THQ Inc. was an American video game company located in Agoura Hills, California. It was founded in April 1990 by Jack Friedman, who started the company in Calabasas, and became a public company the next year through a merger. The company began in the toy business but later expanded into video games by buying other companies. Over time, it focused more on video games and less on toys. During the 2000s, THQ continued to buy other companies to grow its business.

THQ made and published video games on its own, as well as games based on licenses from other companies. Some of its own game series included Darksiders, De Blob, Destroy All Humans!, MX vs. ATV, Red Faction, and Saints Row, among others. The company also had long-term agreements to use content from well-known brands, such as Disney/Pixar, DreamWorks Animation, Nickelodeon, and WWE.

After facing financial problems, falling stock prices, and increasing debt, THQ filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2012. The company began selling its assets the next month. Many of its properties were sold to other companies, and employees were let go. In 2014, the "THQ" trademark was bought by Nordic Games, which had also purchased some of THQ's sold properties. In 2016, Nordic Games changed its name to "THQ Nordic" and continued to develop and publish several of THQ's game franchises.

History

THQ Inc. was founded in April 1990 by Jack Friedman, a co-founder of LJN. The name "THQ" stands for "Toy Headquarters." In September 1990, THQ acquired New Ventures, a part of Broderbund. In 1991, THQ merged with Trinity Acquisition Corp., a company listed on NASDAQ. This merger was a stock swap worth about $33 million, with THQ shareholders owning 51.7% of the new company. THQ kept its name, its stock symbol changed to "THQI," and Friedman became president. In 1993, THQ bought Black Pearl Software, a video game developer in Chicago. After the purchase, THQ used the Black Pearl name for Sega games and the Malibu Games name for Nintendo games.

In 1994, THQ left the toy business to focus only on making video games. Around the same time, THQ signed a deal with Electronic Arts to license five game titles for different consoles. In 1995, Jack Friedman left THQ to help start Jakks Pacific, a toy company.

At the Winter CES 1995 event, THQ signed a larger deal with Electronic Arts to create games for 16-bit and 8-bit consoles and handheld devices. From then on, Black Pearl Software was used for 8-bit and 16-bit games, while THQ introduced a new brand, Kokopeli Digital Studios, for 32-bit games.

In 1997, THQ became a Delaware Corporation. In 1999, THQ bought Pacific Coast Power & Light, a video game developer in San Jose.

In June 1998, THQ formed a 50/50 joint venture with Jakks Pacific called THQ/Jakks Pacific LLC. This partnership allowed THQ to take over the WWF (later WWE) video game license, which had been held by Acclaim Entertainment. The deal began in October 1999 and included two game titles per year that THQ would develop and sell.

In 1999, THQ signed deals to publish Power Rangers video games and to bring Codemasters' titles to handheld devices. THQ also partnered with Nickelodeon to make games based on the Rugrats franchise.

In February 2000, THQ faced a class action lawsuit for not sharing important financial information. In September 2000, THQ bought Volition, a game studio in Champaign, Illinois. Over time, THQ expanded to have 11 studios worldwide. Some of these studios, like Relic Entertainment, Vigil Games, and Volition, made games for next-generation consoles and computers. THQ later bought Vigil Games in 2006.

In 2000, THQ partnered with Fox Interactive to bring five titles, including the Croc franchise, to the Game Boy Color. THQ also signed a deal with Warner Bros. to make Scooby-Doo games and acquired the rights to publish Tetris games through The Tetris Company. In 2001, THQ extended its agreement with Nickelodeon to create games based on Rugrats, SpongeBob SquarePants, and other shows. THQ also planned to release games first, followed by animated cartoons on Nickelodeon. In 2002, THQ partnered with Disney and Pixar to make games based on Pixar films. In 2004, THQ signed a deal with MGA Entertainment for Bratz video games and extended its Nickelodeon agreement. In 2008, THQ became DreamWorks Animation's video game licensing partner, replacing Activision.

In 2007, THQ reported its highest sales and profits ever, with over $1 billion in revenue. In 2008, THQ announced a cheerleading game using the Wii Balance Board. However, in November 2008, THQ closed five studios: Paradigm Entertainment, Mass Media Inc., Helixe, Locomotive Games, and Sandblast Games.

In 2009, THQ faced declining sales and announced plans to cut $220 million in costs by 2010. THQ had previously made $68 million in profit and $1 billion in revenue in 2007, which brought it closer to its competitor Activision. Many of THQ's big-budget games sold poorly during the Great Recession, even though they received good reviews. Kids began playing free online games instead of THQ's licensed games based on Nickelodeon shows and Pixar movies. THQ's stock dropped 86% from the previous year, and its market value fell to $173 million. In March 2009, THQ spun off Heavy Iron Studios and Incinerator Studios as separate companies and tried to sell Big Huge Games. In May 2009, THQ sold Big Huge Games to 38 Studios. In August 2009, THQ bought Midway Studios San Diego for $200,000, but the sale did not include the TNA Impact! game. In December 2009, THQ signed a new eight-year deal with WWE, ending its joint venture with Jakks Pacific.

In February 2010, THQ reorganized Juice Games and Rainbow Studios, renaming them THQ Digital Warrington and THQ Digital Phoenix. This change caused 60 job losses. In August 2010, THQ released the uDraw GameTablet, a $70 accessory for the Nintendo Wii that let players draw and play on their TV screens. THQ planned to release more software for the uDraw every few months.

In January 2011, THQ sold its THQ Wireless division to a Swedish mobile company called 24MAS. THQ also introduced a new logo in January 2011. In March 2011, THQ's stock dropped 26% after the release of its game Homefront, which received poor reviews. In June 2011, THQ closed Kaos Studios (the developer of Homefront) and THQ Digital Warrington (formerly Juice Games).

In July 2011, THQ ended its Red Faction franchise, likely because the latest game, Red Faction: Armageddon, was not well received. In August 2011, THQ closed THQ Studio Australia and Blue Tongue to focus on "high-quality owned IP" instead of licensed games. THQ also closed THQ Digital Phoenix (formerly Rainbow Studios), ending the MX vs. ATV franchise.

In November 2011, a version of the uDraw for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 was released, but it failed commercially and contributed to THQ's financial struggles. In January