Take-Two Boss Predicts the End of THQ

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Volition fucked up with Saints Row The Turd. And I bet THQ told them to do that DLC thing. They took out everything people loved about SR games and dumbed it down in every aspect and turned a lot of cool features from previous games into DLC that was already on the disc.

Now they are paying for their mistakes. Let it be a lesson to other companies.

 

[RonHiler]

RETAKE VOLITION! Before it's too late!

I think its too late.

When a developer can take the brilliant (but slightly flawed)Red Faction: Guerrilla and turn it into the turd that was Armageddon and then also take the amazing fun that was Saints Row 1 and 2 and then crap out Saints Row The Third, I think that developer's time has passed.

I was going to say the same thing, but since you've already said it, no need for me to repeat it.

Too bad. SR2 was such a great game. RF:G was fairly good as well. But their sequels were simply sub-standard crap. I sincerely hope that someone, somewhere is writing the spiritual successor to Saints Row 1 and 2 (HINT: It ain't Volition, nor is is R*).

 

[SageRuffin]

Does this mean no SR4? :'(

 

[getoffmycloud]

I hope THQ survives this hard time.

The stuff he says is pretty funny though. For instance, he says THQ adheres to way too many licensed titles. Brian Farrell's assessment is that it's because he spent copious amounts of money on new properties that did not pan out, and not because of reliance on licensed properties. THQ's licensed properties did not fail to perform, it was the various attempts at the new properties that failed to perform. The only titles they have had that are keeping them afloat is the licensed titles.

As a side note, Take-Two had two commercial flops last year, Duke Nukem Forever and LA Noir. I think it's funny that he using Metacritic as a metric for the quality of their games. They make and have made some fine games. I don't think his view of THQ is all the researched though.

Both duke nukem and was actually profitable for the part of the development that take-two paid for and la noire did sell well although I don't know whether it made a profit.

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/08/duke-nukem-forever-was-profitable-for-take-two-ceo-says/

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

i hope not i like there games well the ones for the genres i like and Strauss i hope karma doesn't bite you in the ass

Why would Karma bite him? He's made and sourced his observation, and isn't being a dick about it.

don't you know karma's a *****

Ok so what's your point? Strauss still has a pretty good idea of how THQ messed up here. If anything Karma got to THQ with all of the shovelware for kids and the milking of WWE/UFC games.

 

[Tony2077]

i hope not i like there games well the ones for the genres i like and Strauss i hope karma doesn't bite you in the ass

Why would Karma bite him? He's made and sourced his observation, and isn't being a dick about it.

don't you know karma's a *****

Ok so what's your point? Strauss still has a pretty good idea of how THQ messed up here. If anything Karma got to THQ with all of the shovelware for kids and the milking of WWE/UFC games.

if karma goes after them for those game then why doesn't it go after the other companies that do the same type of games mainly the yearly sports games and shovelware for kids what the problem with those

 

[irishda]

Well Take-Two can just suck a dick, "THQ's not quality enough". I'll take Relic and Volition over Rockstar and 2K any day. Rockstar's too busy making GTA over and over again or releasing it with a cowboy skin. The only two games I liked from them (Max Payne and Red Dead Revolver) were made by other companies or at least originally developed (Remedy and Capcom). And 2K, they're the Madden series for other sports. They haven't published a decent game since 2005 (we can argue about Bioshock in another thread).

Relic, on the other hand, single-handedly revolutionized the RTS experience with Dawn of War and Company of Heroes by making resource-gathering more combat oriented.

So you can fuck off, Strauss Zelnick, with the whole "they're not as good as we are, that's why they're failing" bullshit. If you want to comment on a company's financial situation go ahead. But you and THQ are pretty fucking close in terms of metacritic so stop acting like Take-Two is the new Blizzard.

 

[irishda]

i hope not i like there games well the ones for the genres i like and Strauss i hope karma doesn't bite you in the ass

Why would Karma bite him? He's made and sourced his observation, and isn't being a dick about it.

don't you know karma's a *****

Ok so what's your point? Strauss still has a pretty good idea of how THQ messed up here. If anything Karma got to THQ with all of the shovelware for kids and the milking of WWE/UFC games.

if karma goes after them for those game then why doesn't it go after the other companies that do the same type of games mainly the yearly sports games and shovelware for kids what the problem with those

Like Take-Two's subsidiary, 2K Sports...

 

[idarkphoenixi]

It's a pity to see any game company go (Except EA) but if they rely too much on licensed titles then what else can they expect? You always need to think long term and it sounds like they didn't do that.

 

[Grape_Bullion]

Preparing for EA's eventual take-over.

 

[Lugbzurg]

Wait a minute... If THQ goes down... who's gonna make all the My Little Pony videogames?

 

[Dr.Nick]

I always considered Warhammer 40k to be a pretty big heavy weight. Space Marine alone sold a couple million copies. To be honest Take2 is a company I never found very appealing, not THQ.

Space marine shipped 1.2 million copies across all platforms worldwide in 2 months.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-11-02-warhammer-40k-space-marine-ships-1-2-million

I know I was referring to those same statistics. That news is very very old however so I was simply round up and guessing that they have sold 2 million copies by now. I don't have any evidence to back that up other than the naturally increase in sales over time.

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

i hope not i like there games well the ones for the genres i like and Strauss i hope karma doesn't bite you in the ass

Why would Karma bite him? He's made and sourced his observation, and isn't being a dick about it.

don't you know karma's a *****

Ok so what's your point? Strauss still has a pretty good idea of how THQ messed up here. If anything Karma got to THQ with all of the shovelware for kids and the milking of WWE/UFC games.

if karma goes after them for those game then why doesn't it go after the other companies that do the same type of games mainly the yearly sports games and shovelware for kids what the problem with those

Did you read the article? What franchises other than Saints Row does THQ have that sell big? Other big companies can afford to make shovelware because they have multiple big franchises. It has nothing to do with karma anyways, it's called bad business decisions.

