10 Reasons Why Losing THQ Will Suck

Thing's aren't looking so hot for once-proud publisher, THQ. With the industry waiting to see what will happen in the wake of their massive financial meltdown a lot of speculation is being thrown about regarding whether the company will survive it's current crisis.

Although failure is an unfortunate possibility for the giant, it's even more tragic when you consider all of the jobs that could be lost if it can't find a way to pull together the millions of dollars needed to keep it afloat. As much as we hate being the bearers of bad news, here are the 10 worst speculative outcomes (from someone who isn't a financial analyst) for the gaming industry if THQ can't land a hail mary play in the 11th hour.

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Latest Release: Lock's Quest (2008)

Developer: 5th Cell

If Lock's Quest isn't immediately recognizable, don't worry, you're not alone. Although there's only been one title in the series thus far, it was remarkably well received by critics but THQ hasn't gotten around to updating it for the Nintendo 3DS era with a new version just yet.

The game is a clever mix of real-time strategy gameplay with roleplaying mechanics that worked particularly well with the handheld touch-screen platform. Seeing a revamped version of this game or a sequel could really give it the opportunity to turn into a lasting cult hit like Advance Wars, but it just didn't take in the market like it ought to have.

With the property completely owned by THQ, a potential resurrection would require 5th Cell buying up the rights which is unlikely considering they've got plenty of their own properties they're actively working on (even though it's clear a lot of love went into this one). Alternatively an investor could see the value of the property, but considering the lacklustre sales of the first game, it's unlikely they'd ever do anything with them, even if the rights were acquired through a wholesale purchase.

Notable Releases: N/A

Location: Montreal, Canada

THQ Montreal was founded at a very unfortunate time. The first of THQ's North American studios that it grew from foundation up, it attracted incredible talent like Assassin's Creed creator, Patrice Désilets. However, the studio still hasn't had enough time to get over its growing pains and release their first title.

Unless they've got something supremely appealing to potential buyers, it's hard to say whether the studio will be able to prove their worth. It costs a lot of money to keep a studio like this running and considering that they have no track record at all with consumers.

As much as it pains me to hear of the jobs lost, the potential for a really exciting new IP getting killed before the public ever got to see it pains me even more. That however is the unfortunate reality of a potential publisher death.

Latest Release: You Don't Know Jack (2011)

Developer: Jellyvision

There's no doubt in my mind that the intrepid lads and lasses at Jellyvision will continue pumping out You Don't Know Jack content for whatever platform they can for as long as they can, but it's important to remember that without THQ, their recent resurrection might not have been possible. Despite the game's cult status, investing in a quirky trivia game doesn't scream big bucks but it did have enough promise to convince the heads at THQ to take a chance on it.

Although the success was only moderate on the consoles, it gave Jellyvision the funds necessary to produce their perfectly adapted iOS version and then later their constantly updated Facebook game. There's little doubt in my mind that the partnership with THQ played a big role in making all of that possible, keeping the small but lovable studio doing what they do best.

Jellyvision is pretty unique in its ability to operate with fewer resources than most studios - trivia games typically require far smaller budgets than other genres - but without publisher investments for further DLC on the console versions or a potential sequel, it could spell trouble for the team. I don't even want to imagine a world without Cookie Masterson.

Notable Releases: Darksiders II

Location: Austin, Texas

The original Darksiders came out of nowhere mashing genres for a gameplay experience we haven't seen in almost a decade. As if that weren't enough reason to praise the accomplishments of Vigil Games, the Austin studio managed to build a compelling world with lasting potential, rife with sequel possibilities.

The Darksiders story is only just half-way told and if we ever hope to see the completion of it's four-game promise, chronicling the misadventures of each of the four horsemen, THQ's going to have to survive to make it happen. Despite being one of the biggest sellers in the THQ catalog, the series hasn't sold remarkably well; to-date it's global sales barely breach an estimated 1 million.

With no other properties in their catalog, this doesn't bode well for ole Vigil. Despite all the critical acclaim, if a series just can't sell enough copies to be worth the investment, the studio's not likely to be purchased during a closure. THQ needs to survive so Vigil can survive.

Latest Release: Metro: Last Light (2013)

Developer: 4A Games

The gaming community at large seems to have its finger on the pulse of the Metro 2033 series, even if they didn't buy the original game in record numbers. Developed by the Ukrainian team, 4A Games, who've literally done nothing else since their foundation, this series is the studio's bread and butter.

Losing support for the franchise by having their publisher pulled could lead to a catastrophic loss of confidence for the team, even if they're steadfastly in love with the post-apocalyptic world they've created. Whether they'd try and secure private funding for another one after Last Light or give up and try something different is unknown, but there's no mistaking that THQ's support has allowed them to build a truly unique universe despite not selling as many copies as other genre competitors.

Of course, all of this hinges on how well Metro: Last Light sells when it releases next year. Judging from the early critical reception, the game's shaping up to be every bit as engaging as its predecessor, but the question of whether consumers are willing to bite the very expensive bullets of Metro is yet to be answered.

