Skip to main content

NASDAQ delists THQ following bankruptcy filing

THQ Logo
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to report any positive news about publisher THQ, and today’s latest does nothing to change that. During the recent holiday season THQ was dropped from NASDAQ listings. The reason? NASDAQ rules require that a listed company’s stock maintain a value of at least $1 per share. On December 19, the day THQ announced that it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the company’s stock dipped to $0.36 per share. It currently trades at $0.22 per share.

So what happens now? For the moment, THQ will continue to be traded on other stock markets, specifically over-the-counter markets that operate via telephone and Internet, instead of a trading floor. Once the company’s bankruptcy proceedings conclude however, THQ will become a privately-owned company with no stock to speak of. The firm’s stated goal is to slowly work its way back up to prominence from its newly-humble status, and being a privately-owned video game publisher would allow it to take more risks and be an undeniably more agile company. It would obviously have less money available, but there are worse places to start ones re-ascent to the top of the gaming world.

Whether THQ will succeed in its mission or not is anyone’s guess. The good news though is that even if THQ completely dies off, the company’s intellectual properties are too valuable to really vanish for too long. Saints Row and Darksiders games will be made by somebody, somewhere, and fans of the WWE will never have to worry if there’s a company out there willing to throw together a virtual wrestling game. That said, we’ve previously applauded THQ’s attempts to avoid lay-offs throughout its financial struggles and hope that the company can maintain that stance. We’ll bring you more on THQ’s status as it emerges.

Topics
Earnest Cavalli
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Earnest Cavalli has been writing about games, tech and digital culture since 2005 for outlets including Wired, Joystiq…
Mecha Break’s robot customization shakes up the battle royale formula
Mecha Break robot head with glowing blue eyes

Mecha Break isn't the kind of multiplayer game you can master right away.

You might equip a lance that you barely know how to use because it seemed like a good idea, and spend the rest of a round attempting to bash yourself into enemies to help your teammates. It incorporates action that's more similar to that of Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon than it is to the shooter-focused gameplay in Gundam Evolution, Bandai Namco's multiplayer mecha shooter that shut down last year. Overwatch does come to mind, but in a way where mechs are still the focus rather than the pilots within them.

Read more
Visions of Mana paints a promising picture of the RPG series’ return
Red-haired girl with horns and dragon wing in Visions of Mana

The vibrant settings and character designs in Visions of Mana instantly alerted me that I'd be knee-deep into fantasy, riding on the back of a giant black wolf into the grassy plains of Fallow Steppe. A lush landscape welcomed me as I chatted with my teammates on top of my mount and tussled with little woodland monsters.

I had this experience at this year's PAX East, where I went hands-on with a demo of the upcoming RPG. I never played previous Mana games, but I have enough experience with RPGs and real-time combat to name it one of the most gorgeous, action-packed games I played at the show. The shiny open-world and slick combat I experienced point to a strong comeback for the Mana series coming later this summer.

Read more
Sega lays off 240 workers and sells Company of Heroes 3 studio
sega lets relic entertainment go independent company of heroes 3 girl

Sega Europe is going through some major restructuring, and as a result, it is laying off about 240 developers and letting Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War and Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment spin off as an independent company.

Although Sega's Japanese developers are known for their platformers, action games, and RPGs, its European output is more strategy game-focused. A key component of that was Relic Entertainment, which has made games like Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III, Age of Empires IV, and Company of Heroes 3 over the past decade. With the help of investment company Emona Capital, Relic is buying itself back from Sega and going independent for an undisclosed amount. Relic addressed going independent on X (formerly Twitter) with a message.

Read more