I admire their goal to make great games, but seeing as how they're nearly bankrupt, it would be in their best interest to shift development to systems with cheaper costs (e.g. 3DS, iPhone, PC). It's a particularly difficult period because publishers can't fall back as much on the withering Wii/DS, but they need to get money somewhere. THQ can't be Naughty Dog either. Don't think I really need to reiterate this, but a company with a situation as tenuous as THQ's should be making very low risk investments. Not niche titles with high budgets.

Exactly. Also, THQ, and Rubin confirms it, were spreading their efforts thin. Though Montana is right in that it reduced risk, at the same time it never delivered the leverage (the punch so to speak) to really rake in profit like say Uncharted would.

He's going to use these studios but have them focus their creative energies on one specific title and make it very good, rather than many mediocre titles.

Here, take volition. Their games may be acceptable, but they aren't hefty sellers:

Here, saints row is the exception:

But then you have red faction:

And now a new one called Insane. Keep Saints Row (it sells well as is) add maybe a bit of quality to leverage sales a little more, and then make a new unique IP that is not a war game necessarily and deliver something way above red faction, less often.

But focusing on Wii/DS/Low budget PC/licensed games/UDraw is what got them into this mess, and Saint's Row and Darksiders is basically the only thing that is keeping them going at this point. Focusing one the games that actually sell makes sense for them, tho it is risky. 

Personally I think they should be doing some more low budget smaller games as well but they don't want to spread the resources to thin so I understand the reasoning for not doing that. Small games on mobile/nintendo platforms doesn't gurentee success ether. 

Aiming for 90+ metacritic scores, so that means they will bribe all the major gaming sites

What is this based off of?

Why would low budget games be the ones making THQ lose huge amounts of money? uDraw was successful on the Wii, or at least successful enough that someone decided it should be ported to the 360 and PS3 (where the game incurred massive losses for THQ). A title like de Blob might not have been a huge hit, but at about 900k copies solid, it likely gained a solid profit on the Wii. The equivalent title on the HD consoles would be a complete failure.

I know we all want THQ to make games we want to play, but personally, I don't want to see THQ go bankrupt because of something like Homefront 2.

http://www.vg247.com/2012/05/30/dont-blame-danny-bilsons-core-games-kept-thq-afloat/

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/39832/THQ_exits_kids_licensed_game_business.php

and plenty more 

I think Rubin has a very hard job ahead of him. They want to compete with the juggernauts, but they don't can't compete on any front whether it be developement budget, marketing or IP. The industry continues to push out the 'mid-tier' developer as the race to the top heightens, and unfortunately I think THQ are positioned perfectly to fall like many other 'mid-tier' developers have this gen. The digital side of thing is growing, PSN, XBLA, Steam etc, but again I'm not sure THQ has the IP to really make much money there.

I think it just depends on time - if you budget correctly, have a clear strategy and make games that although arn't competiting with the CODs and AC, but are still relevent you can be very successful. What Square-Enix have done with the EIDOS studio's is the model THQ have to follow, and it's been very successful. I don't think THQ have the time unfortunately, but it's hard to judge how far gone the company is. It seems like they're launching only one game a year now, which is a pretty disastrous sign.

Darksiders II looks like it's going to be a beast of a game though - I loved the first and it looks like they've just made it better in every way. The first did pretty well for a new IP, and after used sales and trying to give the original out through 10 different promotions it's probably a pretty well known game now. Provided the reviews go smooth I think Darksiders II is poised to sell great - however for a company in THQ 's position, 'great' can often not be good enough. I could easily see it selling say, 3m, and THQ still posting losses by the end of the year.

"If you look at a Naughty Dog-sized game, which I can tell you is not the size of Call of Duty but is still an amazing game that’s rated very well, I think we can compete in that area."


Lol. Naughty Dog games are rated higher than CoDs.

As long as Dawn of War 3 doesn't suck and they treat Relic well, they can solely publish My Little Pony games for all I care.

Giving UFC rights to EA was a mistake.

UFC games will be huge in a few years. THQ really lost a money maker.