THQ Inc. (short for "Toy Head-Quarters") was a video game publisher and developer based in California. Originally a publisher of licensed games during the 8-bit and 16-bit eras, it had since expanded its product to include original franchises such as Saints Row, Company of Heroes, and Destroy All Humans!.
During the seventh generation, THQ had gone through some tough financial times. It closed down several studios, laid off thousands of workers, and moved on from licensed properties based on kids' shows to focus on owned IPs. This all came to a head on December 19, 2012, as THQ filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Its fate was sealed when it auctioned off most of its properties on January 23, 2013. It ultimately sold the following properties:
- The THQ trademark and 150 titles (including the Darksiders and MX vs. ATV series) to Austrian publisher Nordic Games.
- Relic Entertainment, its Company of Heroes series and its license for games based on Games Workshop properties to Sega
- South Park: The Stick of Truth and THQ's Montreal studio to Ubisoft
- Volition and its Saints Row series, and the Metro series to Deep Silver.
- The Homefront series to Crytek
- The Homeworld series to Gearbox Software
- Evolve and the license for WWE games to Take-Two Interactive
- The license for games based on Nickelodeon properties like SpongeBob SquarePants to Activision (barring the Victorious license, sold off to D3 Publisher)
- The license for games based on Mattel's Monster High brand to American publisher Little Orbit
- Devil's Third to Nintendo
In June of 2014, Nordic Games announced that they had acquired the THQ trademark. Two years later, they officially changed their name to THQ Nordic to take advantage of THQ's brand awareness, as many of the franchises Nordic acquired in the auction are still heavily associated with the latter brand. In February of 2018, Nordic's parent company acquired Koch Media, and by extension Deep Silver, bringing Volition and their franchisees back under their ownership. This was followed by the reacquisition of THQ's legacy Nickelodeon game library in March 2018 (but not the Nick license overall, which is now handed out on a case-by-case basis as evidenced by GameMill Entertainment publishing Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl and Dotemu publishing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge).
Games published/developed by THQ and its studios:
- 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
- The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends
- Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage
- All-Star Cheer Squad
- Alter Echo
- Banjo-Kazooie's Game Boy Advance games
- Beat Hazard's retail PC release
- Big Mutha Truckers
- Big Mutha Truckers 2: Truck Me Harder
- Broken Sword series
- Company of Heroes (now published by Sega)
- Conan
- Conker's Bad Fur Day (European Nintendo 64 release)
- Constantine 2005
- Costume Quest (developed by Double Fine; on PSN and XBLA)
- Danger Girl
- Danny Phantom Urban Jungle
- Darksiders
- de Blob
- Deadly Creatures
- Destroy All Humans!
- Many properties based on Disney movies and series, including:
- The Lion King (Game Boy version only)
- Timon & Pumbaa's Jungle Games (Super Nintendo version only)
- The Lion King 1 ½ (co-published with Disney Interactive Studios outside the United States)
- Pinocchio (Sega Genesis version only)
- Hercules (Game Boy version only)
- Mulan
- The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
- Atlantis: The Lost Empire (Game Boy Color version only)
- Disney Princess
- Piglet's Big Game (Game Boy Advance version only; In PAL Region only)
- Kim Possible: Revenge of Monkey Fist (co-published with Disney Interactive Studios outside the United States)
- Brother Bear (co-published with Disney Interactive Studios outside the United States)
- The Lion King (Game Boy version only)
- Dragonica (from 2009-2010; U.S. publishing is now handled by Gravity under the name Dragon Saga)
- Drawn to Life
- Many properties based on DreamWorks Animation movies and cartoons:
- Megamind
- The Penguinsof Madagascar
- The Penguins of Madagascar: Dr. Blowhole Returns - Again!
