Most of the big publishers have struggled to remain solvent in this economy, but THQ has been hit especially hard in recent years. Despite some surprise hits like the Saints Row series, THQ has had to shut-down many of their development studios in order to remain in business, and now the company is saying that it’s no longer in a position to release Devil’s Third, the upcoming third-person shooter from former Team Ninja head Tomonobu Itagaki.
Speaking to investors, THQ president Brian Farrell explained THQ’s decision to pass on publishing the game: “The profitability profile for Devil’s Third no longer met our internal threshold and we are currently in discussions with third parties regarding the future of this title.”
Devil’s Third, which runs on the same engine that powers THQ’s upcoming Darksiders 2, was originally unveiled two years ago. The project is the first game that Tomonobu Itagaki has produced ever since his non-amicable departure from Tecmo’s Team Ninja in 2008. Itagaki has stated that despite being a third person shooter, Devil’s Third would also feature the same brand of stylish melee combat that fans of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive have come to expect from his games.
Neither THQ or Itagaki commented on which publisher may pick up Devil’s Third in the wake of THQ’s decision to drop the title, and there’s also no word yet on whether this change will effect the game’s development or launch date. As it stands now, Devil’s Third is still tentatively scheduled to hit sometime during the first quarter of 2013 for the Xbox 360, PS3, and the Wii U.
Source: Joystiq
Chris Hernandez
I’ve never even heard of this game so I guess it’s no surprise that it may be cancelled.