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Take-Two CEO Says THQ Doesn't Have Long To Live
Update: Game Informer has received the following statement from Zelnick regarding his recent comments:
"While discussing our strategy I spoke out of turn about someone else’s. It was inappropriate and I regret it."
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Original Story:
Take-Two Chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick doesn't think THQ has much time left. He said he believes the struggling publisher will be gone in six months.
Speaking at today's MIT Business in Gaming conference, Zelnick said, "THQ's strategy was licensed properties, first and foremost. License stuff from other people, whether it's UFC or WWE or a motion picture property, and make a game around that.
"And our approach, since we took over the company, is 100 percent owned intellectual property." Zelnick said the problem with licensed properties is that it leaves publishers at the mercy of license holders.
He later added: "The most important difference is quality. Take-Two has the highest quality ratings among third-party publishers, according to Metacritic and most people in the industry. Quality really, really, really matters. THQ has had some good games, but their quality levels aren't even remotely...the quality hasn't measured up."
On his final comparisons to THQ: "Strategy didn't work and the execution was bad. To put it another way: the food was no good and the portions were small. THQ won't be around in six months."
Take-Two is the parent company of Rockstar Games and 2K Games, which includes Irrational Games and Firaxis Games.
Responding to Zelnick's comments, THQ vice president of corporate communications Angela Emery told Game Informer, "Obviously, Mr. Zelnick’s perception of THQ is outdated and inaccurate. His comments are irresponsible and false. Perhaps he would be better off commenting on his own business.”
[Source: Joystiq]
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