Without a Buyer, Big Huge Games May Go Dark
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
Friday, March 20, 2009
A local videogame company's shift in focus to stay relevant in the Wii era does not appear to have paid off.
Game publisher THQ said this week that it will shutter its Timonium, Md.-based subsidiary, Big Huge Games, if it doesn't find a buyer for the studio within 60 days. The California-based publisher acquired Big Huge last year, but is now trying to slash its expenses by $220 million.
THQ, best known for tie-in games related to pop culture entities such as "SpongeBob SquarePants" and World Wrestling Entertainment, is also shedding two of its California-based game studios. The company has blamed the economy and weak holiday sales for the move.
Last year, Big Huge Games founder Brian Reynolds announced that his company was changing direction in order to find a new audience on the Wii. Reynolds did not disclose any details about two under-development titles, but said his company needed the deeper pockets of a big publisher such as THQ to develop them.
"Games these days cost a lot of money to make," he said at the time.
THQ and Big Huge Games did not immediately return phone calls late yesterday afternoon.
