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THQ Delays South Park: The Stick of Truth, Drops Devil's Third Altogether

Some major changes to THQ's lineup are afoot.

THQ had its annual investor's call this afternoon, and with it came a few significant changes in the publisher's upcoming lineup of games. Most notably, the Obsidian-developed South Park: The Stick of Truth has been pushed back into next year, and Tomonobu Itagaki's Devil's Third will no longer be published under the THQ banner.

Itagaki's first non-Tecmo title is now looking for a new publisher.
Itagaki's first non-Tecmo title is now looking for a new publisher.

South Park was announced just a few months ago, and had originally been scheduled to release later this fall. Now THQ has listed it as a fiscal Q4 release. Obsidian was hit with layoffs earlier this year, including members of the South Park team. However, that wasn't cited as a reason for the delay, nor was any reason for that matter.

Devil's Third was the first game scheduled to be published from Valhalla Game Studios, the studio founded by former Team Ninja head Tomonobu Itagaki. Originally, the third-person action title had been targeted for release in early 2013, but now that will only come to fruition if THQ can quickly find a new home for the game. CEO Brian Farrell stated that the game "no longer fit THQ's profitability profile," and that they are currently talking to other companies about taking on the project.

When asked for further comment during the Q&A, Farrell explained that the company that produced the game engine that was originally to be used in Devil's Third went out of business, which meant that THQ had to step in and help them build a new engine. That expense, coupled with the current value of the Yen, factored into in the decision to drop the title.

Elsewhere, it was revealed that the Saints Row: The Third expansion pack, Enter the Dominatrix, will arrive in September as a stand-alone product, which can be played regardless as to whether you have the original game.

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alex

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Edited By alex

THQ had its annual investor's call this afternoon, and with it came a few significant changes in the publisher's upcoming lineup of games. Most notably, the Obsidian-developed South Park: The Stick of Truth has been pushed back into next year, and Tomonobu Itagaki'sDevil's Third will no longer be published under the THQ banner.

Itagaki's first non-Tecmo title is now looking for a new publisher.
Itagaki's first non-Tecmo title is now looking for a new publisher.

South Park was announced just a few months ago, and had originally been scheduled to release later this fall. Now THQ has listed it as a fiscal Q4 release. Obsidian was hit with layoffs earlier this year, including members of the South Park team. However, that wasn't cited as a reason for the delay, nor was any reason for that matter.

Devil's Third was the first game scheduled to be published from Valhalla Game Studios, the studio founded by former Team Ninja head Tomonobu Itagaki. Originally, the third-person action title had been targeted for release in early 2013, but now that will only come to fruition if THQ can quickly find a new home for the game. CEO Brian Farrell stated that the game "no longer fit THQ's profitability profile," and that they are currently talking to other companies about taking on the project.

When asked for further comment during the Q&A, Farrell explained that the company that produced the game engine that was originally to be used in Devil's Third went out of business, which meant that THQ had to step in and help them build a new engine. That expense, coupled with the current value of the Yen, factored into in the decision to drop the title.

Elsewhere, it was revealed that the Saints Row: The Third expansion pack, Enter the Dominatrix, will arrive in September as a stand-alone product, which can be played regardless as to whether you have the original game.

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BeachThunder

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Edited By BeachThunder

Delay ALL the games!

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mesoian

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Edited By mesoian

Sega will pick up Devil's Third. Calling it now.

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Mystyr_E

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thatdutchguy

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Edited By thatdutchguy

@Mesoian: why would sega pick up Devil's Turd ?

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kamikaze_tutor

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Edited By kamikaze_tutor

Is there even going to be a next year for THQ? :(

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DrDarkStryfe

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Edited By DrDarkStryfe

If Darksiders II bombs, THQ will be scrambling something fierce.

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Cloudenvy

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Edited By Cloudenvy

I thought Devil's Third got dropped loooooooooooooooong ago. The more you know, I guess!

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RE_Player1

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Edited By RE_Player1
@Mesoian

Sega will pick up Devil's Third. Calling it now.

