WWE Re-Organization Partly to Blame for Lackluster Profits at THQ

[fitbabits]

Gamasutra (http://www.gamasutra.com) has the details (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=8991).

Major game publisher and developer THQ has announced updated guidance for its fiscal 2006 fourth quarter, which ended on March 31, and expects sales higher than previously predicted, but profits to be reduced, due primarily to a change in development strategy for its World Wresting Entertainment games, and the "below-plan performance" of the current-generation title Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers.

Specifically, THQ expects to report net sales of approximately $150 million for the quarter, above its previous guidance of $135 million, but the company expects to report a net loss per share of approximately $0.13, compared with previous guidance of earnings of $0.02 per diluted share.

Explaining these changes further, THQ announced that it has entered into a long-term, strategic agreement with Japanese game developer YUKE's for developing games based on the WWE wrestling brand, including the upcoming WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2007. THQ holds a minority interest in YUKE's, which has developed wrestling games for the company since 1999.
Serious question - does anyone here even buy and/or enjoy WWE and the games based on it? As for Ten Hammers, my interest in it died after months and months of ads, previews, etc. - long before it was released.

[Doctor Setebos]

Serious question - does anyone here even buy and/or enjoy WWE and the games based on it?
I've heard that "casual gamers" demographic is quite fond of their "rasslin' games".

[zyzyx]

The lame roster of THQ games on the Xbox always struck me as stupid. WWE is most popular with red blooded males in the 15-25 age bracket which is where xbox is strongest and yet the best they can get is that god awful Raw game.

Wrestling games in general really aren't as good as they should be. When a genres been going downhill since No Mercy on the N64 you know the company is in trouble.

[f1sh3r]

i used to be a wrestling junkie, it was something my little brother and i watched and attended the arena shows back in the day. but now the product is garbage (and my wife keeps telling me to grow up) and i've never played a wrestling game that was worth a damn, past the royal rumble arcade game that came out in the 90s (2 buttons and an arcade stick, what else do you need?). i'm not sure who is buying the games or watching the show anymore.

[Sensei-X]

WWE is having a tough time staying afloat, the games only reflect that. Vince has managed to get rid of pretty much all the noteworthy wrestlers and the rest are too injured to do any wrestling and can only come out and trash talk, on top of that their ratings are pathetic compared to a few years back. At this point if THQ dropped them, they wouldn't be getting many offers and even those probably would be very low.

[TrackZero]

I've got two friends who are WWE nuts. They watch it all the damn time and buy every single game that comes out (usually on the cube, strangely enough).

They rope me into playing a game from time to time, and I can't stand the gameplay. Essentially you just beat each other until you're kind of tired, and if you fail to pin the person properly, they go back to full strength, rinse, repeat.

[Dag-Sabot]

You really must have a few solid successes under you before trying to milk those franchise teats, and hence the tears, imo.
-Dont know about the wrestling. Was that ever a money maker?

[Twinkie]

I can't stand the show, never could. But I think I've been enjoying the games (Mainly on N64 and Cube) for 6 or so years now. The first ones on GCN sucked, but the Day of Reckoning games have been quite fun. Good party games, all my CAW slots are filled with people who actually play the game with us, and they all join in. Hardcore gamers, casual gamers, and (occasionally) non-gamers. Although, depending on the mix, we'll do tag matches so the odds aren't too unfair.

[Heretic Machine]

I used to enjoy Wrestling... When I was little, it was my big thing with my cousin. Then I took about an eight year break, and in middle school I got back into it. Then I got out of it again before High School. At that time, THQ was putting out bad-ass Wrestling games on the 64, while Wrestling games on the PS1 resembled Mortal Kombat more than anything (pure shit, essentially).

Even though I don't watch the shows anymore, I'd love to get a good next-gen wrestling game in the style of the 64 games... I don't hear that's what I'd be investing in though. Hell, I'd like to get back into Wrestling itself. Sure, it's always been stupid, but it was fun. The bad thing is that Wrestling has to crash, and rebuild itself every now and then, as they begin to jump the shark in rapid succession when they hit the peak of their popularity.

They'll hit a sort of renewal period in two or three years, and it'll be watchable again.

[Citizen Philip]

The last time I watched wrestling I was in grade 3. Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, them and all the other wrestlers were in a cartoon.

I use to get stickers in my hostess potatoe chips. I always got "The Animal" never a British Bulldog or the Irok Sheik.

Stupid Animal man with the green tongue. I hate you, you ruined my childhood.

[ChamberX]

You really must have a few solid successes under you before trying to milk those franchise teats, and hence the tears, imo.
-Dont know about the wrestling. Was that ever a money maker?

Man...Hulk Hogan anyone? Seriously though, for the create-a-wrestler mode, insane roster size, and an "attempt" at storylines featuring every wrestler's voice...c'mon, give these guys some credit. Even as a non=wrestling fan and "hardcore" (ugh) gamer, the Smackdown brand WWE games have always been something to look forward to.

