Looks Like THQ's Owned Properties Will Be Auctioned Off Anyway

Multiplesources are reporting that financially beleaguered publisher THQ has come to an agreement to auction off its properties and assets piecemeal. This comes after the publisher's bid for bankruptcy had been held up by a US bankruptcy judge following complaints from the company's creditors.

Initially, THQ had planned to sell the company to Clearlake, a venture capital firm who THQ had direct dealings with in crafting its attempted bankruptcy settlement. However, not long after news of the deal went public, creditors began to complain that the company was trying to sell too quickly, and that THQ might be trying to railroad a deal through without listening to other potential bids.

Judge Mary F. Walrath apparently agreed, holding up the Clearlake deal while arranging a hearing today to determine how THQ's bankruptcy should proceed. According to the twitter feed of Distressed-Debt Investing (who have been at today's hearing), it sounds as though a deal to allow for other publishers to bid on individual THQ properties has been reached, with an auction scheduled on January 22.

Who might be interested in the aforementioned properties? EA has reportedly already been inspecting potential assets, while Warner Bros.--who already had a go at some distressed video game properties back when Midway shuttered--has evidently shown an interest as well.

So, who wants to play a game of "match the publisher with the property?" I'll start by saying that I don't want EA to take the WWE license. I've seen what they're into when it comes to wrestling games, and say NOPE. Maybe Ubisoft? Or Warner Bros?

woot

edit: As long as these licenses don't go to waste, i don't care who picks them up.

Please don't be EA. I don't want the future Saints Row games to be Origin only.

I really hope Warner Brothers gets the Saints Row license. Think of some of the crazy shit that they could put in there. You want the batmobile as one of the cars? You got it. Looney tunes? Check.

I doubt they can just auction off WWE. THQ will have a licencing deal that most likely forbids transfer. So if another publisher buys the studio that makes wrestling games they would prob have to renegotiate for the licence.

how sad

Mortal Kombat vs Raw vs Smackdown. MAKE IT HAPPEN WARNER BROTHERS

You already know Activision is gonna pick up Saint's Row.

Man, Company of Heroes 2 needs to be taken care of. Can't bear to see that game drop off into nothingness.

Let's stop dancing around it and and ask some serious questions here: Who gets Destroy All Humans?

forget about raiding japan's best old games boutique

GB and CBSi need to get into that action

I much prefer this over the complete sale. Let other people get a crack at some of these properties. I think Warner Bros would be a good fit for Darksiders.

@Purple_eye said:

woot

Celebrating other people's misfortune. Classy.

I think Warner Bros. would support ostrich hammers in a new Red Faction. MK had Babalities, so they'll support nonsense.

Does it even matter, if the people behind the game design won't be going along with the IP?

@alternate: WWE is apparently one of the company's creditors, so at this point I doubt they'd fight it.

times, they're tough

What about the Devs?

Sounds erotic, i'm in!

Countdown to Activision acquiring and promptly fucking up Saints Row starts now, people.

EA has reportedly already been inspecting potential assets, while Warner Bros.--who already had a go at some distressed video game properties back when Midway shuttered--has evidently shown an interest as well.

I hate how easy it is to predict what will happen to the franchises bought by EA, and it ain't good for anyone involved. Warner Brothers is a bit iffy as well, but maybe not as terrible.

Come on, SE. You may not need yet another western, open-world game, but I can't imagine Saint's Row 4 being in any better hands.

Please let Volition stay intact and on course to keep making Saint Row 4. PLEASE!

@Kerned said:

@Purple_eye said:

woot

Celebrating other people's misfortune. Classy.

That's clearly not what i was celebrating.

Hopefully this doesn't scuttle the chance for a sequel to Warhammer 40K: Space Marine

this is a bummer- i liked the idea of it all staying under one house. i worry that if the various IPs get scattered across multiple conglomerates, many of these franchises (darksiders, company of heroes, dawn of war, saints row, etc). might be small fish in a suddenly much larger pond. just my two cents, however.

