THQ and Volition, Inc. Hit the Streets With Saint's Row(TM)
Next-Generation Title Takes Template of Open World Genre in New Direction
CALABASAS HILLS, Calif., May 16, 2005: THQ Inc. (Nasdaq: THQI) and critically acclaimed development studio Volition, Inc. today announced Saint's RowTM. An evolution in open world gaming, Saint's Row provides an unprecedented amount of freedom to experience the game as the player sees fit. The game, based in the fictional urban surroundings of Still Water, is action adventure with its core as a third-person shooter. Scheduled to release worldwide on the Xbox 360TM video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in 2005, Saint's Row will make its public debut at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, CA, May 18.
"We're building Saint's Row on a new proprietary game engine that's going to take our studio to the next level of game design," said Mike Kulas, Volition's founder and president. "The goal is to build a complete sense of dynamic reaction to every action the player takes. In Saint's Row, the player is not forced to follow a linear story in a pseudo-sandbox world. The purpose is to provide choice and freedom as to how the game is played."
"Saint's Row represents an evolution in open world game design and breaks the mold, pushing the genre in a new direction of choice and consequence," added Jack Sorensen, executive vice president of worldwide studios, THQ. "With this title, we'll establish both a new franchise on a next-generation console and a solid foundation for our future projects."
Currently being developed for the Xbox 360, Saint's Row sets the player as a member of the Third Street Saints, a gang trying desperately to take back the streets from three rival gangs that hold the city.
About Volition, Inc.
Located in Champaign, Illinois, Volition, Inc. is one of THQ's premier internal game development studios responsible for high-end creations on next generation systems and Windows PC. Its credits include the best-selling The Punisher, Red Faction® and Red Faction® 2, Summoner®, the acclaimed Freespace and Freespace 2, as well as the award-winning Descent and Descent 2 as a part of Parallax Software.
About THQ
THQ Inc. (Nasdaq: THQI) is a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software. The company develops its products for all popular game systems, personal computers and wireless devices. Headquartered in Los Angeles County, California, THQ sells product through its global network of offices located in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Korea and Australia. More information about THQ and its products may be found at www.thq.com and www.thqwireless.com. THQ, THQ Wireless, Volition, Inc., Red Faction, Summoner, Saint's Row and their respective logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc.
This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the business of THQ Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as "THQ"), including but not limited to expectations and projections related to the release and features of Saint's Row, and are based upon management's beliefs and certain assumptions made by management. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements, including, but not limited to economic, competitive and technological factors affecting the operations, markets, products, services and pricing of THQ. Unless otherwise required by law, THQ disclaims any obligation to update its view on any such risks or uncertainties or to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements. Readers should carefully review the risk factors and the information that could materially affect THQ's financial results, described in other documents that THQ files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal period ended March 31, 2004, and particularly the discussion of risk factors that may affect results of operations set forth therein. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.