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There is a “burgeoning new excitement to help THQ” get through its recent financial struggles, Relic’s Quinn Duffy has told VideoGamer.com, adding that “there’s a great chance that we’ll be talking about a very positive THQ story in a couple of years”.
“I can say it has been a challenge,” Duffy said, talking to VideoGamer.com about the knock-on effect of THQ’s financial woes on Relic.
“I think it’s potentially a distraction. But I like what’s happened there recently. I like the new leadership and they’re bringing some new focus and perspective, and down at the development level we’re behind the company 100 per cent.”
The appointment of ex-Naughty Dog president Jason Rubin in May has played “a big part” in finding that new focus, Duffy continued.
“He’s had a long history and people can respect what he’s done. I think the management team at THQ had some great creative vision and really introduced and green-lit some great new games, and we’re seeing the results of those things now. I don’t want to speak ill of them.
“There is a burgeoning new excitement for, you know, to help THQ get through this by producing some great games.”
THQ’s financial troubles have been in and out of the press multiple times over the course of the last six months.
Earlier this month THQ announced a reverse stock split, turning every 10 shares into 1 to keep the firm floating on NASDAQ.
However, Duffy believes that some of the criticism levelled at THQ’s struggles has been “unfair”.
“They’ve been kicked when they’re down and it is a challenge to climb back out from under that kind of stuff. But there is a focus on developing good quality and a focus on finding out what the future means and getting there first.
“That’s at a very high strategic level and I don’t know what they’re doing but I think there’s a great chance that we’ll be talking about a very positive THQ story in a couple of years.”
THQ currently has multiple high-profile titles up its sleeve, including Company of Heroes 2, Homefront 2, Darksiders II and South Park: The Stick of Truth. The publisher is also developing inSane, a title in conjunction with film director Guillermo del Toro.
