THQ: WOW too strong to take on

Despite promising sales of products like NCsoft's Guild Wars Factions, Blizzard's World of Warcraft is still the undisputed king of the massively multiplayer online game world. Not only has it staved off a number of MMO contenders since its launch, but it might actually be intimidating some of the game world's biggest publishers to stay out of the MMO game.

In a presentation to the Lazard Capital Markets Investors Breakfast today, THQ president and CEO Brian Farrell was asked why none of the major publishers have done much in the massively multiplayer online space. His answer showed some deference to Blizzard's juggernaut.

"We're looking at it very closely, but I want to find the right opportunity," Farrell said. "I think what you will not [Farrell's emphasis] see THQ do is come out with another fantasy-type game. The other thing we're thinking is these things tend to have a window. Right now that product is World of Warcraft, so the idea would be to time something for when that product is going to be on its downward slope. To come out with something competitive now I think would be misguided for anyone, including THQ."