All will be revealed soon, teases the game's publisher THQ. In the meantime, Tera will be at the company's booth at Comic-Con on Saturday to pose for photographs and give convention goers the completely false impression that they have a chance in hell of getting together with her.

Porn star joins Saints Row dev team [CVG]

“Our new partnership with GameTap allows both a brand new audience and fans alike to enjoy our titles and franchise games online,” said Adrienne Lauer, National Sales Director, Market Development for THQ, “Digital distribution is a great way to extend the reach of our properties and GameTap is an ideal outlet for this effort.”

See? GameTap knows what it's doing. The editorial content always seemed unnecessary to me anyway. More games is good! Hit the jump for the full PR.

GAMETAP SIGNS PARTNERSHIP WITH THQ

New deal includes top titles and franchises like Company of Heroes

ATLANTA – July 22, 2008 – GameTap, the first-of-its-kind broadband entertainment network from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., announced today a long-term partnership with THQ Inc. that includes worldwide subscription play and digital download rights for a wide selection of the publisher’s games for Windows PC. Additionally under the new agreement, some THQ games will also be made available for free play on GameTap’s ad-supported website www.gametap.com.

“We are excited to be adding THQ’s roster of top content to GameTap,” said Ricardo Sanchez, vice president of content and creative director for GameTap. “With this new deal, subscribers and website visitors will enjoy great games from THQ, including Company of Heroes and Red Faction.”

As part of the new agreement, GameTap will now feature titles from the THQ and ValuSoft catalogues, including critically acclaimed games such as Company of Heroes®, Warhammer® 40K, Red Faction®, Supreme Commander®, Titan Quest™, Saints Row™ 2, PuzzleQuest and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl.

“Our new partnership with GameTap allows both a brand new audience and fans alike to enjoy our titles and franchise games online,” said Adrienne Lauer, National Sales Director, Market Development for THQ, “Digital distribution is a great way to extend the reach of our properties and GameTap is an ideal outlet for this effort.”

The Wii exclusive does a lot of neat things with the genre. First is the fact that while you do take turns controlling both the scorpion and spider in Deadly Creatures, they aren't buddies. In fact, they're deadly enemies of one another. You will never actually do combat while controlling either creature, but you get to witness a few stand-offs as the game unwinds.

While most of the action of the game takes place in the desert of Arizona, there is an overriding story that deals with these mysterious guys searching for something. It's these cut-scenes that sort of tie the entire experience together.

Controlling the spider and scorpion involves a lot of motion control, but the good kind, not the bad one. For instance, while moving the spider around you can target nearby creatures and then strike at them with a sudden flick forward of your hand. This also allows you to do some distant jump attacks. The spider, of course, can also crawl up walls and such, and both creatures regain health by eating crickets. Movement can be just as important as combat in the game too. In one scene the spider had to ditch a rattle snake by tricking it to strike into a cactus repeatedly. The whole thing, from interface, to movement and types of attack, has a very organic feel to it.

Both creatures unlock new abilities, like the ability to spin spider silk to capture creatures, by defeating a set number of creatures to hit predator goals.

Unfortunately, the game won't include any two-player co-op play. Instead you get take turns playing as the two critters in alternating chapters.

While almost all of the game is about surviving the environment and other nasty creatures, the final boss is one of the two humans in the game, the developer told me.

"I don't want to give too much away, but it will make you very squeamish," the developer said. "We do awful things to that poor man."

We are delighted to be part of this, launching an Arabic game is every Arab gamers’ wish. This is a great opportunity for us to grow further in promising territories like Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and a solid demonstration of our commitment to the Middle East market...we hope it will be the first of a long line up for Arabic titles in the future... There are only few games that would suit the Middle East’s morals more than WALL.E. The game depicts family virtues in a fun adventurous story line immersing the players in a world of passionate pursuit for adventure.

You gotta start somewhere, we guess, and are glad to see that THQ has started. Hopefully other publishers will follow suit.

WALL-E the first Arabic localised game [MCVUK]

As reader David pointed out, THQ isn't the first to localize a title into Arabic. Back in 2004, PS2 title 'This is Football 2004' let players select either English or Arabic commentary. Read this post right here for more info. It's written by some guy named Brian D. Crecente.

We also discover that Baja is apparently so awesome that the game now needs a tagline as well. I would have gone with Baja: Baja myself, but the publishers decided on Baja: Edge of Control instead. Boooooring.

I was really hoping Frontlines would do better so I could use the Top Spot image above, but I think sharing a name with dog flea medication and a map called Boneyard is enough to run with it.

DLC: Frontlines: Boneyard Map (Free) [Xbox Live's Major Nelson]

Not my cup of tea, but I know how bent-out-of shape MMA enthusiasts get when you suggest the sport is anything less than the fastest growing sport in the world (I always imagine John Cusack in Say Anything: "Kickboxing: Sport of the future,") to say nothing of that "human cockfighting" label that never seems to go away. Still if you like squatting over another guy and jackhammering his skull off a virtual canvas, looks like it'll accommodate you nicely. And you don't have to do it as someone in the stable of UFC combatants. A deep "create-a-fighter" and career mode will make this almost a (wait for it ... wait for it) MMARPG.

Hit the jump for more details from Voodoo Extreme:

Authentic UFC Personalities - Explore a deep roster of more than 80 top names in UFC competition across five weight classes and enter the Octagon surrounded by the sport’s popular commentators, announcers, referees, trainers, Octagon girls and more.

Photorealistic Models and Effects – Experience the world of UFC as it appears on television with photorealistic fighters who breathe, sweat and move like their real-life counterparts. Players will also view amazing ripple effects across the faces and bodies of their fighters from the impact of devastating punches and kicks.

