THQ Partners' Tim Walsh
The head of the new publishing unit explains why today's business needs additional options
The reality is that THQ has always picked up products for distribution - I think really what it is, it's bringing more focus to it, and communicating to studios and developers out there that there is an option.
THQ has worked with third party developers and publishers for years, and really this is formalising the process.
I think they're an inspiration, for me personally. If you look at the success they've had, one of the benchmarks I'm most impressed with is that when they sign a partner, that partner tends to stay with them for a very long time - so obviously they're doing a good job.
And that's what I want to do - I want to create a small group of partners that deliver high quality games year-over-year, and in a sense become part of the family - part of our release schedule.
Well, I'm just going to take it one step at a time, and I'll leave the merger and acquisition discussions to other people. But I wouldn't rule it out - there could be a path there - but really we're just going to focus on signing people that are looking for quality distribution and publishing and offer them flexibility.
I think that's the other thing that's important - when you talk to the larger studios, depending on what kind of resources they have in place, they have different needs. It's important to work together to figure out what each partner brings to the table - and then figure out the economics based on that so that it's fair.
Some studios want full control of marketing on a global basis, others don't. Some want manufacturing to be provided, others can deliver finished goods - when you figure out the economics of those relationships, that's what makes a potentially long term partnership possible.
Absolutely - and what we're trying to do is to offer a service to those people that choose to do that.
Yes, it's going to be packed. The timing is perfect, we really wanted to get this out prior to E3 so we could have lots of meetings there - especially with the European teams that are coming over. It'll be fantastic to get together with them, and hopefully we'll have some exciting news following the show.
I think it'll be after - you know how it is with the legal side... it takes longer than you think.