THQ Rep as of today:

"THQ has not cancelled its 2014 line-up, and has not made any decisions regarding the planned MMO."

"As part of the ongoing review of our business, we have made decisions to ensure that the company is strategically addressing the most attractive markets. As we have previously announced, we have dramatically reduced our commitment to the kids' boxed games sector which leads to a significantly more focused release schedule moving forward. Our slate for calendar 2012 and beyond is focused on high-quality core games and continues to build our digital platform and business. We are excited for our pipeline of original and high-quality content along with our relationships with some of the best talent in the industry."

So, the company itself came out and said that it isn't canceled and it isn't shutting down.

These companies are always so excited. Please look forward to our excitement.

I urge everyone to pay attention to this line:

"and has not made any decisions regarding the planned MMO."

If it was still on for 2014, they would have said it explicitly. Hence we aren't in the clear yet.

Pretty sure Bullfrog hasn't cancelled Dungeon Keeper III either. How about instead of getting worked up about something that is out of everyone's control we wait and see if someone buys THQ. Because that's the only way this game will ever get made.

Originally posted by zymurgeist

Pretty sure Bullfrog hasn't cancelled Dungeon Keeper III either.

...what? Did I miss this? DK3 is live? I wasn't even aware that Bullfrog was alive... I thought they had been merged by EA?

Last I heard the DK IP had been sold off to a Chinese F2P studio or something, have you seen differently?

THQ would be mad to scrap a game that is more than 5/6 of the way through development and which has the potential to single-handedly turn around their financial slump, unless they think that it is sub-par which begs the question of why they could have allowed it to get to that point.

At the very worst they may try to get financial backing from a merger or acquisition by another developer, but a possibly worse outcome is if they put pressure on Vigil to go for lowest common denominator popularity rather than striving to make something mold breaking and truly innovative (but to the eyes of a financially pressed studio - riskier).

My hope is that level heads prevail and that they have opted to back a few safe popular titles and one risky but possibly high profit MMO.

It would be a massive shame were THQ to sink or sell out when they have been responsible for making some really great games.

Originally posted by quotheraving

THQ would be mad to scrap a game that is more than 5/6 of the way through development and which has the potential to single-handedly turn around their financial slump, unless they think that it is sub-par which begs the question of why they could have allowed it to get to that point.

Being 5/6 done won't help if they have a cash flow problem. Sometimes decisions are made based on what they CAN do, not what is the best thing to be done.

I realise that which is why I said that if things were that bad financially they would be looking for support either from a merger, sale, buyout or investor and using unreleased AAA titles to leverage the deal.

However simply abandoning the golden goose before it's had the chance to lay an egg would be crazy, at the very least they will try and get some money back from their work by selling the project on. However if I were them and I knew I was sitting on a great game (and knowing the potential cash payback a successful mmo could bring in) I'd take that last roll of the dice and use the 2012 titles to bankroll a downsized company with DMO as it's last chance saloon.

Whatever may happen time will tell.

Ok, they didn't cancel it but what happened to the time scheduele and have they cut resources from it or not?

Good news anyways, always suck when they cancel a MMO. :)

Well to be fair Loke we just don't know if they will cancel it, sell it on, reduce it's staff and funding or even increase them!

Currently all that has been  said is that the company is going ahead with it's 2014 lineup, hasn't made any firm decisions about DMO and is downsizing by shutting the least profitable studios and lines.

This is only guesswork, but if I had a AAA quality MMO with an innovative playstyle and set in a popular IP I'd be diverting resources towards rather than away from it. This is in the knowledge that a really high quality 40k MMO would be likely to gain a significant and long term following from the 40k fans which by itself could provide a reasonably dependable ongoing flow of cash, just what a struggling (but very well respected) company needs to get it'self out of a hole.

Dark Millenium is pretty much a go, simply because the Warhammer 40k franchise is THQ's biggest draw, next to Saints Row.

Yep it do not got cancelled

And it is bad news actually

C'mon freakish, the answer is almost certain to be. "That be as it do not three factions. Vigli do not good 40k make no 3 factions have.. Game certain be crap!"

Originally posted by freakishbean

Dark Millenium is pretty much a go, simply because the Warhammer 40k franchise is THQ's biggest draw, next to Saints Row.

 Problem is that Dark Millenium is MMO and that means spending close to 10-20 million per year for development. Thats a huge hit since development times in MMO can be double what it is for normal single game. So I can see that cutting DMO is easiest way to save money.

I hope they don't cancel it but it's the easiest target if they are in financial troubles, like stock price might tell.