Constant Control – Gain the upper hand in matchups with a brand new ighting game engine designed specifically for next generation systems. Emphasis on innovative, responsive and easy-to-play controls will give players unparalleled command of their fighters in the Octagon.

Fighting Disciplines – Take down opponents and get the submission with a variety of mixed martial arts disciplines, including Judo, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Kickboxing, Boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Create-a-Fighter – Jumpstart the career of a future champion by customizing your fighter’s physical appearance, learning new fighting techniques to use in the Octagon and managing the training process through attributes such as strength and cardiovascular health.

Career Mode – Develop attributes, perfect moves and fight for entry into the UFC Hall of Fame through a series of dynamic storylines that build friendships and instigate intense rivalries.

And the screens:

UFC 2009 Undisuputed Details & Screenshots [Voodoo Extreme]

“UFC offers the fighting videogame genre a fresh and innovative look inside today’s most exciting live sporting event in the world,” said Dana White, president, UFC. “UFC 2009 Undisputed represents a significant opportunity for us to expand our growing, global audience and allow fans to step into the virtual Octagon™ to compete against the world’s most prominent mixed martial arts fighters.”

UFC 2009 is slated for a Spring 2009 release. I've generally been put off by the generic feel of previous UFC games, so here's hoping THQ delivers something unique enough to hold my attention for more than 15 minutes at a time.

Leading Fighting Game Publisher THQ Set to Enter the Famed Octagon™ with UFC® 2009 Undisputed

Debut Videogame Based on Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Poised to Deliver an Extensive Roster, Commanding New Game Engine and Powerful Features

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced that UFC® 2009 Undisputed, the company’s debut videogame based on the renowned Ultimate Fighting Championship® mixed martial arts organization, is in development for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and mobile devices. Featuring an authentic and comprehensive UFC atmosphere, including an extensive roster of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the world, UFC 2009 Undisputed is expected to begin shipping to retail outlets worldwide in spring 2009.

“As the leading fighting videogame publisher(a), we feel the rising popularity of the UFC brand and its incredible mixed martial arts experience make UFC 2009 Undisputed the perfect addition to our expanding portfolio,” said Bob Aniello, senior vice president, worldwide marketing, THQ. “UFC 2009 Undisputed is certain to be the most realistic fighting game to date, including advanced collision detection and AI systems that incorporate individual fighter styles.”

“UFC offers the fighting videogame genre a fresh and innovative look inside today’s most exciting live sporting event in the world,” said Dana White, president, UFC. “UFC 2009 Undisputed represents a significant opportunity for us to expand our growing, global audience and allow fans to step into the virtual Octagon™ to compete against the world’s most prominent mixed martial arts fighters.”

About UFC 2009 Undisputed

UFC 2009 Undisputed is an explosive fighting game that will detail the action, intensity and attitude of a UFC live event. Players will explore a deep roster of more than 80 top fighters in UFC competition across all five weight classes. In addition, they will enter the Octagon surrounded by the sport’s popular commentators, announcers, referees, trainers, Octagon girls and more. Photorealistic models are at the forefront, as players will view amazing ripple effects across the faces and bodies of their fighters from the impact of devastating punches and kicks.

A brand new fighting game engine designed specifically for next generation systems will deliver innovative, responsive and easy-to-play controls that give unparalleled command of fighters, as players take down opponents with a variety of mixed martial arts disciplines like Muay Thai, Kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In addition, the game’s Create-A-Fighter system will jumpstart the careers of future champions through character customization and training management, while a robust Career Mode will develop a fighter’s attributes and skill sets while fighting to enter the UFC Hall of Fame through a series of dynamic storylines. Furthermore, players will be able to enhance their UFC 2009 Undisputed gameplay experience through online support, including downloadable content.

More information about UFC 2009 Undisputed can be found at www.thq.com.

According to the source, the footage that was leaked on Sunday represents an "absolutely archaic build, and doesn't even come close to representing what the game is or where it's going" calling it "orders of magnitude better" than the footage suggests.

When THQ announced the project, opting not to name the Rolston-led RPG, it planned to release the game on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. Neither developer nor publisher has had much to say about the game since then. We've contacted THQ for comment.

Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey said that going toe-to-toe with GTA IV on content is "an unusually pompous position... considering GTA IV is estimated to be the highest grossing 1st week entertainment release of all time."

Hickey also nodded to GTA IV's Metacritic-leading score, and maintained his "conservative" estimate for Saints Row 2 sales, "in light of mediocre game previews and a delayed release in-part from quality concerns."

In general, it seems a bit of a risky strategy for any title to compare itself, even jokingly, to a sales record-smasher like GTA IV. When I spoke to THQ during their preview event, though, a rep told me the aim was to show what was different about Saints Row, not necessarily to make superiority claims.

Hickey: Saint's Row 2 'Pompous' To Attack GTA IV [Gamasutra]

When girls play console games, they have to have gone through a whole other list of things they could have done before sitting down with them... Guys get home, have dinner, and play a computer game. It's much higher up the list of priorities. To put it bluntly, girls have got better things to do.

Oh. Okay. Well. Yeah. Scalpello apparently went on to say, "I don't think there's ever been a successful game really pinpointed just for girls." And after that, he went on to win the hearts of female gamers everywhere. James! James! He's our man!!

Eds Note: According to game site CVG, these quotes originally appeared on CasualGaming.biz, but were later given ninja edits so that they read slightly different now.

Girly Games May Be A Lost Cause [CasualGaming.biz via CVG]

"In fairness to them, you don't turn around an oil tanker in a day," said Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter.

A few titles stood out to me - I'm intrigued to see how Deadly Creatures turns out, as I like the creepy-crawly concept, and I thought Lock's Quest was an unexpected surprise, looking like more of a hardcore title aimed at fans of Japanese-style RTS games. And De Blob put me just enough in mind of Katamari Damacy to pique my interest.

