THQ's days are numbered, says Take-Two CEO

Things have been looking a bit grim for publisher THQ over the last few months, and given the current state of its business, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick predicts that the company won't last another six months. Zelnick (pictured) discussed his thoughts on THQ at the MIT Business in Gaming conference in Massachusetts, and noted that the company's reliance on licensed properties kept its business from taking off, reports Joystiq. "THQ's strategy was licensed properties, first and foremost. License stuff from other people, whether it's UFC or WWE or a motion picture property, and make a game around that," he said. While this tactic might work in some cases, Zelnick said that THQ likely suffered decreased margins since it was always reliant on its numerous license holders. While THQ has attempted to shift toward original IP over the last several years, Zelnick says the company has done too little too late. "THQ has had some good games, but their quality levels aren't even remotely... the quality hasn't measured up," he said. "Strategy didn't work and the execution was bad. To put it another way: the food was no good and the portions were small," Zelnick said. "THQ won't be around in six months." [Update: Gamasutra contacted THQ for its response to Zelnick's comments, and a company spokesperson said, "Obviously, Mr. Zelnick's perception of THQ is outdated and inaccurate. His comments are irresponsible and false. Perhaps he would be better off commenting on his own business."]