THQ Looks to Voltron for Future

Agoura Hills-based video game publisher THQ Inc. will reboot animated space voyager Voltron in a new game for XboxLIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network. Incorporated within the game play are clips from the 1980s animated series. Players will team up to battle the evil forces of King Zarkon across the varied landscapes of Planet Arus. Galactic peacekeepers may choose to play either online in seamless 1- to 5-player co-op or offline in 1- or 2-player co-op. “We really wanted to create a game that’s exciting, true to the original series and challenging to play,” said Peter Armstrong, executive producer. “All of us here are big fans of classic Voltron, and we’re really proud of what we have created.” “Voltron: Defender of the Universe” will be available in October, a month prior to the company’s release of the latest installments of its big franchise titles “Saint’s Row,” “WWE,” and the uDraw game tablet. THQ is expecting the franchise games to help improve its financial performance. The company is coming off a poor first quarter in which it reported a net loss of $38.4 million, or $0.56 per diluted share, on revenues of $195.2 million. For the same period in 2010, the company had a net loss of $30.1 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, on revenues of $149.4 million. — Mark R. Madler