E3 10 Anticipation: Ubisoft, THQ and 2K Sports Forecast
By Louis Bedigian GameZone.comUbisoftIn the coming years – maybe even this year, if we’re lucky – Ubisoft is very likely to bring at least one
By Louis Bedigian GameZone.comUbisoftIn the coming years – maybe even this year, if we’re lucky – Ubisoft is very likely to bring at least one
We had an opportunity to sit down and interview Danny Bilson, executive vice president of THQ Core Games, about many things, including Hollywood, his
In the second part of our sit-down conversation with THQ Core Game Executive Vice President Danny Bilson, we dig deep to find out how much stock THQ
For children of the Eighties, there were cartoon mainstays that impacted a generation. Transformers, He-Man, Thundercats, and, uh, Jem and the Holograms will remain forever in the psyche of twenty and thirtysomethings till the day they die. One cartoon that has stayed out of the limelight for the last twenty years or so is Voltron, the crazy Power Rangers-esque cartoon about robotic lions. Well, this year will a new Voltron cartoon called Voltron Force, a CGI series. In addition to that, THQ has announced that they will be teaming up with World Events Productions to make a brand new game. So there you go! I hope you GenXers are happy, because I don't know if I care too much about this. Wake me up when there is more Beast Wars games.
 THQ has always been that company that releases plenety of liscenced titles designed to appeal to kids and their parents. It's only within the last few years that the company once known as Toy Headquarters has gotten on the ball with games like Red Faction, Homefront, and Darksiders. Additionally, they've got major names like Idagaki and Gullermo Del Toro heading some of their games, and actress Rachel Bilson contributing to a game as well. With their brand new studio in Montreal, THQ is stepping up their game to be the best studio possible. More than that, THQ is hoping to mix things up with some branding changes. Today they have an event going on in NYC, and one of their big announcements is a redesign of their very familiar logo. As you can see, it is certainly modern, and it does look unique. How do you feel about it? I personally am a fan of this new direction. It's nice to see THQ take it to the next level. THQ President and CEO Brian Farrell said that "Our new logo epitomizes the change, innovation and creative growth that are the cornerstones of the new THQ. By developing triple-A, innovative, original intellectual properties, attracting the top talent in the industry, and placing that talent first, THQ continues to redefine itself. This new logo seeks to capture that change and make it tangible." Of course, they aren't the only game developer to change their logo. Rare went for a radical new direction for their logo, and it seems to be just fine. What do you think about it?
Bad news for fans of destruction and mayhem, as THQ has announced that Red Faction: Armageddon will miss it's scheduled release in March 2011. The good news is the game isn't slipping far, with a new release date slated for May 2011. While THQ didn't offer a reason behind the short delay, it's likely in the end it will all be chalked up to "polish" and just generally making sure the title is ready to go. Given the franchise's focus on destructible environments plenty of bugs tend to pop up when dealing with collapsing buildings and complex physics so surely a few tweaks had to be made. Don't worry, there's good news after the break!
Much like the rest of the gaming world publishing giant THQ has decided to start walling-off online content for its most popular games and only making it available for those who buy the game new or pay extra for an access code. The company, much like competitors such as EA, think that used gaming is basically a blight on the landscape and something which cuts too deeply into their bottom line. THQ has taken it a step further though, saying that the organization "doesn't care" about the plight of gamers who buy used and has no sympathy for bargain hunters. More after the break.
These days most gamers are used to being squeezed out of every penny possible by cash-strapped publishers. That's why we don't really seem too phased by shelling out $10-$15 for downloadable content, even if what we're getting isn't really all that significant. That's why it's so surprising to hear that THQ is working their hardest to provide the upcoming Red Faction: Battlegrounds absolutely free. Or, failing that, at least for as cheap as humanly possible. Details after the break.
  THQ has followed in the footsteps of EA's sports division, creating their own version of the publisher's Online Pass. The pass discourages players for buying a game used, requiring them to shell out for extra features to play against others online, unless they buy a sealed copy of the game including a special one-time-use code. THQ first made use of the code with UFC Undisputed 2010, released earlier this year. Now, they're doing it again for WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, but this time, upping the cost of the pass to $10, or 800 Microsoft points. Why? Because those who buy the game used won't just be able to play online, they won't even get the game's entire roster.
THQ is expanding the Red Faction universe once more as the company has just announced Red Faction: Battlegrounds. The new title will focus on vehicle combat and is said to be presented in a top-down fashion. The game is also set to support four players on the same screen, though whether it will be for co-op, competitive multiplayer or both we don't yet know. Battlegrounds will be available on both Xbox Live and PSN though release date has been given. Since the title is meant to be a companion piece for the upcoming Red Faction: Armageddon, we expect to see it debut sometime in the next few months. More after the break.