*UPDATE 3* There will be an additional auction sometime in the coming weeks to sell off older THQ IPs which were not included in this auction.
*UPDATE 2* Results on some of the bids, including runners up when applicable. Also, EA is rumored to have acquired the WWE license.
Relic Entertainment
Makers of Company of Heroes
Winning bidder: Sega, $26.6 million.
Runner-up: Zenimax Media, $26.3 million.
THQ Montreal
Makers of 1666 and Underdog, titles under development.
Winning bidder: Ubisoft, $2.5 million. No runner-up.
Evolve
(title in development at Turtle Rock Studios)
Winning bidder: Take-Two Interactive, $10.894 million.
Runner-up: Turtle Rock Studios, $250,000.
Volition, Inc.
Maker of Saints Row
Winning bidder: Koch Media, $22,312,925.
Runner-up: Ubisoft, $5.4 million.
Homefront
Released 2011; due for a sequel.
Winning bidder: Crytek. $544,218.
No runner-up.
Metro
Series; due for the sequel Metro: Last Light.
Winning Bidder: Koch Media, $5,877,551
Runner-up: Ubisoft: $5.175 million.
South Park
License; South Park: The Stick of Truth is due for release March 5.
Winning bidder: Ubisoft, $3,265,306
No runner-up.
*UPDATE*
Taken from a letter by THQ executives (thanks runqvist for the find)
"The proposed sales of multiple assets is as follows :
- Sega agreed to purchase Relic
- Koch Media agreed to purchase Volition and Metro
- Crytek agreed to purchase Homefront
- Take 2 agreed purchase Evolve and
- Ubisoft agreed to purchase Montreal and South Park
- We expect these sales to close this week.
Some assets, including our publishing businesses and Vigil, along with some other
intellectual properties are not included in the sale agreements. They will remain part of
the Chapter 11 case. We will make every effort to find appropriate buyers, if possible.
What this means for employees
We expect that most employees of the entities included in the sale will be offered
employment by the new owners. However, we cannot say what these owners may
intend, and there will likely be some positions that will not be needed under the
new ownership. You should receive notice this week or early next week if the new
owners intend to extend employment to you. Please note that the terms of your new
employment, including pay and benefits, may be different from the current terms of
your employment with THQ.
If you are an employee of an entity that is not included in the sale, we regret that
your position will end."
*End update*
For those who aren't up to speed at the moment, an auction is occuring today in which bidders can try to acquire THQ properties, whether titles, studios, properties, etc. There will be a sale hearing tomorrow at 9, so once you're done mocking the scanty Wii U first-half offerings you can move on to discovering who wound up with what part of the THQ "empire."
So, who do you think is going to end up with which part of THQ's corpse? For reference's sake, the South Park game cannot be sold off, but everything else seems to be fair game. Notable assets include: Volition, Inc. (Saints Row, Red Faction), Relic (Company of Heroes, Dawn of War), Play THQ (licensed children's titles, including the Nickolodeon and Pixar licenses, each of which are also up for bid) Vigil (Darksiders), THQ Montreal (new studio, formed by former Assassin's Creed dev), the WWE license, Metro, de Blob, Titan Quest, Homefront, MX vs. ATV, Turtle Rock Studio's project (creators of Left 4 Dead), Drawn 2 Life, Stacking, uDraw, and an unannounced Wii U title.
The biggest known bidders are EA, Ubisoft, WB Games, and Clearlake Capital. Double-fine is also reportedly interested, although that may be because they don't know you have to actually pay for what you successfully bid on.
So gentlemen, let the bidding begin!
