THQ Abandons Devil’s Third, Looking To Sell the IP

Devil’s Third, the much anticipated first project from Tomonobu Itagaki’s Valhalla Game Studios, will no longer be published by THQ, with the ailing publisher citing financial concerns as well as a number of unforeseen difficulties with the title. Rather than drag the title down with them, however, THQ is shopping the IP around to other publishers, so it may yet see the light of day.

The last time we saw or heard anything substantial about Devil’s Third was way back in 2010. Having been dark for such a long time, it started to seem more and more likely that there was trouble in the house that Itagaki built. Specifically, the company from whom Valhalla had licensed the game engine being used for Devil’s Third went under recently, effectively cutting all engine support and sending Valhalla scrambling to come up with a replacement.

The other trouble has more to do with the appreciation of the Japanese Yen compared with the US dollar. Given THQ’s current financial state, it was simply becoming too expensive to fund the game’s continued development. Give the fact that Itagaki and friends have never exactly been known for their timeliness, a protracted development cycle could have cost THQ a pretty penny indeed.

With any luck, Devil’s Third will find a new publisher soon and get back to business as usual, though there has been no word yet about any buyers in particular.