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THQ: Expect sequels every other year

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Feb 22, 2007 3:44 pm PT

Publisher confirms a new Red Faction, tells investors to plan for biennial sequels to owned intellectual properties.

Some of the biggest names in gaming over the last few years have been franchises with annual installments, like Madden NFL, Need for Speed, Splinter Cell, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. While THQ relies on annualized franchises of its own (it has new WWE SmackDown! and Pixar film-based games ready to go each year), the publisher today told investors that for its owned properties like Saints Row and Destroy All Humans!, they should expect sequels every other year.

Speaking at Pacific Crest Securities' Digital Media and Entertainment Forum today, THQ CFO Ed Zinser reiterated the publisher's desire to derive more of its revenue from intellectual properties it owns, as opposed to successful licensed franchises like the WWE, Pixar, and Nickelodeon games. Zinser pointed to the company's stable of owned intellectual properties, and in doing so actually confirmed a Red Faction sequel that had only been hinted at before.

"We've got Saints Row which was launched recently, this [fiscal] year, Red Faction from a few years back which you'll be seeing in the future as a sequel, Stuntman scheduled for fiscal '08, Juiced, which is a racing title, MX, which is an off-road racing title, and Destroy All Humans! as well," Zinser said. "All launched over the past several years [and sold] a million units-plus, and all titles we believe have sequel potential for the future."

Though the games haven't broken into the million-selling club just yet, Zinser also named Company of Heroes and the upcoming Frontlines: Fuel of War as strong owned properties, telling the audience, "You should expect to see sequels on varying platforms--most of them multiplatform--probably on an every-other-year kind of timeframe over the cycle."

Zinser also said that THQ isn't done building its roster of owned intellectual properties, saying the company has plans to launch a couple new intellectual properties a year throughout the console cycle. THQ's list of licensed annualized games will also be expanding, as Zinder said the recently announced Ultimate Fighting Championship will see yearly sequels after the original release.

104 Comments

  • miasma_ollie

    Posted Jan 14, 2008 1:11 pm PT

    Number 2 was a disapointment number one was good i dug it out the other day and started playing it on pc X D

  • Donnyp

    Posted Nov 9, 2007 9:36 pm PT

    Number 2 was okay but number one was EXCELLENT!

  • DX_HBK_HHH

    Posted Aug 21, 2007 1:14 pm PT

    omg i love red faction this game kicks ass

  • JSharpe_187

    Posted Aug 1, 2007 11:24 am PT

    If red Faction is what I think it is, it was a great game, and I can't wait to pick up the sequel if it comes out for 360. Also waiting on more Saints Row 2 news from THQ.

  • Krunkcity3000

    Posted May 12, 2007 6:36 am PT

    And so..... THQ lost my respect. Too many sequels to less than stellar franchises could kill THQ. Madden is trash the only reason people still buy it is because it has the NFL license. THey add nothing worthwhile to the series other than updated rosters which they could just charge 20 bucks for and release as DLC for older versions of their game.

  • starwarsnut7591

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 1:35 pm PT

    why cant companies be original?im tired of sequels!!

  • MadGamer132

    Posted Mar 7, 2007 1:44 pm PT

    it is a good to do sequels every other year, good for THQ.

  • dr3b

    Posted Mar 6, 2007 5:14 am PT

    Why is this back on the news section?

  • Sagacious_Tien

    Posted Mar 4, 2007 10:48 pm PT

    Seems like a good time to invest in the company. That Ratoutille game looks fun, and Stuntman has some potential too.

  • SaviourX

    Posted Mar 4, 2007 6:01 pm PT

    "I would make a game and see how the people respond to it and then try and think of how to make it better if there cant be made any improvments (good ones) i would wait for new technology."

    Haha, good luck with keeping a business afloat with that attitude.

    Seriously, a company actually decides to Not make sequels every year, trying to shift the focus onto improving quality instead of patching/updating the previous year's game, outright states that they are trying to develop more of their own IP instead of licensed crap that may make them more sales, and people talk about corporate greed?

    It's true that it is all about making a profit, a decent ROI, and if they think they can pull that off with a biennial form of production plan, awesome. More power to them. It's almost guaranteed income, while they produce more new IP and not inundate the market every single holiday season with the same thing (maybe every other season, but that's at least more palatable).

  • peeweeshift

    Posted Mar 2, 2007 11:55 am PT

    so RF3 and Saints row 2 are what ihave to look forward to. i wish unreal championship 3 would come also(the weopans ruled) but unreal3 should do until then.

  • DontEatCream

    Posted Mar 2, 2007 11:46 am PT

    I hope they pump out some expansion packs for Company of Heroes and improve the core game a little bit before they go for a straight up sequel. There is nothing worse than a quality RTS game being marred down by a wave of crappy, uninnovative sequels spawned by corporate greed.

  • Maeros4

    Posted Mar 2, 2007 7:24 am PT

    how can they say they want to make sequals on all those games every other year? thats how those big companies work. not thinking about quality but quantity. I would make a game and see how the people respond to it and then try and think of how to make it better if there cant be made any improvments (good ones) i would wait for new technology. They already know they gone make many amounts of sequals no matter what. I give them no respect.

  • war3

    Posted Feb 28, 2007 8:42 am PT

    THQ good move!!

  • Nitrous_boy

    Posted Feb 27, 2007 12:54 pm PT

    yay! Juiced 2, another need for speed clone.

  • thewesman

    Posted Feb 27, 2007 11:43 am PT

    Back to the Row!!! It would be awesome if saves transferred so I could keep my same dude.

  • xspawn69

    Posted Feb 26, 2007 12:35 pm PT

    Bring on Saint's Row 2!!!

  • Enginwolf04

    Posted Feb 26, 2007 9:48 am PT

    Now, that's what I'm talking about.... a new Red Faction game is far overdue. Can anyone agree with me on this? RF 2 may not have been Halo, but it was its own kind of multiplayer-centric FPS with cool weapons, destroyable walls that led to secret areas, and a plethora of well designed maps. I'm looking forward to what Volition, Inc. and THQ can do with next gen graphics, next-gen AI, and so on and so forth. Long Live The Commonwealth!

  • BranKetra

    Posted Feb 26, 2007 8:20 am PT

    Red Faction was a pretty good series....but expecting a new game every other year might not be as good as it sounds. Quality vs quantity. Of course, my opinion might be swayed by GRAW 2 and a few others if they get a good score.

  • V_Zarnold_N

    Posted Feb 26, 2007 5:55 am PT

    i enjoyed red faction but not red faction 2 so much... not enough geo mod but on a next gen console i think they could make it way better so this could be supper awesome

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