THQ To Lose WWE

[Skythe]

This sucks.

 

Game Informer: Issue 141, Page 24

 

WWE has filed suit against Jakks Pacific and THQ over alleged charges of bribery in the negotiations for the WWE video game license, which is co-owned by both Jakks and THQ. The suit claims that Jakks bribed a former WWE executive who was in cahoots with the company in order to secure the contract, specifically namin Jakks CFO Joel Bennett, chairman and CEO Jack Friedman, seeking punitive damages, but the dissolution of the video game license contract.

 

Although the lawsuit mentions THQ, the publisher is not being directly targeted for wrongdoing. The company is involved solely because WWE is seeking to terminate all Jakks contracts - which therefore includes the one THQ secured to make video games. In a statement THQ says it was unaware of Jakk's dealings, and that it believes that "the WWE is pleased with the manner in which THQ has managed their brand...".

 

The publisher's current contract with WWE was signed in 1998, and is scheduled to run until 2009 - barring any changes brought about by this litigation. Before the contracts were awarded to THQ and Jakks, Activision had submitted a higher bid, but was refused. It is unknown if Activision would once again pursue a licensing deal with WWE should things fall apart with THQ. Game Informer contacted representatives at Activision, but they would not speak on the matter.

 

For the time being, THQ says that none of its games - including Wrestlemania 21 will currently be effected by the lawsuit.

[Madi]

so long thq maybe someone else will make a wwe game that doesnt always end up to be $10 bucks this time

[KyokugenKiss]

the SMACKDOWN franchise was fun, suing jaxx is old news though

[Wizard]

Fire Pro and King of Colliseum > Smackdown series.

[Skythe]

BTW, Wrestlemania 21 (Xbox) looks like another crappy Xbox wrestling game.

[Ryuken]

there's all these WWE games but most of them sux

[Agozer]

Aw hell, Shut Your Mouth! is great fun and the only wrestling game I own (I didn't even buy it myself), and quite frankly, this news is sad. Jakk's did their games pretty good.

[Wizard]

Yuke's is the one that made the games, THQ just published them.

[Agozer]

Yuke's is the one that made the games, THQ just published them.

Ah yes, you're right. Yuke's is japanese after all. What doies it make Jakk's Pacific then? Somekind of a THQ subsidiary or what?

[Fatal Rose]

Who cares, the games have sucked sense AKI left.

[Mag]

the only WWE games I respect, was back when Jakks and THQ were working on the games for Nintendo 64:

 

WCW vs NWO: World's Tour... WCW: Revenge... WWF: Wrestlemania, WWF: No Mercy

 

No mercy was the last best known wrestling game, not only these games posess true aspect of physics of a wrestling, but the games are made much competetive and the use of your thinking and timing to get the job done unlock the smackdown series.