Look at what happened to SR3 after SR2. They nerfed SR3 and now are trying to grab more DLC dollars than EA...
Look at Red Faction Guerrilla to RF: Armageddon. Nerfed gameplay to placated a saturated market in order to sell.

Tell me what karma has to do with these?

 

[Dandark]

Just give me my Metro: Last light and Darksiders 2 before you go, also please let them be good and not rushed.

 

[Tony2077]

i hope not i like there games well the ones for the genres i like and Strauss i hope karma doesn't bite you in the ass

Why would Karma bite him? He's made and sourced his observation, and isn't being a dick about it.

don't you know karma's a *****

Ok so what's your point? Strauss still has a pretty good idea of how THQ messed up here. If anything Karma got to THQ with all of the shovelware for kids and the milking of WWE/UFC games.

if karma goes after them for those game then why doesn't it go after the other companies that do the same type of games mainly the yearly sports games and shovelware for kids what the problem with those

Did you read the article? What franchises other than Saints Row does THQ have that sell big? Other big companies can afford to make shovelware because they have multiple big franchises. It has nothing to do with karma anyways, it's called bad business decisions.

Look at what happened to SR3 after SR2. They nerfed SR3 and now are trying to grab more DLC dollars than EA...
Look at Red Faction Guerrilla to RF: Armageddon. Nerfed gameplay to placated a saturated market in order to sell.

Tell me what karma has to do with these?

hmm let me ask this what has take-two made or published first hand that gives him the right to say anything

 

[Machine Man 1992]

Well of course Take-Two is going to trash talk the competition, as such take what he says with a fist full of salt.

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

i hope not i like there games well the ones for the genres i like and Strauss i hope karma doesn't bite you in the ass

Why would Karma bite him? He's made and sourced his observation, and isn't being a dick about it.

don't you know karma's a *****

Ok so what's your point? Strauss still has a pretty good idea of how THQ messed up here. If anything Karma got to THQ with all of the shovelware for kids and the milking of WWE/UFC games.

if karma goes after them for those game then why doesn't it go after the other companies that do the same type of games mainly the yearly sports games and shovelware for kids what the problem with those

Did you read the article? What franchises other than Saints Row does THQ have that sell big? Other big companies can afford to make shovelware because they have multiple big franchises. It has nothing to do with karma anyways, it's called bad business decisions.

Look at what happened to SR3 after SR2. They nerfed SR3 and now are trying to grab more DLC dollars than EA...
Look at Red Faction Guerrilla to RF: Armageddon. Nerfed gameplay to placated a saturated market in order to sell.

Tell me what karma has to do with these?

hmm let me ask this what has take-two made or published first hand that gives him the right to say anything

You know, you could have just been smart and googled the answer to that question, but since you asked...


Look up the catalogue of Rockstar Games (including susidiaries) alone. Take-Two owns Rockstar so ALL of that.
(Red Dead Redemption, GTA, Bully, etc.)
They also own 2K and all of those subsidiaries.
(Bioshock, both of the new XCom games, etc)

Oh, and Fireaxis, they own that too
(All the Sid Meir's games ever)

Quite a few more successes than THQ to say the least.

What point are you trying to prove here?

 

[Agayek]

So long as I get my Metro:Last light I don't care.

Pretty much this. As long as they stay in business long enough for me to get Darksiders 2, Metro:Last Light and possibly the 40k RPG, I'll be alright.

 

[Tony2077]

i hope not i like there games well the ones for the genres i like and Strauss i hope karma doesn't bite you in the ass

Why would Karma bite him? He's made and sourced his observation, and isn't being a dick about it.

don't you know karma's a *****

Ok so what's your point? Strauss still has a pretty good idea of how THQ messed up here. If anything Karma got to THQ with all of the shovelware for kids and the milking of WWE/UFC games.

if karma goes after them for those game then why doesn't it go after the other companies that do the same type of games mainly the yearly sports games and shovelware for kids what the problem with those

Did you read the article? What franchises other than Saints Row does THQ have that sell big? Other big companies can afford to make shovelware because they have multiple big franchises. It has nothing to do with karma anyways, it's called bad business decisions.

Look at what happened to SR3 after SR2. They nerfed SR3 and now are trying to grab more DLC dollars than EA...
Look at Red Faction Guerrilla to RF: Armageddon. Nerfed gameplay to placated a saturated market in order to sell.

Tell me what karma has to do with these?

hmm let me ask this what has take-two made or published first hand that gives him the right to say anything

You know, you could have just been smart and googled the answer to that question, but since you asked...


Look up the catalogue of Rockstar Games (including susidiaries) alone. Take-Two owns Rockstar so ALL of that.
(Red Dead Redemption, GTA, Bully, etc.)
They also own 2K and all of those subsidiaries.
(Bioshock, both of the new XCom games, etc)

Oh, and Fireaxis, they own that too
(All the Sid Meir's games ever)

Quite a few more successes than THQ to say the least.

What point are you trying to prove here?

i hate it when people quote me on things i haven't thought fully about. i like thq and right now Strauss makes me want to Gibb slap him

 

[James Crook]

Poor THQ, they're being hit hard, although a few poor business development and PR choices might have precipitated it into the situation it is in right now...
I guess Take Two's boss might be right after all... Unless THQ rises up from the ashes with a bunch of brand new, intriguing investments and projects which could drive the public eye towards them, but I somehow doubt that will be the case - well, unless Darksiders 2 nails it.