I think so too.
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BeachThunder

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Edited By BeachThunder

@Kamikaze_Tutor said:

Is there even going to be a next year for THQ? :(

I hope so; won't somebody please think of the Metros!?

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MeatSim

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Edited By MeatSim

I still wanna play that South Park game.

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Rirse

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Edited By Rirse

Poor Obisdian

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KingOfIceland

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Edited By KingOfIceland

@Mesoian said:

Sega will pick up Devil's Third. Calling it now.

My bet is Square Enix, however.

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MildMolasses

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Edited By MildMolasses

To the people saying Sega: are they not restructuring as well? I don't really have any guesses, but I'm sure there is a desperate need to unload it on THQ's part, which leads me to believe a lot of people could jump on a this for a song. Hilarious if Tecmo bought it just to shut it down

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Saganomics

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Edited By Saganomics

@Rirse said:

Poor Obisdian

Seriously, this is Troika all over again. :(

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bakumatsu

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Edited By bakumatsu

And other one bites the dust.

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Dany

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Edited By Dany

I hope Square or somebody picks up Devil's Third, that game looked awesome when they last showed it.

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zombie2011

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Edited By zombie2011

As long as i get Darksiders 2 this year, i'm fine with THQ dropping everything else.

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UsbCable

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@KingOfIceland: That's what I was thinking.

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bacongames

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Edited By bacongames

Isn't Obsidian helping out with Wasteland 2? I'd rather see that anyway. I couldn't give less of a shit about South Park at this point.

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ImmortalSaiyan

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Edited By ImmortalSaiyan

We have nothing of Devil's Third since it's announcement years ago. Hopefully the development is going good and it gets a new publisher soon.

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iamjohn

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Edited By iamjohn

@KingOfIceland said:

@Mesoian said:

Sega will pick up Devil's Third. Calling it now.

My bet is Square Enix, however.

Yup. Gonna be Square.

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Ravenlight

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Edited By Ravenlight

There goes my hope a Devil's Third and Saint's Row the Third crossover.

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ragbag

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Edited By ragbag

Has there been a good story about THQ at all this year?

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WMWA

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Edited By WMWA

God damnit. This is really bumming me out. That South Park game looked really interesting, can Obsidian jump ship for publishing? It's a shame what's happening to everyone around THQ other than Volition. =\

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Zleunamme

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Edited By Zleunamme

Devil's Third is a game? Is there a score card on how many Game Informer cover story games being delayed until next year? So far it has been South Park and Tomb Raider. Things do not look for THQ. I guess we'll see if the stick around by the end of the year.

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jillsandwich

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Edited By jillsandwich

@Mesoian said:

Sega will pick up Devil's Third. Calling it now.

Warner Brothers.

I hope that South Park game does actually come out, it looks fucking great.

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ArbitraryWater

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Edited By ArbitraryWater

Yet another Obsidian project that will be underfunded and thus incomplete and possibly broken. Thanks THQ, for investing in those stupid uDraw tablets.

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TheHBK

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Edited By TheHBK

THQ will not be around by August. And I know I am being optimistic.

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BjornTheUnicorn

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Edited By BjornTheUnicorn

I hope the best for that South Park game, the show occasionally shows some genius still and Trey & Matt are cool people. As for Devil's Third, all I've seen was that trailer a while ago, but that was cool.

@Zleunamme: Bioshock Infinite was delayed as well, off the top of my head.

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MikeGosot

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Edited By MikeGosot
@iAmJohn said:

@KingOfIceland said:

@Mesoian said:

Sega will pick up Devil's Third. Calling it now.

My bet is Square Enix, however.

Yup. Gonna be Square.

Warner Brothers. I'm calling it.
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Sunspots

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Edited By Sunspots

No mention of Darksiders 2 is a good thing right? I mean a good thing for all of those people looking forward to playing it, (count me among that crowd). Please do not be delayed again.

