Death of THQ Brisbane marks publisher's fourth studio closure this year alone
THQ has shut the doors to two of its Australian studios this week, as well as a development team in Phoenix totalling 200 employees gone.
MCV Pacific reports that the two Australian studios to close their doors are THQ Studio Australia in Brisbane, which closes today, and BlueTongue Entertainment in Melbourne, which will go some time this week.
The studio closures are the third and fourth THQ has sanctioned this year alone.
Homefront group Kaos was unceremoniously dumped in June, along with the UK Digital Warrington base.
The move comes are part of an internal development realignment wherein THQ plans to focus on its key IP and shift away from kids' titles and film tie-ins.
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Brian Farrell, president and CEO of THQ, said: "By right-sizing our internal development capacities for our console portfolio, our five internal studios are focused on delivering high-quality games with talented teams driving the execution of those titles to market."
"We will continue to evaluate our capital and resources to concentrate on fast growing digital business initiatives such as social games, mobile and tablet -based digital entertainment."
While THQ has announced that all staff in studios being closed down are eligible to apply for any open positions elsewhere within the company, it hasn't confirmed whether any new positions are opening up to accommodate that shift. The MX vs ATV franchise is also being canned as a result of the realignment.
The closures add THQ's Australian studios to a growing number of defunct and sold-off studios in Australia, with THQ Brisbane and THQ Melbourne joining Krome, Auran and Pandemic.
For the latest news on the Australian games industry, visit MCV Pacific
"Right-sizing" is one of those newly-invented corporate phrases that really pisses me off. Aside from being terrible English, it's a pathetic attempt to make the fact that they're firing lots of people sound warm and fluffy.
Every company needs to make cuts at some point, I get that, but just man up and be honest about what you're doing, rather than trying to hide behind PR bullsh*t.
"No, no... I didn't steal your cash, I merely right-sized your wallet." ;-)
Right-sizing is the kind of phrase that not only gets my goat, but has inappropriate relations with it, and leaves it, bloodily sacrificed, on the altar of corporate bollockspeak.
This kind of thing is cropping up more and more as the business has now grown beyond its gamer roots. The new generation of "management" are more interested in sounding cool to their management mates in management meetings (and getting paid for doing what looks suspiciously like bugger all) rather than actually making games.
