THQ Delays South Park: The Stick of Truth as Financial Troubles Continue

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Lee Bradley

THQ has delayed a number of games following continued poor financial results. 

South Park: The Stick of Truth has slipped from March 5, 2013 to a vague “early fiscal 2014,” while Metro: Last Light and the PC-exclusive Company of Heroes 2 will now hit in March next year.

The announcement was made during THQ’s second quarter financial report last night, during which the extent of the publisher’s continuing struggles were outlined.

Although higher than its own expectations, THQ’s quarterly net loss was $21 million. It has lead the publisher to appoint Centreview Partners to find “strategic and financing alternatives” for the ailing company.

If THQ’s position is not turned around, analysts are predicting an equity sale and failing that, bankruptcy.

Despite this, President Jason Rubin is putting on a brave face, saying that the game delays will ensure the highest possible quality.

“Our fourth quarter releases are the first titles that I have had the ability to materially impact, and experience told me that the games needed additional development time to be market-ready,” he said.

“I firmly believe releasing our fourth quarter titles without extra time for polish in the current environment would lead to underperformance that could in turn lead to future additional capital shortfalls.”

The trouble is, delaying games adds to development costs and means that the publisher has less money coming in.

“Extending development schedules in order to make the best possible titles also has financial implications,” continued Rubin. “Yet there can be no doubt which path has the greatest chance of leading to the long-term success of the company. 

“We must follow the course that generates the highest quality games, and will establish THQ as a mark of quality for the consumer.”

