Joystiq

Despite the unbridled enormity implied by its name, Rise of Nations and Catan developer Big Huge Games will fit snugly within the confines of publisher THQ, right next to the cupboard where all the film licenses are kept. Gamasutra reports that while the studio will maintain its autonomy and current management, it is to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of THQ for an undisclosed, possibly large massive amount.

THQ's executive VP of worldwide studios, Jack Sorenson, used a run-on sentence to describe the acquisition as "a poster child for the way we like to approach things, which is that clearly we have a strategy of being in big genres on big, original IP, but we also have a very carefully constructed philosophy in how we look at internal developments, so working with a developer for an amount of time so we can get to know each other is a big prerequisite on internal versus external, so Big Huge Games hits all our strategy points." In other words, he thought it was a pretty good idea, as did Big Huge Games COO, Tim Train. "It's rare to find a publisher who understands games on the level and depth that [THQ] do, and they share our position for quality in a great environment," said Train.

The quality expected to escape from said great environment includes a mysterious new IP from Big Huge Games (it's what "sealed the deal," said Sorenson) and the previously announced, Ken Rolston-led RPG slated for release in 2009.