Saints Row: The Third Sells 3 Million, THQ Ditches Kiddy Games

THQ, the company responsible for over a dozen SpongeBob SquarePants games, has decided to change its business strategy. They're moving away from children's games and will instead focus on their core gaming franchises.

The publisher is in the process of exiting their relationships with kids' companies. They currently have long-term licensing deals with Disney/Pixar and Nickelodeon. They'll still sell certain games already on the market even after they've ended these agreements, though.

THQ's top priority will be expanding its collection of core game franchises. These franchises include Saints Row, Homefront, and Darksiders. They also hope to increase digital revenue by creating more downloading content for top titles and creating digital-only franchises on "emerging platforms."

Brian Farrell, President and CEO, used Saints Row: The Third as a prime example of this new strategy in action.

"THQ will be a more streamlined organization focused only on our strongest franchises,” said Brian Farrell, President and CEO, THQ. “The success of Saints Row: The Third is an example of what our revised strategy and focus can achieve. We have now shipped 3.8 million units globally and are currently expecting to ship between five and six million units lifetime on this title. Additionally, our robust digital content offerings for this game have resulted in the highest digital revenue of any console title in our history."

UFC Undisputed 3, Darksiders II and inSane are a few examples of the core games in development at THQ's internal studios. inSane is a collaboration between Saints Row studio Volition and film director Guillermo del Toro. Patrice Désilets, the former creative director of the Assassin's Creed series, is creating an unannounced title at THQ Montreal.

THQ will talk more about its new strategy in its third quarter 2012 conference call. The call will occur on Thursday, February 2nd.