In case you missed it yesterday, check out my posts from the press event:
Hands On With De Blob
Impressions: Lock's Quest
Impressions: Viva Pinata - Pocket Paradise
Impressions: Drawn To Life - SpongeBob Edition
Impressions: Wall-E
Impressions: Deadly Creatures

What do you think, guys? See anything you like?

THQ's Rainbow Studios, known for the Cars game and the MX vs. ATV series, developed Deadly Creatures as a "labor of love," according to the rep, since the studio's based in Arizona, where its team was inspired by the desert crawlies native to the warm region.

As such, in Deadly Creatures, you can play the action-adventure game either as a venomous scorpion or fabulously gross tarantula, and the different strengths and weaknesses of each animal mean that navigating the game's areas and defeating its bosses, which include a rattlesnake, a gila monster and a horned lizard, among others.

After watching the rep demo it for me, here's what stood out:

First of all, if the title didn't clue you in, you play as - and against - dangerous creatures.The tarantula's animation was spot-on and cringe-inducing, as spooky as a real big, hairy spider can be. The tarantula, it was shown to me, is more agile than the scorpion, who can climb walls, leap gaps, and wrap hostile creatures in its webbing. I didn't get to see the scorpion, but the rep told me that the scorpion is more of a "tank" character, able to do damage with his venomous stinger and burrow underground.

Your creature of choice navigates the level in its own unique way, gradually opening more areas of the forbidding landscape as it defeats bosses and accomplishes objectives - gameplay blends action with problem-solving and exploration. The rep told me that gameplay would gradually expose a backstory leading up to the creature's confrontation with its ultimate predator (drumroll), mankind.

Getting up close and personal with the more dangerous aspects of Mother Nature by controlling fiends we normally find repellent is a really cool idea - I was actually reminded of how much I loved to play as the hive-devouring spider in Sim Ant back when I was young.

The graphics look good, too, in full 3D with a 360-degree camera, letting you see all the creepy crevices, gross bugs and spider leg hairs you can stomach. The rep told me that Deadly Creatures is aimed at Wii users who have been waiting for something a little more mature to play than the usual brightly-colored fare, and this sure looks like a fun choice - especially if you're as vaguely sadistic as I am and love watching things eat each other on National Geographic.

Unlike most of the games I saw today, Wall-E's coming out this month, so we'll know for ourselves soon enough, but I still thought I'd share my impressions of the title, along with some screens of the Wii version.

The rep who demonstrated Wall-E for me on the Wii said that, not being a "gamer" per se, she'd struggled often with Wii controls, and that playing Wall-E was the first time she'd found them accessible.

Makes sense, as like much of THQ's audience, this game is geared at a wider audience and intended primarily to be appealing to kids. It's simple mission-based gameplay and doesn't look too challenging or complex, but it definitely appears to be solid. For what it's worth, the self-proclaimed "non-gamer" rep seemed to play it with ease, so unless she was totally lying to me, its level of complexity is appropriate for young people and families.

Each stage has a different theme, like item collecting, driving, or puzzle-solving, and in some of the stages, Wall-E's robot love interest Eve helps him jump. I couldn't see all of the levels, because the later ones are spoilers for the upcoming film, whose story the game parallels. I know that I won't be able to resist going to check out Wall-E when it hits the theaters, hopefully with a young family member like my little cousin, who would really get a kick out of it. While it's probably not the kind of game I'd play on my own, it looks like it'd be genuine fun to play with her.

A rep demoed the DS title for me, and explained the gameplay is similar to the original Drawn to Life - this time, obviously, with a big SpongeBob cartoon theme. It's actually based, she said, on an episode of the TV series where Spongebob accidentally scribbles himself an enemy, "DoodleBob," a drawing come to life.

Like I said, I never played Drawn to Life, but I heard at length from lots of friends and readers that the platforming was nothing to get excited about, so I asked whether they'd taken that feedback and cleaned it up this time.

Apparently not so much - the rep explained that Drawn to Life is actually targeted at kids, not older gamers, so we'd be mistaken to expect particularly complex, high-level gameplay. The appeal, she said, lies in how customizable the world is, giving the player the opportunity to draw and customize not only the player character, but gameplay elements like buildings, background elements and platforms in an MSPaint-like pixel-based stylus interface.

In the SpongeBob edition of Drawn to Life, players can pick either the titular sponge, his friend Patrick the starfish, or surly Squidward as a companion for gameplay, and each one lends a certain ability - SpongeBob provides a shield, and Patrick and Squidward have different special attacks.

The game looks rich with trademark Nickelodeon style, and one thing I'd think would make it really appealing to kids is that there are modes that teach them how to draw the key characters, so if they want to draw themselves a SpongeBob character and play as him, they can, but maybe not so much there for an audience our age unless you really love SpongeBob and don't mind simplicity.

Judging by what I saw, THQ's aiming to take what fans of the original Viva Pinata liked best and put it front-and-center, while also making it portable and by tying it in to the TV series in the hopes of opening frilly neon pinata guts and raining candy down on a whole new audience of fans.

So how's it look?

Really exciting, actually. The rep who demoed it for me explained that the real-time strategy-esque elements of the original VP were not so much at home on the console - she'd been a fan of the game, but found herself wishing she could point-and-click to manage things more efficiently.

The stylus controls, she said, provide a more direct access to the interface, and you can zoom in on individual pinatas with just a tap and view various stat screens on them with the buttons. Providing tutorials on all the controls are Fergie, Paulie, Franklin and Hudson from the TV series, and there are full-motion video clips pulled straight from the show (which I confess to occasionally viewing on Saturday mornings. Okay, I almost always watch it. Shut up.)

