THQ

THQ at a Glance

THQ operated as a major player in the industry from 1991 until it ceased activity in 2018. Based in the United States, this publisher released 442 games across its history, though they acted as the developer for only 12 of those titles. Their output was heavily concentrated in the 2000s with 309 releases, compared to just 57 games in the 1990s and 61 in the 2010s. This production volume suggests a company that ramped up significantly during the PlayStation 2 era before scaling back sharply toward the end of its existence. The catalog spans many genres, with Adventure titles leading at 157 entries. Platform games, sports simulations, and racing titles follow closely behind. Their reach was broad across hardware, covering PC, PlayStation consoles, Xbox systems, and Nintendo handhelds like the Game Boy Advance and DS. They released over a hundred games for Windows and nearly as many for the PlayStation 2. The average rating across their rated library sits at 64.5 out of 100. While they produced some standout hits like SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom and Company of Heroes, which scored above 90, a large portion of their work landed in the mixed or good range. They also have fourteen titles rated below 40, indicating inconsistent quality control over their long run. Recent years show a decline in their portfolio's prominence. Releases from 2012 like Saints Row: The Third - The Full Package carried low scores around 54, though Jeopardy! managed a respectable 78. By 2018, the last year on record for THQ, they released Titan Quest: Collector's Edition, a strategy title that fits their broader genre mix but lacks the massive cultural footprint of their earlier hits. The company operated globally with offices in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, yet their final output appears to have been limited compared to their peak years in the mid-2000s.

Release Timeline

Rating Distribution