THQ Announces 2009 Game Lineup

Saints Row 2, Red Faction, WWE Smackdown among the top games coming in 2009 from THQ

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leading video game publisher THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) will today unveil key titles in its fiscal 2009 line-up across all major game systems at a Game Press Event in San Francisco, California. The event will feature the latest editions of multi-million unit franchises, including Saints Row™ 2, Red Faction®: Guerrilla™ and WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2009, groundbreaking new original games such as de Blob™, Deadly Creatures™ and Darksiders™: Wrath of War™, and new social and party games for the expanding base of consumers playing the Nintendo Wii™, including Battle of the Bands™ and Big Beach Sports™.

“THQ has a strong track record of delivering top-selling franchises and we are excited to unveil a compelling slate of new titles for our fiscal 2009 product line-up,” said Bob Aniello, senior vice president of marketing, THQ. “Video games are becoming the center of social networks and our new line-up fully capitalizes on this with innovations such as customization, user-generated content, and online community. From Saints Row 2 to de Blob, we’ve got all gamers covered.”

For the first time, THQ will demonstrate the online co-operative play of the highly anticipated Saints Row 2, developed by Volition, Inc. The company will also demonstrate Red Faction: Guerrilla’s real “physics-based destruction” technology, also from Volition. New original title Darksiders: Wrath of War, from THQ’s Vigil Games studio, will be available for preview along with Warhammer® 40,000™:Dawn of War® II, developed by THQ’s RTS studio, Relic Entertainment. Several original properties built exclusively for Nintendo Wii will also be on display. These games include Battle of the Bands and Big Beach Sports; the universally appealing game de Blob from THQ’s Blue Tongue Entertainment studio; and action-thriller Deadly Creatures from THQ’s Rainbow Studios. High-profile licensed properties Disney/Pixar’s Wall*E and WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, will also be on display.

“THQ has a substantial development pipeline and product portfolio positioned to capitalize on the exciting industry growth over the next several years,” said Brian Farrell, president and CEO, THQ. “Our fiscal 2009 line-up demonstrates the depth and breadth of THQ’s product offering, from established franchises for avid gamers such as Saints Row and Red Faction, to broadly appealing fun casual games like de Blob and Battle of the Bands.”