THQ revises financial outlook, UFC 2010 disappoints

by Richard Mitchell on Jun 15th 2010 1:00AM

THQ today updated its guidance for its first fiscal quarter in 2010, which ends June 30, as well as its entire fiscal 2010, ending March 30, 2011. Previously, the company had predicted non-GAAP first quarter net sales to be between $190 and $200 million. THQ has now lowered its first quarter guidance to between $155 and $165 million. The corresponding outlook for fiscal 2010 has been lowered from between $905 and $920 million to between $845 and $865 million.

The culprit for the guidance shift? "Lower-than-anticipated sales of UFC Undisputed 2010, and the strengthening dollar," according to THQ president and CEO Brian Farrell. Even though pre-orders were 50 percent higher than the 2009 iteration, noted Farrell, sell through of the 2.6 million shipped units has been "below [THQ's] expectations, and prior-year results."

Farrell sated that THQ has "a strong pipeline scheduled for release over the next three years" and asked that "everyone" try out its offerings on the E3 show floor. You can bet we'll be doing just that in the days ahead.

Source: THQ - Investor Relations

Tags: microsoft, playstation, ps3, THQ, UFC-Undisputed-2010, xbox, Yukes

Reader Comments (29)

Uh oh.

I think the online pass is to blame.

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze

I have to agree, that is the reason I didn't get it. I refuse to support any company that implements this "feature"

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Agreement. 2.6 million still sounds like a lot of units, but I hope all of the online pass games disappoint from a sales perspective.

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze I agree. Renting and borrowing are a big part of what gets me to buy a game. I try out the features and decide if it is worth my sixty bucks. If they lock me out from the get go, it doesn't bode well for them. Some people buy games with online as their main focus, and if they cannot try it why bother?

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Yawn. Stop whining guys. It's most likely going to get adapted by most of the companies so you better get used to it.

Also, lol at your not buying games that implement this feature. So if the most amazing, best-looking and playing game ever came out on your console and had this pass, you wouldn't buy it? Keep dreaming.

As to why it's not selling well, I wouldn't have a clue. I just hate people who whine about things like this when from a company's perspective it makes the most logical sense.

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Really the blame rest with Red Dead. I work in an independent game store and all the high school kids who would have bought UFC don't have the cash because they got RDR first.

@PhilipJWitow

Yeah, gamers better get used to eroding usage terms. Unless trial access is granted, gamers shouldn't rent these games if they intend to play online. Gamers also shouldn't be allowed to borrow games from one another, because that affects the industry's bottom-line. [/sarcasm]

Get real dude. We're all gamers and I gaurantee you that none of us enjoy being restricted in how we acquire and use software we purchase. The result, people will vote with their wallets, now more than ever.

While the game is overall better then 2009, it's still got a lot of issues. The career mode is really repetitive (I never want to do another post fight interview again), submissions against the CPU are beyond human ability, and there are some major glitches as well. For example my brother was going though career mode and at a point you are ask to move up to middleweight from welterweight. He fought 1 fight at middleweight, but then his next fight was back at welterweight. The fight was a number 1 contenders fight for the welterweight title. He wins that fight and then the title, but then his next fight is a number 1 contenders fight for the welterweight title again. He was stuck in this loop, and could never break out of it.

So the game has issues, but more importantly for the sales though it released the week after Red Dead and Alan Wake, so I'm sure a lot of people weren't ready to shell out another $60 just yet.

I didn't see anything interesting enough to pick up 2010. I still have my copy of 2009 though. Great game.

game has a bunch of broken features (last year and even more this year) plus the online pass plus Red Dead Redemption = game is gonna do bad. Easy. I bought it, online is pretty horribly messed up. Getting into a game is a chore because quick match doesn't work and you can't create a game yourself in ranked unless you keep searching until it gives you the option.

Just terrible terrible job by THQ guys. And a month later and still no patch. Even for something as simple as fixing Super CAFs (which they said wouldn't even be in the game to begin with but they flat out lied) and omoplata cancel which is ridiculously stupid but I guess only people that have been playing online (which isn't a lot) know of that.

It's already difficult to find a game on PS3 because online is so broken and people don't care for the game. Can't wait for EA MMA.

UFC 2010 already came out? I didn't even realize it had. It seems like they were putting too much weight behind the success last year, and didn't put as much marketing behind it.

I only played 2009 and have no plans to get UFC 2010 anytime soon. I will have say that I do blame the online pass as well as games like Alan Wake and Red Dead Redemption that came out during that week well later. Those games probably sold more than UFC 2010 even though Alan Wake is only on Xbox 360.

Well what did they expect?
They seriously screwed up the game badly. Online is working maybe for less then half the players. Features for online arent even implemented yet.

DLC fighters can't be used in career mode or online.

Career mode is an absolute joke of a career mode in a sporting game. Its unfinished, fighters don''t age, matchmaking bugs, unfinished features in it. No AI progression system...etc.

Christ there are only 5 KO animations in the game. lol.

I honestly feel they released a alpha build with tweaks then the final release build.