Latest Release: Titan Quest: Immortal Throne (2007)

Developer: Iron Lore Entertainment

In the great action-RPG drought after Diablo II and before Torchlight, it was Iron Lore Entertainment and a little game called Titan Quest that stepped in to satisfy the compulsive clicking disorder of gamers everywhere. Mixing the classic dungeon crawling formula with ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology, this series was like God of War meets Ultima.

Because Iron Lore Entertainment went belly-up in 2008, it's unlikely any other studio would invest in the IP rights to Titan Quest and if THQ followed suit it would likely mean the death of any possible resurgence. This probably isn't the biggest deal now that Blizzard's back on track delivering their A-game and Runic Games is challenging them on the indie front for poin-and-click supremacy, but unlike the rather homogenous worlds of both Diablo and Torchlight, Titan Quest offered a pretty unique fantasy.

There's a good chance that the franchise will never see light of day again, even if THQ survives its date with the guillotine, but if the publisher fades to black then you can kiss whatever lingering hope you had goodbye. You'd have to find a pretty ludicrous investor to deem this worthy of salvation, but for fans who enjoyed the games, it'll be sorely missed.

Notable Releases: Company of Heroes 2

Location: Vancouver, Canada

Vancouver's home to some pretty special developers. As the game development capital of Canada (don't tell Montreal I said that!), it's attracted some pretty amazing talent over the years, not the least of which includes Company of Heroes developer, Relic Entertainment.

Having produced the best Warhammer 40k game to-date with Dawn of War II, they've proven themselves to be more than competent when it comes to the strategy genre. Company of Heroes 2 is already looking like a knock-out in terms of depth and production value, but if THQ shuts down the studio could go with it.

While it's entirely possible that Relic could be sold off during the closure, there's no guarantee that their new overlords will provide them with the same creative freedom they enjoyed under THQ's banner. It's easy to see Relic getting bought up by a competitor looking to beef up their strategy portfolio, but there's a good chance that if that happens they might wind up working on something other than their WWII baby.

Latest Release: Stacking (2011)

Developer: Double Fine Productions

Okay, Double Fine's probably never going to be in trouble ever again considering their infinite likability and flawless Kickstarter executions, but it's important to remember that THQ was the publisher who funded the production of some of the Amnesia Fortnight projects that might not have seen release otherwise; THQ was the exclusive publisher behind both Costume Quest and Stacking back when everyone was having post-Brutal Legend doubts about Schaefer's team.

Perhaps I'm giving too much credence to THQ's risk-taking ability, or their recognition of quality, but it's really easy to forget that back in 2009 things weren't looking so good for Double Fine and THQ supported them when they needed it. While the team's projects won't directly be in jeopardy if the publisher closes, we will lose that important level of foresight and commitment to quality indie productions.

I imagine the scene playing out at THQ's headquarters would be pretty different right now if Microsoft hadn't bogarted all of Double Fine's talent for their Kinect projects, but that's just the way business goes. There aren't any villains here, but it's hard to deny the difference having a few more Double Fine games in their portfolio could have made.

Notable Releases: Saints Row: The Third

Location: Champagne, Illinois

Volition, Inc. has earned a permanent place in my heart for simply daring to produce a game as batshit insane as Saints Row: The Third. Couple that with the fact that they're also responsible for the Red Faction franchise and it's easy to see that if they were to shut down, the industry would be short one great sandbox game developer.

The Saints Row franchise definitely has enough traction to be bought up by another publisher, but it was THQ's willingness to give Volition near carte-blanche approval for their creative work that made it what it was. It's hard to envision EA or Ubisoft taking such a big gamble on such patently offensive content, even if it sells well.

It's important to recognize the risk THQ took letting this thing come out. In an age where nearly everything can be considered sexist, racist, homophobic, or just plain wrong in it's crassness, it took a lot of balls to let this thing through the gate. Those balls will be sorely missed if this story doesn't have a happy ending.

Well, now that you're all filled with doom and gloom from these speculative doomsday scenarios, you're probably wondering what can possibly save THQ from a disastrous fate. Unless you're a multi-millionare with a particular interest in owning a troubled video game publisher, there's unfortunately little you can do other than cross your fingers and hope.

THQ's been reaching out to the public for support, most notably through their recent involvement with the Humble Bundle group by offering 7 of their best back cataloge titles for a pay-what-you-want price. So far it's generated nearly $3 million in revenue and considering the standard division of profits sends 65% to the publisher, that's a net gain of nearly $2 million.

With experts suggesting they need at least $50 million injected to stay alive, that's not a lot of scratch but it's not nothing either. However, the publisher only needs to maintain an "excess availability of at least $4 million" to avoid a breach of their forbearance agreement with Wells Fargo. That means there's hope yet for THQ at least avoiding foreclosure for a little while longer.

Sometimes though, things don't always work out the way we want and THQ's death is a very real possibility. Let's just hope that for all of the jobs at stake, they can keep dragging it out as long as they possibly can.