[jeditanuki]

Man...Hulk Hogan anyone? Seriously though, for the create-a-wrestler mode, insane roster size, and an "attempt" at storylines featuring every wrestler's voice...c'mon, give these guys some credit. Even as a non=wrestling fan and "hardcore" (ugh) gamer, the Smackdown brand WWE games have always been something to look forward to.


...so, how long have you worked at THQ?

[ChamberX]

Oh about three...WAITAMINUTE!!!

[NELS]

Wrestling games never have been better than WWF Smackdown (http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/searchresult.asp?itemid=199349&term=wwf). That game was really fun, and I never watched wrestling after 8 years old. Well actually I tuned in one night like a few months back (out of curiosity), and thought it was the worst thing I have ever seen.

[Blue]

The best wrestling game was Royal Rumble for the Genesis. Game ruled all others. I used to be wicked into wrestling back when there were people worth cheering for: Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Brutus the Barber Beefcake, Jake the Snake....you know what I'm talking about. I saw the Road Warriors Hawk and Animal fight Demolition and The Rockers at the same time live when I was four. Coolest day ever.

[Shifteh]

The last wrestling game I played was for the SNES... what the hell was it called? All I remember is that you could use the chairs. That and it was fucking impossible to beat. I think.

As I said, some time ago.

[Neirin]

Even non wrestling fans can enjoy Smackdown vs Raw 2006, I dont watch wrestling and I play the game non stop, as with all my friends who come over and dont watch a lick of WWE but love SvR2k6. The game is good enough that you dont have to like the source material to enjoy the game, a good game is a good game.

[Phhhh]

Yeah, the last wrestling game I played was Smackdown.

What does THQ make that is a good game now adays?

[easi]

We need a Pro Wrestling NOAH game where you just chop each other until chests start bleeding. The winner would be the one that gets their 'burning spirit' bar full first.

I bet the guy who programmed John Cena for the WWE games had an easy time of it, he's got less moves than Hogan.

[r3dwiz]

I used to be a fan during the Early Hulk Hogan Years... I'm still convinced Andre the Giant (minus his condition) could put the smack down on half the people... I remember when Tugboat first came on the scene, and then when he fought Earthquake they turned out to be brothers. End result - the Natural Disasters!

With that on topic... how is Legends of Wrestling?

[Heretic Machine]

From what I heard, Legends of Wrestling sucks to no end... Which pretty much crushed my soul when I heard about it.

[Lunar Blue]

I watch the shows weekly, apart from some shitty matches it's a lot of fun. Just don't take it too seriously :) If you are into less bullshit more action, try TNA as well. As for the games, i think the last one i tried was a demo of a WCW game in like '98. It was ok, but very stiff and pretty much a button basher.

[Sl1pstream]

The first two games were fun although the second one had huge loading times. Never tried the following due to the lack of a PS2. Legends of Wrestling was horrible.

[ChamberX]

I watch the shows weekly, apart from some shitty matches it's a lot of fun. Just don't take it too seriously :) If you are into less bullshit more action, try TNA as well. As for the games, i think the last one i tried was a demo of a WCW game in like '98. It was ok, but very stiff and pretty much a button basher.


Is TNA really that good, or is WWE programming just that bad?

[CrashCart]

Is TNA really that good, or is WWE programming just that bad?
Tits 'n Ass are always good, my friend. Always.

[Carnifex]

Serious question - does anyone here even buy and/or enjoy WWE and the games based on it?
WWE games in multiplayer with 4 players is a ton of fun. You don't even have to like wrestling to enjoy that aspect of it. WWE games single player on the other hand is pointless, unless you're a rabid wrestling fanatic and enjoy homo-erotic imagery.

[Franjo]

N64 had the best wrestling games ever made. No Mercy, Wresltemania 2000. The moves were endless. 4 buddies and I would get together quite regularly and fire them up. They were pretty strategic games believe it or not....I had more fun with this game then Tekken, or other similar fighters. But since those N64 games, I haven't even tried playing them.

[Twinkie]

That's one thing I hate about the games, you need to play through the story mode to unlock attribute points and moves and items, and as you get further in the cpu cheats like a motherfucker.
Example-
Fatal four-way match (4 wrestlers, free-for-all). Why do the other 3 attack me 90% of the time? And why do they get specials after like 2 punches? Very aggrivating.

I also hope the get rid of the whole 'No custom decals on female CAWs' rule. I swear man, I don't want to give my girlfriend nipples, I just want to give her a goddamn Yoda shirt.


And personally, I think the Day of Reckoning (GCN) games make a pretty good spiritual successor to the N64 games.

[ruceree88]

Last great wrestling game was WWF No Mercy for the N64.

Also WWF jumped the shark when they got sued and had to change their name to WWE, and when Vince bought WCW. No compatiton make's Vince a lazy guy!