The game has two modes, also - the traditional mode plus a free-play, sandbox-style mode where money's no object, if you just want to mess around. The thing I found most interesting is that you can ship your pinatas and items even among your own saved games, of which you can have up to three. So if a Sour enters your garden, the rep said, you can box it up and ship it to a different garden of yours. You can also trade among your friends, and some of the pinatas to collect can only be unlocked through trades (think Pokemon).

So it looks like all of the necessities are there for traditional Viva Pinata fans, and new ones may be attracted to the series for the first time by the DS's huge install base, the relationship to the TV show, and the different modes for more accessible play.

As we've told you in the past, you play as a pretty cute blob. Squishy blobs are in right now - just think of Independent Games Festival buzz-generators World of Goo and Goo!, to name just a couple. In fact, as Crecente reported last year, De Blob is actually the result of a student project from the 2006 Independent Games Festival.

As such, it retains both the simplicity and attractively colorful, offbeat vibe we often associate with promising indies. What are you a blob of? Color, it looks like, a heroic little splat plunked down in Chroma City, an adorable world that's had all of the hues sapped out of it by the evil I.N.K.T. Corporation.

It's super cute and quirky, but how does it play? Details and screens after the jump.

My tendency was actually to be a bit leery of THQ's Wii-heavy strategy. As I've mentioned before, I've got a little bit of "waggle fatigue," and you may recall I was not pleased with Battle of the Bands, where I felt the motion controls seemed a little bit frustrating and redundant.

De Blob, however, controls very simply and tightly judging by the few minutes I had with it - the way you roll your blob around with the nunchuk's thumbstick works particularly well, and put me distinctly in mind of Katamari Damacy. In fact, a lot of De Blob's gameplay seems to take a Katamari cue, from the camera control to the fashion of rolling over Chroma City's poor trapped citizens to set them free.

As Flynn explained, you hold the Z button to lock onto objects you can smash, and swing the Wii Remote down to jump on them. When you hit a paint can, your blob takes on the color you splash through, and colors can blend - if you're red and hit a blue can, for example, you become purple.

And as you roll through Chroma City, you paint it with the colors and patterns you're currently hanging onto, and you earn higher scores for a broad color palette and pattern diversity. The more paint you soak up, the heavier and less agile your blob becomes, and if you roll through two colors that don't blend well, like purple and green, you turn brown. Roll through water to rinse off and become colorless again, taking off some of that weight.

Your blob has to avoid stumbling into ominous-looking black rivers of ink, though - if you get inked, you'll spread depressing blacks and grays all over your colorful handiwork, killing trees and even obliterating your cheerful Chroma City citizens. You can wash off the ink by rinsing in water if you get there in time, though, and an optional onscreen map can point you in the general direction of the nearest water source.

The game features some platforming elements, and you swing the Wii Remote upward to jump, higher if you want more air. Flynn had said he noticed some issues with this - while I've never found motion controls to be ideal for platforming, I found it at least workable here, even if getting the timing and size of the movement just right might take some practice through playtime.

Just rolling the blob around and painting with color is surprisingly engrossing, especially because of the outstanding sound effects and music. The THQ rep told me that the entire soundtrack was done by an Australian local band who plays jazz music, and all of the game's tunes are sprightly and clever. My favorite part was how the music changes depending on what color you are, with the accompanying sound seeming to go with the hue.

Katamari Damacy succeeded through surprising aesthetics and simple gameplay, and it looks possible for De Blob to do the same - my one uncertainty about it is that it's still not clear to me exactly how much structure there is to the missions, or how you obtain the satisfaction of completing a single objective. That's not necessarily a problem - it might still be simple fun as an open-world, color-saturated free-for-all, but personally, I thrive on the joy rush of beating the clock and accomplishing something.

The first thing that caught my eye when it was shown to me was its old-school vibe: traditional-looking 2D sprites and animation plus anime aesthetic, a little bit of a surprise from a publisher who seems to have hitched its star on family-friendly titles with broader appeal.

So what's cool about Lock's Quest? Hit the jump for impressions and screenshots.

Lock's Quest's gameplay is part resource management and building, and part tower defense. The player's tasked with defending an objective on the world map, while little helmeted folk march forward to siege. The dual screen works well here, with your basic stats on the top half alongside a small map that shows where the enemies are approaching from and how many there are.

The game's primary resources are "source" and "scrap," and it costs both to build various types of defensive equipment, like protective walls, traps and turrets that you set up in realtime, to hold off the marching onslaught. More source and better scrap equals better defensive options, and you earn more with each victory you rack up. Your spiky-haired young hero can also leave the ramparts himself and go hand-to-hand against enemies on the field using various attacks, while the structures you built do their job behind him.

The player's individual attacks are played simply enough, while tapping numbers 1, 2 or 3 that appear at the bottom of the touch screen in the order indicated. When you're not attacking, you can continue to expand your ramparts depending on the resources you have saved up.

Your turrets, retaining walls and such take damage from the enemies, and you'll have to repair them continually as the battle wages on - it's cheaper in terms of scrap and source to repair an existing item than it is to forge and place a new one. The battles become more complex as the game goes on, building up to the kind of always-on, continuously hectic action that gives the genre its appeal.

The building mode isn't the only way to defend an objective, though - Lock's Quest also has a battle mode, where you fire your cannon at soldiers as they walk toward your wall from left to right in 2D. Similarly to how you can upgrade your turrets and defensive items in building mode, you can eventually earn upgrades and options for your cannon, and you can also buy little troops to help keep the enemies at bay. This mode is a little bit less interesting to watch, but the idea of having multiple modes in which to defend your towers is appealing.

