THQ: Kid's Movie Games Are Less Profitable

Keane Ng

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THQ: Kid's Movie Games Are Less Profitable



Apparently even kids aren't buying many licensed games based on animated family films anymore, as THQ has reported that these games are no longer as easy a buck as they once were.

It used to be that you'd pity the children who aren't yet cynical enough to realize that the Flushed Away game on the DS was just a poorly-made piece of crap designed solely to rob their parents of their hard-earned cash. But it seems that these days, not even kids are gullible enough to want to buy these games - as THQ has revealed recently, they're become less profitable than they used to be.

"The kids' business, as you know, has been a huge focus of THQ for many years," THQ's Brian Farrell said at the Wedbush Morgan Securities conference earlier today. "But there has been a trend away from licensed TV and movie games, and it's become much more competitive for all participants."

THQ has for some years now held the videogame license for Pixar movies, but what you'd assume to be an automatic cash cow hasn't really worked out that way. The Ratatouille game underperformed, which was understandable, because who wants to play as a rat? But Wall-E, which seemed like a sure shot with its adorable robot protagonist, performed even worse than Ratatouille.

THQ doesn't think this has anything to do with kids' tastes shifting or their options widening with the greater variety in available games nowadays, but rather the changes that have occurred in the animated film scene itself. "Back when we took the Pixar license on several years ago, Pixar was the only CG animated film company, and now there are several... up to 10 or a dozen CG animated films each year," he said. "So it's much more competitive -- which means that the kids' pie is getting sliced in smaller pieces, which makes it less profitable."

Could be, or maybe they'd just rather play Imagine Turtlz than Cars DS.

[Via Gamasutra [http://gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22660]]


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Bocaj2000

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It's not the kids, they are just as stupid as ever. The parents who remember Superman 64 are just protecting their children.
 

gmer412

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Bocaj2000 said:
It's not the kids, they are just as stupid as ever. The parents who remember Superman 64 are just protecting their children.
I think the economy might have something to do with it as well.
 

L.B. Jeffries

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Golly, a game you made in 9 months that was barely relevant to the film and was panned by critics didn't sell? When the hell did the Obvious Fairy visit you?
 

Bocaj2000

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gmer412 said:
Bocaj2000 said:
It's not the kids, they are just as stupid as ever. The parents who remember Superman 64 are just protecting their children.
I think the economy might have something to do with it as well.
good point. I, let alone parents, am no longer willing to spend 60$ for an xbox game that I can get on a PC for 20$. And if I do make that investment, I make sure that it will be a game that I am going to enjoy. WallE isn't a game that I would spend 60$ dollars on - ever.
 

laserwulf

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Bocaj2000 said:
It's not the kids, they are just as stupid as ever. The parents who remember Superman 64 are just protecting their children.
Gah! Just when I thought I'd forgotten that abomination!!! At least it was better than "E.T." for the 2600.

Marginally.
 

oliveira8

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My children will play Half Life 2 and Duke Nukem 3d...that will safe me hundreds of whatever currency is on when I have children!
 

SomeBritishDude

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I personally think this is a case of the Wii doing some good for a change. Why would the kids buy a movie tie in when the possibility of interacting with a party game like Wii Play or MarioWare is much more appealing.
 

Brokkr

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So they knowingly make a crappy game based on a movie solely to rob as much money from the parents as possible and then they get upset when the parents start to wisen up.