THQ reorganization places major focus on social games
With just 9,000 monthly active users across its entire catalog of Facebook games (according to AppData), it's easy to say that THQ has plenty of climbing left to do to make a stand in the social space. With its upcoming MargaritaVille Online game for Facebook, it's clear that THQ has seen the light, but that light might turn into a giant beacon after the company's recent reorganization.
In a recent press release, THQ announced that the company will place its focus into four major digital areas, one of which is social gaming. In fact, the social gaming space actually comes in at number two on the four-part list (number one being an increased focus on established IP like Saints Row). In terms of social games, the company wishes to "create a critical mass of users on social media platforms such as Facebook and mobile platforms, including iOS and Android(TM), using THQ-owned or branded content, such as the upcoming fall release of Margaritaville(R) Online, based on Jimmy Buffett's popular brand."
So what does this mean for the end-user? If I had to make an educated guess, I'd wager that we'll likely see a slew of side-games released on the service in the same way as EA's Dragon Age: Legends was released; that is, games that tie-in to the console versions of THQ's new titles, offering players incentive to play the Facebook game as well. Of course, if MargaritaVille takes off, we could see plenty of other branded or at least original titles released in the future as well. If anything, it almost seems as though THQ is dedicated enough to the social gaming space to throw tons of games at the wall and see which ones stick. Either way, we'll make sure to keep track of THQ's continued social gaming efforts, and will bring you all of the news on MargaritaVille as soon as we know more.
Which THQ franchises would you like to see given social games? Would you play social games on Facebook if you were given items back in the console games as rewards? Sound off in the comments.
