Yesterday, the video game industry was forced to learn the name “Nordic Games.” This wasn’t because the Vienna-based studio, which was founded in 2011, had released a product worth talking about. Instead, people paid attention to Nordic because it acquired a significant portion of THQ's assets in a bankruptcy auction. It seemed as if CEO Lars Wingefors had come from the shadows to swap up a grouping of strong, well-known IPs, as his studio was really only known for the PC release of Painkiller: Hell & Damnation. However, new information has painted a much stronger connection between Wingefors and THQ.
Game Informer talked at length with the CEO in order to shine a light on the purchase, and while Nordic may not be a household name, the studio's publishing history is extensive.
"I've been in the industry for 20 years. I've been doing everything from mail order to retail and trading with a lot of THQ products over the years," Wingefors said. “I know from the commercial viewpoint, I know these products very well, all those IPs. We have another business called Game Outlet Europe where we have made a lot of money, but it has been declining. What we have done is taken the profit from that business and invested it into this new business."
What’s most surprising is the fact that Nordic’s been in close contact with THQ since right around the time when it went bankrupt in December 2012.
“We signed all the NDAs in January," he said. "We were part of the auction in February, but decided not to take part because it was too much cash. Saints Row went for $22 million and Koch bought that development studio with that burn rate on a daily basis. Even though I do have financial resources, I don't have those kind of resources."
It wasn’t about scooping up both the property and the development studio attached to it. Nordic Games has financial capital, but just not enough to support full teams. Really, the company will be acting as a middle man to brining sequels of popular franchises like Darksiders and Red Faction to life.
“We are not the creative, talented developer that brings out new versions in house," Wingefors stated. "I understand the potential of the IPs. I respect the original creators and the creative people who are able to create sequels. In the past 24 hours, we have been contacted and there have been a few discussions."
How this all pans out is anyone’s guess, but it’s safe to say that there will be an effort to keep many of THQ’s past works alive.