- Kung Fu Panda 2
- Puss in Boots
- Evil Dead: Hail to the King
- Frontlines: Fuel of War
- Full Spectrum Warrior
- Homefront
- It's Mr. Pants
- Juiced
- Leela
- Lock's Quest
- Many properties based on Mattel's line of products, including:
- American Girls Collection
- Julie Finds a Way
- Julie Saves the Eagles
- Kit A Treehouse of My Own
- Kit Mystery Challenge
- Mia Goes for Great
- Apples to Apples
- Barbie
- Barbie: Groom & Glam Pups
- Barbie: Jet, Set & Style
- Hot Wheels
- Hot Wheels Stunt Track Driver
- Hot Wheels: Velocity X
- Hot Wheels: World Race
- Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge
- Monster High: Ghoul Spirit
- Pictionary
- American Girls Collection
- The Mask
- Metro 2033
- Monster House
- MX vs. ATV
- Nexuiz (2012 remake)
- Many properties based on Nickelodeon cartoons, including:
- Avatar: The Last Airbender
- Barnyard
- everGirl: Your Way to Play
- The Fairly Oddparents
- The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius
- Rocket Power
- Rugrats
- SpongeBob SquarePants (2001 - 2011)
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Legend of the Lost Spatula
- Sponge Bob Square Pants Operation Krabby Patty
- SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge
- Sponge Bob Square Pants Employee Of The Month
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom
- The Sponge Bob Movie Game
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants!
- Sponge Bob Square Pants Creature From The Krusty Krab
- SpongeBob's Truth or Square
- SpongeBob's Boating Bash
- SpongeBob SquigglePants
- Tak And The Power Of Juju
- Tak and the Power of Juju (interestingly, the video games came four years before the cartoon)
- Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams
- Tak: The Great Juju Challenge
- Tak and the Guardians of Gross
- Nicktoons Unite!
- Nicktoons: Battle for Volcano Island
- Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots
- SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom
- Nuclear Strike (Nintendo 64 version only)
- Many properties based on Pixar movies:
- A Bug's Life (Game Boy Color version only)
- Toy Story 2 (Game Boy Color version only)
- Monsters Inc Scream Arena
- Finding Nemo
- The Incredibles
- Cars
- Ratatouille
- WALL•E
- Up
- Power Rangers
- The Punisher
- Puyo Pop (2001) (Game Boy Advance; co-published with Sega)
- Quest 64
- Red Faction
- Road Rash 64 (property licensed from Electronic Arts)
- Saints Row
- Games based on the Scooby-Doo franchise:
- The Simpsons
- Sonic Advance Trilogy (co-published with Sega)
- Sonic Battle (co-published with Sega)
- The Sopranos: Road to Respect
- South Park: The Stick of Truth (Now published by Ubisoft)
- Space Channel 5: Ulala's Cosmic Attack (co-published with Sega)
- Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
- Splashdown
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
- Stuntman: Ignition
- Summoner
- Teen Titans (co-published my Majesco Entertainment)
- Tetris Worlds
- Titan Quest
- UFC Undisputed
- Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise
- Vs.
- Games based on Warhammer 40,000: (now published by Sega)
- Fire Warrior
- Dawn of War
- Dawn of War II
- Kill Team
- Space Marine
- WWE Video Games
- SmackDown series (2000 - 2003)
- WWF SmackDown
- WWF SmackDown 2: Know Your Role
- WWF SmackDown 3: Just Bring It
- WWE SmackDown: Shut Your Mouth
- WWE SmackDown: Here Comes the Pain
- Raw series (2002 - 2003)
- WWE Raw
- WWE Raw 2
- WrestleMania series (2002 - 2003)
- WWE WrestleMania X8
- WWE WrestleMania XIX
- WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw series (2004 - 2010)
- WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw
- WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw 2005
- WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw 2006
- WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw 2007
- WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw 2008
- WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw 2009
- WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw 2010
- Day of Reckoning series (2004 - 2005)
- WWE Day of Reckoning
- WWE Day of Reckoning 2
- WWE series (2011 - 2012)
- WWE '11
- WWE '12
- WWF WrestleMania 2000 (1999)
- WWF Royal Rumble (2000)
- WWF No Mercy (2000)
- WWE WrestleMania 21 (2005)
- WWE Legends Of Wrestle Mania (2009)
- WWE All Stars (2011)
- SmackDown series (2000 - 2003)
- X: Beyond the Frontier and X-Tension (United States only; now self-published by Egosoft)
- You Don't Know Jack (the 2011 version)
- ZanZarah: The Hidden Portal
