THQ extends contract to make UFC video games into 2018
THQ is poised to “broaden the UFC brand experience” after extending its deal with Zuffa until 2018. Under the terms of the agreement, THQ will continue to exclusively make UFC games for all current and next-generation consoles, PC and handheld platforms, and select social media and wireless platforms including the iPhone and iPad.
THQ will not be releasing a UFC Undisputed in 2011, and instead will aim to put a third game in the series out sometime in 2012. Part of the reason for this is the poor sales of 2010′s installment, which THQ has blamed on other popular games knocking it out of sales (and also not recognizing the MMA fanbase is quite different from the kind of people that might buy Madden NFL games).
THQ also holds the rights to the successful WWE Smackdown VS Raw video game series, which to me and other critics suffers the same problems as the UFC games. The company fixes one small problem here or there, adds a few new characters, but still makes an overall incomplete game. By 2018, I hope that we will have one great installment in the series, and on the plus side, it also means I can keep having UFC Undisputed video game tournaments until at least 2018!
Should THQ keep the license to the UFC Undisputed games for this long or would another company be better at making an MMA video game?
[...] “EA’s recently released ‘MMA’ appears to be more or less DOA at retail, while UFC recently announced an extension of its license with THQ, likely putting an end to EA’s efforts to expand into the mixed martial arts genre,” [...]