THQ getting more casual

THQ has decided it's time to kick off its shoes, loosen up its tie, and make a bigger push into the casual-games market.

The company has bought up Elephant Entertainment, a casual- and online-gaming business. THQ has further signed an exclusive, worldwide retail-publishing agreement with Oberon Media.

The agreement means that THQ will be bringing Oberon Media's back catalogue to consoles, including the popular hidden-objects game series Dream Day, which includes Dream Day Wedding, Dream Day Honeymoon, and Dream Day First Home.

In addition, Oberon Media recently announced a hidden-objects game based on James Patterson's series of murder-mystery novels called Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet, which will be coming this May.

Doug Clemmer, president of THQ's casual-games division ValuSoft, commented that the deals would "significantly expand" the company's stake in the casual-games sector.

The financial terms of the two deals were not disclosed.