THQ

Full name: THQ International Ltd Established: 1989 Closed: Feb 2013 Reason: Financial insolvency Website: www.thq.co.uk

Founded in 1989 by former LJN toy company founder and industry veteran Jack Friedman, "Toy Headquarters" was incorporated 1990 in Calabasas, California as THQ, Inc.

Within months of incorporation, THQ acquired the games division of Bröderbund, then famous for its Choplifter title. The following year, the company went public after a merger with Trinity Aquisition Corp. Friedman departed in 1995 to be replaced as CEO by the company's CFO, Brian Farrell.

In 1999 THQ signed a licensing deal with World Wrestling Federation, WWF, a license it has continue to enjoy since. As with its WWF games, THQ is synonymous with famous movie, TV and lifestyle brand licenses such as Polar Express, Aeon Flux, Power Rangers and MTV Sports. Indeed, one of the company's first titles was an Nintendo NES games based on the John Hughes classic, "Home Alone". More recently the fruits of deals with Disney and Nickelodeon has produced chart topping games based on Disney/Pixar titles including Cars, Monsters Inc. and The Incredibles and TV shows such as Spongebob Squarepants and Rugrats.

THQ has also established itself as a key player in the heldheld market, distrubuting titles on Nintendo GameBoy and DS not only for its own titles, but also for other publishers, including Eidos' Tomb Raider games and Team17's Worms Open Warfare and , SEGA's Crazy Taxi and Infogrames' Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee.

Keen to expand beyond the "kiddy games" market of its "toy" foundations, the company has produces top selling titles for the teen and mature sector, including Red Faction, Evil Dead, Sopranos, Stubbs the Zombie, Destroy All Humans and STALKER.

Software Highlights from Credited Titles

THQ's first work that SPOnG is aware of is the 1991 title, "Home Alone" (SNES).

The company has been involved titles released on the Wii U, 3DS, Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, PC, DS, PS2, Power Mac, PSP, Xbox, GameCube, GBA, N-Gage, PlayStation, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, N64, Game Boy, Sega Megadrive, SNES, Mac and NES. Of these, "Monsters, Inc." (GBA), "Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase" (PlayStation), "The Simpsons: Road Rage" (GBA), "SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge" (GBA), "Disney Presents a PIXAR Film: Cars" (GBA) has been a best selling title.

The company is currently involved with the forthcoming 2013 release "inSANE" (Xbox 360).

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