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THQ: Big Huge RPG Didn't Make the Cut

Kris Graft's picture

By Kris Graft

March 18, 2009

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"In better circumstances, we would have liked to have brought this project to fruition.”

THQ's decision to cut loose Big Huge Games hinged on the studio's unannounced role-playing game, the publisher told Edge on Wednesday.

THQ investor relations director Julie MacMedan said in a phone interview that the publisher evaluated the progress of the RPG in February, and decided not to go forward with the project. THQ is in the midst of a 24 percent workforce cut in an effort to realize $220 million in cost reductions. Eliminating support for the RPG was part of the cost reduction initiative.

MacMedan added, “The decision [to drop the RPG] was not based on the quality of the game, rather it was a difficult decision but necessary due to the tough economic environment. We are investing in only one to two big core gamer titles per year.

"In better circumstances, we would have liked to have brought this project to fruition.”

THQ revealed on Tuesday that it would be dropping Maryland-based Big Huge Games from its stable of internal studios. The development house will shutter if a buyer is not found in the near future. MacMedan would not disclose exactly how much time Big Huge Games has remaining.

Big Huge Games' RPG would be a departure for the studio, which made a name for itself as a strategy game developer. Announced in 2007, RPG vet Ken Rolston was involved in the development of the game, which MacMedan described as a high-end "triple-A" title.

The studio is the creator of the Rise of Nations series and Catan.

THQ also said this week that internal studios Heavy Iron and Incinerator would be spun off as independents. Asked why Big Huge Games doesn't simply spin off and become independent, MacMedan said that the decision to do so is up to the studio heads.

Apparently, going independent is not an option. Calls to Big Huge Games were unanswered as of press time.

Heavy Iron and Incinerator are still working on products for THQ, despite their independent status. "We did not cancel their current projects," MacMedan said. "We'll contract them as an external developer. But now they can also bid [their games] for THQ or go elsewhere."

As for the fate of Big Huge Games' RPG, THQ currently owns the IP, but the property would go with the studio if it can find a buyer.

Update: Added additional quotes from THQ.

Kaizen's picture
On March 19th Kaizen said:

If THQ go ahead and make cutbacks, if they haven't done so already, they'll be extremely unwise and senseless.

Here's Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt talking to a room full of American business men who by default would cut back and withdraw from full scale business:

http://www.toc-goldratt.com/TV/video.php?id=189&type=2

The major points are common sense and cause and effect. If you want to make money, why would you make cutbacks, limit your throughput and supply less to the market? And don't say, there is none. What do you do when the market is low? BUY INTO IT!!! Because in a few years time the ones who did are going to be on top, and the line-up won't include the U.S. Heck, the U.S. is -1.5% on the GDP because of their credit crisis, but the real recession is going to occur with their senseless extrapolation while countries like China stay in the game as demands consume more of the supply. There is heaps of demand to sell to, and if American companies like THQ continue with decisions like this then this false recession will in fact become a real one, and spiral down. The U.S. is literally on the verge of losing its financial power because it doesn't consider cause and effect. I doubt that with effort they'll actually be able to buy into the market in a few years, leaving the cream of the crop to the totalitarians.

It's times like these that I wish America wasn't a giant football player with more power then sense.

mentor07825's picture
On March 19th mentor07825 said:

Uh oh. Not good at all, and I loved Rise of Nations. This is very disappointing. Hopefully they'll find work. When I read this Ensemble Studio popped into my mind. This is very disappointing indeed.

I hope there will be an end in the recession in the near future, or else I will not be able to find suitable work in a few years time.

brothergrim's picture
On March 19th brothergrim said:

dreamhunk

To blame other DevCos for anothers what could be demise is odd because you have always had the LITTLE and LARGE, Treasure vs EPIC is like david and goliath yet Treasure is still here.

If the proffit margin on console was so small why do so many bother ? your argument is a little off i am sorry to say imo and yes you will get DevCos and maybe the odd publisher go bankrupt because they fail to keep things in check and sometimes deliver on what they promise cough cough haze anyone.

ArronC07's picture
On March 18th ArronC07 said:

Yeah I guess you have been on the pipes again.

dreamhunk's picture
On March 18th dreamhunk said:

It's a dam shame I blame the dum media, sony micro soft, game devs such as epic games,Id software Lionhead. All these game devs should have never ever gone bankuprt in a recession. The game Industry should have been fine. Instead what we are finding is because of console gaming and high production costs more game devs are going to bankuprt!!!

I wonder how meny more jobs are going to be lost because of sony and micro soft!!!!

yea lets make games on console, yet your profits are so small. what your going to make money of a game alone. profits on retail is so small it's not even funny.

well guess what more game devs and publishers are going to bankuprt!

you ever hear the story about adam and eve or lot!!! the only thing these people care about is the love of money! the love of money is the root of all evil some once told me!!!

I hate to be the messger of doom but more companies are going to bankuprt.

alot of these games being made is trash, mindles killing! mindless buttom smashing. in fact it was the ps1 that pretty much killed the action game genre!

http://www.nowgamer.com/news/305/playstation-blamed-for-adventure-game-d...

yea console gaming is just so great!!!

NickgamertagO1's picture
On March 18th NickgamertagO1 said:

Damn dream, I could barely even read that. If it's possible to stutter while reading I just pulled it off.

dreamhunk's picture
On March 18th dreamhunk said:

any way now that I have stoped venting a company like this should turn their games to web based flash games with add support. web based games are making a ton of money and because of the recession it's on the rise. I high recomend that they make small games for the pc.

ArronC07's picture
On March 18th ArronC07 said:

"I high recomend that they make small games for the pc."

I'm sure they'll take that on board....