E3 '07: THQ revs new MX vs. ATV, Destroy All Humans! games

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--After years of relying on licenses like Nickelodeon, WWE, and Pixar, THQ is increasing its emphasis on its own series and characters. To kick off the E3 Media and Business Summit, the publisher has unveiled three such games it plans to release early next year: a new MX vs. ATV title and two new Destroy All Humans! installments.

The publisher is firing up its stunt-and-racing series once more, with MX vs. ATV Untamed set for release this January on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Nintendo DS. The publisher also said PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions of the game would be released simultaneously, though it didn't specify when. THQ is focusing on bigger outdoor environments with more things in them, an X-cross career mode, and the EnduroCross mode meant to showcase the game's Rhythm Racing physics engine by pitting the player against especially rough terrain. The publisher also said it is tailoring each version of the game to its platform's strengths.

Also early next year, the human-hating extraterrestrial Crypto 137 will make his Xbox 360 and PS3 debut in Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon. Where Destroy All Humans! 2 set the ruthless visitor free in the 1960s, Path of the Furon will give gamers the chance to obliterate the equally absurd world of the "Funked Out 1970s."

While Path of the Furon is limited to the latest Sony and Microsoft systems, Crypto will be spreading mayhem anew on other platforms with Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashed for the Wii, PS2, and PSP. While the game is set in the same "Funked Out 1970s" as Path of the Furon, it will serve as a prequel of sorts for that game. As for the significance of the title, the game introduces the Big Willy giant robot suit to Crypto's array of destructive methods. Set for release early next year, THQ said the game was "designed from the ground up" for the Wii.