THQ Rebrands Studios for Digital Focus, Lays Off 60 Staff

Although Electronic Arts has perhaps been the most outspoken about its ongoing transition to digital, all the video game publishers are keenly aware of the growing importance of the digital business. Today, in a step to realign its business towards digital, THQ announced that it's changing the focus of both Juice Games and Rainbow Studios. Unfortunately for the staff at these locations, the reorganization also means about 60 layoffs.

Juice and Rainbow will be renamed THQ Digital Studios Warrington and THQ Digital Studios Phoenix, respectively, and will now be entirely focused on creating digitally distributed games "based on THQ’s core game brands and new original intellectual properties." The Digital Studios will also collaborate on the "implementation of a portfolio-wide community platform to connect consumers to all of THQ’s core games." This will be done with proprietary technology developed by THQ Digital Studios Warrington.

“Consumers are increasingly looking for deeper engagement with their favorite entertainment experiences. They also want to enjoy games and entertainment via convenient social and portable platforms that suit their lifestyle,” said Danny Bilson, Executive Vice President, THQ Core Games. “We plan to address these needs through a rich offering of content distributed across digital platforms, based both on all of our major core brands as well as new intellectual properties.”

The first games under the new Digital Studios won't be released until fiscal 2011. THQ said that they'll be looking to support all digital platforms, including the new iPad, iPhone, Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network. Despite the rebranding to Digital Studios, THQ also noted that its MX vs. ATV series will still be published under the Rainbow Studios brand.