Report: THQ layoffs at Australian studio, closing Japan studio

THQ has made over a dozen of its staff at its Australian offices redundant, and is also in the process of closing its Japan offices, according to media reports. An anonymous source has told Kotaku that 14 staff members have been made redundant at THQ's Australia studio today. The source also claims that the company is currently closing its Japan branch. Gamasutra has contacted THQ for comment. If true, this is just the latest in a string of bad news for the company. THQ was forced to lay off 30 employees at its family-focused Play THQ division, following poor sales of its uDraw line of drawing tablet accessories. THQ had previously already closed a couple of its Australian studios, laying off approximately 200 employees in the process. The company also revealed last week that it is exiting the kids' licensed games business, and is instead looking to focus on "core" gamer titles while expanding its digital business. Analysts predicted recently that THQ may well have run out of cash by the first quarter of the next fiscal year.