@easedel

forgot you can't edit lol.
THQ basically gave the MMA market to EA by releasing this game in its condition. Even worse is the dev team, in interviews, saying they overhauled career mode the most but it is the same as 09s except 5 years longer..which is a mirage itself since your skill points decay at a very fast rate in those last 3 years.

THQ has no one to blame but themselves for the shortcomings on this game. P2P gamespy servers for online play? I have been able to do one ranked match since release....

I would not be surprised if Zuffa breaks terms with THQ and moves on. It would be hard for me to even think about purchasing 2011 UFC if they are still on board or even if THQ is around.

@easedel

final release will be UFC Undisputed 2011.

I love how they talk about DLC as if it is an actual possibility. You know that is a flat out lie as well like a lot of other stuff they have said. They will just wait to implement it into next year's version.

If anyone has been on their official forums you know how incompetent the devs behind this game are. They can't even take care of their official website. Literally 2 weeks before the release of the game all the way to about 4 weeks after it came out a person on their OFFICIAL FORUM was posting granny porn, midget porn, nasty fetish porn, some herpes crap....and several other things and spamming it all over the forum. They literally did nothing for a month when you'd think they would be active on their own forum.

All these issues I'm only just now hearing of UFC Undisputed 2010 remind me why I used to think badly of THQ titles in the first place. The last year or so I found that their image didn't seem to be that bad.. but phew, good thing I was reminded

@Crayola Q Pants ESQ

I honestly think they will be lucky to be even considered a company this time next year.

@Crayola Q Pants ESQ

Okay, so the reply feature is still a little jacked up. That was meant for PhilipJWitow.

Hey, I know we're spilling a shit ton of oil into the Gulf but you guys better get used to it.

Let's put it another way, you know that game they so dearly want you to buy? They're making it worth even less once it's in your hands. Please guys, please buy our product for top dollar and we'll make sure you never get even half of what you paid for it. Now that's just good business!

damn corporate troll... yes people shouldnt complain when they are getting F'ED over because its better for the company that way... dumbass

Gimme a break - I don't care how popular UFC is, the game is still a product for a niche market. That's why it failed.

@(Unverified)

Agreed. I already own UFC 2009 as well and didn't feel there was enough new content to drop another $60.

Seems like they're trying to pull an EA and release the same sports game every year with a few improvements.

This is what you get for using online pass. Many people including myself will never purchase a game new or used from any company that continues to use the online pass.

@thenutman69321

That makes no sense at all since if you buy the game new your getting the online pass with it and not paying extra for it

Maybe they should do Mortal Kombat vs UFC? Zing!

@The Flash Yep, the flash is going to get negged, can't believe I mistook THQ for Midway, which is now part of WB. >.>.

The online problems have been just plain unacceptable with this title, there's no way this game should've been released with the online problems it's had now for two consecutive years. When ppl are paying $60+ for a game and they can't even jump online right away then that's a major problem. It's still the most realistic and best fighter out there but they need to change their "We'll fix it with a patch release" mentality and have the game ready to go from jump, period.

EA should learn from this unless they want to lose another billion dollars this year.

i still play 2009.

2010's demo didn't impress me enough to go get it. saw the paid online bullshit so i probably won't even get it used now. i say we boycott all games with pay extra for standard features such as online multiplayer. what a joke.

this annual rehash has got to stop. ufc should've waited until 2011 or 2012 and released something spectacular. this just seemed like a roster update which could just be dlc.

Sorry, you must be logged in to leave a comment.

Breaking News

The most popular posts
in the last 7 days

Vita 'UMD Passport' won't be offered in US 220 comments
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning review: A tempting fate 153 comments
David Jaffe leaves Eat Sleep Play, layoffs hit developer [Update] 108 comments
Don't call it a remake: Final Fantasy X is a 'remaster,' to be clear 95 comments
Battleship movie adapted into FPS by Double Helix 93 comments

UFC Undisputed 2010

THQ revises financial outlook, UFC 2010 disappoints

Reader Comments (29)

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 1:04AM Ezio Auditore da Firenze said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 1:13AM KingOfGods said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 1:14AM Altairio said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 1:30AM VaultBoy said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 6:43AM PhilipJWitow said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 7:58AM bigE said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 11:59AM SPARTAN VI said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 1:13AM Jamis7 said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 1:18AM JMoney156 said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 1:27AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 1:48AM Bananarama said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 1:58AM Art84 said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 2:32AM easedel said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 2:36AM easedel said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 2:39AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 3:10AM Crayola Q Pants ESQ said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 4:19AM easedel said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 12:47PM Altairio said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 12:45PM Altairio said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 4:54PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 10:41AM FredFredrickson said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 11:38AM SPARTAN VI said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 11:51AM thenutman69321 said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 6:28PM WeirdAlfPacino said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 12:00PM The Flash said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 12:05PM The Flash said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 1:17PM Teez said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 1:54PM Viking34 said

Posted: Jun 15th 2010 5:34PM rapidix said

UFC Undisputed 2010 Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

Double Fine Kickstarter passes $1 million in under 24 hours, breaking yet another record

Featured Stories

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier brings information warfare to the front

Rhythm Heaven Fever review: Crazy into you

Remedy not done with Alan Wake

The most popular postsin the last 7 days

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW

The most popular posts
in the last 7 days