tiny publishing company, so they need to start acting like it!
i love THQs ambition more then the next guy, there one of my favourite if not my favourite publishers!
but with that said theres a time for living in daydream land reaching for the stars, and theres time you need to wake up and be responsible!
now is one of those times, so its time for THQ to wake up, smell the cheese and stop acting like AC Rockafella!
they are cutting back but i dunno if its enough, or just plainly too late.
hopefully darksiders 2 sells like hotcakes and gives the company a get out of jail free card for a while!
they make some awesome games but another problem is they dont make enough!
besides darksiders 2 what else do they have this year?
a wrestling game?
wow 2 games in one year thats not going to keep a publisher afloat!
its a shame THQ is one of the only publishers out there where i know the games going to be awesome!
its just a shame they dont get anywhere near as much support as they should!
Two quality games is less of a risk than wasting resources making a dozen bad games like some publishers seem to be doing.
I think THQ is fine for now. They just really need to market Darksiders 2, as that game is quite unique to all the games being released this year.
Also the games you listed as selling poorly, Darksiders 1 did really well, and metro sells a lot of copies on steam when its on sale. I can't say much about the others, but I remember seeing SR3 top of steam sales for a while so it can't be doing that bad right?
well in comparison to other games yeah they are selling well.
as i said THQs biggest problem is they release 1 or 2 games per year.
if your doing that you need those games to be bringing in massive sales!
but there not, there selling 1M units if there lucky thats crumbs!
you cant go running several development studios with funds from 1 or 2 games per year.
which is why THQ has shut down over half of its studios last year!
I hope they'll survive. Both Saints Row games on the PS3 are amongst the games I've spent by far most time with.
I hope they'll survive. Both Saints Row games on the PS3 are amongst the games I've spent by far most time with.