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TheSouthernDandy

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Edited By TheSouthernDandy

Man things are looking grim. Well, grimmer. I'm praying to the Emperor that the 40K titles don't get axed.

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mesoian

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Edited By mesoian

@rebgav said:

@MikeGosot said:

@iAmJohn said:

@KingOfIceland said:

@Mesoian said:

Sega will pick up Devil's Third. Calling it now.

My bet is Square Enix, however.

Yup. Gonna be Square.

Warner Brothers. I'm calling it.

I'll back that call.

Not a bad bet. I'll be interesting to see what happens at E3.

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Edited By theveej

After the shitshow that was Ninja Gaiden 3 , I really, really, really hope Devils Third actually comes out and some point (and is atleast decent)

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SpartanAmbrose

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Edited By SpartanAmbrose

All of these delays are really bumming me out. At least that Saints Row the Third expansion is still on course for September.

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Edited By williamhenry

@wmaustin55 said:

God damnit. This is really bumming me out. That South Park game looked really interesting, can Obsidian jump ship for publishing? It's a shame what's happening to everyone around THQ other than Volition. =\

THQ most likely owns the SP license, not Obsidian. Obsidian are guns for hire on the SP game.

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dancingpolkabear

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Edited By dancingpolkabear

@msavo said:

@Mesoian

Sega will pick up Devil's Third. Calling it now.

I think so too.

I doubt it, it's been rumored that Sega just canned Bayonetta 2, so picking up another Japanese 3rd person technical action game doesn't seem likely

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Edited By Dallas_Raines

Hopefully a delay means South Park won't ship as a broken mess.

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binhoker

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Edited By binhoker

Itagaki needs to get round to toy headquarters and start doin' some of his trademark *alleged* finger fucking of their *alleged* throats.

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Sackmanjones

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Edited By Sackmanjones

I wonder if that INsane game is still coming…

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sublime90

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Edited By sublime90

at this point i really hope South Park even see's the light of day. i wonder if the Saints Row expansion will release on disc or just for download?

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Edited By ch3burashka

I'm in denial about the entire THQ situation. I've been 'following' the industry for only a few years, before THQ was known for being a crappy licensing factory and the source of the Destroy All Humans! franchise. It seemed that THQ had gotten on solid ground, not only making real games but real profits. From what I can tell, a handful of poor decisions has nearly demolished this almost-first-tier-but-totally-second-tier publisher, them being the Tablet and Red Faction (I can't think of any other decision that bit them in the ass quite as hard as those two). My denial mainly stems from the fact that, as was reported earlier this year, they would have been profitable if not for the Tablet, which actually brought them to the brink of bankruptcy. I simply cannot believe that a) such a decision was made, despite supposed market analyses and the like, and b) that such a decision could cause so much mayhem.

If anyone truly understands the history of THQ, please school me and the rest of the readers, because I can't fully comprehend how the dudes that made Guerrilla and Darksiders and Saints Row (all fairly profitable, from what I remember) could be so far up shit creek.

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deactivated-5e49e9175da37

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Poor THQ. Sunk by a tablet.

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GlockstarArmani

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Edited By GlockstarArmani

I'm looking forward to the South Park game with great enthusiasm! i love the idea of it being an RPG, even though turn-based combat is totally not my style. I'm sure it'll be much better than that bizarre first-person shooter extravaganza on the Nintendo 64!

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AhmadMetallic

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Edited By AhmadMetallic
@jillsandwich said:

I hope that South Park game does actually come out, it looks fucking great.

I have seen nothing of it, are we talking trailers or is there a gameplay/alpha build video somewhere?
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brownsfantb

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Edited By brownsfantb

Yay! Another game delayed to next year. (Not being sarcastic. I'm not going to have much time for games this Fall).

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Edited By Dalai
@Sackmanjones said:
I wonder if that INsane game is still coming…
It's supposed to come out in 2013. THQ existing in 2013 seems highly unlikely as does the release of inSANE. 
 
At this point, I just hope THQ releases Darksiders II on time and then calls it a day.