One of the more surprising things to come out of E3 is that the UFC licence – a solid earner for troubled publisher THQ – has shifted hands to EA.
In a bit of what I’d call a bit of a “dick move” THQ went and fired the UFC team on the first day of E3 – hoping the news would be buried under the E3 media blitz.
“THQ confirms that today’s announcement regarding the UFC license transition will affect the company’s San Diego studio,” the publisher said in a statement that it hoped would go unnoticed.
The San Diego studio was busy on what would become UFC Undisputed 4, but are now sans jobs. They found out yesterday.
“THQ is working closely with those relevant staff to either find possible employment within the company, or potentially with EA.”
Hopefully, somebody at EA has a heart and picks the team up for their new UFC game. With a cash injection from EA, a slick new interface and better motion capture, the next UFC game could be incredible. EA, according to THQ, forked over an “undisclosed sum of money” to initiate the licence transfer.
Last Updated: June 5, 2012