A big plus for Lock's Quest as an RTS is the idea that you get to actually control the hero, as opposed to distantly managing your battlefield. Personally, I liked the idea of having a more direct sense of control, and to control a person instead of simply faceless objects. Interestingly, the game allows you to directly visit the villages involved in the ongoing narrative thread, talk with people in town and get tips or information on the storyline or the next stage of gameplay. This fashion of "personalizing" the strategy genre is what I liked best about Lock's Quest

Overall, it looks like it could turn out to be an ideal blend of nostalgic throwback and pleasing innovation - and in plain terms, it just looks fun! I don't even like real-time strategy games, and I found it promising. Let's keep an eye on this one.

“Age of Empires: Mythologies will combine one of the most successful Windows PC franchises of all time with the innovative style and controls of Nintendo DS, bringing a totally unique experience to handheld gamers,” said Kevin Kraff, vice president of global brand management, THQ. “With three playable civilizations, a fast-paced combat system and extensive multi-player options, Age of Empires: Mythologies will be one of the must-have tactical strategy games this year.

As long as they stay true to the gameplay established in Backbone's first Age of Empires for the DS I've a feeling Mythologies will do just fine.

THQ Brings Legendary Franchise to Nintendo DS with Age of Empires: Mythologies
Epic Strategy Title Features Three Civilizations, Fast-Paced Combat and Engaging Multiplayer

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced that Age of Empires: Mythologies is scheduled to debut on the popular Nintendo DS™ system in fall 2008. Inspired by the hit Windows PC series Age of Empires and developed from the ground up for Nintendo DS, Age of Empires: Mythologies will allow players to strategize as legendary heroes, commanding massive armies and shaping the destinies of three unique cultures in both single and multi-player campaigns.

“Age of Empires: Mythologies will combine one of the most successful Windows PC franchises of all time with the innovative style and controls of Nintendo DS, bringing a totally unique experience to handheld gamers,” said Kevin Kraff, vice president of global brand management, THQ. “With three playable civilizations, a fast-paced combat system and extensive multi-player options, Age of Empires: Mythologies will be one of the must-have tactical strategy games this year.”

About Age of Empires: Mythologies

Age of Empires: Mythologies is inspired by the hit Windows PC series Age of Empires and built on the Age of Empires: Age of Kings’ critically-acclaimed game engine. Featuring three playable civilizations with individual campaigns – the Egyptians, Greeks and the Norse – Age of Empires: Mythologies will allow players to lead mighty heroes and legendary monsters, call down divine powers of the gods, and change the tide of battle with an all-new active combat system. Age of Empires: Mythologies will also offer an immersive multiplayer experience with unique maps, customizable rules, a new skirmish mode and single-cart game sharing, allowing players anywhere to go head-to-head worldwide.

THQ delays 'Saints Row 2' by nearly two months [Reuters]

The kids' market was extremely competitive during fiscal '08. In fact, it was the most crowded market for video games for kids in recent memory. With a tough Pixar comparison to Cars [Ratatouille] and new competition from Nintendo's first-party titles — as well as new music games — our traditionally strong kids' business did not meet expectations.

Then Guitar Hero and Rock Band happened. Music games are officially big business now, and everyone and their mother (literally) wants in. Next thing you know, you're boycotting the Grammys and defiantly tattooing the word "sellout" on your forehead. Battle of the Bands for Wii is THQ's entry into the rock music arms race—but is it a worthy innovator on the scene, or just a trendwhore leaping onto the bandwagon?

Loved
Awesome Musical Mashups: Battle of the Bands is a "musical combat" game, meaning two bands from different genres square off to try and hit the right notes in the same song. Because of the range of musical genres to pick from—rock, country, hip hop, marching band and Latin—players have the opportunity to hear each of the game's 30 tracks covered in any one of these five musical styles. The quality of the covers is really thorough—right down to Spanish-language lyrics in the Latin versions, a lovely touch. Going up against a friend or the CPU, the song you're playing will periodically switch back and forth from your version to your opponent's, which feels frenetic, silly and fun.

Decent Song List: This is always a matter of opinion, of course - after all, many rhythm game connoisseurs prefer cool original songs that play well to any popular song. In this case, songs like "Insane in the Brain," "Blitzkrieg Bop" and "Mama Said Knock You Out," for example, were all clearly chosen to work well with each of the different cover band styles, and it's fun to hear new takes on solid popular music.

Hated
The Controls: Are you tired of waggle for its own sake yet? The game's control scheme, which asks you to jerk the Wii remote left, right or down (depending on the direction indicated) in time with the music, doesn't serve the genre and becomes boring after just a few tunes. Moreover, the Wii remote sensitivity doesn't feel quite right here - for a keep-the-beat game, being just a little bit off is a total dealbreaker.

The "Battle" Thing: You don't just keep the beat in Battle of the Bands. Chaining accurate notes fires a special weapon at the enemy, who's also firing at you. You can push the Wii's B button to block, and you and your opponent only gain points if you hit one another. This method of scoring, however, feels tacked on, and distracts from the music.

The Aesthetics: Oh my goodness, it's hard on the eyes. If a froth-mouthed fanboy wants ammunition for his "glorified GameCube" argument against the Wii, he would be well-served to screencap this game. It's almost inexcusably low-fi.

The Characters: Guitar Hero III's goofy character designs took some knocks in the court of public opinion for their Muppet-ish proportions and stylized looks. Battle of the Bands' characters are even more exaggeratedly cartoonish - but that's less of a problem than the fact that some points of view might find them borderline offensive. The country bands are white trash hicks, the hip hop groups are thuggish and cash-obsessed, and the dialogue that opposing bands exchange before they fight contains humor that plenty of people will just find tasteless.

The Clone Factor: Imagine this: two scrolling fretboards with dots on them oppose one another on the screen. No, it's not the market leader, it's Battle of the Bands! True, that's what a guitar looks like, and a band game is bound to have guitars. But the game board is perhaps the most blatant example of the game's knocked-off, "me too" vibe.