Maybe someone who wants to Make Homeworld 3 will buy that IP and Relic. Probably not, but one can dream right?

I just hope that south park game comes out

If Activision picks up Saints Row I am going to just be fucking done with Video Games, every Studio I like gets bought by assholes (Pandemic got EA'd and then shafted, Bungie is looking to get fucked over by Activision.)  
 
 
Fucking hell. I hate this shit.

What a bummer. THQ published some great, risky stuff this gen and this is how it ends for them. Meanwhile, Activision and EA.

I hope Relic stays intact and they can keep doing what they are doing :/

Out of left field comes Rovio to buy the WWE license. Coming soon to your smartphones: Angry Birds VS WWE Allstars.

Given EA's knack for running acquired studios into the ground, I'd prefer they stay the hell away.

EA needs to stay the fuck away from this. The likes of Saint's Row and Metro would be in far better hands at Warner Bros. or something.

Don't go to EA. Please don't go to EA.

@Branthog said:

Does it even matter, if the people behind the game design won't be going along with the IP?

This is actually a really important question. What happens to the individual studios now?

@Doctorchimp said:

You already know Activision is gonna pick up Saint's Row.

Yup, good call... I was thinking the exact same thing. I don't care who publishes the next Saints Row as long it's the same developers. It would be sad to see EA pick up the WWE license.

Ubisoft picking up WWE would be the most interesting option, the gameplay possibilities are endless with that company in charge. Saint's Row would probably benefit the most from an Ubisoft pickup too, but I'm thinking EA is gonna lay all it's cards on the table to acquire that one.

Good luck to all the employees, but please someone keep EA away from Company of Heroes and Dawn of War, I couldn't stand to see them do to those franchises what they have done to Command and Conquer.

Saint's Row goes to EA.

Company of Heroes goes to Ubisoft.

Darksiders goes Square Enix.

But I thought buying their whole catalogue for $5 would save the company and the money would not go straight into Jason Rubins pocket.

@Jonny_Anonymous:

how would you feel about Spectre Marines ?

I hope that Square grabs some stuff. Maybe Darksiders and Saints Row? Those feel like good fits over there. WB would be another good home, I think. I don't really want to play another Darksiders/Saints Row game every year, so let's keep them away from EA and Activision. Maybe Bethesda will buy something and actually start publishing some good games? Er, I guess I can keep clinging to the pipe dream that some benevolent entity will step in and buy these franchises for the sake of the art, or some shit. Aren't there any insane rich dudes who love video games?

Hopefully someone good will pick up Saints Row and not fuck it up.

@Branthog said:

Does it even matter, if the people behind the game design won't be going along with the IP?

Depends on the game/IP I guess. I hope that anyone who tries to pick up Saints Row is smart enough to realize Volition has to come with it. Warner Bros picked up Mortal Kombat and brought Netherrealm with it, so hopefully whoever gets Saints Row does the same.

I think Warner Bros. would be a good fit for Saints Row. They're not afraid of going over-the-top, seeing as they let Mortal Kombat do its thing pretty damn well. Darksiders would probably be a great fit for them as well. I couldn't care less about what happens to the WWE license, let EA take that one just so Warner can get the stuff that matters.

I can see EA wanting to grab Saints Row and try to turn it into their Call of Duty-style smash hit, but failing and letting it wallow in mediocrity. And nobody wants that.

@schattenwolf86 said:

Out of left field comes Rovio to buy the WWE license. Coming soon to your smartphones: Angry Birds VS WWE Allstars.

Considering my hate for angry birds I think I might just cut my wrists at that announcement.

Really bums me out that this has happened to THQ. They've published a lot of cool stuff this generation.

Come ooooon platinum games getting saint's row. Make daddy proud.

Kickstarter for GB community to buy the Saints Row property?

Let's start a Kickstarter and buy the Saint's Row license!