Comments
38
  • This is all Kyles mums fault...
  • fuck sake. this is the only thing i wanted from them. Stop bringing shit out like saints row the third premium shite and bring this out. cocks.
  • What did they do with all the money they made from Saint's Row 3? I thought that sold well.
  • And people get hurt when we gamers criticise THQ for the way they've handled a few issues over the last 12 months. Yes, everyone makes mistakes, but when you are ass-deep in debt, you don't play with fire and hope you don't get burnt. They released a "complete edition" of Saints Row: The Third. Why? Is it because it's just about the only game which has returned a decent profit in the last 12 months? The majority of this edition is clothing items, which was a rort from the start anyway. They lost their license to UFC games and that alone was a cry for help, yet they insist on pushing Saints Row as if it's Grand Theft Auto, capable of pushing over 10 million with a whisper of the games name. Now, we've got delays. What does this mean? Less and less faith in your own product. They are going to lose more and before we know it, THQ will no longer be. So sad that they've dug themselves into this ditch and they can't help themselves out.
  • I thought THQ would be able to make a fair amount of money. The Warhammer 40k license must have made a few bob, with 4 games in Dawn of War and 3 (I think) in Dawn of War 2. Kill Team was cheap but I thought sold well and Space Marine was pretty popular I thought. I honestly thought they would make money.
  • Bummer. I just hope it makes it out eventually!
  • Pleeeeeeaaaaase just stay afloat for metro 2034!!!
  • Well they have had three high selling games over the last 12 months, Saints Row 3, Darksiders 2 and WWE 13, how much freaking debt are these guys in for all those sales not to make a dent in it. #Crazy
  • Early 2014? Oh, please no... That´s taking way too long. Now the world may as well end on December 21...
  • And I was/am looking forward to this game a lot: RPG + South Park = awesome (hopefully).
  • People can't hand delays. Just like Cartman couldn't handle waiting for the release of Wii.
  • Delaying when you're having financial problems seems to be a bad idea to me. You need money so get the game into the hands of the customers and you'll have money. I'm sure there are other factors I'm not considering but it makes sense to me.
  • .......this really isn't going to end well. My money is on THQ going under and someone else picking this up. In all fairness they do kinda deserve it, though I feel really bad for all the people who will lose their jobs
  • Early FISCAL year 2014 is like April/May/June 2013 guys. It's only been delayed by a month or two! Anyway screw you guys, i'm going home.
  • @9 actually fiscal 2014, starts next spring, and the Mayan Calender didn't count for leap years so the world was supposed to end last August time.
  • THQ needs somebody to replace the CEO, and cut the fat and get that company in line for success. They have quality products and guaranteed money makers, like Saint's Row and the WWE games. The company is salvageable, but needs to be restructured and more lean.
  • thq needs to sell their soul to the devil. EA did
  • They should get Bethesda or someone else to publish this. Bethesda would make perfect sense since they published New Vegas, or if that fails sega. I am so annoyed that I created an account just to say this. This was my most anticipated game apart from GTA. If anyone from THQ is reading this I am begging you please have some sense. I wanted this game this summer and was so angry about the delay but this is getting ridiculous. I apologize for the long rant but I needed to let out some steam!
  • Oh and by they I mean Obsidian
  • maybe cliffyb will ask to fix thq
  • I said they would go bankrupt before the end of the year
  • @15 Is correct and people need to stop making a big deal of it. The only thing that will happen is what we cause to happen with pollution etc. OT: This and GTA V so far were my most anticipated games for 2013, now it's only GTA V sadly. Such a shame because I think South Park would have sold well. I don't know about anyone else but EA should be in this spot not THQ. I've heard more people bitch about EA than anyone else.
  • well all of you guys are focused on the wrong game. the only game here that matters is Metro: Last Light. thats the game that needs to see a release. its already a year late.
  • no i want to play south park now
  • I sure hope they can get through this without too much damage, was really looking forward to this game, not to mention Metro:Last Light... One can only hope those games and the Darksiders franchise find new owners, if THQ goes belly up :(
  • @15 i didn't know that...as stan and kyle would say...i learnt something today. OT: as long as it gets a release im happy. would hate to see this go down the pan.
  • If only Microsoft could buy THQ then we might finally get some decent exclusives.
  • this makes me a sad panda
  • "Well, this is fucked-up right here!" Especially after that awesome trailer they made for it, I REALLY want this game, and I'm not too happy about another delay. Yes, Fiscal 2014 begins in April 2013, but that doesn't mean the thing will come out in April. However, given how much work Matt & Trey themselves have put into the project, I don't see it getting buried and it will end up at another publisher if THQ tanks. I think THQ in general are over-estimating the popularity and performance of their products in their financial projections. They need to take a step back and stop projecting Darksiders like it's Assassin's Creed, Metro like it's Dead Space and Saints Row like its GTA. Not that THQ's games are bad or poor-selling, necessarily, they just over promise their investors... Oh, and THQ? South Park will not be Skyrim, adjust your numbers accordingly.
  • Now if only EA and Activision would follow suit.
  • They probabl are afraid it will do as poorly as Darksiders 2 (which I don't get, because it's simply the greatest game of this type on xbox - god of war of 360 if you will IMO)... I do hope they don't go bankrupt, because I am looking forward to all 3 of the games - CoH2, Metro2 a dn South park=/
  • @16 That's what THQ did. Jason Rubin is the new CEO. He was hired earlier this year.
  • @31: Spot on... Why on earth hasn't everybody and their mother bought Darksiders 1 & 2? The first was very good, but had (small) flaws, but the second was (almost) pure gold!!! Marketing must've f****d up badly on Darksiders 2, because the game should have sold like crazy...
  • this is not super super serial! think its time manbearpig started running the show over there, he'd get sh*t down
  • wish EA would go to the crapper, and drag ubisoft with them, theyve totally ruined assassins creed now. and most likely ruined splintercell too. arses.
  • 1st: Just Die THQ, Die, go away like Hostess. 2nd: WTF. 3rd: THQ, for you fale attempt of game releases, you will die. 4th: THQ already shut down a company, why not the rest. 5th: just put THQ out of it misery, please. if i am being mean, and this post get delete by admin, First Amendment, bitchs, First Amendment. can't censor me. try, but you won't. now, SR3rd, honest 7/10. SR4, THQ said in the make, that is a lie.
  • at #4 THQ has been putting out a "passable" product most of the time with thier big names. Most of thier games are full of inexplicable glitches, and all around poor design compared to a lot of titles, they only have themselves to blame for not letting developers fully playtest and polish before release. @36 you agreed to the TOS for the site, you are using THIER property for your opinion, so yes, yes they can.
  • Thq put out a lot of cool games in the past few years but the games just didn't sell that well so that is what hurt them. South Park will likely be the last game put out by Thq.
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