Darksiders II "struggling" to hit 2 million break-even point
Michael Pachter estimates that it's sold barely over a million units thus far
THQ's Darksiders II was a top-seller in the US during August, but according to NPD it only sold 247,000 units. At the time, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said that total sales are "probably over 1 million" and if his estimates are to be believed, the game hasn't really had many sales since then. In a new note to investors, he said the title has been struggling.
"August release Darksiders II has sold an estimated 1 million units to date, and appears to be struggling to approach its 2 million units break-even threshold," he said.
That's bad news for a newly restructured THQ, which, under Jason Rubin's leadership, is trying to recreate itself as a more streamlined business, focusing on fewer, higher quality core games.
"Darksiders II's performance and a history of game delays and cancellations leaves us skeptical that THQ can successfully execute its turnaround strategy, which centers on a streamlined release slate," Pachter added. "If any of THQ's Q4:13 releases are late, liquidity is likely to be tight by next summer unless either Homefront 2 or the Patrice Désilets game are released by then."
It's worth noting that THQ was back in the black during its first fiscal quarter. Second quarter earnings will be reported on November 5.