There are a few reasons to love rhythm and music games - the joy boost you get from feeling as if you're actually playing, like with Guitar Hero or Rock Band; endearing periphery, a là Gitaroo Man, or utterly satisfying beat-keeping, as in Elite Beat Agents. Battle of the Bands lacks any of these points in its favor, unfortunately.

It's a shame, because the music is quite well-done and the core concept is encouragingly creative. The simple gameplay might be more enjoyable to younger kids or casual gamers who might be less inclined to mind the imperfections—but the crude dialogue would likely be a turnoff for casual fun-seekers, and it's not really suitable for young ones.

Battle of the Bands was developed by Planet Moon, published by THQ and was released on April 21. Retails for $49.99. Available on Wii. Played single player story mode to completion, and a few levels of local two-player battle.

"Marvel is one of the true crown jewels in the entertainment industry and we are thrilled at the prospect of both building the Marvel Super Hero Squad brand and further developing our relationship with Marvel," said Brian Farrell, president and CEO, THQ."

THQ and Marvel Enter into Exclusive Licensing Agreement for Video Games Based on Marvel's Super Hero Squad

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) and Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: MVL) announced today that they have entered into an exclusive licensing agreement to create video games based on the burgeoning, kid-friendly Marvel Super Hero Squad franchise. Pursuant to the multi-year agreement, THQ has obtained the exclusive, worldwide rights to publish content for all current and next-generation consoles, handheld systems, as well as Windows PC. The initial Marvel Super Hero Squad game is scheduled for release in fall 2009.

The agreement fits perfectly in both THQ's and Marvel's growth strategies. For THQ, the addition of the Marvel brand further strengthens its position as the pre-eminent creator and publisher of kids video games. For Marvel, the relationship with THQ provides a premier interactive entertainment partner for its important Marvel Super Hero Squad franchise, which is designed to be an engaging introduction into the Marvel Universe for young kids.

"Marvel is one of the true crown jewels in the entertainment industry and we are thrilled at the prospect of both building the Marvel Super Hero Squad brand and further developing our relationship with Marvel," said Brian Farrell, president and CEO, THQ. "We are dedicated to expanding our unmatched success story in the kids space and this agreement with Marvel is an excellent complement to our portfolio."

Simon Phillips, President, Marvel International and Head of Worldwide Animation and Video Games, added, "Licensing of the Marvel Super Hero Squad brand is a priority for Marvel, as we see it as a great entry point for kids to experience our renowned characters. We are making a strong commitment to the brand across toys, television and other media and consumer product channels and developing Marvel Super Hero Squad as a video game will play an important role in the development of this brand. The platform is an incredibly powerful medium that enables kids to experience the excitement of our franchises, as well as extend our characters and storylines. With THQ, we are confident we have a partner with a best in class pedigree of building and extending licensed kid-friendly brands in the interactive space."

An all-new Marvel brand, Marvel Super Hero Squad features an exciting, super-stylized look of the greatest Marvel Super Heroes, serving to expand the traditional Marvel audience to a core 4-10 year-old audience. Fun and humor are waiting around every corner in Marvel Super Hero Squad where popular characters including Iron-Man, Hulk, Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine, Thor, The Fantastic Four, and many more are thrust into adventures in a single caricatured Super Hero City. Along the way, they will have to thwart the plans of popular Marvel villains Doctor Doom, Magneto, Iron Monger, Loki, the Abomination and countless other infamous baddies.

Marvel is launching a major multi-media campaign for the brand. Marvel Animation is currently in production on an animated television series that is expected to debut on air in 2009. Additionally, Marvel Comics is now featuring Marvel Super Hero Squad comic strips within several of its all ages books and will be introducing a dedicated Marvel Super Hero Squad comic book series in fall 2008. Marvel has already secured deals with Hasbro as master toy partner, Disguise/Cesar for dress-up and Mega Bloks for construction toys and continues to seek deals with industry leading partners to develop merchandise based on the unique look of the Marvel Super Hero Squad property.

"JAKKS Pacific is pleased to introduce a new WWE videogame property to the fighting genre," said Nelo Lucich, senior vice president of interactive, JAKKS Pacific. "The WWE SmackDown vs. Raw franchise has captured a collective audience of WWE fans, game enthusiasts and casual players, and we are confident that WWE Legends of WrestleMania will be poised for great success."

Prepare to Relive, Rewrite or Redefine History with WWE® Legends of WrestleMania®

Publishers of the Renowned WWE® SmackDown®/SmackDown® vs. Raw® Franchise To Establish New Property for Next Generation Systems

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) and JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ:JAKK) today announced that WWE® Legends of WrestleMania® is currently in development for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. Joining the distinguished WWE® SmackDown®/SmackDown vs. Raw® franchise, which has shipped more than 37 million units worldwide since 2000, WWE Legends of WrestleMania is scheduled for release in March 2009 to coincide with the annual pinnacle of sports entertainment, WrestleMania® 25, in Houston, Texas.

"We have generated significant year-over-year growth in key global territories with WWE-licensed videogames, including tremendous success with the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw franchise," said Peter Matiss, vice president, global brand management, THQ. "The development capabilities afforded by next generation hardware, combined with our established history and deep understanding of fighting videogames, allow us to leverage the strength of the WWE brand to further extend our leadership in the fighting videogame genre and bring this new property to market."

"JAKKS Pacific is pleased to introduce a new WWE videogame property to the fighting genre," said Nelo Lucich, senior vice president of interactive, JAKKS Pacific. "The WWE SmackDown vs. Raw franchise has captured a collective audience of WWE fans, game enthusiasts and casual players, and we are confident that WWE Legends of WrestleMania will be poised for great success."

