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![[image loading]](http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2012/02/thqstockdrop530.jpg)
TL.Net regulars are probably most familiar with THQ's RTS offerings Company of Heroes and Dawn of War. These games are made by Relic in Vancouver, BC.
I didn't like DoW, but I enjoyed Company of Heroes immensely.
These are hard times for THQ. They recently laid of 17% of their staff and their CEO took a 50% pay cut. If THQ and Relic go down this will be a sad day for every fan of the RTS genre of games. Neither title is as good as Brood War or WoL, however,
Relic/THQ brought forward many interesting innovations to RTS gaming. THQ/Relic helps create a competition among game studios that keeps the RTS genre vibrant.
They are losing money by the 10s of millions of dollars. They've closed several of their long standing game studios that were once the foundation of the company. Of the few studios still left standing two big studios rely on Canadian government funding. Relic in British Columbia and THQ-Montreal in Quebec.
The crux of the problem is CEO Brian Farrell. He started with THQ in 1991 and was a big factor in THQ's growth. However, he has lost his midas touch. Farrell is an accounting guy not a "game maker" type of guy. Farrell over the past 5 years has lead THQ to the brink of bankruptcy.
Here are his wonderful optimistic comments in 2008
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-interview-thq-ceo-brian-farrell-rapid-growth/
Then Contrast this with the 2012 admission of error
http://venturebeat.com/2012/02/02/thq-ceo-admits-confidence-was-misplaced-on-childrens-video-games/
Employees revolted and published an anonymous letter complaining about poor THQ Management.
http://www.complex.com/video-games/2012/01/ex-thq-employee-fires-off-angry-letter-alleging-serious-mismanagement/page/1
Stock price at over $35 in 2007 is now down to $0.53
The stock price fell from $0.75 to $0.53 shortly after THQ announced their plans for layoffs and future profits on February 2,2012.
http://www.google.ca/finance?client=ob&q=NASDAQ:THQI
Even if THQ goes bankrupt I hope the RTS team within Relic finds a new publisher and RTS games like CoH can continue to be made in the future.
If Relic goes down with THQ or even if its production and creative budgets get slashed it'll be a sad day for the RTS gaming community.
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Mora where you at? What's goin on at relic?
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Company of heroes is probably my fauvorite ever rts if i dismiss nostalgia and blizzard games  would be so sad if we'd see no more rts games from them!
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This makes me a sad panda 
I hope this won't effect Darksiders II
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So why don't they just make another game in a non-RTS genre? O_o?
edit: i realize it may take some time... but still.. if you're company is tanking and you're hoping the next Saints Row or Dawn of War will sell, then ya, it's gonna tank....
gotta think outside the box here
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United States47024 Posts
People remember Relic for DoW and CoH, and not HOMEWORLD?
It'll be sad if they have to close.
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Well, this is depressing
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Damn man, Relic are sweet as fuck. I know Homeworld was received well, Dawn of War was fucking siiiiick, somehow, in some kind of warped reality, all the little imbalances that game suffered somehow made it balanced because every race had 'em. You always had a chance to win no matter what major bug emerged.
Company of Heroes was also pretty amazing. Really good game, spent some time on that too.
Wasn't so hot for DoW2, but Space Marine was pretty awesome. I didn't even touch the single player I just went straight into the madness of multiplayer.
Relic are one of the very few developers that I really do respect. Many of the great ones either get drowned out of existence (RIP Bullfrog) or just get let the quality keep slipping.
Hope all the best for the boys and girls at relic
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darksiders 2 could become a huge hit. they should concentrate on that.
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Netherlands45349 Posts
Sorry but I had to laugh at the title
I am a very bad person.
Really looking forward to Darksiders 2 btw.
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On February 05 2012 04:33 TheYango wrote:People remember Relic for DoW and CoH, and not HOMEWORLD? It'll be sad if they have to close.
I didn't give a crap until I saw this. Homeworld? That was a fucking masterpiece of a game. The amount of poetry and beauty in that game was mind blowing.
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Always sad to see a respectable gaming studio/company getting into financial trouble. Their games weren't S-class RTSes like Blizz's but they were fun and good nevertheless. DoW I, CoH, Homeworld were great.
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This is horribly depressing. They've been releasing so many kick ass games and it's sad to see that it doesn't even matter due to bad management.
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If THQ continues to sink I expect EA or Activision to sink their claws into their property. That is, needless to say, a bad outcome.
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What does that mean for Warhammer 40k: Dark Millennium Online ?
ps: Homeworld is a masterpiece indeed. One can't talk Space Opera without mentioning Homeworld.
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the first dow was great, but the 2nd was horrible
homeworld 1 and 2 were excellent though :o
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THQ's uDraw thing was one of the biggest failures and reasons for its downfall.
I wonder if thq or rim is in a worse position
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I seriously have had a blast playing every strat game they have ever made. They are very well done games. I would say CoH/DoW (I consider them linked as a style of RTS) to be up there in terms of having a unique and developed feel with the Blizzard RTS series and the C&C series.
They might not have the level of esport around them but thats fine, not every sport is meant for the stadium. That doesn't mean stuff like kick ball and dodge ball suck etc etc.
Homeworld was a serious masterpiece. If you haven't played it it is wroth getting and playing.
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The absurd fact in all this is that at this point the WWE license deal and their next few Wrestling titles are what will keep the company alive until Relic can pump out another game.
Yes, you heard it here first... Pro Wrestling is helping preserve the making of RTS games in Canada
On February 05 2012 04:43 Assault_1 wrote:
THQ's uDraw thing was one of the biggest failures and reasons for its downfall.
I wonder if thq or rim is in a worse position
at least RIM replaced their Co-CEOs.
Brian Farrell the guy responsible for THQs recent string of failures is still the CEO and Chairman of the board for THQ.
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EPT
