THQ defaults on 50m loan-Ubisoft CEO considers buying company

[TheDoctor]

GamesIndustry reported yesterday that beleaguered game publisher THQ has defaulted on a $50 million loan from Wells Fargo bank, an unsurprising turn of events given the year it’s had and the fact that the company appointed a consultant to help it either find a buyer, or declare bankruptcy.

That buyer may be close at hand, if hints dropped in another GamesIndustry piece are to be believed. An in-depth interview with Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot (who already explained his unhappiness with the Wii U’s totally reasonable price) reveals that his company is looking closely at THQ’s assets and considering adding some (or maybe all?) of them to Ubisoft’s robust collection of IPs.


“They have good things. We are always interested in good brands. For sure, it’s something we can consider, but I can’t tell you more.”

Guillemot also speaks to the problems THQ’s faced this year, explaining that those kinds of troubles aren’t simply unique to that company:


“What happened to [THQ] is something that happens regularly when we have transition. Some can make it, some decide to go in different direction. It happened with Atari and Midway and also Acclaim last generation. … It’s something that happens in this industry and that’s the way the industry consolidates.”

Interesting stuff. Clearly Ubisoft is becoming one of the industry’s major heavies, slowly becoming on par with Activision and EA in terms of its presence in gamers’ minds. Acquiring another company would simply make that even more apparent.

 

[AKI Man]

One would presume that if Ubisoft took over THQ, they would get the WWE licence as well? If so, that be interesting to see. Would the base of the game remain the same, or would Ubisoft look to totally overhaul the game? I for one would like to see THQ's employees at least have a job elsewhere, thannothing. They have families and bills to pay at the end of the day, just like all of us.

 

[TheDoctor]

<blockquote class='quote\\_blockquote'><dl><dt>Darth AKI</dt><dd>Dec 6 2012, 07:33:14 AM</dd></dl><div>One would presume that if Ubisoft took over THQ, they would get the WWE licence as well? If so, that be interesting to see. Would the base of the game remain the same, or would Ubisoft look to totally overhaul the game? I for one would like to see THQ's employees at least have a job elsewhere, thannothing. They have families and bills to pay at the end of the day, just like all of us. [/quote]I agree 100% percent, i don't want to see anyone not able to take care of their families. That's why it pisses me off to no end to see people going "I HOPE THEY GO OUT OF BUSINESS & SOMEONE ELSE CAN MAKE THE GAME!!!!" Obviously they have to be kids or just stupid, no one who have a family to take care of would want some else to lose their livelyhood over a damn game.