THQ president and CEO Brian Farrell said that most of its struggles were due to a crowded and competitive market for kids' games, as well as key franchises — Juiced, Stuntman and Conan that ultimately "were simply not competitive."

"Insufficient game quality led to inadequate sellthrough, resulting in markdowns at retail," Farrell said.

Farrell said the company spent heavily to promote Juiced and Stuntman, and had to take a loss when those titles fail to perform. What growth THQ did see, Farrell credited to Frontlines: Fuel of War, MX vs. ATV Untamed and WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, all of which exceeded expectations.

Farrell also said the kids' market, in which THQ has several franchises, was the most competitive in years, and that the company's currently struggling to compete with music games and Nintendo first-party titles.

Nonetheless, THQ appears to have placed its faith in the Wii, concentrating much of its upcoming original IP there. Although Saints Row 2 and Red Faction Guerrilla are still the "anchors" of its lineup, Darksiders, De Blob, Deadly Creatures, Big Beach Sports and All Star Cheer look likely to be slated for Wii along with other unannounced projects, though the company did not announce specific platforms.

New installments in existing franchises for fiscal 2009 include WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, Disney/Pixar's Wall-E film tie-in, and its previously-revealed Nickelodeon portfolio. The company will publish a game based on DreamWorks' Animation's unannounced 2010 fall film, and has slated WWE: Legends of Wrestlemania for 2009.

Notably, the company seems to have an eye on the free-to-play, microtransactions-driven online gaming market in Asia, highlighting the co-publishing agreement it's signed with Shanda Interactive to bring Company of Heroes Online to China in 2009.

THQ is more confident about the year to come, with three new initiatives in place: "We are rolling out a stronger slate of products. We have put in place and are executing against initiatives to improve our product quality and competitiveness. We are also realigning our cost structure to generate significant operating leverage in fiscal 2009. We believe these initiatives will restore profitable growth and improve value for shareholders," said Farrell.

"We faced a number of challenges, but I believe we have the right strategy to overcome these challenges and achieve significant growth."

THQ's survived a series of hard knocks in the market thanks to the strength of its kid-friendly titles based on licenses from the likes of Nickelodeon and Pixar, even while its stock has taken a serious dive since January of this year. The company's about to announce its fiscal fourth quarter results tomorrow - as a new year begins for THQ, is it on track for smoother sailing?

It's been somewhat of a mixed bag for THQ over the last few months - the company saw a studio acquisition (Big Huge Games) at the beginning of 2008, while on the other hand, its Sandblast and Rainbow studios just recently saw layoffs, according to reports. While it's canned a couple of its former key franchises, Stuntman and Juiced, it saw a boost in sales last quarter thanks largely to its WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 and MX vs. ATV Untamed.

Thanks mainly to its family portfolio, though, THQ's hung in there, and most analysts seem to believe the worst is behind the company, seeing them poised to climb in the year ahead thanks to more attractive license opportunities for 2009 — for example, analysts frequently comment that they expect THQ's upcoming game based on Wall-E to perform better than did the Ratatouille game, because robots are more likable than rats.

Both Cowan Group analyst Doug Creutz and Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter expect THQ to remain a little conservative on its 2009 estimates, since it turned out to disappoint on last year. Still, Creutz says the publisher can outperform the overall market by 20 percent, while Pachter thinks it'll stay in line with overall market growth of 10-15 percent.

So with games based on more Nick properties including The Naked Brothers Band: The Video Game, Tak and the Power of Juju, Avatar: The Last Airbender, SpongeBob Squarepants and Back at the Barnyard, THQ may turn a cautiously optimistic eye to the future — we'll see when results and future guidance are revealed tomorrow.

For more details on THQ's upcoming Nickelodeon portfolio, check out our earlier story. Note the "parkour-inspired" gameplay for the Tak and the Power of Juju game — everyone's catching the parkour trend train, it seems.

THQ's Nickelodeon Portfolio Surpasses Billion Dollar Mark as Company Announces Extensive New Lineup for 2008

First-Ever The Naked Brothers Band Video Game Puts Kids on Nationwide Concert Tour Where They Play Instruments, Control the Stage Shows and Create Music Videos

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) today announced its upcoming portfolio of video games based on the company's long-standing relationship with Nickelodeon. THQ's longstanding partnership with Nickelodeon has resulted in sales of more than $1 billion and accounted for more than 50 million units worldwide.

This year's feature titles include the video game debut of The Naked Brothers Band. The Naked Brothers Band: The Video Game (working title) is based on the highly rated TV show that follows the lives of a kids' rock band fronted by real-life brothers Nat and Alex Wolff. In addition, SpongeBob SquarePants will take on a new creative form this year in Drawn to Life™: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition. Based on last year's top selling Drawn to Life™ video game for Nintendo DS™, the game will allow players to draw their own characters and populate the world of Bikini Bottom with their own creativity. The 2008 portfolio will also include new games based on leading Nickelodeon TV shows Tak and the Power of Juju, Avatar: The Last Airbender and Back At The Barnyard. Nickelodeon fans can also look forward to a new installment of the popular Nicktoons.

"With the enormous popularity of Wii™ and DS coupled with our exceptionally diverse portfolio of Nickelodeon-based games, THQ continues to lead in family entertainment," said Jim Huntley, director, global brand management, THQ. "Featuring new forms of gameplay such as the music-based The Naked Brothers Band and the drawing-based Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition, we expect our upcoming titles to offer completely new ways for families to play together."

"Gaming is one of the primary activities of our audience, whether it's online or on the console," said Steve Youngwood, Executive Vice President, Digital Media for Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family. "THQ's interactive video games based on our hit shows have continued to help Nickelodeon maintain its position as a leader in gaming entertainment for the family, and we look forward to the addition of these new releases to our library."

