THQ is, to be frank, in pretty serious financial trouble. Darksiders II didn’t sell two million copies, so it’s officially a “disappointment”, and the company is basically in a game of chicken: If Company of Heroes 2 and Metro: Last Light don’t get the cash flowing, that might be it for them.
So it’s probably a relief to them that their Humble Bundle, announced yesterday, has sold well enough to drive up their stock price.
After a day of release, the Humble THQ bundle stands at $2 million or so, with an average purchase price of six bucks on the back of 370,000 purchases. It’s actually a pretty good deal, if you play on PC: You get Steam keys for Metro 2033, Darksiders, Red Faction: Armageddon and pretty much the entire Company of Heroes franchise. Beat the average and you get Saints Row The Third as well.
In that respect, it’s really just a Steam sale where you set your own price instead of paying 75% off and getting a bunch of games from one publisher. And, of course, we have no idea how much of this is going to THQ, how much to charity, and how much to Humble Bundle, although you can personally decide where your cash goes, as usual.
Nonetheless, apparently that’s good enough for Wall Street: THQ’s stock is up 40%. OK, so that’s up from a dollar and pennies to a buck fifty, but it’s still good news for the company.
And good news for gamers as well. While some feel that this is going to ruin the Humble Bundle, kind of the same way that jerk grouses about how the band he loves “sold out” by having a radio hit, it does demonstrate to publishers that there are options to sell PC games beyond putting it out at $60 and hoping it doesn’t get pirated.
And hey, you can get caught up on upcoming franchises for dirt!