THQ looking for help with Warhammer 40K MMO

Warhammer 40,000 is set in the grim darkness of the future, but the massively multiplayer online role-playing game has to deal with the grim darkness of THQ's present. In an investor conference call today, THQ CEO Brian Farrell revealed that the publisher is "actively looking" for partners to help it launch the long-in-development MMORPG Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online.

Farrell positioned the move as THQ being realistic about the financial commitment required to launch and run such a product, which might have been at odds with the company's new post-restructuring approach. During the call, Farrell said the publisher was in the middle of repositioning itself as a "smaller, more agile entertainment company positioned for consistent profitability."

Originally announced in February of 2007, Dark Millennium Online is being handled by Company of Heroes developer Relic and Vigil Games, the Austin, Texas-based studio behind the Darksiders series.

THQ has held the gaming rights to the Warhammer 40,000 property for over a decade and used them to produce titles like Relic's Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series of PC real-time strategy games and last year's multiplatform third-person action game Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine. Last year, THQ extended its licensing agreement with Warhammer creator Games Workshop.