The 2008 Nickelodeon portfolio is scheduled for release in Fall 2008 across multiple game systems, including the Wii™ video game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Nintendo DS. For more information on THQ's Nickelodeon titles and the rest of THQ's family product lineup, please visit www.playthq.com.

THQ to Bring New Line Cinema's Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D to Nintendo DS™ Handheld Gamers Will Be Able to Experience the Adventure of Upcoming Film This Summer

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) today announced that Journey to the Center of the Earth™ is currently in development for Nintendo DS™. Based on Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D, the highly anticipated 3-D film from New Line Cinema starring Brendan Fraser, the video game is scheduled for simultaneous release with the film this summer. The film, which is the first ever digital 3-D live action release, will open in theatres nationwide on July 11.

In Journey to the Center of the Earth, players can relive the excitement from the film as they ride a dangerous rock slide, navigate an out-of-control mine cart, raft across an ancient sea and survive from being chased by a Gigantosaurus. Utilizing the unique controls of Nintendo DS to play as all three main characters from the movie, Trevor, Sean and Hannah, gameplay will take place throughout seven worlds from the film.

Plus, THQ has expanded upon these worlds even more, allowing players to explore the "Center of the Earth" beyond what audiences can see in the film. Players will also enjoy mini-games where they will dig for dinosaur bones and decipher ancient ruins.

An exciting adventure based on the classic Jules Verne novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth," Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D stars Brendan Fraser (Crash, The Mummy) as a science professor whose untraditional hypotheses have made him the laughing stock of the academic community. But on an expedition in Iceland, he and his nephew stumble upon a major discovery that launches them on a thrilling journey deep beneath the Earth's surface, where they travel through never-before-seen worlds and encounter a variety of unusual creatures. Journey 3-D is directed by Academy Award-winning visual effects veteran Eric Brevig (Total Recall, Pearl Harbor). The film is a co-venture between New Line Cinema and Walden Media.

For more information on Journey to the Center of the Earth, as well as additional THQ titles, please visit www.playthq.com.

The official web site for New Line Cinema's Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D is www.journey3dmovie.com.

I would have thought that Desert Bus would forever remove both "real-time" and "desert terrain" from the marketing lexicon of any playable video game. As the brand new trailer above shows, THQ/2XL Games' Baja is eminently playable. Suddenly 240-minute endurance races don't seem so bad. I might need a USB glucose drip IV when this comes out in August.

Rough Riding: Hands On with Baja [Kotaku]

Worms 2008: A Space Oddity will include four new mini-games, an enhanced single player campaign, new landscape view mode and new weapons, including the Impact Frag, Atom Packs and Cluster Frags. In Worms 2008, the worms are exploring their solar system, fighting to defend installations, repair space craft, collecting minerals and battling alien races.

The game is scheduled to hit 850 mobile phone types starting in June. More details on the release after the jump.

THQ WIRELESS ANNOUNCES WORMS® 2008 FOR MOBILE PHONES

WOKING, UK - 09 April 2008 - THQ Wireless Inc., a subsidiary of THQ Inc., today announced an agreement with Team17 Software Ltd. to publish Worms® 2008 A Space Oddity for mobile handsets worldwide. Whilst being an entirely new game, Worms 2008 retains all the familiar award-winning gameplay and unique sense of humour that has epitomised the brand for more than a decade. The game will showcase a whole raft of new gameplay features including four all-new mini-games, an enhanced single player campaign mode, an all-new landscape view mode and new loopy weapons.

Worms 2008 features a story of intergalactic Worm travellers exploring their solar system. The improved single-player campaign missions feature varying objectives to keep the player on their toes as they fight to defend installations, repair space crafts, collect rare minerals and battle to the death against alien races. With the space setting comes a host of new weapons, including the Impact Frag, Atom Packs and Cluster Frags, which are based around the classic Worms weapons but share all new artwork and names with Worms: A Space Oddity, released earlier this year for Nintendo Wii™.

Worms 2008 also features all new graphics and new animations, including new looks for the opponent alien races. Advanced landscape generation systems have enabled more realistic levels. Graphical effects like smoke trails help to bring shots to life, while multi-layered parallax particles enhance the depth of field effect and have direct impact from gameplay, reacting to the direction and strength of the wind.

Also, debuting in Worms 2008 is a new AI system that allows enemy worms to determine the greatest threats, navigate the landscape and unleash a variety of weapons. Players will also be able to see the main game in landscape mode, as well as classic portrait mode. This view will allow the user to see more of the landscape and will give an experience closer to playing the game on a widescreen.

Worms 2008 is scheduled to be available for over 850 mobile phones starting in June 2008.

I wish I could see the numbers, but my guess is that it probably already has peaked - but it's still a great business.

The level on display was one of the early scorpion levels and I was pleased to see that the Wii graphics looked rather nice and the controls weren't too gimmicky. For instance, flicking the remote would cause my scorpion friend to swing his tail in a huge circle, reminding me a bit of Link's circular sword swing. As I traversed the underground tunnels that made up the better part of the level, I discovered that I needn't always have all of my many legs on the ground. being an insect has it's privileges and it was fun to start crawling up the walls to avoid certain obstacles although this change of perspective made navigation difficult at times. Power ups and enemy creatures abound giving you upgrades for the harder levels that are surely found later in the game. Adding to the overall spooky factor was a great soundtrack that did a terrific job of capturing the mood and making it seem like you were taking part in some sort of insect ridden horror film.

If you were a fan of Bad Mojo, chances are you will probably get a kick out of Deadly Creatures. Will Deadly Creatures be the best game you will ever play on the Wii? Probably not, but it's an original and interesting IP which is always a welcome addition to the often times typical Wii entries.And in my opinion, anything that breaks the crushing mini-game mold is definitely worth a look see.