THQ Cancels Saints Row: Drive By, Renames Metro 2033 Sequel

Following yesterday's earnings report, THQ has said it is no longer working on digital/portable spin-off Saints Row: Drive By, also confirming the title for a follow-up to Metro 2033. The Drive By spin-off was amongst the first titles announced for the Nintendo 3DS during the hardware's unveiling at last year's E3, and was later announced as a PSN and Xbox 360 download as well. But a THQ rep told Joystiq in no uncertain terms that "we are not developing Saints Row: Drive By," confirming earlier reports that the game had been cancelled. THQ Executive Vice President and CFO Paul Pucino hinted during a December conference call that the Saints Row franchise was part of a "very significant transmedia initiative." Meanwhile, THQ has also confirmed that the sequel to last year's Metro 2033 will be called Metro: Last Light. The post-apocalyptic shooter was released last March and a sequel, then tentatively titled Metro 2034, was already being discussed at last June's E3 show. In an earnings call last May, THQ CEO Brian Farrell said the first Metro 2033 had been "a very profitable title for us," meeting modest expectations largely thanks to "very low development costs on that high-quality title."