Pretty bad news all round really. I'm sorry but when a company is in this amount of dire financial straits they can't simply say, 'Oh well this IP we have is great so that MMO which costs 10-20million a year lets just keep going!, not to mention the amount of marketing, support side, admin costs that a MMO throws up.

 The business would not survive if they took that attitude because it sounds like they have a cash flow issue without a support net.  In that situation you have to get out products as cheaply and as quickly as possible in the hope you have a success somewhere that gives you an overflow.  Or you need to be bought/merge with someone.

The problem there is that they don't own their best known IP. I don't know what the licensing agreement is with GW, but if they felt that THQ weren't living up to their side they could take the license away.  Knowing GW they'd have no problem doing that. That would make THQ a far less attractive proposition for someone interested in buying, although I believe they do own some of their other creations outright, (Saints Row for instance).

I honestly hope THQ will be alright and that they do end up creating a cracking WH40K MMO but if that does happen it won't be anytime soon....

Well it looks very much as though THQ is streamlining it's business and will be concentrating on their core franchises "UFC, Darksiders, Company of Heroes, inSane, Saints Row, Warhammer 40,000" As I've said before I would expect the 40k MMO to be front and center in that lineup.

http://uk.gamespot.com/news/thq-exiting-kids-game-business-6349155

Originally posted by freakishbean

THQ Rep as of today:

"THQ has not cancelled its 2014 line-up, and has not made any decisions regarding the planned MMO."

"As part of the ongoing review of our business, we have made decisions to ensure that the company is strategically addressing the most attractive markets. As we have previously announced, we have dramatically reduced our commitment to the kids' boxed games sector which leads to a significantly more focused release schedule moving forward. Our slate for calendar 2012 and beyond is focused on high-quality core games and continues to build our digital platform and business. We are excited for our pipeline of original and high-quality content along with our relationships with some of the best talent in the industry."

So, the company itself came out and said that it isn't canceled and it isn't shutting down.

This company is in it's death throes.  Attempting to say that the game has not been canceled is like looking at a ship with just the bowsprit still showing and saying it is not sinking.

Adidas is sueing them for undelievered software, where are they going to come up with the cash for that?

http://www.develop-online.net/news/40025/Adidas-sues-THQ-for-10m-over-breach-of-contract

Your only prayer for this game is that someone buys the assets and continues to develop the game.

Originally posted by Ozmodan

Originally posted by freakishbean

THQ Rep as of today:

"THQ has not cancelled its 2014 line-up, and has not made any decisions regarding the planned MMO."

"As part of the ongoing review of our business, we have made decisions to ensure that the company is strategically addressing the most attractive markets. As we have previously announced, we have dramatically reduced our commitment to the kids' boxed games sector which leads to a significantly more focused release schedule moving forward. Our slate for calendar 2012 and beyond is focused on high-quality core games and continues to build our digital platform and business. We are excited for our pipeline of original and high-quality content along with our relationships with some of the best talent in the industry."

So, the company itself came out and said that it isn't canceled and it isn't shutting down.

This company is in it's death throes.  Attempting to say that the game has not been canceled is like looking at a ship with just the bowsprit still showing and saying it is not sinking.

Adidas is sueing them for undelievered software, where are they going to come up with the cash for that?

http://www.develop-online.net/news/40025/Adidas-sues-THQ-for-10m-over-breach-of-contract

Your only prayer for this game is that someone buys the assets and continues to develop the game.

I'm inclined to agree.

The stock price on THQ shares has been slowly but steadily declining over the past 2 weeks and looks set to continue doing so until the company is able to show clear profits capable of turning the tide and winning back investor confidence, but with this added misfortune It'll take a minor miracle to get them back on their feet.

As they were already in the process of looking for financial backing to bring DMO to publication (which would probably delay the release by a year) it seems increasingly likely that they will instead choose to sell it... However this will not come with the rights to the IP attached (they will try and hold onto those to the bitter end) meaning that this game could very well die before ever seeing the light of day, which is a massive disappointment for those of us who have been eagerly following the game since day 1.

Think the OP quote is more a business announcement to investors/market reaction - it means nada to actual gamers discussing WH40K mmo.

Don't throw good money after bad is my advice to THQ.

If they were serious about WH40K - they should go for simpler graphics and more crazy Warhammer 40K scenario rules, more flavor from the TT -

• More player customizatons
• More racial choices
• More faction v factions^n
• More fun!

Less shiny graphics/more customizable/destructable environments eg the Orks take over and the raise defences/the place looks like a giant rubbish heap or the Eldar and all shiny towers and tech.

Keep the graphics simple and the gameplay dynamic + expandable => business model == profits long-term sustainable online world.

/rant /rant /rant.